Polar Express - consist order?

[Brutus]

I think you're right as far as Lionel has added extra cars not in the movie, but I was just trying to figure out the best consist order since I have the cars. I think Loco, tender, bagage, diner, marionette, passenger, observation car is the best guess I've seen.

[SchemerBob]

I do not think there was a baggage or dining car on the Polar Express in the movie. The only cars that they show in the movie are: the marionette car (which follows right after the locomotive and tender), the coach car with all the children (which is immidiately followed by the observation car), and the observation car. All the cars in between the marionette car and end cars I assumed to be coach cars. I think the baggage and dining cars were just thought up by Lionel, because I have seen the movie 4 times and never saw a baggage car or dining car like the ones Lionel are selling. During most of the movie the train consists of 5 cars, though during some scenes, like entering the North Pole and the flying ticket, the train is much longer.

As for me, I do not have the baggage or dining cars, but instead just the regular train included with the set. I set it up the consists as the locomotive, tender, marionette car, coach car, and observation car.

[ARRCDSPR]

On my Polar X Set I put the Baggage next to the Tender, then the Marionette, the Diner, the Passenger Coach and then of course the Observation Car. I just like the way they looked in this order. As for the extra coaches in the movies remember it is "magic train". Anyway on the ARR we always stage the engines, the baggage car and then the diner because the kitchens are so small you need the extra storage next to the kitchen for dry goods. As well as the cooks and staff can have a smoke or a break in the bag car without looking unprofessional. If there are a lot of passengers, we will stage the second diner car on the rear of the consist. This way passengers will not have to walk too far to get to a diner car no matter where they are seated on the train. Also some diners have no walkthrough access except through the kitchen or a very narrow hallway. One final note, back in my college years, I used to spend my summers being a "dish dog" and Chef for the Princess Midnight Sun Express. Imagine prepping and cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for 300+ passengers in a hot tiny kitchen while rocking and rolling at 50 MPH for 12 hours. It was quite an experience but I still have all my fingers. You should probably tip the waitstaff extra for hazard pay. [swg]

SMK

[tcripe]

I seem to recall that with some railroads, the diner car was midtrain, separating first classs sleeping cars from coach.
- Terry

[mickey4479]

I don't recall the type of cars other than passenger on the Polar X. I did wonder what the rule of thumb was on PRR regarding the baggage and RPO cars and did a search and found an article on it. Of course I can't put my hands on it now! As I recall, the article (for PRR) said, the order from the tender looking back would be RPO, then baggage, then combined passenger and baggage car, then the regular passenger cars followed by the observation car. I don't recall whether the dining car was mentioned or not.

[Buckeye Riveter]

One of the free movie posters that can be downloaded from the web.

They added several cars before they arrived at the North Pole. When they picked up the little boy there were four or five cars. [;)]

BTW, I think it would take just about all of these cars to make that engine smoke decent.[:)]

[Brutus]

thanks guys - you never do see the diner or I think the baggage car either? Need to watch it again.

[tcripe]

In all the times I've watched the movie, I've not seen a baggage car. The marionette-filled car would follow the tender. The diner can be inferred as coming next since the waiters bring the hot chocolate into the passenger car from the head end entrance.
- Terry

[darianj]

I don't remember seeing a Diner car in the movie but I could be getting old. I do remember that the Marionette car was behind the tender. I also remember the passenger car with the kids was right before the observation car. So I would go:
Loco, Tender, Marionette, Baggage, Diner, Passenger, Observation.
Just My [2c]

[zeames1]

I let my kids decide. Only rule is engine & tender in front and observation in rear. The four figures ride where they want including on the back of the cat!

[Jumijo]

The consist we use is baggage car, marrionette car, diner, passenger car, observation car. Our thinking at the Jumijo RR is that they would not have put the marionette car in the middle of the passenger cars. Also, in the movie, the marrionette car is before the passenger cars.

So there.

Jim

[tschmidt]

Well Jim, I am only going to guess but here is how I have mine set up:
loco and tender, baggage car, diner, marionettes, passenger car w/regular folks and observation car. I always wondered this about regular passenger trains. Did they all follow the same "rules" or did different lines set things up differently?

Tom S

[Brutus]

Here's a question that will reveal the depth of my ignorance. What is the proper order for the consist? I've got it as Locomotive, tender, baggage car, passenger car 1 with marionettes, passenger car 2 with regular folks, dining car, observation car. Is that right??? Thanks for any help guys.