Rio Grand Passenger car question

Do they have to be Lionel????

I have a REALLY nice set of Rio Grande Williams streamline cars.

K-Line made a beautiful set of aluminum Rio Grande 15-inchers but I'm afraid I can't help you on Lionel. 

While Lionel has made some painted Rio Grande aluminum cars, as have others, you'll have to get a set of silver cars, because there are no painted cars made that are going to match the colors of those Legacy F-3s (unless you don't care if your engines and cars are two different shades of yellow/orange, but that's not going to look very good). This pretty much leaves silver California Zephyr cars to go with your engines.

 

In silver 15" aluminum Zephyr cars, there are many choices available from different manufacturers. However, the majority of them are going not going to have finished interiors and passenger figures and add-on details, but rather have silhouettes in the windows and no interiors, and the traditional level of detail. That may work fine for you, and these cars are not very hard to find. For example, Lionel made a set of six 15" aluminum Zephyr cars (no. 19122-19127) which were cataloged with their scale Rio Grande Alco PAs a number of years ago (quite a few, now).

 

If you'd rather have more detailed cars, however, more in keeping with the detail of your scale Legacy engines, your choices are far fewer. There are plastic cars such as those made by MTH, and there are a number of 18" aluminum sets, but in 15" detailed aluminum cars, there are only two sets that come to mind (other folks may know of more, but I don't know of any). Both of these sets will have to be found on the secondary market, because they were made a number of years ago.

 

First, K-Line made a set of 15" Zephyr cars with interiors and figures, as well as add-on details. Nice cars; they have a very shiny, almost chrome-like in finish. I owned this set at one time, but to me the cars were too chrome-like, and not as refined as I wanted. Just my opinion - others may adore them. However, to me, the very best set available that fits the bill is the Lionel set of six 15" Zephyr cars that was cataloged in 2003.  In Vol. 1 the 4-car set was listed, no. 15311, and 2003 Vol. 2 had a 2-car add-on set of two sleepers, no. 29149. I have the Santa Fe Super Chief version of these cars (cataloged at the same time), and to my eye they are outstanding. Gorgeous finishes, with lots of add-on metal details, handrails, vents, roof antennas, very detailed metal sprung passenger trucks, detailed painted interiors with painted passenger figures, etc. The Zephyr version has multiple vista domes. 

 

The problem is that they are somewhat scarce. I've found that many folks aren't familiar with these cars (you'll note in the catalog that there were just four different sets of these cars made, the CZ, Santa Fe, Southern, and Delaware & Hudson), and they only turn up occasionally. (These are not to be confused with other less detailed 15" aluminum passenger cars that Lionel has made which also have interiors and figures. The interiors of these other cars aren't as detailed or as well painted, or the figures as well done, and they don't have the same level of exterior detail either, although Lionel never made any of these type passenger cars in Calif. Zephyr.) 

 

Hope this information is of some help.

 

 

Here is some info. If you are interested in these, let me know

 

30-6230S OBSERVATION MTH GRANITE CANYON RIO GRANDE
30-6230S OBSERVATION MTH GRANITE CANYON RIO GRANDE
30-6151 FULL VISTA DOME MTH VISTA GRANDE RIO GRANDE
30-6230S BAGGAGE MTH RIO GRANDE 711
30-6230S BAGGAGE MTH RIO GRANDE 711
30-6230S BAGGAGE MTH RIO GRANDE 711
30-6230S COACH MTH RIO GRANDE 1013
30-6234 COMBINE MTH RIO GRANDE 633

 

LIONEL
6- COACH LIONEL RIO GRANDE WINDOW STRIP 1247
6- OBSERVATION LIONEL RIO GRANDE W/DOME WINDOW STRIP 1248
6- BAGGAGE LIONEL RIO GRANDE 1210
6- COACH LIONEL RIO GRANDE WINDOW STRIP 1241
6- COACH LIONEL PIKES PEAK RIO GRANDE SEATS

I have a complete set of K-Line 21" drgw cars for sale

I've got the early set made by "Mike's Toy House" now MTH Trains. Rio Grande Painted MT-6002. 2 coaches, 1 Baggage, 1 Vista Dome & 1 Observation.  You can have it for $200.00