Aluminum vs. Plastic body passenger cars

[jstrains]

Hello,

 

I'm thinking about buying some passenger cars to go with my Texas Special F3s.  I've seen a lot of choices on Ebay and in stores.  I was thinking of 60' scale cars, 72' may be too long for my layout.  I've seen both aluminum extruded and plastic cars.  Any thoughts on which is better and why?  Any brand preferred?

 Thanks for any feedback.

[Tower49]

Jstrains:

I think I can help you here, because I too have experimented with different types of cars. Although my pike has 072 and 082 (Realtrax) curves, I make sure I stay within the 0-31 limit, and my reasons are as follows:

I can run my crack passenger trains on anyone's layout, including my Dad's, whose pike was designed with curves larger than 0-31, but not quite 0-42 (Gargraves)

I have both Williams 60' Extruded Aluminum Sets (Golden Memories) and MTH RailKing plastic 60' streamline cars, both look good behind O Gauge F3's. The Williams cars however, are more robust and have the exact look of the old Lionel Post-war varnish. 

The RailKing passenger cars look incredible behind my Willliams Scale Alco PA-1's and E-7's, almost like they were made for each other.  I would recommend staying with the 16" Madisons and/or 60' streamlined cars, they are reasonably priced, look scale, and will handle any curve (except maybe 0-27) that you throw at them

BTW Can anyone tell me how to add photos to the post?, I'd like to show you guys.... 

[phillyreading]

You should try to get a matching set of passenger cars for your engines. I think plastic body would be correct for your F-3 engine. While not being into brand names that well, I like Williams because of not having to spend as much as for Lionel or MTH.

In the near future you may want to consider command control or not, there are two popular brands right now and they may run most of the other's features but won't do all things like uncouple where you want or allow multiple engine hook-ups. The other thing with command control is that it puts out close to the high end of your transformer voltage to the track while controlling your engine by remote control, your engine will be going slow or is stopped and you think that you don't have voltage applied to the track and that is wrong. So you have to think about buying command control, it may be nice but it has it's drawbacks as well.

Lee F.

[Ole Timer]

 Tower49 ... goto PIXA ....  http://www.pixa.us/     setup an account ... free ... upload your pics .... use the img file to post here ..... you just copy the img details there and paste to here .

[sir james I]

I kinda like alum. cars for diesels and plastic ones for steam even though plastic cars are made in streamline designs steam did pull that type of car.

[jstrains]

Thanks for the input guys, appreciate it.

[runtime]

I recently got a set of the 1997 Lionel (60 ft?)aluminum cars in the Santa Fe Surfliner livery to run behind my postwar SF F3 AA.

My layout is 031 tubular. The cars are a little awkward looking on the curves, especially 'S' curves.

I'm still undecided as to whether the cars look right with the F3. I wonder if the F3 units look a little undersize relative to the cars. My understanding was that these 1997 aluminum cars were dimensionally indentical to Lionel's postwar aluminum cars, only with different decoration. If that is true, what postwatr engines were they sold with? I thought they were originally matched with various F3s, and also the GG1s in the Congressional version.

I'd be interested in opinions from folks who also have these units. 

runtime

[jstrains]

Runtime:

Interesting that the 60'-16" cars look too big.  The other choice would be the semi-scale 12" cars that Williams pairs with the Texas Special F-3 in their Golden Memories series.  I think they look too small.  I have a Lionel 50th Anniversary (yes!) UP set, they are 12" cars.  I think they look fine with the semi-scale Alcos, but not with the F-3.

Interesting too that you say the 60' cars don't look so good on 031 curves.  Williams says the 60' cars will navigate 031... I wonder how often a manufacturer says that and it really may not be true.

I'm probably going to look for some Williams 60' aluminum cars if I can find them.  The plastic MTH cars I've seen look fine, but at least in the Texas Special decor, I think the Williams cars look better.

 Thanks,

[runtime]

js:

the 60" cars run ok on the 031 curves, they just look a little awkward, due to the overhangs.

runtime.