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Not only am I keeping my 15" and fewer 18" sets for our O72 minimum layout, I'm seriously looking forward to more and more of them coming onto the secondary market as the scale-bug takes hold.

When I was into HO....big time....I had no preference for anything  BUT scale-length passenger cars.....and the generous radii of trackwork that suited them.

But, now that I've left the dark side (), found freedom from pickers of nit, and my wrists have fully healed, I'm reveling in my basement realm of blissful compromise and fantasy.  And, in that regard and to the subject matter, I most certainly find the shorter passenger cars looking fine and dandy as they slither through the     O72-plus curves of the layout.  

Since O72  O3Rcurves are the equivalent to an 18" radius curve in the HO world, I already knew what a silver python with a bad case of hypermobility would look like.  Besides, my pre-teen experiences of navigating  the noisy, gyrating vestibules between cars on the 1:1 trains as we made our way to the dining car, the dome car, the observation car.....and back again!....several times on a trip!....said, 'Those poor 1:48 patrons will never make it to the dining car on their journey through 21"-ers if they step into the vestibule as it enters an O72 curve!'

Of course, TEHO.  It's just one of those pleasant compromises this part of the hobby affords me!

I've had enough discussions with the manufacturers at York and other venues to know that there's no future for them in the 15" passenger car market.   Not going to happen.  Even the recent Neil Young adventures in PRR and Texas Special trains with 15" cars were, apparently,....  18" cars....not so much.   "Bigger is Better".

So, please, please, please!......all you guys/gals with those gorgeous 'shorty' sets of passenger cars out there!.....let's get them onto the tables at York and other shows....or internet auctions!!   I'm ready!

And THANK YOU!!!!!

KD

For several reasons already mentioned, (my O72 curves and especially those on bridge approaches and extreme overhang for anything over 18 in.) I long ago decided 18 inch passenger cars were fine for the time period on my PRR modeling.  I am happy with my K-Line heayweight cars and two weaver B60 express cars.  As others have said, some 18 inch cars are scale or very close to scale length depending on the type of car, rr and time period.  But I sure do like seeing photos of the beautiful 21 inch scale sets on the large layouts on sweeping curves.   

When K-Line and Williams 17 1/2 inch cars were the few available, the Rail King 15 inch baggage car was just right for a 60' baggage car.  Old Hungarian saying, "No such thing as too many heavyweight baggage cars."  That's not really an old Hungarian saying, I made it up twenty years ago.  Same holds true for express cars and express reefers.  A train of heavyweight baggage cars and express reefers from various model manufacturers makes a decent Fast Mail train.  The paint is not the same throughout the train, just like the prototypes.   John in Lansing, Ill.

Last edited by rattler21

Of all the passenger cars out there right now, I actually PREFER the 18" ones, with 15" coming in second, and 21" coming in a distant third.  Why?  Because I finally have a layout in its final design stages, and the 21-inchers are just gonna be overkill.  The layout is a nice size for sure, but it's not gonna be a full-basement empire.  It will handle  21" cars, but I'm not convinced everything I own needs  to be 21".  So I have no plans to sell all my 18" passenger sets, and I'm also glad I held on to a select 15" set or two!!!

Going forward, before I purchase another 21" set, there's gotta be something really unique about it.  Otherwise 15" or 18" passenger cars with detail will suit me just fine. 

David

I'm perfectly happy with the 18" cars I have, nothing about the 21" cars has caused me to say I "gotta upgrade".  I won't say I'll never end up with a 21" set, but the combination of all the things mentioned (larger overhang for O72, higher cost vs. the 18" set prices I paid, and less detail for the $$ (no passengers unless I buy separate and add myself)) have caused me to meet the 21" cars with an "eh."   (the "windows on the outside" thing that bugs a lot of the "all scale" crowd never bothered me).  I did have the new "theater car" on my long list (to be reduced to a realistic order) of items I liked in the new catalog, but I will probably cut that since I'm sure it won't really look right by itself paired with my 18" cars.

I do have a few older sets from the mid to late 90's (I think 15") too that I still like, even with the silhouettes as opposed to real interior details.  I don't feel the need to upgrade them either.

I guess while I appreciate scale offerings to some extent, I'm definitely not living by "scale or nothing" as some folks are.

-Dave

Last edited by Dave45681

The 027/Railking passenger and freight consists are ideal for sharing trains at shows with a portable layout similar to the following.

Double Helix I took to shows and a family reunion in a pickup.  (Sold in 2003 and replaced with folding layout.)  My Railking passenger set with added passengers was ideal for the double helix.

ssprr_run_room015007

This folding layout, Modern Disappearing Train Layout, was built to haul in my '92 Bronco and I could put on a "really good show" with the two different Caterpillar sets.  One Railking set would enter the tunnel and the other set would exit the tunnel.  Kids figured out there were two different trains before the adults.

Folding Layout Set Up for Running

DrsdCenter

Alternating Caterpillar Sets

Set 76 completeSet 1925 complete

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Depends on how you enjoy the hobby.  If you like scale equipment, once you buy your first set of scale cars, you will never go back to the shorter cars.

I had two sets of the 15" aluminum K-Line passenger cars (PPR and B&O).  However, once I got my scale SGL Reading Turtleback bimps, the semi-scale cars time was limited, as I keep all of my cars on the layout and the semi-scale looked out of place with the scale passenger cars.  Once 3rd Rail announced the B&O Columbian set, I sold the K-Line 15" cars.  After that, I got the 3rd Rail Train of Tomorrow set.  I love all three of these sets as they are prototypical of the real cars (the model train hobby got me interested in the real thing.)

On the other hand, if you enjoy the hobby and don't give a fig about railroad fidelity, then the colorful semi-scale generic cars can bring you a lot of joy (and at a fraction of the price of the scale cars!   )

Neither approach is better.  Individually, we need to make the decision for ourselves.

Jim

Last edited by jd-train

I don't own any 21" cars, I have tons of 18" cars and a sprinkling of the smaller cars, especially in specialty sets like the Polar Express (traditional converted to TMCC), and the Hogwarts set.  Of course, there's the Phantom set as well...  I just picked up the RailKing Reading Crusader set, as soon as I get it converted to TMCC, I'll have more "shorties" riding the rails.

I have and had on my last layout at least 072 curves and still went for K-line 15 inch cars, both modern and heavy weight. K-line at the time I bought them were the only cars with full interior and passengers. My new layout has wider curves with one corner exception that is 072. For me I think 21 inch cars don't look good on 072. I kind of wish I went for 18 inch cars from the start but I have to many 15 inch cars to switch now. Donwide canyon copy

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Me, I prefer the 15" (60') scale-girth cars, even if the prototypes were actually longer than 60'. There were 60' real cars, of course.

Why? In the "real" world of my "fake" world (the layout), even my 072 version, the 15" cars look impressive and accurate, except for the length, and on corners they look better than the 18" and especially the 21" versions.

I have a beautiful set of K-line 21" aluminum, ATSF cars - but as time has gone by, I often wish that I had gotten the 15" versions, which K-line also offered, I believe.

So, the new long cars are not on my list; in fact, if I ever see a set of K-line ATSF 15" aluminum cars, I might spring for them and sell the 21" versions. Maybe.

I have many 18 inch cars.  I have most of  the K-Line 21 inch cars and all the Lionel 21 inch cars on order.   I recently picked up the C&O and Texas Special 21 inch Lionel cars and give them high marks.  I am big on passenger cars and thankful Lionel is doing the Freedom Train.  I have a good selection of GGD cars.  Those are beautiful cars.  No Atlas.  I love the cars but not the finish.  If they plated them like MTH did, I would go broke as they are well built cars.

Does anyone have photos of some of the 2nd generation  20" Weaver cars with interiors and passengers? When were they first introduced that way?  I assume that the early Williams and Weaver 20" aluminum cars with silhouettes were made by the same company?

Did Weaver use the same company when they upgraded to full interiors and passenger figures?

Any info will be appreciated... 

Last edited by c.sam

I have a pair MTH 15 inchers(pretty indifferent to them although the passengers are beautifully done) . . .

15

four MTH 18 inchers . . .

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I love these 18 inchers and would like a few more, if MTH would make them . . . . . but the pride of the fleet are 10 (soon to be eleven) GGD 21 inchers . . .

21

The shorties are confined to 072. The 21 inchers on O-96, 0-108 and O-120 except for an O-80 hidden in a tunnel.

All have been converted to Kadees after these shots were taken to catalog them. I'm not selling any of them.

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