I really like the look of the yellow D&RGW passenger cars, especially the Drovers Caboose. LGB and Piko both seem to make what I am looking for (Piko being shorter, 14" vs 18"). Piko looks to be currently producing these cars for $100-160. Used LGB cars (#3080, #4175, etc) can be found for $70-150. Does anyone have any opinions on these? Are they illuminted or do you need to buy additional kits?
Thanks,
John
Hi John,
with Piko you can download their catalogue and get a sense about their products. My guess is they will require a separate lighting kit.
LGB: the traditional D&RGW cars had plastic wheels, and require a separate lighting kit. Nice cars, opening doors and interior seats and details. Since Marklin is now producing and have changed some things, I notice the newer cars now have metal wheels, not sure if they have lighting. An assumption would be that used LGB cars probably don't have lighting. Still very nice cars, however.
Paul
John having been active in G scale since 1996 feel that I have run into several different style and sizes of passenger cars but never Piko but their slightly shorter cars should pose no problem and although I have selected LGB for mine is basicly because they are what was available to me at the time. You can find some very nice Delton cars on the used market and are very well detailed + some are lit. Kalamazoo made some and was taken over by HLW in the later stages again this are shorter but also a little shorter in heigth but lack interiors. I personaly like the shorter cars especially if being run on shorter more compact layouts as they look better in the curves. Aristocraft also made some nice looking ones with great looking interiors. I have gone to battery power for my engines hence no power to the rails and have incorperated 2 AA batteries into the clearstory area along with switch which powers 2 10mm cool white LEDs for lights and the batteries seem to hold up well running once or twice a week at night have over 6 months time on the orginals. Good grade metal wheels improve preformance and also allows track powered lights if your preference but if you get a chance check out my pinterest site and see what battery power is like with the exception of the batteries it costs less than $5.00 a car to do, good luck and enjoy the hobby, Bill ( https://www.pinterest.com/billbarnwell09/ )
John,
I have my 1980-s vintage LGB D&RGW coaches. They are durable and fabulous. I recently got off my but and made lights a la Bill.
And, just for fun, here they are staged pulling into Dog Wallow:
As a demonstration of their ability to be fun, I offer the following:
You cannot go wrong with them, and you can always get metal wheels later.
Eric
I agree about the short cars looking better on a smaller layout. I also have a small 0-4-0 switcher and plan on adding a 2-6-0 steamer in the future so none of my engines would be super long. I personally like the look of the LGB cars but not sure how they'd look being pulled by a small switcher. I'll look into those other comapnies as well.
Eric, love the pictures of that combine car. These larger trains allow for so much more fun and detail.
Ask, and you shall recieve! The following consist should look slightly familiar:
The little 25 Tonner, Diesel Dan, struggles under this load, but it looks OK. Here, Diesel Dan pulls a short mixed freight into Pu'u'oma'ao: Video .
I think any little diesel would shine as a short commuter, as Diesel Dan demonstrates below:
To be "fair," here is the commuter pulling across the same bridge: video . Again, some weathering would go a long way to make this look like some kind of work train heading out to a mine or other remote industry.
In the end, this is going to boil down to your aesthetic and your vision of what your railroad does as much as cost and durability. To the latter point, this combine was new when Ronald Reagan was in his first term.
Have fun deciding!
Eric, those last two cars do look very familiar. I was planning on incorporating that lowered gondola, a combine passenger car, and either the short caboose or drovers caboose into a mixed local. Those pictures and videos really helped... I think the older LGB cars will be a great match and cheaper than the new piko cars. Thanks!
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