The MR Hiawatha found in Florida

Thanks. I knew there was one down here somewhere.  

Thanks Flash! Nice Photo

what ever happened to the steamer?

I have the MTH version.....but it has yet to turn a wheel......motive to build my layout!!!

All of the Hiawatha streamlined steam locos were retired and scrapped in the early 1950's. Would have been nice if the Milwaukee had seen fit to save a Class A 4-4-2 or F7 4-6-4 but sadly it didn't happen. We're lucky to still have the two S3's (261 and 265) still in existence. 

Flash...what's the car name and number. This is not the Cedar Rapids...correct? 

Love that style of car they look great and offer a good view.

Here are some shots of a sister car on trips with #2816 Empress through the Canadian Rockies great view from the car.

 

Liked that train and the engine so much picked the MTH set a couple of years back that was on the catalogue cover. Great set from MTH.

 

 

I'm glad that its preserved. I just wish that it was located closer to its old stomping grounds. By the way, thanks for posting the photos. The scenics are spectacular!

The MR car name is "Dell Rapids." Parked next to it is another observation car with vista dome. It is un painted stainless steel and has no road name but has the car name "Silver Holly."

KJ356:

 

Where in the world is that bridge?! Very nice photos, by the way.

 

The Milwaukee Road had some neat stuff over the years and that observation was one of them.

 

Neil

 

 

"Parked next to it is another observation car with vista dome. It is un painted stainless steel and has no road name but has the car name "Silver Holly.""

california zephyr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethbridge_Viaduct

 

Bridge is in south Alberta on

CP south line.

Lethbridge bridge some details above can google search and get more info and photos really big and long!

 

So what do you think is the best model in O of this observation car?

MTH version looks great but other models seem to be more accurate was it Lionel or K-Line that had a closer verison more correct to detail??

KJ356: Fantastic photos. Most of what gets posted here are snapshots; those are photographs. Nice work. 

 

IMHO the K-Line version of the Skytop is the best. It's the only one that is full scale size (except for the old Walthers kits, and some fantastically expensive 2-rail brass items). It has a full interior (unfortunately the car names are for sleepers and the interiors are parlor cars, but that's more a nuisance than a fatal error). The colors on the maroon and orange version are too dark. The K-Line car was made in both Hiawatha maroon and orange and UP yellow. It was also made in truncated 18" and 15" versions. The 18" came only in Hiawatha colors; the 15" was made in both color schemes. The MTH cars are undersized and the quality of detail varies. There have been many versions, some of which lack the chrome trim piece on the back, and some of which have paint jobs that never appeared on a Skytop. Lionel also made a Skytop, but that is a traditional size car - nice looking, but not in contention if we are talking about scale. 

Back in October, I started a thread about a hidden treasurer I found, a Hiawatha car emblem. There was a good deal of discussion at that time about this wonderful example of railroad memorabilia. My emblem has a number stamped into the metal on the back of the emblem and I did an internet search of this number. This search identified this number with the SkyTop you visited at the Daytona Beach museum.

 

Small world!!!!!

 

Thanks for posting. Have to pay a visit to see the car on our next trip.

The youngest loves the Hiawatha. 

 He asked me if we could take a ride on it (4-4-2 Class A). How do you explain to a 4 year old that they scraped them. 

 Pitty someone can't build a new one like they did over here with Tornado.

 

Nick

KJ356:

Beautiful photos.  Tell us more about that excursion.  And more importantly, are they planning another?

Just added one more thing to my bucket list . . .

Bob

Here's the Lionel Cedar Rapids

And many of us are still waiting (and waiting) for the scale Hiawatha cars (including the Skytop) Lionel cataloged with their S-3s. Hopefully, these will be the best models yet of these cars when they finally arrive.

The Excursions were run by GW travel out of UK they chartered the train ran it west from Calgary Lake Louise CP mainline to Vancouver. On return trip they took the Crowsnest route to the south.

They also ran in other years with California Zehpyr domes and with out the domes other years. CP also ran some trips on there own.

 

About 2006-7 years for some of the trips photographed.

 

Rocky Mountaineer runs trips on this route if you want to do it, the main line Banff to Vancouver.

www.rockymountaineer.com

 

To do the CP mainline in luxury or the Crowsnest Route you will need to fork out a few bucks more for the Royal Canadian Pacific trip in vintage buisness sleeping cars, finest way to travel.

http://www.royalcanadianpacific.com/

 

Info on the CP Empress, it perhaps may be retired from service ??

http://www.cpr.ca/en/in-your-c...s/Pages/default.aspx

 

Another way to see the steam train in action and routes is to go see the Imax movie playing all over the US the Rocky Mountain Express. Excellent shots though they did not have any of the MR cars in the Imax movie.

http://www.rockymountainexpressfilm.com/

Best observation cars ever.

Thanks for the Excursion info.

I saw the Imax movie.  It was great.

 

Could some others post pictures of your Hiawatha Cars?  IMHO they are the best looking passenger cars ever.

 

Bob