So, who has a good collection of famous passenger trains?

I guess the Blue Comet and Alton Limited count as famous passenger trains, since both have made in many versions by many manufacturers. The Alton Limited, according to Dubin's book Some Classic Trains was once called "the handsomest train in the world." I'm not sure the Union Pacific Overland Limited is of quite the same class, but it does have a book about it. The C&NW "400's" also have a book about them. So, in  photos from the 1980's, here are my versions of them. All are still operable, although the C&NW F3 is in the shop with a broken pick-up wire.

I'll be eager to see others' great passenger trains.

B&OBill

Here's an Iron Horse Ramble with a Lionel T-1 (6-18006) custom painted and detailed as 2124 by Reading Steam Guru and a set of Williams 60' Reading passenger cars.

There is one forum member who has a vast collection. "PassengerTrainCollector" I believe. We haven't heard from him in some time due to a personal loss. 

Thank you. I thought I recalled a name along those lines....

Not a great collection, but a fair one.  First the HiRail.

Atlantic Coast Line "Champion:"

B&O "Capitol Limited:"

New Haven "Merchant's Limited:"

Pennsylvania "Broadway Limited:"

Now Scale.

AT&SF "El Capitan:"

CB&Q "Pioneer Zephyr:"

Illinois Central "Panama Limited:"

MKT-SLSF "Texas Special:"

Shhh!  Don't tell anyone it's all S Scale...

Rusty

Here's is my Lionel Chessie Steam Special Passenger Train

To me, some of those passenger trains look a lot better than those of ATSF!

Michael....here are a few pictures of my passenger facilities....hope you enjoy!

Alan

The oldest and longest running passenger train,

" The Lackawanna Limited"   

May 14, 1883 to November 14, 1949.  66 years and 6 months 

Here's a Lionel MoPAc 'Eagle' that we have for sale/trade

I suppose it depends partly on what you mean by "famous."

In my book, many , like the Blue comet, were not that famous.  In spite of that I have the BC loco and am working on a set of  passenger cars (painting a set of seven Lionel cars myself).  

But I think the following qualify as "famous."

Orient Express - I bought an MTH European series Chapelon (not that it ever pulled the O.E., but it looks better than locos that did . . . ) and planned to buying afull set of at least six if not eight cars.  But they are 1:43 scale (European O) and looked weird on my layout - really much too big.  I gotta rethink this . . . still want it badly.

Flying Scotsman - I plan to get a Darstead Gresley Pacific when they come out soon and go from there . . . 

Super Chief - I have two: both ABA Warbonnet F3s with nine extruded aluminum cars. one all Lionel from the early 90s, one MTH locos and K-line cars.  I hope for a Vision ABA set and scale cars.

Twentieth Century limited.  I have something that passes for this on my layout, built around the Vision Hudson and some Lionel cars.  Not that great, though.  I wish I had a Vision Dreyfus Hudson . . . but I will obviosly have to waint until Lionel has to make one first.

And the Blue Comet.  Not famous, but spectacular paint on the Lionel loco and very good looking passenger cars - nice colors, etc.  Good looking train.

In my book, that will do it.  

Alan - I feel so bad for you.  May I donate a couple of square feet, an oval of track and a wind-up engine so you can get started in the hobby?  Don't be discouraged, you gotta start somewhere.  

 - Carlton

Grand total of three -- only one is accurate and that's the Metrolink San Bernardino consist including the leased New Jersey Transit Comet car. I'm planning to assemble a proper consist for the Blue Goose Hudson I just got.

My specialty, as one might guess from my online name, is the Hiawatha.

I'm also partial to the Lehigh Valley's John Wilkes and Black Diamond streamliners. This is a Weaver brass John Wilkes that I converted to Protosound 2/DCS. Cars are by MTH.

It there another passenger train? Don

Is anybody wanting to die for the Oriental Express?

Famous in a sense 

(Photos aren't so great; taken with old camera on old layout.)

Carlton....Thanks for your sympathy.  I feel the same for you too since you only have one set of the Lionel UP Centipedes.....so....keep the oval of track and bring your wind-up AND Centipedes over and run them on my "couple of square feet"...

Alan

I don't have 100% correct equipment for every one of my name trains....but as close as the wallet will bear.

PRR Broadway Limited

NYC Empire State

NYC 20th Century

SP Daylight with GS-4 or Alco PA's

MILW Hiawatha

Reading Crusader

CB&Q Zephyr

C&O Chessie with Turbine

oops...left a few off.....can you have too many???

N&W Powhatan Arrow

AT&SF Super/ Chief

UP 49er

Building a few more.......

Accurate or not, I find that one the best looking model passenger trains ever offered.

Rusty

Well, Pete, I think the Ghan beats that. 1878 to present.

 dave, please post some pictures of the Ghan.  

Thanks for all of the great responses......(and pics)

i like passenger trains!!!  all mine are 15" cars.

i have a 10 car California Zephyr (K-Line and Lionel cars) behind Lionel WP ABB F3's.  Nearly prototypical.

i have a 10 car (from two Lionel sets one with replacement trucks) Super Chief behind Lionel ABBA F3's

I have a 10 car City of Portland (Lionel and MTH cars) running behind a Milwaukee Bi-Polar in UP colors...not prototypical, but it looks great.

I have a 9 car (K-Line heavyweights) Portland Rose (two tone gray) that i run behind my Lionel FEF (also in gray).

I have a 6 car ESE (K-Line) that i run behind my VL Hudson.

New to the layout and not yet added to the website is a 7 car (6 K-line and one not quite the same color scheme MTH Express car) Olympian Hiawatha that i run behind my new F7's from Lionel.

due to space limitations, i have only two on the layout at a time.

Here are mine:

Chessie Steam Special (MTH Engine, Kitbashed Aux Tender, MTH and Williams Cars):

1956 El Capitan (Lionel F7 ABBA, Lionel Aluminum Hi level/baggage, MTH baggage/Hi Level custom painted):

Pere Marquet/C&O Passenger (MTH E7 ABA, Weaver Troop Car, MTH Passenger Cars):

Sorry don't have any picture to post but here's a rundown of my passenger line up

The Crescent Limited

Lionel Southern Crescent Limited set with scale Southern Ps-4 #1396 and heavyweight cars

The Carolina Special

Lionel Southern scale Ps-4 #1403 with Lionel 72’ Southern Heavyweight cars or Golden Gate Depot 80’ Heavyweight

The Asheville Special

Lionel Southern Ts-1 #1491 with MTH Southern Heavyweight cars

The Tennessean

Weaver Southern Tennessean Ps-4 #1380 with 72' MTH aluminum cars

The Champion

MTH ACL F-3 and painted 72' MTH ACL aluminum cars

N&W Powhatan Arrow or Tennessean

Lionel N&W Class J #611 with 72’ MTH Southern passengers car or Weaver 80’ N&W Passengers car

The Crescent Limited

K-Line Pacific painted Black with Gold Southern lettering and striping with 72’ K-line Pullman heavyweights

Amtrak Piedmont

K-Line F59PHI NCDOT #1755 and 1792 with K-line 60’ NCDOT cars

Amtrak Carolinian

MTH Amtrak P40 with MTH 72’ Amfleet cars

The Southerner

MTH Scale Southern F-3 (A-B-A) with 72’ MTH Southern passenger cars

The Ponce De Leon

MTH ALCO PA-1(A-A) with 60’ Lionel Southern passengers

Norfolk Southern OCS

MTH NS F-7/F-9 (A-B-B-A) with Norfolk Southern passengers cars

Amtrak Lake Shore Limited

Lionel(MPC)  Alco FA/FB with 0-27 Amtrak passenger cars

I'll also use my K-line mike Sou4501, Lionel Class A N&W1218 and MTH Gs-4 AFT4449 and Kanawha Sou2716 for the Southern Steam Program  

Thank you, Alan, would love to!

I really should talk "smack"... I moved into my house 8 months ago, have been updating and upgrading at a snail's pace.  I'm only now getting shelves up for the trains, not even an oval to run 'em on, yet.  

 - CP

Not me!  And that ain't braggin'.

Pete

The "famous" Lionel Spirit of the Century is often seen on the Michigan & Ohio Valley Lines.  F3 AA with three vista dome cars and a skylight lounge observation car.

Probally the most famous set of passengers that I have is the Santa Fe "El Capitan" set by Williams; three F-7's, A-B-A with two A units being powered, six passenger cars lettered for the "El Capitan".

The other sort of famous set would be the Reading Company "King Coal" passenger cars, by Williams, they used to run in eastern Pennsylvania, near Scranton? Have about 11 passenger cars for this set.

Also have the Reading Company Interurban set by K-Line.

Lee F.

Oh, I forgot my Burlington Zephyr made in the LTI times.  It is a Lionel ABA set, the full Lionel Aluminum Car set (including the extra "Silver Dome" car), the Williams Burlington Add-on Set (Combine/Diner), and a custom made (by me) Sleeper Roomette Car:

Steam era passenger trains are the principal theme of my railroad. So far I have:

20th Century Limited - Dreyfus;

20th Century Limited - Commodore Vanderbilt;

Broadway Limited (K4 power);

Hiawatha (4-6-4 power);

Senator (EP-5 & GG1 power);

Blue Comet;

Crescent Limited;

Cavalier;

Chessie;

D&RG Ski Train (Heavyweight cars & 4-6-2 power);

Cannonball (G53 Camelback power);

New Yorker;

Texas Special (PA power).

I just bought the Reading Crusader 4-6-2, so that will be the next train on my roster. Thanks to this post, now I gotta have the Lehigh Valley's steam era John Wilkes. I need more coach yard sidings. Yikes this post is costing me big money!!!!

Good choice

I went down the thread...and almost passed out in disbelief becuase no one said Milwaukee Road Hiawatha!! Then I saw SWHiawatha and Scale Rail and that saved the day!!

But we need to define Hiawatha!

Chipawa Falls Hiawatha

Twin Cities Hiawatha

Olympian Hiawatha

Oh and don't forget the Columbian!

Speaking of passing out I did for a brief time that no one mentioned one of the other famous passenger trains in the US. It operated for 71 years with a 99% on time arrival rating.

Let's not forget the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited!!

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Coast_Limited

http://wwwtr.friendsofbnsf.com.../north-coast-limited

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=402049&nseq=2

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=405063&nseq=0

Look at that two tone Raymond Lowey green set against the Continental Divide. Is that not rail porn or what?

The East Wind, The Amtrak Pennsylvanian and 2 fantasy one Polar Express and Hogwarts Express

Certainly "famous" is a mixture of history, enthusiasm, rarity, and plain old preference.  As far as some of the best collections I have ever seen, that would be Alan (leavingtracks) and Marty Fitzhenry.  I have nearly every 18 and 21 set made by K Line as well as extensive numbers of MTH and 3rd sets...but still waiting to get a big display going.  To me, the beauty of the sets and how impressively they are made means a lot...and thus famous to me.  Jim

Just arrived today, a BEAUTIFUL 8 car set of K-Line 18" heavyweights in SP's Daylight. I might add that I got a great deal, overnight delivery, and met one of the gems of the OGR forum. I now feel like an O Gauge "big leaguer!" Can't wait to get these babies up. But I won't mess with them until my broken arm heals! Thanks Matt!