PRR Passenger cars

[zigg72md]

I am trying to decide on which passenger car set to buy for my layout and would like some advice. I have decided that I want a PRR madison set. The problem is as always money. I will have to buy it piece by piece over probably years. I am afraid if I buy a piece now that in 2 years or so when I get the last piece it won't match exactly. Due to slight differences in paint shade or size of lettering. How often do manufacuters change stuff like paint or lettering? Or should I just say the heck with it and buy the RMT set now. With the slim hope the wife will let me buy a "regular" set later. I should add that I run 0-27 track so whatever I get will have to take 27in curves. Thank you for your time.

[Anonymous]

Have you checked out the sets from Williams? They are very affordable.  Especially if you shop around a little. 

[Jumijo]

I know a store that has 5 MPC era Pennsy passenger cars for $125. They are the O27 streamliner type, not the Madisons. Williams or eBay would be your best bet for affordable Madisons.

Jim 

[Joe Hohmann]

Understand that most are sold in sets of four, with add-ons as groups of two and maybe a single. So, building a set one at a time may be very hard to do (and on the used market, may cost a premium). You can get a MTH Railking set of 4 for $150. retail. Joe

[J. Daddy]

I saw that K line has a new set of heavyweight cars that look very good this year. K line now made by Lionel. Seems K line prices are half of Lionels. Not sure if  they are decorated PRR though. I believe they are decorated as Pullman cars. I will check the cataloge tonight.

[Roger Bielen]

Other than Williams, availability with buying a set over time could be a major hassle (or is it -el?).  The majors, Lionel and MTH will offer an item for a year or two and then your only hope of adding to passenger cars is with e-bay, or others.  Here you might be luck to find individual cars but a good deal of items are sold as sets which could force duplication.  Talk to your LHS and see if he'll put what you want on layaway, we do it all the time, for some customers it may take a year or more to claim their purchase.

[chuck]

Madison style heavy weights are meant to operate on O-31 or greater (cars are 15" long).  If you really need O-27 style clearance and want heavy weight appearance you should probably look at/for the "baby" Madison style cars.

[RRCharlie]

I understand the desire to have all the cars match. However, in the prototypical world, matching cars were the norm for somewhat irregular times. If demand was heavy, older cars with faded paint, or fluted instead of smooth side were often added in at the last minute.

Mel Hazen

Jacksonville, FL

 

[alexweiihman]

The MTH Railfing cars can be gotten at a good price, I got a set of four for 120 bucks at      MB Klein in Baltimore.

 

Alex

[phillyreading]

Jaabat,

Do you know of a store that has some of the slightly older Lionel passenger cars like the Reading Company #6-15104 or the 6-15103?   I want to complete a partial set.

Lee F.

[zigg72md]

Thank you all for your advice. The consensus seems to be the MTH Railking.

http://www.mth-railking.com/detail.asp?item=30-6236 

However are there any slightly more expensive sets out there or is the next step a stratosheric jump? I looked at Williams and didn't like the "shadow people" in the windows. Does MTH have this? What about Lionel (post-war or modern)? I should add that the primary reasons I picked the madison style is because of the "porch" on the back of the observation car and because the other style of heavyweights aren't made to take 27in curves(understandably so) or am I wrong? I picked the PRR because ... well I just like it. Born and raised in central Maryland but family was from north PA.  

[phillyreading]

Zigg72md,

The thing about shadow people windows can be found on a lot of Lionel post war and MPC era passenger cars, this was a very common practice to cut down on adding interior details like seats and people as it cuts down on production costs.  Most companies that make O gauge trains do as you described, add shadow tape figures to a passenger car, not just Lionel or Williams only!

Don't know about O gauge but there are some H.O. kits that add seats and lights to a passenger car.  I mainly deal with O gauge but do some H.O. now & then.

Lee F.