Lionel passenger cars

Well, for O31, I'd stick with 15" or smaller cars.  I have O72 and larger curves but I still limit my passenger fleet to the 18" models.

Papa Dave,

I posted this on the N&W passenger car thread just the other day. I hope it helps.

"I like the way these Lionel "baby" Madison cars look behind my PostWar  746 N&W "J", on my traditional tubular track layout with O42, O54 and O72 curves. I like the PostWar look of these cars too.

5 car set #'s 6-16061, 16062, 16063, 16064 and 16065. I picked up a duplicate 16064 passenger car to make it a 6 car consist.

These are not the traditional short O27 passenger cars. Their bodies are 12 inches long, 13 inches coupler to coupler. Diecast 6 wheel trucks.

As a sidenote, here are the sizes of the bodies of Lionel's traditional passenger cars: Traditional O27 passenger cars 11", baby Madisons 12", Madisons 14" and the streamlined aluminum car bodies are 15""

Lionel produced some great (literally) aluminum cars with full interiors in 15" lengths, some of which had highly reflective finishes, if you like that sort of thing - as I do. Otherwise, their 18" aluminum cars - probably produced, based on my experience, with K-Line tooling - are even better, if you can find them.

To answer your question, the lengths in aluminum cars with interiors (not silhouettes) are 15" 18" and 21", but don't think about 21" for your curves. These scale size cars won't work on them. 18" probably will.

Papa Dave - If you want to see examples of Lionel’s 15 inch aluminum passenger car 4-packs with detailed interiors (including passenger figures) just google 6-15311, -312, -313 or -317.  I own some of them and I think they’re great, plus they track quite nicely on my 031 curves.  After I got the first set with passenger figures it spoiled me, as I no longer am satisfied with passenger silhouettes.

Papa Dave,

Further to my post earlier today, here is a pic of PostWar Lionel 15" bodied aluminum passenger cars rounding a curve.

Even though they were designed to run on O31 curves, this curve is O42 and they still look awkward with a lot of overhang. You can see this at the front of the center car and in the center of the back car - both extend well beyond the rails.

Thank you all for the advice and info!

The atlas trainman 60 scale foot cars look and run great but i think they are limited to 036 curves.

I have found that the 18” cars do not get along with 022 switches.

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

I have found that the 18” cars do not get along with 022 switches.

The only 18-inch cars I know of that will handle O31 curves and O22 switches are the K-Line heavyweights that have the steps that swing up and out of the way when the coupler contacts them on the curve.

My 18 inch K lines with silhouettes do good on 42 inch curves

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

I have found that the 18” cars do not get along with 022 switches.

Small wonder, they have a 42" diameter curve requirement!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, for O31, I'd stick with 15" or smaller cars.  I have O72 and larger curves but I still limit my passenger fleet to the 18" models.

I agree - for that sort of small radius, I’d stick to 15” cars.

Before I started any fruitful planning I found on the bay a set of Reading Company passenger cars that are gorgeous. When I did a mock up, naturally, I put them behind a Reading Company F-3. It was an immediate derailment as they took the first turnout.

@PH1975 posted:

Papa Dave - If you want to see examples of Lionel’s 15 inch aluminum passenger car 4-packs with detailed interiors (including passenger figures) just google 6-15311, -312, -313 or -317.  I own some of them and I think they’re great, plus they track quite nicely on my 031 curves.  After I got the first set with passenger figures it spoiled me, as I no longer am satisfied with passenger silhouettes.

Papa Dave: If you have only 031 and 042 curves, I'd go with the 15" cars. The aluminum ones don't necessarily look like toys and they will negotiate your curves with no problems. 18" cars could work as well. I think that O scale 21" cars are so massive, they look ridiculous on a layout, no matter how broad the curves are. But that's just my opinion.

The sets described above are Lionel premium sets with fantastic detailing. I have the 6-15312, the Santa Fe Super Chief set, 15" cars with the 2-car add-on. It's become my favorite passenger car set and visitors love them. They negotiate my 036 curve layout with no problems, even through an S-curve at faster speeds.

The problem is, these sets were made only one year, 2003, so are scarce and hard to find. But if you can obtain one, you won't be sorry and as PH 1975 stated, they'll spoil you.

Thanks guys.  You've convinced me to  go no longer than 15" cars.  Years ago, when I had a fair-sized collection, but no place to build a layout, I had an A-B-A  and 8 assorted 18"-inchers.  Eventually I got tired of having trains I couldn't run, sold the whole sheebang, and bought a hot car.  Now the car is long-gone and I'm easing back into trains, but only stuff that will look ok on the 5'x9' layout I am building.

FWIW: There are other options starting with moving the 022 housing to the other side or using Ross Custom Switches.