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In preparation for our forthcoming 3710 mile trip on Amtrak, see Amtrak Tips & Tricks thread in Real Trains, we’ve been watching a lot of videos about train travel on Amtrak. This has peaked my 10 year old son’s interest in adding Amtrak passenger service, in particular Superliners, to our fleet.

The rub is nearly every passenger car we have are 21” K-line or GGD cars, which I love the bright shinny finish on, sadly K-line didn’t make the Amtrak Superliners, and I’ve been unable to determine if GGD did and if so I’m unable to find them.

So of the other makers, Lionel, MTH, etc., who has produced the best in your option versions of the Amtrak Superliners?

Thanks,

Jason

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K-Line did make Amtrak Superliners--I have four coaches. Lionel did as well (also have four coaches)

Except for the half-dozen 15" Williams units in my possession, all of mine (27 in total, mostly MTH) are 18".

Williams also made 20" versions, but no one to my knowledge has made 21" Superliners for 3-rail 'O'. Closest thing would be GGD Hi-Levels.

---PCJ

Last edited by RailRide

Did K-Line offer the Superliners in just coach configurations or also do the sleeping cars and the diner?  Were they only offered in phase IV paint? I know they did not offer the Sightseer Lounge.  I have the GGD El Capitan high levels in Amtrak, but only about a dozen sets were made total, if that.  I see the K-Line versions come up every now and then and they hold their value well.

The Williams 20" versions might be an option to upgrade. They were offered in phase II paint, but I haven't been willing to take the plunge on a set as my list of projects is already too long.  I've believe Overland did them in 2 rail brass, but they are unpainted.  As for MTH and Lionel, they just look too short to me at 18", but that's just my opinion.

K-Line offered these cars in coach, sleeper, and dining car configurations, along with the harder to find step-down coach- this car was a full-height coach but the end diaphragms were placed at one high, for matching other Superliners, and one low to line up with standard passenger cars. I believe these were only offered in Phase IV, which is the only cars I've ever seen anyway..

 

These were painted Amtrak "Platinum Mist" silver which is correct. 

Last edited by Jeff78rr
rex desilets posted:

I have a set of the Williams 20" cars. Very nice for the price, but lame trucks.

Seems that the early Williams before Bachmann passenger cars had some issues with their wheelsets. I have 2 sets of Crown Edition passenger cars and the first set has no uncoupler on it and I had to replace all the truck assemblies(all 6 passenger cars or 12 trucks) on that set. My later purchased set of the same passenger cars but with opening knuckle couplers work great, the couplers look more like K-Line couplers then Williams couplers.

Lee Fritz

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