Pennsylvania R.R. Let's see them!

@PRRMike awesome stone work, great shots!

Here is my MTH PRR GG1 4850 with the Broadway Limited.

@Mikado 4501 posted:

Here's a model I wanted for awhile since I learned about it watching one of Norm's videos - a 3rd Rail High Iron Pennsylvania K4s Pacific no. 1361.

I was originally going to get the Lionel LEGACY version, but then I found out about the gearbox stuff, and decided I wanted something with a more decent motor arrangement.

A buddy of mine came through selling me this one. This is my first ever 3rd Rail locomotive, and what a beautiful model! It's a solid runner being from 2004, and it is dripping with fine detail.

I'm already working on it to do things like adding a pickup roller to the tender and check the TAS EOB circuit boards.

Worth the wait great detail

One of my Lionel M1’s and a I1 getting ready to start a manifest, while two I1sa snappers, shove on a coal train!

@Mikado 4501 - I love the K-4 and that is certainly a beautiful model.  Thanks for posting.

Don

These Lionel boxcars showed up in the mail just before Christmas. I ordered them from the TCA in December of 2024!!! While they do show a PRR mark, I don’t know how these lines related to the PRR (and an internet search didn’t give me any leads) but I’m hoping one of the more knowledgeable amongst us can point me to some history

@Apples55

https://www.midcontinent.org/r...lders/star-union.htm

Another reference from the PRR T&HS.  Lots of mentions of the Empire Line here.

http://prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1868.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...ansportation_Company

In general, the road names on the cars represent two of the many, many companies the PRR owned.  A great deal of PRR's expansion through the 19th century was through purchase or controlling interests in other transportation companies and those companies still existed on paper in through the 20th century.

Paul, I got my set of cars right after Thanksgiving. I’m so glad that I ordered them. Highly detailed with great graphics. They are great additions to my PRR rolling stock. I believe that the Pennsylvania Lines name was used west of Pittsburgh. But I could be wrong.

Something (to me) and something that has been in my collection for a little while now.  New to me is this Custom Brass P54 coach built by Pioneer Models out of Japan in the late 1970's.  It has some nice detail.   It will pair nicely with a PB54 from the same company that has been in my collection for about four years. 

While these cars are more "fan fiction" for the era I model, I still like them.  Most were converted to MP54s.

It is interesting how little these cars changed over the years even after being converted to MU cars.  Those owl eyes certainly stand out.

Through the one operable door you can see the brake stand detail.  A nice touch.

Lot of nice detail on the bottom including wood planks.

It's not often you see the manufacturer's actual name on the car.  At least not in the more modern era. 

The second car is a Hallmark GRa gondola.  A pretty basic steel frame car with a wood deck and sides used mainly in mill service.  Over 14,000 of these cars were produced.  This version represents a later car as it runs on PRR 2D-P8 freight car trucks in lieu of the original arch bar type.  Weaver made these too and they are also nicely detailed but in plastic.  I just don't have any in my collection.  For the period I model, these would be most appropriate in MOW work as most were retired from service after WWII.

Bit late, but thanks Joe and Jonathan for the info on the Empire and Union Lines. I’d be lying if I said I fully understood all the machinations mentioned in your info - I begin to see why railroad magnates could be referred to as robber barons!!! These cars will be a nice compliment to my NYC MDT cars. Seems like they did quite a bit of work with oil refiners… maybe someone will make some Empire/Union tankers ???

@Apples55 posted:

Bit late, but thanks Joe and Jonathan for the info on the Empire and Union Lines. I’d be lying if I said I fully understood all the machinations mentioned in your info - I begin to see why railroad magnates could be referred to as robber barons!!! These cars will be a nice compliment to my NYC MDT cars. Seems like they did quite a bit of work with oil refiners… maybe someone will make some Empire/Union tankers ???

Interesting history on the Empire Line in general.  Standard Oil shut down the Pittsburgh refineries in 1877 because the PRR's ownership of the Empire Lines as a competitor in the oil industry.  Wikipedia talks about the Pittsburgh strike of 1877.  Other sources refer to it as a riot as disgruntled striking workers destroyed a great deal of railroad property.  This caused the PRR to sell off the Empire Line to Standard Oil that same year.  Talk about robber barons! 

Sister car to the P54 I posted above with a PB54 by Custom Brass.  This one required a little more work prior to painting one day.

@Mikado 4501 posted:

Here's a model I wanted for awhile since I learned about it watching one of Norm's videos - a 3rd Rail High Iron Pennsylvania K4s Pacific no. 1361.

I was originally going to get the Lionel LEGACY version, but then I found out about the gearbox stuff, and decided I wanted something with a more decent motor arrangement.

A buddy of mine came through selling me this one. This is my first ever 3rd Rail locomotive, and what a beautiful model! It's a solid runner being from 2004, and it is dripping with fine detail.

I'm already working on it to do things like adding a pickup roller to the tender and check the TAS EOB circuit boards.

Excellent detail.

Not as fancy as that 1361 K4, but PW Lionel 675 from 1947 still pulls a mean load Have a good end of the year Pennsy Fans