Does anybody here have any experience with the first couple of generations of K-Line Heavyweight Passenger cars? I'm looking to pick up a set of them and would like to hear about how they perform.
Thanks!
I have four sets of K-Line from the late '80s early '90s--N&W, 2 Southern and a Texas & Pacific. All are plastic bodies and 5 car sets except the T&P has 7 cars. The windows have people silhouettes [plastic] , no miniature people or interior seating,etc. Fairly bright incandescent lighting--- from 3 or 4, three watt bulbs.
Generally a baggage, coach, diner, sleeper and observation car except the T&P also has a RPO and Reefer in matching paint in the set.
On some of the Southern Crescent cars I have computer matched some of the trim paint to certain Lionel/MTH SRR passenger cars and repainted parts of the scheme and retrimmed the gold leaf. Then I run the baggage cars and diners with Lionel/MTH cars in order to have more realistic 9-11 car consists. Southern tended to have 4-6 head end cars [REA,RPO,real revenue cars], in passenger consists and many had a dead-heading diner along with the active one.
I added car diaphrams from K-Line. THe biggest problem has been poor coupler match-up.
Thanks, Dewey! I'm particularly interested in learning about the T&P set since that's the one I want. I don't suppose you could tell me what the catalog numbers for the set and each car are?
How well do they roll? I know that the initial CTT review noted some truck problems.
I appreciate your help!
palallin
The Southern and N&W cars run just fine--no problem with the trucks. I have never run the T&P consist which is coupled to a matching Lionel mountain type T&P engine. I bought the entire lashup in Memphis sometime around 1988-89 because my wife said it was "pretty". In reality I wasn't gonna miss an oportunity to buy a train that had her approval.
It has been sitting on a 12' long Railrax shelf since I took it off the siding at my mountain cottage layout about 4 years ago. With the Reefer in the consist it is too long for a 12' shelf. The cars are Dallas, Shreveport, El Paso, Galveston and I forget the number on the REA and RPO cars and Reefer.
Numbers. I will have to check out at the farm shop storage tomorrow to see if the boxes are here. I have been bad about throwing boxes away. If not there I will check for numbers in the mountains next trip.
Embarassing---wife knew where T&P Car boxes were stored--her Xmas decoration closet. No engine box yet.
Numbers:
K-7611.........Express Reefer.
K-44891-0....Chair Car/Coach, "Shreveport".
K-44891-1....REA Baggage.
K-44891-2....Diner, "Galveston".
K-44891-3....Lounge/Observation Car, "Dallas".
K-44891-4....Pullman Sleeper,"El Paso".
K-44891-5....Railway Post Office.
Cars are 72' [18"]and are equipped with diaphrams, Reefer is same as 40' boxcar.
Palallin
I will consider selling the whole set to you with engine. But I need to get the engine down, lube it and run it on the test track. Then put the whole consist on my outer main with 096 /084 curves and run some laps and check all of the cars. Light pickup wiring on passenger cars is always a problematic area that should be checked.
You can think about what might be a fair price and e-mail me sometime if interested. I also need to find the engine box.
Once I get it on the layout I will photograph it and mail you a picture.
I bought one of the add-on heavy weight passenger cars and the trucks broke apart after only ten minutes of running. Contacted K-Line service department and got new trucks with wires and roller pick-ups mailed to me for free.
Painted the add-on car Reading Green but have not stencilled it, using it with my interurban set.
Lee F.
Bob Nelson
I know that the CSPC has issued a recall on some of these sets, but the issues they are worried about don't concern me. I can deal with them.
http://www.kidsource.com/cpsc/train.recall.html
"WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), MDK Inc. of Chapel Hill, N.C., is recalling about 20,000 model trains. If the train derails, the coupler coil spring could overheat creating a potential fire hazard."
[1] Strange my Norfolk & Western K-Line set which I purchased along with the two Southern Crescent sets and the Texas & Pacific set is not listed for the recall. They are exactly the same cars except for paint/decoration.
[2] The other interesting thing is the stated issue date of the sets---1991. I checked with my former associates today at the Cotton Council, Headquartered in Memphis where I purchased all four sets, and confirmed that I was not in Memphis for meetigs of the Council after winter 1989. I went off the Council's Board at that meeting and the last general meeting I attended as a general member was New Orleans in 1990. Ain't been in Memphis since 1989--must be a time machine involved here!
The T&P set is in the second group, but the N&W set isn't. Strange. I sure can't explain the time!
In any case, I don't see a great deal of danger in it unless someone sets the trains running and leaves on vacation
If the email addy you have in your profile is correct, you should have mail, BTW.
Profile adress is correct: dtrogdon2@triad.rr.com
No mail has arrived!
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