What car and RR name is most common to all scales?

What, no Standard Gauge?  Sheeesh....

Maybe a gondola, New York central and Pennsylvania gotta be pretty much neck and neck as far as common.

ATSF-----Santa Fe !

dan

I'm with Dan!

 I know you want rolling stock (not engines), but this would be impressive:

(from Con-Cor Trains)

Jim

ATSF F3.   Yes!

Mike: As a fellow Pennsylvanian, you’ve got to do a PRR car and I would suggest a box car as there are so many PRR box car variations to choose from that you could likely find at least one design which was repeated in each gauge.

Bill

You might want to check what is available in the most limited scale (possibly Z?). Find what you like and then look at the next most limited (G scale?). You might be surprised and get a color besides tuscan and a road name that you prefer.

An ATSF box car is pretty easy to find in all scales. A F unit is nice but a little more costly if you don't have one on hand.

I seem to recall at the Lionel Visitors Center in MI a display with BN diesels to show the sizes of various scales.

here is another display I found online with a boxcar:

http://miniatures.about.com/od...-Railroad-Scales.htm

I would think the F unit in the highly overrted ATAF Warbonnet livery.

NYC or Pennsy box car, probably the most produced in a car.

Santa Fe war bonnet probably the leader as far as engines go.

I would not call the Santa Fe livery overrated, it has been a best seller for decades.  I'm not a diehard Santa Fe fan but I own a few locos in the warbonnet scheme, it's a classic.  I would guess that most everyone who posts on this forum owns a Santa Fe loco.

By the way the Bangor and Aroostook State of Maine cars have been offered in many scales.  I can't think of another scheme used by a small railroad that was so popular.

While the B&O is dear to me, and I think you could find a wide variety of B&O in all scales, I would have to say, unfortunately, Union Pacific. I believe I once read that UP is the sellingest name in model railroading.

Now does that include "pure" UP, or UP and MP, WP.......

The STATE OF MAINE Box cars are a top choice.

New York Central Pacemaker Box Cars are possible.

Andrew

I agree with the State Of Maine box car. I have at least 1 in each scale, from G to N.

It is a beautiful car. Have to see if I can find one in Z.

Agreed.  The State of Maine boxcar is an iconic car that would catch the attention of the viewer.

BTW, the New Haven had some, too. 

Rusty

The State of Maine cars would be an excellent choice (even though I'm partial to PRR).  They are very colorful, eye-catching, and who can resist the red, white and blue?

I think that they would attract the attention of non-train people much more than most of the other suggestions, as good as they are in their own right.

Andy

While I don't think it matters what type of car or engine is used when it comes to train people, if the target audience is the general (non-train people) public, a display should be eye-catching if you want them to actually stop and look at the display for any length of time, especially if that display has to compete with other displays for their attention.  Dark or subdued colors are just not that visually attractive, and if the target audience has no specific interest in the subject matter itself, they are more likely to pass up such a display in favor of one that is more attractive.

Andy

State of Maine still seems to be top contender.....

In the event you decide upon the State of Maine livery, Marklin issued a Z scale box car decorated in this scheme. The model, along with cars painted for SP and UP, was part of a three piece boxed set:

http://www.collector-modeltrai...log_item/MT-0987873/

Bob