seeking short passenger cars

[gjxj]

I'm looking for some short steam era passenger cars that will look right on
a tight layout. Ive found a few references to 36-40 ft passenger cars, but can't find anyone who makes them.. Ideas..?

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Roundhouse/MDC makes them under the "Overton" name. I don't know if Horizon has them in current production, but you may find them in a well equipped local train shop or at a train show.

 

[gjxj]

Thanks! found some..

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=overton&OverallCatID=

 

[jwmurrayjr]

Trainworld has some 60' Rivarossi heavyweights for about $89 for 4 I believe.

See the latest MR or http://www.trainworld.com/pdfs/TWAHO6_05.pdf (Left column on page 2.)

 

[shaygetz]

Life-Like's Scene Master Series passenger cars are nice once the wheelsets are replaced (36" Intermountains are a drop-in fit). They can be found regularly on Ebay for about $5 a car. I pull 7 of them on the club layout with an IHC Premeire Series 4-4-0 American regularly. They're made from the old Penn Line/Varney molds.

http://cgi.ebay.com/8-Scene-Masters...goryZ484QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[jetrock]

One thing to keep in mind is that the "steam era" lasted for 130 years or so--from the 1830s to the 1960s! The little Overton cars are cute but they are most appropriate for a pre-1900 layout, and even then they were rare. You might be better off with some of the 60-foot "shorty" Athearn passenger cars. Unless you are running 15" radius or tighter curves, a 60' passenger car should work fine.

 

[jwmurrayjr]

Mantua (Model Power) also has some nice looking old-time cars:

http://www.modelpower.com/site/519087/page/670440

http://www.modelpower.com/site/519087/page/295941

Have fun,

 

[gjxj]

Thanks all, this is a christmas tree layout, so 'cute' is pretty much what we are after. I have an 18in minumum, so longer cars will 'work' but they just don't look right to me. I think the overtons will work well with my IHC 2-6-0.. (If they are wrong period I dont want to know..)

 

[pgandw]

Actually the Overton cars - there only 2 built I think - were early 20th century on the Sierra Ry in California. They were shorter than usual to fit the switchback tail on a particular segment of the Sierra Ry.

Their cuteness factor and size has made them inordinately popular with model railroaders (don't ask me how I know this). 50 ft and longer passenger cars (Overtons are 34 ft) were the norm by the turn of the century even on most narrow gauge railroads. Before Roundhouse made them, Ulrich made them in cast metal (I have those kits too).

yours in cute and small (not me - my trains!)

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Actually the Overton cars - there only 2 built I think - were early 20th century on the Sierra Ry in California. They were shorter than usual to fit the switchback tail on a particular segment of the Sierra Ry.

It was probably the only regularly scheduled passenger train that used a shay for motive power! The grades and curves on the Angel's branch of the Sierra were too great for rod engines to handle.

 

[wjstix]

Walthers / Rivarossi offers an RPO, Baggage, Utility Coach and Utility Combine that are each 60' long - just like their prototypes.

Athearn makes (if I remember right) a 63' RPO, 67' Baggage, and 72' Coach that are prototypical length. They also offer a Diner, Pullman, and Obs car that are 72' long but should really be 80'. Rivarossi/IHC also offer Baggage, RPO, Combine and Coaches that are correctly around 66-70' in length.

BTW you asked about 40' cars...the Burlington actually did have some 40' heavyweight cars they used on some branchlines.