Prototype/Freelance Passenger trains

[riogrande5761]

Mr. LMD

I meant to say if you do not have a sturdy well built trackwork the brass train would derail often. I'm sorr for the  exaggeration.

Well, in my experience, and also what I've heard others say who have also tried to run brass passenger trains, you can have great track which has relatively generous curves and good geometry, and still have brass passenger cars not track well or derail.

One of the biggest reasons for this is often brass passenger cars are built with a high degree of fidelity to the prototype, who's curves are FAR broader than model curves.  Many typical model railroads have curves in the high twenties or low thirties radius and even at this, many brass passenger cars still won't run without some signitifcant modifications.  Often truck details hang up or hit underbody details on the brass passenger cars causing them to derail.  Often more attention is paid by the manufacturer to appearance and detail, and less to running qualities.

So often, brass passenger cars will derail or not run well, even if you have generious curves and good smooth well laid track.

[Motley]

Mr. LMD

 

 

Your 4-8-4 look almost naked without the second tender.

I know. I also got 2 of the new Walthers UP Heritage Fleet cars.

I'll shoot another video with it.

[Trynn_Allen2]

No not really.  Right now it's barely a plywood wonder.  The tracks are mapped out, the majority of the track is down, I have about 1/3 of the buildings, and of the engines I need I have 2, with a 44 ton stand in for the third.  I haven't built the HMCs that I need, nor have I built the GAs with side racks for the sugar beets.  The quarry is an outlined hole with the tracks taped down in the approximate position (Gaffers tape is also good for temp track), the Del Monte plant is a foam block with tracks taped down.  The only think for certain is the depot.  Plainfield/Bancroft has it's siding and team track but no buildings, Coloma has two of the buildings and no team track yet.   An virtually none of the scenery is in place.  We've done three sessons, where the three other operators were trying to figure out the hen scratch.  (Got to come up with a more coherent car card and waybill system). 

Basiclly I suffer from the same problem that the real P-line suffered from.  Passing sidings not long enough for the through traffic, so they are either held in Portage or Plover, and with the exception of Montello, mostly seasonal traffic.  So if I were to say do an early summer run we would be trying to figure out how to shoe horn in the thru coal train to the Portage, the Milk train, the lone doodlebugs, whatever scant traffic is heading for Montello, and the evening Reefer train from Madison to Green Bay (again to big for the sidings).  I now have to figure out what is going to be an acceptable break from reality to justify Plainfield and Colma in the "off season".

[SMassey]

On my new layout I have currently a passenger service that runs twice daily and it is simply some Amtrak equipment.  The engine on this run is the 822 used in the 40th Annaversary train and my cars are still to be decided apon.  My layout has mainly 18" curves so long equipment is not all that great on the layout and not the best in reliability but looks the best all and all.  I have some Athearn coaches that can be used but they dont looks as good even tho they run better.  *sigh*  I have not had the chance to purchase some extended couplers to see if I can make the Amtrak cars run better.  Sorry no snappy name for my commuter train.

I would love to get a hold of the Amtrak Cascades engine and cars.  That train is local to me being that it stops at Seattle. 

For the freelance stuff I was planning on doing a semi freelance excursion train on my first layout.  The story goes like this.  The South Massey Railway (in and unknowm place but near enough to NS and BNSF to borrow their equipment and interchange with them both)  bought the N&W Class J #610 to use as the centerpiece for the planned musuem of rail transportation.  The museum restored #610 (even tho it was thought to have been scrapped) and a couple of old heavyweight cars as well.  This was going to be a summer weekend excursion run around the SMRY mainline to promote the railroad and also keep the past alive and well. 

#610 turned out to be problematic as the design of the drawbar that Bachmann used was not friendly to bumps or changes in elevation.  The excursion plans were scrapped durring the testing phase of the project and the engine was then used as a display untill sold at auction.

 

Massey

[Mr. LMD]

Motley

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

Motley:

 

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

Motley:

 

I have recently been fascinated by the named passenger trains. They are so good looking. That I want all of them.

So my excuse for 50s passenger named trains on my modern 1989-Present D&RGW layout is excursion/museum restoration trains.

I have the following trains

Colorado Ski Train
UP 844 Steam Excursion train
NYC 20th Century Ltd
SP Daylight
Broadway Ltd
Super Chief
El Capitan

 

 

Do you have the extra tender with your 844 to replicate the water tender?

 

 

I sure do!!! I actually just got it last week. The Athearn Veranda Turbine Tender.

 

 

Congrats :) i seen the 844 on the history channel show extreme trains and on tracks ahead. I have a 

4-8-4 Rock Island and planned on doing the same thing :)

 

 

Yes I saw the same show, in fact I have it saved on my DVR. It's one awesome train, one of my favorites now.

Here's a video I shot of my 4-8-4 before I got the new tender. I still need to renumber it, as I have the 840 right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08887ZmgId8

 

Your 4-8-4 look almost naked without the second tender.

[Motley]

Mr. LMD

 

Motley:

 

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

Motley:

 

I have recently been fascinated by the named passenger trains. They are so good looking. That I want all of them.

So my excuse for 50s passenger named trains on my modern 1989-Present D&RGW layout is excursion/museum restoration trains.

I have the following trains

Colorado Ski Train
UP 844 Steam Excursion train
NYC 20th Century Ltd
SP Daylight
Broadway Ltd
Super Chief
El Capitan

 

 

Do you have the extra tender with your 844 to replicate the water tender?

 

 

I sure do!!! I actually just got it last week. The Athearn Veranda Turbine Tender.

 

 

Congrats :) i seen the 844 on the history channel show extreme trains and on tracks ahead. I have a 

4-8-4 Rock Island and planned on doing the same thing :)

Yes I saw the same show, in fact I have it saved on my DVR. It's one awesome train, one of my favorites now.

Here's a video I shot of my 4-8-4 before I got the new tender. I still need to renumber it, as I have the 840 right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08887ZmgId8

[Mr. LMD]

Trynn_Allen2

Enough to make running the evening train interesting.  It get's priority, but the route is a single track, and depending on who is out on the main and what season.  I model both the early fall and late spring.  So depending on what harvest or no harvest is being collected can influence how much traffic is acutally on the road at the time.  In the spring it's not so bad, much of the traffic is already off of the road, but in the fall I have 3 trains (having to borrow power from either the CNW, GB&W, MILW, or SOO, because for the rest of the year all they need is one steamer (two for repairs), and the 3 steeplecabs.

Right now the milk train gets priority over everything, except the coal drag...and the only reason it doesn't is because there isn't a passing siding big enough to take either train.  So as soon as the milk train makes it 3 pm, the coal drag starts making it's way south.  It also gets priority over any local switching, but there are times that the coal drag hasn't cleared Portage in time for the Milk train to get started until 7 or 7:30 PM according to the fast clock.  Since it is the last run of the day, it's not the worst thing.

Overall switching is at Endeover/Westover...interchange with the CNW, enough room for 8 cars, livestock, grain, and feed on a seperate 5 car siding.  Montello, 10 to 15 cars depending on day(Montello is a seperate branch and doesn't foul the main).  Pulp logs, coal to a paper mill, coal to a small power plant, machine tools and explosives to a quarry, and cans, and produce to a Del Monte Plant. Outbound is paper, and stone of various types and sizes, and more cans.  Coloma has  room for about 15 cars, mostly livestock, grain, sugar beets, corn,  and a farm supply co-op.  Plainfield/Bancroft is an interchange with the CNW and mostly duplicates Coloma.  Finally Plover has some switching for interchange with the SOO and GB&W.  Plover recieves chemicals, paper and goods from points along the line.  It is also the final destination for the midmorning & evening milk run, a reefer and a seperate goods run from Madison (off layout, comes in from Portage).  There is just enough switching to lull a guest operator into thinking that the milk run is...well a milk run. 

After reading everything you just posted, I must say you must have one impressive organize schedule and layout to aww your friends and other modelers :)

[Trynn_Allen2]

Enough to make running the evening train interesting.  It get's priority, but the route is a single track, and depending on who is out on the main and what season.  I model both the early fall and late spring.  So depending on what harvest or no harvest is being collected can influence how much traffic is acutally on the road at the time.  In the spring it's not so bad, much of the traffic is already off of the road, but in the fall I have 3 trains (having to borrow power from either the CNW, GB&W, MILW, or SOO, because for the rest of the year all they need is one steamer (two for repairs), and the 3 steeplecabs.

Right now the milk train gets priority over everything, except the coal drag...and the only reason it doesn't is because there isn't a passing siding big enough to take either train.  So as soon as the milk train makes it 3 pm, the coal drag starts making it's way south.  It also gets priority over any local switching, but there are times that the coal drag hasn't cleared Portage in time for the Milk train to get started until 7 or 7:30 PM according to the fast clock.  Since it is the last run of the day, it's not the worst thing.

Overall switching is at Endeover/Westover...interchange with the CNW, enough room for 8 cars, livestock, grain, and feed on a seperate 5 car siding.  Montello, 10 to 15 cars depending on day(Montello is a seperate branch and doesn't foul the main).  Pulp logs, coal to a paper mill, coal to a small power plant, machine tools and explosives to a quarry, and cans, and produce to a Del Monte Plant. Outbound is paper, and stone of various types and sizes, and more cans.  Coloma has  room for about 15 cars, mostly livestock, grain, sugar beets, corn,  and a farm supply co-op.  Plainfield/Bancroft is an interchange with the CNW and mostly duplicates Coloma.  Finally Plover has some switching for interchange with the SOO and GB&W.  Plover recieves chemicals, paper and goods from points along the line.  It is also the final destination for the midmorning & evening milk run, a reefer and a seperate goods run from Madison (off layout, comes in from Portage).  There is just enough switching to lull a guest operator into thinking that the milk run is...well a milk run. 

[Mr. LMD]

bigpianoguy

My layout is a ceiling train, on a variety of shelf sizes as per diorama. So it's the Minard Mountain Rail Road, which allows for lots of trestles (the more rickety the better!), tunnels, & sheer cliffs.

I'm becoming heavily invested in the Rapido series cars. I've recently started assembling a 1954 CN consist, pulled by a 'Bullet Nosed Betty', a 4-8-4 in the same green livery. There's only one 'named' car in it, the 'Greenbrier' sleeper, which I HAD  to get, that being the name of my subdivision & public school. I recently acquired another Skytop Lounge & plan to repaint it in the same livery, although CN didn't actually have one at the time.

I've also developed a CN Supercontinental, pulled by a re-bodied F7A from the Lionel Railscope set & an F7B unit by Stewart. This consist has a number of named cars, including a 'Thunder Bay' sleeper, a 'North Park' (after my high school) Superdome, & a repainted Skytop, renamed 'Grand River'.

I also have a Hogwarts Express; this will be finished with the addition of its own Skytop, with a mini plasma ball in the end dome, as a giant 'crystal ball'...

And last but not least, I have a circus train, almost 20 cars now & pulled by a variety of engines. I've got a shell for 'Corky's Carnival Train' engine and a N&W J4-8-4 without a train yet, so I guess I'll figure that out somewhere down the road.

 

Do you have a schedule format or do you just let the trains run?

[bigpianoguy]

My layout is a ceiling train, on a variety of shelf sizes as per diorama. So it's the Minard Mountain Rail Road, which allows for lots of trestles (the more rickety the better!), tunnels, & sheer cliffs.

I'm becoming heavily invested in the Rapido series cars. I've recently started assembling a 1954 CN consist, pulled by a 'Bullet Nosed Betty', a 4-8-4 in the same green livery. There's only one 'named' car in it, the 'Greenbrier' sleeper, which I HAD  to get, that being the name of my subdivision & public school. I recently acquired another Skytop Lounge & plan to repaint it in the same livery, although CN didn't actually have one at the time.

I've also developed a CN Supercontinental, pulled by a re-bodied F7A from the Lionel Railscope set & an F7B unit by Stewart. This consist has a number of named cars, including a 'Thunder Bay' sleeper, a 'North Park' (after my high school) Superdome, & a repainted Skytop, renamed 'Grand River'.

I also have a Hogwarts Express; this will be finished with the addition of its own Skytop, with a mini plasma ball in the end dome, as a giant 'crystal ball'...

And last but not least, I have a circus train, almost 20 cars now & pulled by a variety of engines. I've got a shell for 'Corky's Carnival Train' engine and a N&W J4-8-4 without a train yet, so I guess I'll figure that out somewhere down the road.

 

[riogrande5761]

Mr. LMD

Thank you for correcting me. I do see a lot more U.P brand more than anything else since they are one of the oldest railroad in america still running. Ebay do have good deals, but mostly the prices are indeed high for some products.

Well, recently and following forward, Wathers had been and is releasing UP Passenger cars.  So it partly depends on what passenger train projects are being issued by major manufacturers at any given time.  For a few years, the BLI California Zephyr cars were readily available and for prices ranging between $30-50 on Ebay and when vendors still had them in stock, mostly they sold for about $54-59 each.  BLI ran several runs and the market was semi saturated for a while, then they ran one more run and since then the supply seems to have dried up, probably with the help of scalpers and speculators trying to gouge modelers for rediculous prices.  Hopefully BLI will run the CZ cars one more time to break up that nonsense and allow folks to pick up more cars at "fair market" prices.

But to some degree, there probably is some truth to UP having a wide name recognition having been alive up to the present - you can even run specials based on the present and run UP passenger cars - although it would probably require some research to get a "correct" train, if that is possible in plastic.  If with the many UP cars out, there are probably many types not offered still.

[Mr. LMD]

riogrande5761

 

Mr. LMD:

 

I seen John Gray and Howard Zane, both feature in tracks ahead on youtube (before the series became private) and they both have brass and your benchwork has too be 100% good or your brass set will rip the track to pieces.

 

 

I have honestly never heard of brass trains ripping up track before, thats a new one.  I did try to run some brass passenger cars on my garage layout I had built in graduate school with 30-inch minimum mainline radius curves.

The brass train we tried to run was a set of C&NW heavy weight passenger cars, fully painted and finished - gorgeous cars.  They would not run on my 30-inch curves - I think the truck side frames hit the models metal underbody and shorted or something.    I've heard other complaining bitterly about the Division Point Prospector cars - beautiful models but can't run them.

I meant to say if you do not have a sturdy well built trackwork the brass train would derail often. I'm sorr for the  exaggeration.

[Mr. LMD]

Motley

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

Motley:

 

I have recently been fascinated by the named passenger trains. They are so good looking. That I want all of them.

So my excuse for 50s passenger named trains on my modern 1989-Present D&RGW layout is excursion/museum restoration trains.

I have the following trains

Colorado Ski Train
UP 844 Steam Excursion train
NYC 20th Century Ltd
SP Daylight
Broadway Ltd
Super Chief
El Capitan

 

 

Do you have the extra tender with your 844 to replicate the water tender?

 

 

I sure do!!! I actually just got it last week. The Athearn Veranda Turbine Tender.

Congrats :) i seen the 844 on the history channel show extreme trains and on tracks ahead. I have a 

4-8-4 Rock Island and planned on doing the same thing :)

[Mr. LMD]

tomikawaTT

 

Mr. LMD:

 

Since most layouts I have seen (pictures, videos, in person) are mostly freight trains, I have wonder and research about old passenger trains such as the Super Chief, The Zep, 400, Daylight, and many more.

 

I may be the exception.  Most of the timetable slots on my layout are for passenger trains.

 

Prototype modelers: Which railroad passenger train(s) are you modeling and how many do you have?

 

The entire scheduled operation for my month, taken from the timetable of the Japan National Railways for September, 1964 - with station names changed to protect the guilty.  To cover this, I have three DMU consists, three heavyweight passenger consists and five EMU that mix and match into two, three and four car trains.  Each runs as several different trains during a 24 hour day.

 

Freelance modelers: How many passenger trains are you running on your layout and if they have a catchy name, could you list them?

 

No catchy names on the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo.  Just two scheduled runs each way with two coaches (carries miners to the colliery, kids to school in Tomikawa, then vice-versa,) two mixed trains each way each day with a single coach, and a four-wheel diesel railbus that protects the other passenger runs.  Overnight, the coaches lay over at Tomikawa and the railbus lays over at the colliery.

Which doesn't mean there aren't plenty of freights.  The timetables, JNR and TTT, list over 140 train movements every 24 fast-clock hours.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japa in September, 1964)

how many towns/cities/villages do your trains stop at?

[riogrande5761]

Mr. LMD

I seen John Gray and Howard Zane, both feature in tracks ahead on youtube (before the series became private) and they both have brass and your benchwork has too be 100% good or your brass set will rip the track to pieces.

I have honestly never heard of brass trains ripping up track before, thats a new one.  I did try to run some brass passenger cars on my garage layout I had built in graduate school with 30-inch minimum mainline radius curves.

The brass train we tried to run was a set of C&NW heavy weight passenger cars, fully painted and finished - gorgeous cars.  They would not run on my 30-inch curves - I think the truck side frames hit the models metal underbody and shorted or something.    I've heard other complaining bitterly about the Division Point Prospector cars - beautiful models but can't run them.

[Mr. LMD]

Trynn_Allen2

I'm modeling in central Wi, between Portage and Plover/Stevens Point Wi.  The line was real, but I added electrification, and made the industry along the line a little more robust.  Still agricultural, but more robust.

For passenger service I have a milk run that runs twice a day, Once at 7am from Plover arriving in Portage at 9:30 am and once at 3pm arriving in Portage at 6:30.  This route runs the full length of the P-line and is an hour longer because of a conflicting passenger schedual.    Steam powered consists of 4 express reefers, 1 milk bunker car and a combine.  Usually hauled by a Hvy 2-8-2.  Speed is timed for an avg of 55mph, with 6 stops.  It returns with empties and freight for interchange with the GB&W at Plover at 11am and 9:00pm.  Consist is set for the day, but is usually reworked at night depending on availablity of the express reefers.  Note:  this is the fastest train I run, is sorta based on prototype.  There was a milk run, but it didn't warrent this kind of schedualling, (it was once a day and was only 2 RS, and a BM)

Additionally there is a small commuter run that runs from Portage to Montello via Endeover.  This one runs a 1:30hr turn around with a pair of back to back doodlebugs (yeap there is a proto for everything) .  Start time is 5:30 am with last run starting from Portage to Montello taking place at 7:00 pm ish.  Servcing is done at Montello.  If the Doodlebugs can't make the run a Steeplecab and 2 Hvywt Coachs make the run and are sometimes used as supplimental consist during the summer.  Note:  This run is actually based on the prototype line that I took over.  It was the only functioning schedualled run on the entire route.

After the above two everything is by caboose fare.  If fairs warrent it a combine is attached to the freight service.  Of course this makes the freight drops at Montello interesting, because if there are fares for Montello, then the caboose has to be dropped at the station, making the rest of the moves incity flagged ones sans caboose.  I haven't figured out names for any of them, because as far as I know there were no names for the trains.  On the other hand with the milk train being as heavily schedualled as it is, the speed it maintains, and the fact that it is the only thing that even remotely resembles a passenger schedual it probably should have a name.

Do you have a lot of switching to go with your heavy detail layout? :)

[Motley]

Mr. LMD

 

Motley:

 

I have recently been fascinated by the named passenger trains. They are so good looking. That I want all of them.

So my excuse for 50s passenger named trains on my modern 1989-Present D&RGW layout is excursion/museum restoration trains.

I have the following trains

Colorado Ski Train
UP 844 Steam Excursion train
NYC 20th Century Ltd
SP Daylight
Broadway Ltd
Super Chief
El Capitan

 

 

Do you have the extra tender with your 844 to replicate the water tender?

I sure do!!! I actually just got it last week. The Athearn Veranda Turbine Tender.

[tomikawaTT]

Mr. LMD

Since most layouts I have seen (pictures, videos, in person) are mostly freight trains, I have wonder and research about old passenger trains such as the Super Chief, The Zep, 400, Daylight, and many more.

I may be the exception.  Most of the timetable slots on my layout are for passenger trains.

Prototype modelers: Which railroad passenger train(s) are you modeling and how many do you have?

The entire scheduled operation for my month, taken from the timetable of the Japan National Railways for September, 1964 - with station names changed to protect the guilty.  To cover this, I have three DMU consists, three heavyweight passenger consists and five EMU that mix and match into two, three and four car trains.  Each runs as several different trains during a 24 hour day.

Freelance modelers: How many passenger trains are you running on your layout and if they have a catchy name, could you list them?

No catchy names on the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo.  Just two scheduled runs each way with two coaches (carries miners to the colliery, kids to school in Tomikawa, then vice-versa,) two mixed trains each way each day with a single coach, and a four-wheel diesel railbus that protects the other passenger runs.  Overnight, the coaches lay over at Tomikawa and the railbus lays over at the colliery.

Which doesn't mean there aren't plenty of freights.  The timetables, JNR and TTT, list over 140 train movements every 24 fast-clock hours.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japa in September, 1964)

[Mr. LMD]

riogrande5761

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

riogrande5761:

Unfortunately speculators are monopolizing the market for BLI passenger cars for the past year or two.

 

 

I believe the market has been flooded with Union Pacific everywhere just as well.

 

 

No, actually the problem with the BLI CZ cars right now is speculators have bought up a lot of what was on the market and is now asking prices around 2 times the Retail price.  The original MSRP price was $64.xx to 69.xx and now you see these listed on fleabay for $99 to $16x prices.  That isn't what I'd call flooded market prices.  As for UP, Walthers has been producing them in the past 12 months but I don't think they are bargain basement prices so far.  Anything hitting the market now and in the future are higher costs due to all the market/currency devaluation/production costs effects.

Thank you for correcting me. I do see a lot more U.P brand more than anything else since they are one of the oldest railroad in america still running. Ebay do have good deals, but mostly the prices are indeed high for some products.

[riogrande5761]

Mr. LMD

riogrande5761:

Unfortunately speculators are monopolizing the market for BLI passenger cars for the past year or two.

 

I believe the market has been flooded with Union Pacific everywhere just as well.

No, actually the problem with the BLI CZ cars right now is speculators have bought up a lot of what was on the market and is now asking prices around 2 times the Retail price.  The original MSRP price was $64.xx to 69.xx and now you see these listed on fleabay for $99 to $16x prices.  That isn't what I'd call flooded market prices.  As for UP, Walthers has been producing them in the past 12 months but I don't think they are bargain basement prices so far.  Anything hitting the market now and in the future are higher costs due to all the market/currency devaluation/production costs effects.

[Trynn_Allen2]

I'm modeling in central Wi, between Portage and Plover/Stevens Point Wi.  The line was real, but I added electrification, and made the industry along the line a little more robust.  Still agricultural, but more robust.

For passenger service I have a milk run that runs twice a day, Once at 7am from Plover arriving in Portage at 9:30 am and once at 3pm arriving in Portage at 6:30.  This route runs the full length of the P-line and is an hour longer because of a conflicting passenger schedual.    Steam powered consists of 4 express reefers, 1 milk bunker car and a combine.  Usually hauled by a Hvy 2-8-2.  Speed is timed for an avg of 55mph, with 6 stops.  It returns with empties and freight for interchange with the GB&W at Plover at 11am and 9:00pm.  Consist is set for the day, but is usually reworked at night depending on availablity of the express reefers.  Note:  this is the fastest train I run, is sorta based on prototype.  There was a milk run, but it didn't warrent this kind of schedualling, (it was once a day and was only 2 RS, and a BM)

Additionally there is a small commuter run that runs from Portage to Montello via Endeover.  This one runs a 1:30hr turn around with a pair of back to back doodlebugs (yeap there is a proto for everything) .  Start time is 5:30 am with last run starting from Portage to Montello taking place at 7:00 pm ish.  Servcing is done at Montello.  If the Doodlebugs can't make the run a Steeplecab and 2 Hvywt Coachs make the run and are sometimes used as supplimental consist during the summer.  Note:  This run is actually based on the prototype line that I took over.  It was the only functioning schedualled run on the entire route.

After the above two everything is by caboose fare.  If fairs warrent it a combine is attached to the freight service.  Of course this makes the freight drops at Montello interesting, because if there are fares for Montello, then the caboose has to be dropped at the station, making the rest of the moves incity flagged ones sans caboose.  I haven't figured out names for any of them, because as far as I know there were no names for the trains.  On the other hand with the milk train being as heavily schedualled as it is, the speed it maintains, and the fact that it is the only thing that even remotely resembles a passenger schedual it probably should have a name.

[Mr. LMD]

riogrande5761

 

twhite:

 

My 'proto-lance' Rio Grande Yuba River Sub has a combination of Rio Grande and Espee running on it during the WWII and post-war years (up to about 1954).  So I have several Espee passenger trains ("Daylight", "Gold Coast", "City of San Francisco") that make appearances, plus several Rio Grande passengers ("Prospector", "Exposition Flyer") and one 'never was' streamliner called the "Scenic Limited."  (well, the "Scenic Limited" certainly existed, but never in an 8-car streamlined version) . 

The Rio Grande trains are another story entirely--I've had to 'make do' with cars from Walthers, since I can't afford the exact cars and consists of the "Prospector" and "Exposition Flyer", which are largely available only in imported brass (Division Point, etc.). 

Completing my passenger roster is an un-named Rio Grande mail train, and a little 4-car local known as the "Yuba River Express", which is famous for flag-stopping at every good fishing hole along the river itself, LOL!

Tom

 

There is the major disadvantage of modeling your time period, to do it well you need brass brass and more brass.  An old round robin club acquaintence of mine from my graduate school days is modeling the D&RGW in 1953 but once told me he was in the top 3% earning bracket in the United States - In other words a good deal of money to spend on brass and brass he has - quite a few correct D&RGW steam engines, a brass CZ, etc. but last I saw from pictures I haven't seen any of the other name trains so far that you would need to pop $500 each for Div Pt Prospector Passenger cars.

For me, I could model a prototypical but non-typicalYampa Valley Mail passenger train using cars from the following:

PCC P-S Combine (from the brass Prospector series - original configuration)
Walthers P-S 52 seat coach

It's a shame Walthers or some company hasn't put out any more "correct" passenger cars usable by the D&RGW - they could cover C&O and D&RGW and Algoma Central, perhaps others, from a few models.

As far as the Yuba River Express - the D&RGW ran a passenger train called the Mountaineer up to about 1951 or so that was very heavy on the front end cars, mostly baggage.

With all the Yuba this and that makes me think of northern California up near Quincy and Chico State University, where the WP ran partly.  Are you from up that way?  I had an old friend who lived up there and who's family had a cabin that way - but lost track of him years ago.

I seen John Gray and Howard Zane, both feature in tracks ahead on youtube (before the series became private) and they both have brass and your benchwork has too be 100% good or your brass set will rip the track to pieces.

[riogrande5761]

twhite

My 'proto-lance' Rio Grande Yuba River Sub has a combination of Rio Grande and Espee running on it during the WWII and post-war years (up to about 1954).  So I have several Espee passenger trains ("Daylight", "Gold Coast", "City of San Francisco") that make appearances, plus several Rio Grande passengers ("Prospector", "Exposition Flyer") and one 'never was' streamliner called the "Scenic Limited."  (well, the "Scenic Limited" certainly existed, but never in an 8-car streamlined version) . 

The Rio Grande trains are another story entirely--I've had to 'make do' with cars from Walthers, since I can't afford the exact cars and consists of the "Prospector" and "Exposition Flyer", which are largely available only in imported brass (Division Point, etc.). 

Completing my passenger roster is an un-named Rio Grande mail train, and a little 4-car local known as the "Yuba River Express", which is famous for flag-stopping at every good fishing hole along the river itself, LOL!

Tom

There is the major disadvantage of modeling your time period, to do it well you need brass brass and more brass.  An old round robin club acquaintence of mine from my graduate school days is modeling the D&RGW in 1953 but once told me he was in the top 3% earning bracket in the United States - In other words a good deal of money to spend on brass and brass he has - quite a few correct D&RGW steam engines, a brass CZ, etc. but last I saw from pictures I haven't seen any of the other name trains so far that you would need to pop $500 each for Div Pt Prospector Passenger cars.

For me, I could model a prototypical but non-typicalYampa Valley Mail passenger train using cars from the following:

PCC P-S Combine (from the brass Prospector series - original configuration)
Walthers P-S 52 seat coach

It's a shame Walthers or some company hasn't put out any more "correct" passenger cars usable by the D&RGW - they could cover C&O and D&RGW and Algoma Central, perhaps others, from a few models.

As far as the Yuba River Express - the D&RGW ran a passenger train called the Mountaineer up to about 1951 or so that was very heavy on the front end cars, mostly baggage.

With all the Yuba this and that makes me think of northern California up near Quincy and Chico State University, where the WP ran partly.  Are you from up that way?  I had an old friend who lived up there and who's family had a cabin that way - but lost track of him years ago.

[Mr. LMD]

riogrande5761

 

Mr. LMD:

 

If you have to choose one or the other, which passenger train is your favorite?

 

 

As most people probably would choose, nothing looks better than a "complete" private passenger train era train.  So the full California Zephyr consist with a 4 or 5 F unit power set looks very handsome.  And by todays costs, the train was relatively modest cost if you could pick up the engines and passenger cars at a decent discount as I was able to.  Unfortunately speculators are monopolizing the market for BLI passenger cars for the past year or two.

I believe the market has been flooded with Union Pacific everywhere just as well.

[Mr. LMD]

twhite

My 'proto-lance' Rio Grande Yuba River Sub has a combination of Rio Grande and Espee running on it during the WWII and post-war years (up to about 1954).  So I have several Espee passenger trains ("Daylight", "Gold Coast", "City of San Francisco") that make appearances, plus several Rio Grande passengers ("Prospector", "Exposition Flyer") and one 'never was' streamliner called the "Scenic Limited."  (well, the "Scenic Limited" certainly existed, but never in an 8-car streamlined version) . 

The Espee trains have been relatively easy to put together with cars from MTH, Walthers and Branchline.  The Rio Grande trains are another story entirely--I've had to 'make do' with cars from Walthers, since I can't afford the exact cars and consists of the "Prospector" and "Exposition Flyer", which are largely available only in imported brass (Division Point, etc.). 

Completing my passenger roster is an un-named Rio Grande mail train, and a little 4-car local known as the "Yuba River Express", which is famous for flag-stopping at every good fishing hole along the river itself, LOL!

Tom

I bet the daylight was the easiest since you can find them anywhere like the U.P.

[Mr. LMD]

UncBob

MR LMD

 

Thanks for the compliment

You are welcome :)

[Mr. LMD]

Motley

I have recently been fascinated by the named passenger trains. They are so good looking. That I want all of them.

So my excuse for 50s passenger named trains on my modern 1989-Present D&RGW layout is excursion/museum restoration trains.

I have the following trains

Colorado Ski Train
UP 844 Steam Excursion train
NYC 20th Century Ltd
SP Daylight
Broadway Ltd
Super Chief
El Capitan

Do you have the extra tender with your 844 to replicate the water tender?

[riogrande5761]

Mr. LMD

If you have to choose one or the other, which passenger train is your favorite?

As most people probably would choose, nothing looks better than a "complete" private passenger train era train.  So the full California Zephyr consist with a 4 or 5 F unit power set looks very handsome.  And by todays costs, the train was relatively modest cost if you could pick up the engines and passenger cars at a decent discount as I was able to.  Unfortunately speculators are monopolizing the market for BLI passenger cars for the past year or two.

[UncBob]

MR LMD

 

Thanks for the compliment

[Mr. LMD]

tstage

 

Mr. LMD:

 

Here's my question(s) for my fellow modelers.

Prototype modelers: Which railroad passenger train(s) are you modeling and how many do you have?

 

 

I model a NYC freight and servicing terminal on my modest 4 x 8 layout.  However, I do have - so far - a few heavyweight passenger cars to be pulled behind my NYC Hudson.  (Two Branchline couches and a sleeper)  I also have a BLI Dreyfuss Hudson ('40 paint scheme) that I am hoping that MTH will still be releasing the passenger cars for at sometime, although I'm not going to hold me breath.

Currently I can't run either Hudson on my layout as the curves are not large enough to handle the 60-70' cars.  The longest rolling stock I run on my freight layout are 50-footers.

Tom

Please keep us updated when you are able to run your hudson