Started talking about milk and ended up talking about beer. Interesting.......
My toy trains are for relaxation, so I don't get overly shook about details - it is even better because this attitude causes some entertaining reactions from the rivet counting HO types I talk to at the hobby shop from time to time.
This combination of the streamlined Hudson and the streamlined passenger cars looks so good, Another car or two will make it look even better. I just want to make sure the cars I add will fit in.
I have a L&N boxcar and a PFE mechanical reefer, both O scale, that seem to dwarf just about all of my other rolling stock. That is the effect I want to avoid.
Again, thanks for the comments.
Ole Timer Ralf ... that's the same thought I try to get to alot of people also ... in real life ... cars are different heights and many different road names . Seems some try to imply they must all be the same or it is'nt correct and mislead some who never saw a real freight train ... and yes there are a few .
Ralf ... that's the same thought I try to get to alot of people also ... in real life ... cars are different heights and many different road names . Seems some try to imply they must all be the same or it is'nt correct and mislead some who never saw a real freight train ... and yes there are a few .
Quite true.
"Real" railroad cars come in all sizes and shapes, but when one stands next to the track one's perceptions are generally not adversely affected because, after all, since it is a real train, it must look like one. Some cars are certainly larger than others, and this may be noted; but seldom does anyone remark that a railfoad car is so large as to be out of place in a train.
However, the mind is not so forgiving on a layout. The critical dimension seems to be excessive width; which along with the less disagreeable dimensions of height and length yields a perception of too much "boxy bulk" such that Standard-O cars appear to be oversized or fat. In a line of traditional O-gauge cars they often stick out like a sore thumb. Some folks minimize this by placing the large car in the middle of a group of dissimilar ones--flat cars, for example--where the difference in size may be countered by differences in type. Also, very dark cars often appear to be less gargantuan than lighter colored ones.
Some operators don't pull the oversize car at all, but merely park it on a siding with it's activating track and operate it as a stand-alone accessory.
Still others just go ahead and enjoy their blimp-of-a-car, and just don't offer a beer to anyone who makes rude comments.
Thanks all.
I don't have the milk car yet. Just doing research to make sure it would fit in. I have a few pieces of modern O scale rolling stock that look oversized when mixed in with the traditional size postwar rolling stock.
My passenger cars are 3 3/4" tall and 13" long, so the milk car should look right!
The Milk Car is 3 7/8" from top of rail to top of roof walk.
Mel Hazen; Jax, FL Ride Amtrak. It's the only way to fly!!!
Hi, 8ntruck,
The NYC milk car is Standard O, (Scale Proportions), it's 11 &3/4" long, so your minimum curve can be no less than a 'O-31' diameter radius, not a 'O-27'--which would be a problem due to it's smaller diameter radius.
As, for the height it should be no problem, just measure from the top of the railhead, up to the bottom edge of an overhead object and the same with your milk car,( from the top of the railhead to the top edge, of the centerline, of the car's roofwalk.
When using confinement structures, such as tunnels, switches, bridges, etc.., not only is the length and height important, but also side clearence, so that each car of the train will be able to clear these surrounding obstructions, throughout the train's passage..
And, as for size of different cars being together, take a look of an actual freight and passenger train and you'll see the very same thing in real life, as in the model life.
Your, milk car, by the way, is beautiful.
Enjoy.
Take Care,
Ralph
The 2003 catalog lists this car as standard O gage. Does anybody out there have one? If so, how tall is it?
I have a set of traditional sized streamline passenger cars and a K-Line Empire State Express streamlined Hudson that the milk car would add some interest to - if it is not too big.
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