What do You Pull Your Lightweight Passenger Cars With?

I only have lightweight cars and use either F units or E units.  I don't know which I love more, the passenger cars or the engines?  I don't think that there is any prettier combination on the rails than an F unit like the Santa Fe warbonnet pulling a set of gleaming, freshly washed, stainless steel passenger cars.  Then when you add in the dome cars and the beautiful lighted drumheads on the back end, I think it's hard to beat. 

I was excited as a kid with the warbonnet F units from Lionel.  I was in love with the west coast streamliners run by Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and CB&Q out of Chicago.  The song by Arlo Guthrie "City of New Orleans" is my all time favorite train song. 

And I feel like a kid again when I'm running these trains out of my model of Union Station.  How can you not like model railroading?

Art

I have steam power for my K-Line NYC Empire State Express, and steam power for my GGD Daylight train.

Tuskan Loewy Broadway Limited cars(K-line)... behind a matching GG1 naturally  

I have a set of Lionel's aluminum passenger cars in the Milwaukee Road orange/burgandy with black roofs.  I use the matching S3 261 for motive power.

I purchased a set of Lionel E9's  in Milwaukee Road livery this past May.  I'm waiting for the matching aluminum cars for those.

I really like the look of the E9's with the streamlined aluminum cars.  I'm glad I made the decision to attain a pair.  Whatever roadnames a person prefers, I think Lionel's entire line-up, including the newly cataloged E8 / E9's are all very nice.

.....Robbie

I only have three lightweight sets; two PRR sets and my Golden State set.

The 10-car 18" GS set is pulled by two Lionel powered E6 units (AA) in Rock Island livery.  While RI is not my road, I have to admit this is my best looking set by far.

One PRR set is made up of 11 scale length lightweight cars (85'), two heavyweight coaches, and a 72' RPO.  This consist is made up of K-Line and GGD cars and its primary motive power is three Lionel powered Legacy E7 units (ABA).

The other PRR set is made up of 13 Lionel and K-line 18" passenger cars, with a couple of Weaver head end cars.  The primary motive power for this consist are two Lionel Legacy K4 4-6-2 engines doubleheaded.  Unlike the three powered E7 units above, these guys have got to work hard to get this moving.

On occasion I'll take off express duty one of my other passenger engines to pull these consists.  These include my Lionel Centipedes, Weaver Passenger Sharks (both powered), or the Lionel T1.  Every now and then I'll bring out the Williams scale GG1 pair.

I'm waiting for a correct PA-1 ABA in late 40s livery to be made (Legacy or PS3) to replace the K4s.  The K4s would then be dedicated to one of the heavyweight consists.

More of my passenger sets are streamlined than heavyweight, but even so, the ones that don't get E-units are apt to be headed by a steam engine.  I own only one F pair, and that is FT.

I run f-3 warbonnet with K-line Ringling Bros passenger train; sometimes the E8 warbonnets. The silver, red and yellow go great together.  My 20 inch Daylight Weaver cars get E-8 Daylights or Blackwidows. Tried the F3 but engine looks puny pulling 20 inch cars, even 18 inch cars look big behind F3. I try to compensate by running ABA but the engines still sook short

I love my F units when pulling lightweight passenger cars. The F unit are classic IMO and right now I have 4 sets of ABBA Units. 

Normally a Southern 4-6-2 "The Tennessean" or a single SRR E6 A unit. Usually only 4 cars slow speed on small layout.

F3's & 7's, GG1's and a few Berks.

NYC Hudson or Niagara

I have four Lionel O27 AMTRAK passenger cars and I pull them with a RMT AMTRAK Beep.

Billshoff, I'll bet that makes a very satisfying train.

I also use ABA / ABBA sets of F3's, F7's, E7's and E8's motive power for my lightweight passenger sets, along with GG1's for PRR, Penn Central and Amtrak trains.

Steam power in service will be:

4-6-4 Dreyfuss Hudson for the Golden Gate Depot 20th Century Limited

Streamlined 4-6-4 Hudson for the GGD Empire State Express

PRR 4-4-4-4 T-1 Duplex and 6-4-4-6 S-1 Duplex for K-Line and GGD sets

Milwaukee Road 4-6-4 "Hiawatha" Hudson and occasionally the 4-8-4 S-3 Northern

Southern Pacific 4-8-4 GS-4 for the GGD "Daylight" set (sometimes relieved by the Lionel E9 AA set)

Diesel power will also be used for the steam powered trains on occasion.  For my collection of Heavyweight sets all forms of locomotive power is used for their corresponding trains.

Right now I'm trying to decide on building eight mainlines, or six mainlines with staging yards.  The new design parameters will probably dictate the final (?     track plan.

I have only a few passenger sets: the Silver Speedliners from the 50's with some additional cars - Diner, Sleeper, Combine, Full Dome - that I've picked up and put Lionel Lines plates on, the Lionel 027 Tuscan PRR cars, the Williams B&O Madisons, and the K-Line 027 NH. The Speedliners get pulled by Lionel F-3's and Williams scale GG-1, the 027 PRR by my Lionel 2025 K-4, the Madisons by Lionel F-3's and the Williams "J"/Cinncinatian, and the K-Line 027 NH by Lionel's NH EP-5. They all look pretty good together, I think.

I agree with Brian and many of you about the beauty of a streamlined passenger train - I like MOST of them!

Our LW passenger roster consists of a Lionel Warbonnett ABBA F3 with 8 MTH Premiere 18" cars (has 2 regular domes plus the full dome) that can be switched out for the Legacy PA's or the MTH DL109/110s also in the Warbonnett colors. At present these are the only 18" lightweights we have. Will be looking for some B&O' s as well as a Northern Pacific set someday too.

Our RK Scale Texas Special ABA pulls 8 silver 16" RK Santa Fe cars which are quite pleasing to the eye.

A particularly handsome set is headed up by our Atlas GM&O F3s heading  a 5 car set of RK F.O.M. cars that 'almost' match the GM&O colors. At shows and open houses most visitors don't see the difference.  Have a look...

Billshoff, thanks for the video.  I was right: It looks like a fun train.

I have a set of Lionel's aluminum passenger cars in the Milwaukee Road orange/burgandy with black roofs.  I use the matching S3 261 for motive power.

I purchased a set of Lionel E9's  in Milwaukee Road livery this past May.  I'm waiting for the matching aluminum cars for those.

I really like the look of the E9's with the streamlined aluminum cars.  I'm glad I made the decision to attain a pair.  Whatever roadnames a person prefers, I think Lionel's entire line-up, including the newly cataloged E8 / E9's are all very nice.

.....Robbie

Lionel already did a set of Milwaukee Road streamlined aluminum cars in UP yellow although they're 21 inchers.

SP Daylite set  GS4 4436

WP CA Zephyr by Atlas  Lionel  Legacy WP ABB,MTH Burlington E 8

D&RGW Streamline Set pulled by Lionel ALCO PA1 ABA

UP Lionel Streamliners by Lionel 844 FEF,UP E 9

MTH Orient Express by MTH Chappion

Santa Fe Heavyweights by Lionel Santa Fe 3751 4 8 4

SP Overland Limited Heavyweights MTH cars say pullman with custom observation by Lionel blk GS 2

Almost forgot the MTH Santa Fe 4-6-4 "Blue Goose" to pull the K-Line scale Super Chief set! (along with Santa Fe F3, F7 and E8)

i have one light weight passenger set 15" MTH cars that is pulled with a Rali King steam engine

GGD NYC ESE cars, 3rd Rail ESE Hudson for show, MTH ESE Hudson for go.

GGD NYC 20th Century Cars, 3rd Rail Dreyfuss for show, MTH Dreyfuss for go.

Lionel SP Daylight Cars, 3rd Rail GS4

Williams PRR Congressional Cars, Williams GG1

Lionel Super Chief Cars, Lionel ABBA F3s

Pete

UP City of Portland Lionel E9 AA

WP California Zephyr Lionel F3 ABB

Milw Olympian Hiawatha Lionel F7 ABA

not on the layout at the moment

Super Chief Lionel F3 ABBA

Southerner Lionel E3 AA

NYC Empire State Express Lionel Hudson

The City of Portland has also been pulled by a Milw Bi-Polar, custom painted UP E6 AA and the FEF, all Lionel.

.....Robbie

Lionel already did a set of Milwaukee Road streamlined aluminum cars in UP yellow although they're 21 inchers

 

Milwrd...  Are you referring the yellow 21" that were issued under K-Line by Lionel?  If so, those are indeed a nice set of cars.  The set of aluminum cars I'm waiting for is the Olympian set cataloged in  Lionel's 2013 v1.  I do however have a GGD set of 21" Milwaukee cars,  those are orange/burgandy heavyweights.  ......Robbie

E8s, E6s, F3s, F7s, EP-5s, GG-1, Sharks, Alco PAs, a N&W "J", and a French Chapelon ---- Whoa to many passenger trains!

I don't have a complete train of lightweight cars....I have a number of K-Line

aluminum RPO's in western roadnames (I always tried to get the longest, scale length,

21" passenger cars), with maybe a two car set with baggage car in the mix, a number of MTH lightweight RPO's, and a number of K-Line heavyweight RPO's, baggage cars,  kitbashed combines, and coaches.  Current engines are a Williams 4-6-0, and an MTH Russian Decapod.  Trains run are typical shortline mixes of light and heavyweight cars,

maybe two or three passenger cars and mixed freights.  For more passenger power, I'd like a circa 1900 4-4-0, and a circa late 1930's 4-8-2.

Currently the only passenger train I have is a set of MTH Railking Boston & Maine E8's and streamlined passenger cars from I believe the 2011 Volume 2 catalog.  I am planning to pre-order the MTH Premier Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 "J" and the N&W passenger cars from the 2015 MTH Volume 1 catalog.  I mostly run freight trains on my temp layout, but plan to run a mix of passenger and freight once I get my main layout built.  I like to run a variety of engines and not stick with the same stuff so I am sure I will add different ones in the future.

I have 2 streamline sets......

1. 1983 Lionel New York Central 20th Century Ltd with the  2 later add-on cars. The F3 ABA won't pull the 7 car set, but will pull the 5 cars. When I want to pull the 7 car set, I use the New York Central freight FTs.

2. 2002 ish smooth sided New Haven cars by MTH. I will pull them with one of 4 engines.

a. K Line EP-5.

b. McGinnis livery MTH NH ALCO PAs (which I theorize have steam generators placed).

c. McGinnis livery MTH NH F3s

d. MTH ALCO NH DL109-110s.

Peter

I'm a sucker for passenger trains, anyway.  So I do have over 75 passenger cars, mostly Milwaukee Road.  some of my favorites are the Weaver 21" models of prewar lightweights and the K-Line 21" postwar series.  The models of the prewar trains generally see streamlined steam at the head end, both Class "A"s and F-7 Hudsons.  But occasionally I'll pull their trains with an EMD E-6 or Alco DL-109.  The post war trains are generally pulled by FM Erie Builts or EMD E-7's.  The one exception is the eight car replica of the #261's excursion train, pulled by a Weaver S-3 and pulling K-Line 21" passenger cars.

Aside from those, I do have two sets of MTH lightweight passenger cars which are only 18" (scale 72') long but they do look a bit odd next to the 21" cars.  Here, again, the power is usually FM Erie builts, but occasionally an F7 or an E7 might do the honors.

Paul Fischer

I prefer to pull my scale size streamlined Hiawatha cars with either streamlined steam (Class A and F7 Hiawathas) or six-axle passenger diesels (Lionel E6, MTH DL109 and E8, and Atlas Erie Built). I also have a couple of Bi-Polars and a Little Joe for passenger service. A custom painted set of Weaver E8's in Milwaukee road UP yellow shares the job of pulling the UP yellow Hiawatha cars with the Lionel Bi-Polar. 

I use F units only on shorter-than-scale cars. I have 3 passenger sets pulled by F units: K-Line Milwaukee Road 15" cars in both orange/maroon and UP yellow, and a K-Line 18" Santa Fe Midnight Chief set. My only other non-Milwaukee streamline set is an 18" MTH KCS set, pulled by a set of Atlas Erie Builts.

 Here are some scale Hiawathas, along with a Standard Gauge version.

Lionel k4 pulls the K Line Broadway while a vision line Hudson pulls the K Line 20th Century.

thoes boatail observations are the best.

Brian.......thank you for starting this thread......it's given me the idea to have some exclusive "passenger train days" while the modular layout is set up for the holiday display. I will definitely take video! The 21X34 layout will let me stretch out the passenger consists legs.

Peter

Being a big Pennsy fan and a big steam era fan, my workhorse passenger set is my heavyweights. They get pulled by a choice of an Atlantic, a G-5, or if I want something special double headed K-4s. For non-steam I pull them with PA A-B-A, Shark nose or GG-1.

As far as lightweights My Pennsy Fleet of Modernism Cars get pulled by either a T-1 of an S-1 or again the PAs, Sharks or GG-1.

One of the nice things about passenger sets is that they tend to be stand alone sets and you don't have to stick with your main road name. I have two lightweight passenger sets that I love the look of. They are a Pere Marquette set pulled by A-B-A E8s and my pride of the fleet, a 20 car Great Northern Empire Builder set pulled by A-B-B-A E8s. 

All my lightweight cars are PRR "Fleet of Modernism" 1938-48. Pulling them, and what actually pulled them, are the GG1 and K4 (regular and 2 versions of streamlined) On rare occasion, a T1 or S1 may have been used. The "Fleet" cars had been repainted by the time diesels pulled them.

"a 20 car Great Northern Empire Builder set pulled by A-B-B-A E8s."

Pat, this has to be one very impressive passenger train. What is the brand of your passenger cars and what length are they? You have to post a video of this train running on your layout.

Joe,

Several FOM cars made it into the mid to late 40s. It might have been possible, especially in 1946/47, that you would see an E7, PA, or Centipede pulling a consist of mostly FOM cars.

Brian,

The GN Set is from the MTH 2013 catalog. The cars are 70'.

My club layout is presently shut down while some major track improvements are in work. We are trying to get ready for our annual Holiday Open House December 5, 6 & 7. I don't have a layout at home. I will post a video in a few weeks when the layout is back up and running. I plan on running a shortened version at the open house. The whole train doesn't fit in the sidings at the club.

Pat, that has to be a beautiful sight when it is running on your club layout.

At the recent York Meet, I found an 11 car set of K-Line 21" Great Northern passenger cars also in the orange & green colors and just ordered a set of 3rd Rail F7s (ABBA combo) to pull them. Maybe not as long as your train, but probably close.