Did railroads run/make passenger cars less than 70' in the 1940's? Are there HO models of them?
Gary
There were arch roof 60' passenger cars required by the Harriman associated railroads. Here is a linkto UP cars: http://utahrails.net/pass/harriman-dates.php
Models were available from MDC Roundhouse, and later re-issued by Athearn. Currently coach, diner and observation are announced:http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=Arch+Roof+Coach&CatID=THRPhttp://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=Arch+Roof+Obs&CatID=THRPhttp://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=Arch+Roof+Obs&CatID=THRP
Baggage, combine, and RPO might be found on ebay or at dealers.Regards, Volker
THANKS Volker !
Do any have interior lighting? The ones that Athearn has don't seem to have lighting or power pick-up trucks. anyone know what the proper Kadee or other powered truck would work with these?
There have been models of C&NW 60' cars. I think Walthers originally made them as metal-sided kits. More recently, Rivarossi produced them in plastic. They were "heavyweights". I bought the baggage car the last time they were run. I think there was also a baggage-mail, perhaps a combine, and a coach.
Con-cor has also done some PRR shorties, in combine and full coach version:
https://www.con-cor.com/website/product-category/ho-model-trains/ho-passenger-cars-ho-model-trains/p-54/
I bought one of the coaches because, curiously, it ended up on the SP&S as a MOW diner. Wow.
Con-cor also shows these shorties, but I don't know anything about their, uh, upbringing:
https://www.con-cor.com/website/product-category/ho-model-trains/ho-passenger-cars-ho-model-trains/ho-1930-1960-heavyweight-cars/
Ed
While I don't have lighting in any of my passenger cars, I recently re-worked a couple of Tyco tenders for a friend. The original trucks had brass wheels, which required constant cleaning for reliable operation, even though the locos had can motors and NWSL gearboxes. I added all-wheel pick-up to the locos, then changed out the tender trucks for some Walthers passenger car trucks, a top-equalised style that was somewhat similar in appearance to the original Tyco trucks. The Walthers passenger car trucks are designed to accomodate car lighting, and are insulated to make installation easier. For the tenders, I added connectors and wires, with mini-plugs to connect to the motors, and you should be able to do something similar for adding lighting to the MDC/Athearn cars, as Walthers offers several styles of 4-wheel passenger car trucks.
Wayne
Yes the Rivarossi 60' Baggage, RPO, Utility Coach and Utility Combine are all accurate models of real C&NW heavyweight cars. Note that many railroads had heavyweight RPO or Baggage (or combinations of both) cars that were less than 70'. Many heavyweight coaches were 70-72'.
7j43k There have been models of C&NW 60' cars. I think Walthers originally made them as metal-sided kits. More recently, Rivarossi produced them in plastic. They were "heavyweights". I bought the baggage car the last time they were run. I think there was also a baggage-mail, perhaps a combine, and a coach.
That is correct. I bought the four car set of the Rivarossi cars lettered for the CB&Q. I am relettering them for my fictional branchline. Once I learned there was an actual prototype for them that was all the justification I needed. Life Like also produced a series of 60 footers I believe before they were acquired by Walthers. You can still find some on ebay. They need a little dressing up but they have become the commuter cars in my passenger fleet at a relatively low cost compared to what passenger cars are selling for these days.
The Reading Company built the majority of their passenger cars at 72', narrowly missing your 70' cutoff . They were built in the late 1920's and lasted until the end of locomotive hauled trains on that company. A handful lasted on SEPTA. Many still exist at museums in the U.S. and Canada. Some were exported to various Latin American countries.
Bethlehem Car Works sells kits for various versions.
The PRR had 54' passenger cars later converted to MP54 electric commuter cars. Both styles are offered by ConCor in HO. Apparently some were sold to ATSF as there are some on E bay or were last night.
ndbprr The PRR had 54' passenger cars later converted to MP54 electric commuter cars. Both styles are offered by ConCor in HO. Apparently some were sold to ATSF as there are some on E bay or were last night.
ATSF bought two gas-electric trailers from PRR in 1950. PRR 381 became ATSF T.103 and PRR 386 became ATSF T.104. They may or may not have been former MP54 cars.
I notice that some of the cited E bay cars have the proper ATSF numbers. And some don't.
There are photos of each of the Santa Fe cars on page 155 of John McCall's "The Doodlebugs".
Some railroads such as the Maryland & Pennsylvania were still running open platform cars. The Ma&Pa cars were 56 feet.
Paul
Those HO Rivarossi cars can be hard to track down on eBay sometimes.
And may not be prototypically correct.