Does anyone know why there's only 3-2-car sets offered in the new Lionel catalog for Reading Company cars and no observation or baggage car? They look nice, advertised with new tooling. Is it because they were used as daily commuter cars and thus no need for observation or baggage car? Or, perhaps Lionel will release additional cars in future catalogs? I have to admit I don't always follow the logic of how the various companies roll-out new products.
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There is one "combo car" in the 2pack that is part coach and part baggage.
Roger-that. I see that set...a combine and coach car.
The new Lionel Reading passenger cars are meant to compliment a T-1 Reading locomotive. Combine #408 was usually the first car on almost every Ramble. I rode in it once. Today that car is in Kempton, Pa in the WK&S yard. There was no observation car or parlor car, on the Rambles but there was a modernized refreshment car always in the middle. The only Ramble cars that were two-tone green were the #408 combine and the #1186 refreshment car. The rest of the cars were all solid Pullman Green. The Rambles ran anywhere from 14 to 22 cars on these trains. Some of the trains were double-headed by two T-1's. The T-1's were numbered 2100, 2102, and 2124. There was also a 2101 but it never pulled a Ramble. It did however pulled The Freedom Train around the country.
Rambler,
It will be interesting to see if Lionel applies the two tone paint scheme to all the Reading passenger cars or just the two cars you mentioned that had it. Do you happen to know when #408 received that paint scheme?
Reply to SGP: The 408 received its two tone green paint job during the early 1950's as did most Reading combines. BAa full baggage cars #'s 1750-1759 also had the two tone paint scheme. But no other baggage cars did, and no RPO's did. All modernized and most semi-modernized coaches also received the new paint scheme. All of these coaches were air-conditioned, but not all of the combines were. No open window coaches received the two tone green paint scheme. Those that you might see today with it were post-Reading applications by various tourist railroads who bought them.
Some early post-WWII rambles used a baggage car in the middle for light food service when a cafe car wasn't available. The 1186 was originally intended to be used as a back-up car for the 1187, 1189, and 2060 which were all modernized specifically for named trains during 1948-1949.
The Reading heavyweight 12/1 Pullman sleeper "OTTAWA" was always solid Pullman green.
I believe that Lionel applied the two tone paint scheme to all of their Reading cars. So far they only have a combine #408 and a full coach. Maybe there are two-pack supplement coaches with other car numbers.
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