Passenger trains, spoiled, I want the good ones!

I've sent GGD drawings for Seaboard Air Line's Silver Meteor (and their Sun-Lounge car), if you guys let them know you're interested we just might see it before I leave this planet

Oh my gosh, you sound like me!

Last night I took all my passenger car that were not detailed beauties with little people inside, and put them away.

Originally I did not care, but then I finally made the plunge...now I am spoiled.

I am sure my other cars will make a reappearence though, as i love them regardless1

Well, my suggestion is to find as many K-Line sets that you can get your hands on. They were way ahead of their time and the lightweights are aluminum.

 

Two years ago I started a process to convert as much of my passenger train inventory to 21" K-Line Lightweight sets. It was well worth the effort.

 

Today, GGD produces wonderful 21" sets in aluminum and Lionel has recently announced new 21" sets to be made in plastic, but high quality.

 

 

Lionel's B&O Columbian set from a few years back. 18 Inch aluminum cars with interior and figures, accurately painted and detailed. Nice set!

You cant go wrong with the K-line 21 inch cars. Beautiful and with figures. The MTH cars are nice but a little short but also have figures. The Atlas CZ cars, if you can find them, are beautiful 21 inch cars but you will need to add your own figures and you will never miss with the GGD/3RD Rail cars

Ain't that the truth. This forum is already proving dangerous to the wallet and I just joined.  I'll be looking for K-line 21" once I've got an operating layout. 

POWHATAN ARROW The Golden Gate Depot reservations are about to close.

 

I have sold-off all of my MTH 18" N&W cars (two full sets) in anticipation of being able to have a "correct" Powhatan Arrow consist to pull with my MTH 611 (currently reserved).

 

Gilly

There is a certain synergy here.. as you folks with the layouts large enough to run the 21 inchers start to convert I am making the move from 15 inch to 18 inch which is about the max for my size layout. This is a whole new world of detailed interiors.. stream lighting.. and three dimensional people who are more than just shadows on the window.. keep em coming..

The bar does indeed keep getting raised!

 

rboatertoo,

 

     A nice passenger train that will not cost a fortune or take up a lot of space on your layout would be the Lionel Lindbergh Legacy Atlantic with its two 18" car set. I have seen the engine on the forum a few times over the past year or two.

     I have this train and after several trips to Lionel to get the smoke units right which they finally did (knock on wood) it really is a fun train to operate. The smoking whistle is a great addition to any steam locomotive and the two passenger cars lights can be turned off via a switch on the bottom of the cars. Doing this on the baggage car is especially nice as it could simulate that the Lindbergh news reels are being developed.

 

JohnB 

Ah.... passenger trains !  This is my number one addiction...and it will never be cured!  Can't get enough passenger cars, and never will. My biggest weaknesses are Pullman heavyweights of all types, and Budd stainless cars from 1937 to 1965. Yummy !  Road names don't matter that much.  I bought the Coachyard Espee Sunset LTD. because it was Budd, more than anything else! And now here comes Scott with another Sunset !

The 21" Powhattan Arrow is a major arm twister...and the new B&O Cincinnatian is gonna drive me nuts. All those luscious interiors are waiting to be peopled and in some cases,  customized! U-rah!

Lionel Legacy Pocahontas Passenger Set has great detail in the passenger cars with seats and figures. Best set I own! See this set run on YouTube.

ANY passenger cars from Golden Gate Depot will be SCALE, and extremely well detailed, with even some people sitting in the seats. Their passenger equipment, both heavyweight and lightweight/streamlined passengers are the best available in 3-Rail, for the money.

To put a little finer point on it, the Budd 10-6 sleeper, as exemplified by the AT&SF Pine cars...are IMHO, the most gorgeous passenger cars ever built, or even imagined ! It's the combination of the roof fluting coming down all the way to the upper window level, the un-skirted configuration -  which makes the car look longer, and at the same time, more business like, and the awesome 41 CUDO-36 trucks...which are a natural for any Budd passenger car. The classic 10-6 interior arrangement completes this visual feast.  The real cars also produced a unique sound when running at speed. Absolute perfection in rolling stock !

It's been 1-2 years since the different parts of the set issued, and the quantities were pretty small, but the 3rd Rail/GGD version of the B&O Columbian set was also a home run.  This is the only scale O gauge version of this set that has been made.

 

Jim

I was visiting with Scott Mann at his office last Friday and saw the sample models for the El Capitan on the layout.  My jaw dropped.  I thought the photos looked good, but the finish set will be by far the best set of cars ever built in aluminum and they aren't that heavy either.  It was extremely free rolling.  Can't wait to get my set.

 

 

I must admit that I envy you standard-gauge modelers from time to time for good long passenger cars.

This is a big as I can get with my prototype, this is an AMS On30 Jackson & Sharpe coach:

One thing that drives me nuts when I see other people's varnish is that few have any passengers. I bought a huge bag of pre-painted O scale figures from China off eBay a couple of years ago. I had to cut their legs off around the knees to properly fit into the seats, but every seat on this coach (as well as the other just like it I'm working on right now) has at least one passenger in it.

Don't forget K-Line made 18" cars in some road names.  I have the 21" cars and couldn't be happier. 

 

I'm very excited for the GGD Harriman cars to arrive!  They'll be beautiful.

Oh man, Oh man, I cant wait to get my (10) car set, hopefully pretty soon!

 

Joe

All it takes is cash!!!  

As stated.....I have a few K-Line HW and streamline 80ft cars. 

Not super hard to find as long as the wallet is big enough.....and why I only have a few! 

Oh come on, not one picture?  I am hoping the May delivery is accurate.  I am very excited about these cars!

I was visiting with Scott Mann at his office last Friday and saw the sample models for the El Capitan on the layout.  My jaw dropped.  I thought the photos looked good, but the finish set will be by far the best set of cars ever built in aluminum and they aren't that heavy either.  It was extremely free rolling.  Can't wait to get my set.

 

 

Oh man, Oh man and Oh man again... I can't wait to my 12-car set.  Only 5 more weeks.

 

In another 2-3 weeks I'll probably start pacing the floor like an expectant father. 

Just don't forget quality motive power for quality passenger cars.

I will second, perhaps third, Brain (PassengerTrainCollectors) recommendation on the 21" K-line streamlined cars. The stainless steel finish on the plated K-line cars has not been beat yet, by anything I've seen, any any price point.

 

If you can pre-order from GGD / 3rd Rail, that is also an excellent choice, however the secondary market is tough on these, get them (everything you might ever want) while Scott is selling them, or good luck buddy.

 

The MTH European cars are much nicer than the US counterparts, if your looking for something different and don't mind ABS bodies.

 

Best,

Jason

 

 

I am not a rivet counter, nor a really good judge of what a prototypical scale passenger car would really be, but, I love the new Lionel Aluminum passenger cars back from prox 2004 forward with the real people sitting in the windows, and the cool lighting and most of all, The Dining Cars with the Station Sounds, they make my day! I am referring to the 18 Inch Aluminum cars in All Road Names. For some reason, they work really good on 072 through the higher diameter curves. This

is a really nice thread, Happy Railroading. 

I had decided that I wouldn't run anything longer than 18" cars due to my curves.  I have 072 minimum, but they still hang over on curves.  All my cars were K-Line, Lionel, and a few MTH. 

 

Then I got the K-Line 21" California Zephyr and fell in love with the over all scale appearance of them.  Sure they hang over pretty bad on the curves, but they look so sweet on the straight aways!  Now, I don't want anything except 21" cars.  I am not planning to get rid of my 18" cars, but ............

 

Art

Fully understandable, Chugman,  I dumped nearly all my 18" stuff over the last few years, and now it full length, or no length !  To get by on 072, I'll use cars that are a bit shorter in real life, such as a PRR  B60b and such.  Scott is getting around to doing just about everything I could want...so my wallet is in deep doo-doo !  Headed for 096 country to accommodate this stuff!

I'm with you and jaygee-the 21" cars just 'look' correct.

 

Here's a few of mine to share:

 

 

 

3rd Rail GM ToT:

 

To the OP, GGD is hard to beat for details and quality.  The K-Line 21" cars are beautiful quality pieces also, though some sell for premium dollar on the secondary market. Others are reasonable.  

 

Enjoy your new passenger cars, whatever you decide to buy! 

 

Scott asks that pictures of predelivery test trains not be posted.

Ya know... 3rd Rail still has two UP TOT in stock. After those photos, there just might be one! I have the GM ToT and it is the jewel of my collection.

Will somebody pleeeeease make a scale Reading Crusader set!!

I thought K-Line did??? Or was it the shorter cars?? I know they made something! 

I have the Lionel ATSF Anniversary Passenger set, which many people think is the best set they produced.  Rather pricey anymore but really nice.   It has ABBA Warbonnett F3s, and I think a seven (six?) car set, with interiors and figures.  I added extra cars so I can run eight or even nine cars.  Very nice set.

 

I also have the 3rd Rail ToT as you do and like it, although it is display only, right here in my study instead of up in the train room.  

 

And the Lionel Legacy Blue Comet Pacific and a set and add ons: the cars have interiors but weird green tinted windows I don't like.

 

My favorite trains though, I assembled myself, and I would recommend this way to get a really spectacular train, on that is all yours.  You can do research on the prototype itself and then research which manufacturers make what and shop to find the pieces, then buy engines and car sets or individual cars as you want, etc.  My two favorite passenger trains were built up that way.  They are:

 

My favorite: Union Pacific's City of Los Angeles: Legacy A-A E9s, MTH B unit (I actually found one with matching numbers!) and eight cars: all MTH's latest 18" passenger cars, including, if I remember well, the basic four-car set, a two-car add on set, a diner, and an observation car.  And yes, all the color match, near enough, even though made by different companies.  Lionel Legacy running smoothness and sound combined with  MTH modeling detail outside and inside the cars: best of both worlds.

 

Next most favorite: B&O's Royal Blue.  Baldwin A-A Sharks, again Legacy, a Williams B unit I renumbered, and cars with detailed interiors, in this case 15 inchers so it looks good on my #2 (60") mainline.  Lionel I think, maybe MTH, I can't remember which - but all from one manufacturers but bought four and two and one at a time from different retailers as i found what I wanted.   

I remember your photos of the B&O Sharks with the Rail King 60 footers and that is indeed a very nice-looking set Lee.

 

Would be curious to see Scott Mann's layout sometime...

Not sure the site is correct-they only had one left when I bought mine last January.  Better hurry!

Buy what YOU like. There are so many wonderful passenger trains that have been made in O-Gauge that you have many excellent choices. Many Forum members have posted their favorites on this thread, but you will be the happiest if you sort through these choices and select what you want.

 

Over the years I have added passenger trains to our inventory that had a strong appeal to me. As time went by, some no longer had the same appeal and I sold them. My tastes have changed to the 21" size, and in particular, some of the great K-Line passenger sets that were made.

 

This is a wonderful time to be in the hobby. GGD is cranking out memorable sets in scale and now Lionel is offering 21" cars as well. Good luck in your search. Please keep us posted with your selections.

I can understand that Scott wants to do a big reveal fir the el cap cars.

I had the Leipzig station lite up tonight with six passenger train lite up behind it!! Mth south shore, Lionel Acela, 3rd rail gm train of tomorrow, Monon, Mth Cta (silver) and the zephyr.  The red light at the bottom right is the big boy tender.

I have nothing but scale cars and most that I have built were all scale 15", 18", just don't look right to me. Interested to see lionel's  upcoming plastic 21" cars.

I like scale, too, and 21' cars will fit and run on my layout - that was a bit of a surprise since I never checked to make sure they would when I was laying it out -  but 21" carslook weird to me even on 72" curves, and I've grown to prefer really detailed 18 inch cars instead.  The only 21" I have are those that came with the 3rd Rail ToT, and after one run around the layout a few times, they are now retired to display only here in my study.