Has anyone ever considered custom painting an HO scale Polar Express train?
I know Lionel owns the rights, and only offers them in O scale and G scale
I was considering getting a set of passenger cars and a steam locomotive and
tender custom painting and lettering a Polar Express train to run on my HO scale layout.. Has anyone ever done this ?
HO is on the way from Lionel
http://www.lionel.com/articles/NewsStand-Lionel-Announces-The-Polar-Express-in-HO-Scale/
Jim
THanks Jim !!!
I wonder what retail on this will be?
I saw the pre-production model and was not impressed especially the locomotive. It has IMO too many molded on detail parts even the handrails.
The passenger cars are ok. Myself I would not buy the set.
I saw the pictures, and I agree with you David, I wasn't real impressed. I think I could do a better job with custom painting some very nice passenger cars and locomotive and tender. I think I could convert a Bachmann Berkshire 765 or 767 into a better looking loco and tender.
A nice set of passenger cars custom painted would look better.
If my memory is not playing trick s on me, the issue has been previously discussed. It´s my impression that Lionel has the toy train customer in mind and not the "serious" model railroader. In that market segment, ruggedness counts more than delicate detail.
TheK4Kid I saw the pictures, and I agree with you David, I wasn't real impressed. I think I could do a better job with custom painting some very nice passenger cars and locomotive and tender. I think I could convert a Bachmann Berkshire 765 or 767 into a better looking loco and tender. A nice set of passenger cars custom painted would look better.
Now there's an interesting idea. A "Serious" Polar Express.
I haven't seen the HO version. I have the O27 version and the engine is pretty nice for an O27.
Paul
The polar express is modeled off of the NKP #765, which Bachmann's Berkshire is also modeled off of. You could probably just pick a Bachmann one up and reletter it.
Then buy the Lionel HO passenger cars to finish off the set.
TheWizardThe polar express is modeled off of the NKP #765, which Bachmann's Berkshire is also modeled off of.
If I'm not mistaken the actual inspiration for the Polar Express locomotive was the Pere Marquette 1225: (with the engine number being apropos to December 25th.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pere_Marquette_1225
Scroll toward the bottom of the article.
Regards, Ed
gmpullman If I'm not mistaken the actual inspiration for the Polar Express locomotive was the Pere Marquette 1225: (with the engine number being apropos to December 25th.) Regards, Ed
Exactly correct Ed. And yes, it would be much easier to use Bachmanns PM model instead of the NKP version. Its a tad bit closer to the real thing. I think the confusion comes from the PM and NKP Berkshires being direct cousins. Alot of "twins" in that bloodline. Ya notice, no one ever mentions RF&Ps versions? Distant relation - i think not.
Douglas
PM Railfan I think the confusion comes from the PM and NKP Berkshires being direct cousins.
Hi, Douglas
I wonder how much those "cousins" were influenced by the brothers, OP & MJ Van Sweringen's empire the Vaness Corporation, which had interests in dozens of railroads including NKP, C&O, (RF&P was 25% owned by C&O) PM, W&LE, Erie, C&EI, Mo-Pac and about a dozen others.
Then they formed the Allegheny Corporation as a holding company to hold all the holding companies! Talk about a house of cards! It all collapsed, of course, in October 1929! To me, it reads exactly like it was the "Enron" of the 1920s!
I have an interesting book by H. H. Harwood called Invisible Giants about O.P. and M.J. —a fascinating read. For years I could not figure out why C&O's HQ was in the Terminal Tower of Cleveland... this explains it. At the beginning of 1930 the Vans controlled some 29,431 route miles of the U.S. railroads.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Sweringen_railroad_holdings
Fascinating stuff!
Sir Madog If my memory is not playing trick s on me, the issue has been previously discussed. It´s my impression that Lionel has the toy train customer in mind and not the "serious" model railroader. In that market segment, ruggedness counts more than delicate detail.
Exactly. And for this crowd, if it looks like a duck...so no kid that gets one of these is likely to nitpick the prototype being a cousin instead of a brother.
I saw the Lionel HO models in Indy at the National Train Show. They're sure to impress those Lionel is marketing them to. If your kid can handle the detail and you can handle the build and paint, go for it, but for everyone else, I think Lionel has come up with a satisfying RTR rendering of the Polar Express.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Back when I was in HO scale, I painted up one using an old PFM/United brass NKP Berkshire and AHM/Rivarossi coaches. Took some hunting thru the paint isle at Hawkin's Rail in Lafayette to find close matches to the grey and dark red/marron on the coaches. I had Cederleaf graphics make up custom decals just for me. Sold the train to a family that wanted an HO scale Polar Express that was more than a toy when I started getting out of HO scale. It can be done, the Bachmann Berk would be a good starting point, just get the version that lacks the Mars light. If your doing a full length consist, the Bachmann might be a bit slippery to pull it well. That is one reason I went with the old brass Berkshire, wasnt that much more expensive if you camp out on ebay and with a fresh can motor or new magnet stack on the open frame, they run just as well and can be weighted to pull the house down. Mike
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome