How would you build your Limited?

[Kevin C. Smith]

Well, I'm not a close fan of the details of passenger trains, so if those of you more familiar with the details of passenger trains/equipment will bear with a very general description...

While there are many streamliners that would offer some wonderful pieces of equipment (Skytop Lounge, domes, bilevels, etc.), I'd make mine all heavyweights. Six wheel trucks, clerestory roofs (but with a/c) and Pullman green paint. Not that it would be a slowpoke! Remember the 400, the "train that set the standard", beat the Zephyrs and Hiawathas to 400 miles/400 minute schedules without the streamliner's art. Let's see, the types of equipment. I don't know about coaches, I'm leaning toward an all Pullman consist. We'll need a baggage car, of course, and probably an express/RPO car, too. Dining car (maybe a grill car for light meals and/or a club car if I do add coaches to this train) and to follow it all up a classic, brass railed observaton car. Let's see, if we stay all Pullman, about 8 sleepers would do it-a couple of all room cars and the rest half sections/half rooms. If I add coaches, lets cut that back to 5-6 Pullmans and 3-4 coaches.

I really don't know what to do for motive power. In steam, I'd take a big Pacific or Hudson type, at least, but more likely a 4-8-4 or 4-8-2. Electric, my first choice would be GG1, maybe an EP-1. Diesel, E units with their ever so long 6 wheel trucks.

Now, while I'd be recreating the style and appearance of a classic heavyweight limited, I wouldn't be trying to recreate the technology within this framework. Everything would be all HEP and modified for ADA access. Also, electric outlets for laptops/cell phones.

[Anonymous]

The Falls Valley Railroad has been making do with very little passenger power since owning just one AHM Observation smooth side decades ago.

Walthers released the new Heavyweights in plastic these last year or two and I built my Limited from that. I have:

Paired Window Coach

36 Seat Diner

8-1-2

14 Section

12-1

10-1-2

3-2 Lounge-Observation

I have a 6-3 and 70' baggage car on order. Head end cars include a few REA's The only thing I dont have is RPO which is not yet availible if ever. Everything is in the dark green/black of Pullman because I have several different roads and can only afford to furnish one full Passenger train over time.

Currently the PRR M1a serves as power with any number of bigger steam as a helper with preference given to the PCM Reading T1 because both engines run very well together.

The set has been resting quietly waiting for the completion of the main sometime for 2007 because there are no local layouts with radius greater than 28" that I set as a minimum for these cars.

Next year I may buy a short section of lightweight for commute/business car service.

I modified the heavyweights by removing the light conducting tabs from the underframe to loosen up the trucks and have plans for a few figures and window shades at a later time.

The consist is not yet considered complete because the difference between the announced dates, release dates, push back further and further. I think it took me about a year and half to get this far and expect perhaps until spring of 2007 before the entire train is considered complete. Too much time lost waiting for the actual product to literally make it out of the factory in china or wherever they are being made.

[NW_611]

Loyalty to the Norfolk and Western demands that I replicate the Powhatan Arrow as close as possible to the original. Of course, make the appropriate changes for HEP and ADA accessibility concerns, but other than that, no changes. Well, I suppose I'd make sure any head-end cars were of the lightweight streamlined variety, but that's the lone concession to aesthetics.

If I had more money, I'd build myself a copy of the Broadway Limited. Other streamliners would be built as budgets allowed, starting with the 1941 Tennessean. I'd probably wind up ordering an N&W Pevler Blue era train, the Congressional, the Merchants Limited, a Western Pacific California Zephyr, the Phoebe Snow, an Olympian Hiawatha, Capitol/National Limited, George Washington, CNR Ocean and Super Continental, a CPR Canadian, a Laurentian/Montreal Limited, a Black Diamond, a 20th Century Limited, and for fun, enough cars to equip a Super Chief and El Capitan.

Top all of that massive order off with a complete front coupler to drumhead luxury all-Pullman streamliner in Penn Central livery.

To steal from the Volkswagen commercial, donors wanted.

[daveklepper]

I'd duplicate the California Zephyr as authentically as possible, but with electric heat and air-conditioning, most modern brakes and other mechanical features, including the best possible dining car kitchen facilities, and cut-away beds in the roomettes like the latest Pullman-built sleepers, and I would add a replica Budd slumbercoach for economy travelers.  Power would use the EMD E-5 body but with modern mechanicals and electricals.  One A-unit and one B-unit should be adequate with modern slip controls, the best single diesels available with one per car body, ac-transmission and traction motors, and diagonstic electronics.   Glazing would emphasize safety with good viewing and photography with still some sun screening.  Even the diaphrams between cars would be upgraded to minimize maintenance, and one coach would be equipped with SF Muni style combination steps and elevator for easy handicapped boarding.   To operate in the Corridor where clearances permit, of course a thoroughly modern mechanically and electrically New Haven EP-4 or EF-3 (bodies are very similar), with a similar GG-1 as second choice.   If the UP felt two E units were not enough for the mountains, then also a similar A-B-B-A F9 set would be available.   Or just a third E-5 B-unit.

[DRGWfan]

heres mine a BN cascade green empire builder

Power
BN SD45P
Cars
Baggage
4 coaches
dome lounge
diner
5 sleepers
dome sleeper
obersvation

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

This sounds like a follow-up to DPM's "Perfect Passenger Train", but I'll throw in myworth, which is a bit off-center.

Power: 2 GN SDP45's in Big Sky Blue

RPO:   Arch-roofed heavyweight from Broadway Ltd.

Coaches:  A real mix here.  For short-haul, 2 C&NW long-haul bi-levels; for long-haul, 4 ATSF Hi-Level coaches, with a step-down version at each end.

Coach-lounge:  ATSF Top of the Cap, placed between the Hi-Levels

Diner:  UP dome-diner

First class:  Two or three Budd sleepers with a wide range of accomodations and a PRR parlor from the Congressional.

First class lounge:  GN Great Dome, placed among first-class cars

Observation Car:  Dome-sleeper-obs from Canadian or California Zephyr.

[PBenham]

OK, First the power: a pair of Lehigh Valley PAs. Then, a cornell red Pullman baggage/RPO from the same floor plan as the 20th century's Bag/RPO, then a string of "american flyer" coaches, a twin unit Pullman diner, like the beauty they created for (again) the '48 century. Budd parlors, with one of them having a short dome, and on the rear another Budd beauty-a CZ/CP park dome/obs with the cornell red on the letter board 

[JanOlov]

If you got the possibilities to build your "own" Limited using the modern facilities of Bombardier, what cars would you use as plans? Would you design your own? Would it wood or steel heavyweights or would build in streamline lightweight? Would you have smooth sides or tubular? Would design your own paintscheme or copy an old one? Let's limit the train lenght to 10 heavies 15 lightweight cars or is that too many?

The sky is the limit......