Passenger Train Help

[cttrr]

I am getting ready to start buying Walthers Heavy Weight cars. Just need some suggestions on consists. Looking for 9-10 car train with overnight accomidations. I am going to buy B&O cars but need suggestions from any RR as I am going to run these with E-7's which is not prototype. I just want to make sure I have the right "feel" for a long distance passenger train. Thank you all in advance

[Don Gibson]

Problems come from having too long a car for too small a layout.

[ndbprr]

My understanding of the heavyweight era indicates that there were two types of trains - Pullman with sleeping cars, lounges, bar cars, observation, diner(s) and upscale or cattle cars - coachs with few amenities. It wasn't until the very end that coachs were carried on the name trains. so you could go either way. justkeep them separate.

[Anonymous]

If you do have coaches they are usually in front of the diner, and the sleepers are ususally behind the diner. The dirner then separates the lower paying patrons from the sleeper patrons.

A typical consist would be an RPO, 2 Coaches, Diner, 3 Sleepers, and an Observation which would give you an 8 car train. The number of coaches and sleepers could be changed to fit the traffic of line being traveled.

A neat thing to do is to drop the diner or sleeper at a station and pick it up on the way back which a lot of railroads did depending on traffic and the time for dining in the trains schedule.

Another type of train would be a mail and express. there would be an RPO, a number of baggage cars for storage mail, express reefers, express boxcars and one or two rider coaches or sleepers.

There are other types of cars that may be included such as crew rider coaches, lounges, dormitory/coaches etc.

Rick

[cefinkjr]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cttrr

...going to run these with E-7's which is not prototype.

Sez who? I saw an awful lot of E7s hauling heavyweght cars on the PRR and B&O and, in fact, road in several E7s on NYC and PC with heavyweights trailing. This is also true for E-8s and E-9s. I suspect the same thing happened on other roads, too. Sure, E units were streamlined (more or less) but they pulled more than their share of non-streamlined equipment.

Consist suggestions in other replies are right on except for the number of head end cars. Premier trains might have had only an RPO but most others would also have had three or four baggage cars serving as 'mail storage' cars (cars carrying mail that does not require sorting or other processing on the move) plus one or more baggage cars.

Mail that does require sorting, etc. en route is in the RPO although I understand that mail clerks on long runs actually moved bags between 'mail storage' and RPO cars en route. BTW: Postal regulations required all mail cars to be directly behind the motive power. The post office didn't care what was behind its mail cars but there couldn't be anything in front of them; probably to make life a bit more difficult for bad guys who might want to rob the mail.

One last note on heavyweights: Your selection of B&O gives you the opportunity to kit bash or scratch some of those heavyweight cars the B&O 'modernized' to make them appear to be streamliners. Their 6 wheel trucks and oddly shaped roof lines were a give away.

And finally, I notice that this is your first post so...

[#welcome]

Chuck

[Don Gibson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

Problems come from having .too long cars for too small a layout.

Makes littlle difference the KIND of car - P ullman. coach, diner, etc, - . Long car's create roblems on small layuts,and tight turnouts - and I don't even know your 'ruling'' radius , do you? - good luck..

[jkeaton]

As well as an RPO and baggage cars for mail storage, don't forget to add an "express" car or three between the mail cars and the coaches. Depending on the railroad, even the premier passenger trains could haul express. Sometimes express went in regular baggage cars, but many railroads also had purpose built express cars - often looking like long, low boxcars - or even re-painted box cars equipped with high speed trucks and steam heat lines.

Jim

[Anonymous]

Back in the 1950's in Rockford IL, we used to see an orange and brown E-7 pulling the Iowan. The train consisted of all heavyweight cars in Pullman green, an RPO, two mail storage cars (including one set off at Rockford) and two coaches (the diner was dropped in the early 50's). Toward the end in 1958, after the RPO was dropped, the E-7 pulled a green combine and two coaches. Meanwhile, the Land O' Corn often had an E-6 and E-7 back to back, then a refurbished heavyweight RPO, baggage car, 3 or 4 coaches and a diner-lounge. Only the refurbished diner had large, streamlined type windows. The entire train was orange and brown. I understand former C&EI streamlined cars were placed on the LOC during the 1960's.

[AntonioFP45]

CTTRR, W E L C O M E A B O A R D ! ! [#welcome]

Hope you enjoy, share, and learn from the good guys and gals on this forum! As I've stated times before on this forum, check into purchasing the railroad color photo books from Don Ball. Beautiflul photos of railroading in the past.

There are almost countless pictures of E6, E7, and E8s pulling heavy weight cars. Remember that when railroads upgraded to stainless steel cars, many of the heavyweight cars in good condition were merely relegated to secondary runs. So E7s pulling heavyweight car trains would not be out of place at all. Even on "Hot Shot" passenger runs like the SAL's Silver Meteor a heavyweight lounge or baggage would be coupled on if there was a car shortage.

If you want pictures, go to www.railpictures.net You can search by locomotive, railroad, train name, or type in what you want in the blank "Key Word" box. You'll really see some neat stuff on that website!

Relax and Enjoy your trains!

[#welcome][#welcome][#welcome][#welcome][swg][tup]

[randybc2003]

It was rare, but I have seen pictures of RPO/baggage toward the end of a mix. Usually the mail was up close to the power though.
Pictures of Great Northern's FAST MAIL show doubleheaded (back-to back) E units, 2 box/express cars, 3 baggage cars, the RPO, 3 more baggage cars, and a "conductor's coach" on the rear. No pullmans, observations, or etc. Company brass frequently hooked their office cars to this one, as it ran an even faster schedule than the Orient Limited or the Empire Builder.
All Aboard!![#welcome]

[jabrown1971]

E7's and heavyweight cars............sounds like the Chicago and Alton/GM&O. The name trains had coaches, parlors, diners RPO's and baggage cars. The GM&O and later the ICG used E7's and heavyweight coaches on the Chicago-Joliet "Plug". See railpictures.net and there was recently a picture of this train. I found it under the Illinois state listing. Have fun and remember it is your railroad. Run it your way.

[cefinkjr]

randybc2003:

Didn't Santa Fe's fabled Fast Mail (Nrs 7 & 8 ?) have pretty much the same consist as you described for GN's Fast Mail ? I think Santa Fe's would more likely have had 3 or 4 F units though.

I've always wanted to model a pure mail and express train like that. They were money makers to the end.

Chuck