Will the GGD Powhatan Arrow go with the Modernized 80' coaches?

Once painted you cannot tell the difference at two feet.  And in the end, railroads mixed heavyweight and lightweight equipment.

It's your railroad, so you're welcome to run a 8-10 car Powhatan Arrow consist if you want. However, the Powhatan Arrow was more typically 6-7 cars. When first delivered, the Diner cars were not ready. The N&W refurbished older heavyweight diners. They were used until the new Diners were delivered.

So in answer to your question, yes N&W did mix-in one modernized car with the new streamlined consist.

Early on, the Powhatan Arrow did not even have a baggage car. By the mid '50s there were a variety of head end cars including RPOs used in order to generate revenue.

As an alternative to GGD, Weaver made 21" aluminum cars several years ago. I have collected 4 so far for around $100 each. They lack interior details, but are good runners.

Gilly

Gilly

I have the Weaver 21" 5 car set. I was thinking of getting 1 or 2 of the GGD cars to go with it. Good match?

Just my opinion but I don't think they would be a good match. First, those Weaver passenger cars are nice, but are NOT 21" SCALE length (they are 20" if I recall measuring mine). Second, the Golden Gate Depot cars will be correct specifically for the N&W Powhatan Arrow, while the Weaver cars are simply generic lightweight passenger cars PAINTED for N&W. 

I routinely mix 19"cars and 21" cars.  I have to measure them to tell the difference, especially when windows are different.  Most of my Daylight cars are 19 1/4", and they look just fine behind a scale PA or Northern.  It is the difference in Tuscan that will get you - each manufacturer has his own version.

Edit: Just checked.  My PSC Harriman and Pullman cars range from 15 1/2" to just over 20".  My B-C Daylight coach (full scale 2-rail) is just over 19".  21"ers are neat, but not necessary to convey the illusion of a real passenger train.

The 1 " difference would not bother me. I do most of my running on our club layout which is 80' X 35' and that small difference would be unnoticeable.

To me the primary concern is the color match being reasonably close if not exact.

When I stop by the GGD booth at York I am going to ask about color. That is pretty much whats most important to me as well to match. If the Powhatan and the 80' coaches will use the same paint color I will probably order both to run together.

Greg,

I can answer your question now. The Powhatan Arrow train and the modernized heavyweight coaches are being done by two different builders. GGD makes every effort to use accurate paint colors and will therefor make sure both builders are supplied with the same paint color chip for N&W.

Will it match the red on the 3rd Rail K2a's?

Size wise, I don't see it as an issue. The Weavers have the green film windows and no interiors. So, as far as details, there is a very visible miss-match. Color compared to the GGD is "not bad". For a running consist, I wouldn't hesitate in mixing in a few GGD cars.

Gilly

As Gilly mentioned the Arrow ran with 7, 6, and 5 cars routinely. I wouldn't mess up the lines of the Arrow by mixing in other cars. By the time the head end cars were being mixed in the skirts on the cars were probably history.

If I had a Weaver set of cars I'd make a Pocahontas out of it. The Pocahontas was all mixed up and I would not worry about matching colors with it either. An Arrow P3 routinely ran behind the Postal car in that train. A Pennsy coach often ran in the train like the modernized heavyweight posted above (I'll probably get one painted for Pennsylvania). After the diner, a Pennsy sleeper and NYC sleeper were often at the end of the train along with an N&W sleeper.

Below is a Pocahontas I'm building. Hopefully I can get some coaches that are Pm instead of P3 someday.

Bob,

The coaches from The Powhatan Arrow will be available separately but the other cars will not be.

I have the sample model of the modernized heavyweight coach and it will be on display at York if you go to that show.

What  many of us consider to be an improvement on the modernized coaches is that the doors will not operate thus permitting the door length to be more accurate.

Years ago I stumbled upon No 611 (I think) at the Chattanooga Choo Choo. It had backed in with 23 mixed passenger cars for an excursion. Very similar to the train in N&W Christopher's video above. At the time I was amazed that it could pull such a train!

What a sight as she pulled out the following morning and crosses the TN River on one of the trestles

Jim,

The modernized coaches are being done by the same builder as the K-2 so they should match.

There was more than one release of these cars from Weaver. I have the most recent one from 2009 or 2010.

No ribbed roofs and clear windows with full interior details.

Thanks John,  I knew what I was getting, liked them anyway and glad I got them (thanks again Gerry!).

Does anyone know if the extra coaches for the GGD Powhatan Arrow will be available in more than one road number? 

A friend of mine inquired as to the extra coaches, and "at least 4" was the answer he got from Scott.

In the past, scott has been willing to make more or less, as many numbers as ordered so there's no overlap. Presumably the limits of normal sanity apply.