Everyone thanks you for the quick responses, this has been very, very helpful. I have much better idea on what companies to go to. On another note, I am looking at getting an engine from BLI, who I have heard makes great trains.
The Reading Modeler website has a nice Reading Company roster you can refer to. Reading didn't own the elaborate fleet the PRR did, but had a unique design for rolling stock built in the late 1920s. You can get fairly easy to assemble kits from Bethlehem Car Works for basic coaches, combines and baggage cars.
Mid-1920's and before, Reading had some steel cars, but also a lot of wood cars. No specific ready to run or simple kits are available for these.
The Keystone Crossings website has useful information on PRR passenger equipment.
PRR ready to run models for this era in the past include the steel P70 coach, PB70 combine, B60 baggage, D78 diner, R50 express car and Z74. Bachmann, Broadway Limited and Walthers have periodically offered these.
Walthers has also offered various pullman cars that would have been used by the PRR. I'm not sure that wood vintage cars from the turn of the century are available except in craftsman kits.
Good luck.
Royalgunner Hi, I am looking to get back into the hobby after not having model trains since I was a kid. I am looking to get heavyweight passenger cars representing Pennsylvania Railroad/Reading Railroad (Late 1890's-1945) and want to get the best bang for my buck. What companies should I buy from and which should I avoid?
Hi, I am looking to get back into the hobby after not having model trains since I was a kid. I am looking to get heavyweight passenger cars representing Pennsylvania Railroad/Reading Railroad (Late 1890's-1945) and want to get the best bang for my buck. What companies should I buy from and which should I avoid?
Welcome ..... A HO layout should have at least 30" radius curves for full length passenger cars. Walthers and Atlas make good ones. MTH i said to be good, but I have not tried them. ... Con Cor makes shorter cars for smaller radius curves, and I hear their short heavyweight cars are good.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Boy oh boy... Best is always such a hard to define word.
All my heavyweights are Rivarossi. They just offered the most variety of equipment. NERS air conditioning kits and a few odd details make them look good.
The Branchline kits are very good, but only three (maybe 4 depending on how you count them) styles are available. That is the big problem with heavyweight cars now. The current models are very good, but it is hard to put together a good consist of equipment.
Eventually, the heavyweight train I own will either be retired or replaced with brass cars, probably Lambert.
I really am not a big fan of passenger trains.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
While I don't have any MTH heavyweight cars, I do have their 10-car set of the two-tone gray '40 20th Century Limited passenger cars and they are beautiful and well made. Wish they'd produce more.
If you like assembling kits, Branchline (now owned by Atlas) offers some nice heavyweight cars and at a fraction of the cost of the MTH cars.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
The Walthers and Atlas one look pretty good, although certain lounge cars and sleepers have yet to be made in HO Scale.
Hi, Royalgunner
It is a pretty subjective matter to decide what is "best" as, of course, best for me might not be best for you.
Not long ago I bought a few of the MTH heavyweights painted for Pennsylvania and I'm pretty impressed with them. Now, the downside is, there isn't much to choose from as far as car types, a baggage, 12-1 Pullman and 10-1 open-end observation car.
But what they DO have are very nicely modeled, with nice interiors, underbody detail and good, flicker-free lighting already installed. I did a little look-see a few years ago here:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/245778/2747513.aspx
Walthers, Bachmann and Atlas/Branchline have some PRR heavyweights available too, and Broadway Limited offers two versions of the ubiquitous P70 coach.
The MTH cars are offered in a five-car set that runs around $350 to $400. Ouch, you say. But for five cars that's about $70-$80 each and that represents the going price, if not more for some models.
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/MTH-HO-Heavyweight-Passenger-Set-PRR-p/mth-80-40001.htm
Maybe others will chime in with better recommendations,
Good Luck, Ed