Favorite K-Line Passenger Set

I don't have any but am looking forward to the responses.

Nearly all my 21" and 18" lightweight and heavyweight sets are PRR cars.  I have the K-Line PRR version of both lengths and they are really nice.  However, I like the detail better on the GGD cars.  After trying to decide which of these PRR sets I liked better, I decided that the set I really liked best was my K-Line 18" Golden State set.  With all 10 cars being pulled by my matching Lionel E6 AA (both powered to pull them), it is really a pretty sight.

Ron

Pictures added:

Unfortunately, I do not have a good picture of the E6s (currently in storage).  This one at least shows their colors.

I have both K-Line's 16" Milwaukee Road 4 plus 2 sets, one heavyweight and one streamliner in the orange/maroon/black color combo. I would love to have their 18" or 21" (I don't remember in they made both) streamliner in the U.P. colors. But then, I would need to get a set of  E-7 or E-9 ABA which I would like to have anyway!

As has been stated by many a Forumite, we lost a major producer and innovator in the O gauge hobby with the demise of K-Line. Does anyone know if the tooling for K-Line's passenger cars are still floating around out there for a enterprising company to re-issue? Needless to say, I think that K-Line's sets are top-notch and well worth adding to your railroad.

The 21" aluminum Milwaukee Road set in Hiawatha orange and maroon. The cars are too long to run on my home layout, I can only run them at the toy train museum, but they make a spectacular train with any matching diesel or electric locomotive. I have the 15" version to run at home, but the scale size cars are the best.

My other K-Line sets are:

21" Milwaukee Road streamliners in UP Yellow

15" Milwaukee Road streamliners in Hiawatha orange and maroon and in UP yellow with matching ABA diesels

18" Milwaukee Road heavyweights

15" Milwaukee Road heavyweights

15" PRR Fleet of Modernism with small GG-1

18" ATSF "Black Bonnet" with matching ABA diesels

Here they are on display, behind a Weaver Little Joe (top row). Only five cars will fit on the 12-foot shelf, but I run nine or ten at the toy train museum. 

And the same cars with an Atlas Erie Built. Train on the bottom shelf is a K-Line Milwaukee Road set with 15" cars and ABA F-units. I also have an identical set in Hiawatha colors to run at home; the layout is too small for the 21-inchers.

Unfortunately, we are talking "history" when it comes to K-Line passenger cars. Fortunately, we have the secondary market that allows us to acquire these gems from the past.

My favorite K-line set is K-4470B, the NYC 28th Anniversary HW set, 5 cars of sheer wonderfulness!

I recently looked at this set after I had stored it for a while and the conductor figures in each coach are loose and rattling around inside.... I wonder why just the conductors and not the other passengers? Strange indeed.

Regards, John

 Mine as well. The swing out steps are a cool feature too.

This was the set I picked up when I purchased the K-Line Scale Hudson.

Pete

New Haven 6 car 21" set.

Always looking for another.

The K-Line 18" Canadian Pacific set - I have the complete set plus scored an extra vista dome car - Very impressive  looking and a good size car length for most layouts.

The favorite that I own is the 21" California Zephyr set pulled by Lionel F units in Western Pacific.  My K-Line 18" Union Pacific City of Los Angeles is another favorite.  It is pulled by K-Line E units.   I agree that you Santa Fe Hi-Level El Capitan in 21" cars is a show stopper.  I would like a K-Line 21" Santa Fe Super Chief set.

Art

I have the K-line 21" Santa Fe set, plus a 21" business car. Santa Fe is certainly

no NYC to me, but it's one of my Favorite 5.

As I recall, these cars also came in a foreshortened but equally gorgeous 15" (scale

60') version, and I wish that I had gotten those instead. Almost as impressive,

scale girth if not length, and much more useable on my layout. I find 15" cars - like Lionel's PW aluminums - to be a nice compromise. Even on 072 curves, 21" cars look

pretty silly.

I like the Interurban sets.

I will stick my neck out and say the smaller o27 style postwar Lionel influenced streamliners car are great fun. Especially the later ones with good interiors. The New Haven set with the odd one off car 1000 paint scheme was fun too. The flat end observation cars done in this series are great I wish they offered one in Pennsylvania Broadway Limited scheme.

Have several sets and I like them all. Mine are 15" to fit on my layout. My favorite is the California Zephyr with extra cars repainted to other names to give a big train. Run mine behind WP F3 ABB. 

Martys NYC Empire State Builder and Brians Hi Level Santa Fe Sets are two of my favorites. However if I had to pick one it would most certainly be the K-Line F3ABA in the fabled Santa Fe Black Bonnet livery pulling the 8 matching passenger cars. I'm sorry I don't have a video to show, it really is one heck of a consist.

 I found these pics on the net.

In addition to the 8 matching passenger cars, there are also 16 matching freight cars (4 each: two kinds of hoppers, tank car and box car) and matching caboose - also a very cool consist.

I believe one of the biggest strong points about K-Line passenger cars is they were smart enough to make their Lightweights in 15", 18" and 21" sizes, all with equal quality. From the posts so far, it is apparent that members have purchased K-Lines based upon the capacity of their layouts with equal enthusiasm for this product.

Wonderful posts so far.

Paul, I also have the Midnight Chief with many extra cars and business car.  I am a big fan of the perfect operation of those sets.  Two years ago a man had me convert his to DCS.  It came out great but I worked the price and have every item of electronics as spare parts for my set. 

I always preferred and looked for these K-lines in the 21" length, but I most sought

the RPO cars for western roads.  I would have to dig them out of storage to list,

but the last one I picked up was a 15" Golden State. (15" is a valid lenght for an

RPO)

Hey Marty, I bet that set looks mighty fine going around your pike. So are you planning on converting yours from TMCC to DCS?

I've always thought K-Line was well ahead of the pack when it came to their extensive and very nice line of passenger cars. There are quite a few sets I wish I had purchased back in those toy fair days

Paul

Although not scale, their Reading Crusader set was drop dead gorgeous!

I agree Mark, I have this set also and it looks great running the line between San Antonio and Waco, Texas on my layout. 

I have to run, there is a plywood mill fire near our home and we are getting word to evacuate because of the toxic smoke.  Later.

Steve, Lady and Tex

CNW 21" Bi Level set with the cab car up front

Rich, I liked that set so much, I purchased a second set.

Paul,

I am a DCS guy but do like TMCC.  I plan on leaving my set TMCC.

The Southern Crescent Limited is my favorite passenger set.  This is my only K-line passenger car set therefore my favorite!  I bought this set 2 months ago off the bay.  For the past couple years I have been bidding on this set when it came up for auction, but I would always lose out from a higher bidder.  I had pictures of set on my computer hoping one day I would be able to own this set.  This time I bid high enough in order to win the set.  I was surprised that I even won the set because I was expecting someone might out bid me again.  Most of cars were new out of box while others were previously put on display.  This set looks great being pulled by my new MTH Queen & Crescent Limited 4-6-2 steam engine.  Ken

I have 2 k-line passenger sets:

1.  Milwaukee Hiawatha six 21" and two 18" cars.  I pull them with Atlas Erie Builts or Legacy F3s.

2.  PRR Fleet of Modernism five 15" cars pulled by a Williams scale GG1.  I'm looking for a K-line torpedo to pull it.

The Quality and finish on these cars is fantastic.  

Bob

I have only this one, the Santa Fe "Mountain Air." For being a business car, it sports a rather generously sized libation station.

i HAD STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER A SET OF WALTHERS HIAWATHA CARS BUT WHEN KLINE CAME OUT WITH THEIR 21" SET QUICKLY BOUGHT THE TRAIN OF 21" CARS AND 2 RAILED THEM SINCE THEY WERE BETTER THAN WHAT I HAD PRODUCED.

 BUT I MUST SAY MY FAVORITE TRAIN WAS THE EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS.THIS WAS PULLED BY AN MTH EMPIRE STATE HUDSON AND WAS BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYES. I HAD RIDDEN THIS TRAIN FROM NEW YORK TO BUFFALO WHEN i WAS STATIONED WIH COTP IN MANHATTAN.

There is a lot to say for K-Line passenger cars.  They produced some nice named trains that have never been seen since. They were way ahead of what anyone else was doing.  If K-Line was still in existence, I think the cars would have continued to improve.

If I didn't listen to the common wisdom at the time about 18" cars, I'd have more than just the one 21" business car I still own.

My favorite K-Line passenger set was responsible for getting me into O gauge. It is a Rock Island set with the additional add on cars produced early on. My wife gave me this set for Christmas and I could get rid of my entire collection and this set would stay in my hands.

At the time I thought their interior lighting system was far superior to the others. 

Another selling point seldom remarked upon was their reliability..well over a decade later that set runs like a top.

Diaphrams were another

Their product line got better with time, and in hindsight they kept the other two major outfits in check and offered a very viable alternative and variety...as well as innovative prototypes. An example of this is my K-Line CNSM interurban set..or the PE set. The Plymouth diesel, the passenger tank engines, the new accessories..were a plus. 

It has not been the same since their loss..less choice, less variety, less new prototypes.

Its a shame.

While I have always liked K-Line passenger cars, my appreciation keeps increasing over the years since their demise.  To think that they would be able to compare so well to the competition after all this time is a real tribute to them. 

Art

Heavyweight Lackawanna Limited. (just wish it was pullman green and not GYM)

Streamliner  Lackawanna Phoebe Snow

I have to add my vote for the Reading Crusader cars for us guys with layouts that could not handle the long ones.  It's a beautiful set with prototypical interiors and looks good on smaller layouts. 

Electroliner certainly exactly expresses my opinion of K-Line and these cars.

my dad worked for the Milwaukee Road so when i got that set i showed him the dome and obs. when he went home that night they went with him. he displayed them both on his mantle till he passed away, and there wasn't anyone who came into his house that didn't hear how he worked for the Milwaukee for 42 years and how much he liked those 2 cars.  that set is my favorite set and i think of him whenever i see those cars.

I have the un cataloged Erie set.  This set came with a F3 ABA and a 5 car set.  It also had a dining car that I still am looking for.  Beauty of a set and great runner.

These are my favorite full scale cars, well ahead of their time, and unmatched in their stainless steel finish. I have a few sets, Santa Fe, Santa Fe hi-levels, Milwaukee Road, PRR Congressional, NYC Empire State Express, and just recently sent a couple sets to a friend on the forum to help build out his collection.

Of them all the Santa Fe hi-levels and the PRR Congressional are my favorites, they are remarkable.

Great thread PTC!

Nicky, that is a very touching story.  Many of my relatives worked for the M&StL which became the C&NW.  There was just something special about the Milwaukee Road though which ran through my home town.

Art

For me it is the NCDOT set to run behind my City of Salisbury engine.

Also have the Crescent Limited set pictured above that I have never run.  But will be selling after the MTH set arrives.

And of course there is the Pennsy business car and Pennsy blunt end observation car that K-Line made.  Also the circus Advertising Car #1 car and JOMAR business car.

Ron

It is interesting to learn that almost every set talked about in this thread has a story behind it. The K-Line passenger cars have touched many of us in a very special way.

Though they are no longer made, they will be with us for many years to come as those of us who are privileged to own a set make them an important part of our train inventories.

Have been wanting these cars since I got back into the hobby and the wife settled on O scale

K-Line K4602-2003 Denali business car

K-Line K-4602A 

Passenger 6 pack: RPO, diner #401, dome car #500,  

dome car #7104, baggage #6332, Mount McKinley Observation

I also have that set along with the F-7's, with the exception of the baggage car (still looking!)  A great set.

It would have to be my Chicago and Alton heavyweights.

My Freedom Train All 18 cars. I think it is the largest train set made. Over 29 feet long.

"If we are able to build another layout sometime, I'd like to acquire some of the 21" cars like the B&O if available."

Sure hope you get your wish Sam. The B&Os are a beautiful set.

That sure is a beauty!

K-Line New Haven 21" set.

Ken

Gentlemen,

   Beautiful passenger cars, thanks for the pictures!

PCRR/Dave

When the word got out that K-Line production was coming to an end, I made it a point to try to gather as many 21" passenger sets as I could that I didn't already have, while they were still available.

My model train focus for passenger cars was to acquire sets of famous name passenger trains to represent the locations of family members we have located all over the country.  I really love all of the K-Line sets we have.  But these are the sets I was really glad to get:

Santa Fe "Super Chief" 

Great Northern "Empire Builder" 

Baltimore & Ohio "Columbian" 

Amtrak Superliners

Pennsylvania "Jeffersonian"

Milwaukee Road "Hiawatha"

Of the sets I wasn't able to find or buy at the time, some of them I was able to get or pre-order from Golden Gate Depot.

Brian:

That is an impressive list of K-Line passenger cars. You acquired some of their very best.

I really have enjoyed following this thread!  I have been searching for the K-Line Sounder Bombardier commuter rail cars and recently found a set (at Western Depot). These are the cars on the Sounder Train line which travels between Tacoma and Seattle and Everett and Seattle several times a day during the work week.  The line has recently been extended further south to Lakewood, and new includes a new station at 56th and South Tacoma Way, which is a short drive from my house. In Seattle, the train stops at King Street Station,  which always has some interesting cars parked on a siding.  The line uses the BNSF tracks, which has lots of freight train action, so it makes the hour long commute go quickly.  

The K-Line cars are really detailed, and really capture the look and feel of the real cars.  

Very happy for you Dave. The Sounder set is one of the nicest looking and colorful sets K-Line produced. Did you purchase the engine to match the commuter cars? 

Hi Brian,  I have not been able to find the engine.

 I may get the MTH version of the F59PHI, they have two versions that just came out this year, an Amtrak in a blue that looks like a good match color wise, or the Amtrak Cascades version, which is not the right color, but you see them hanging around King Street Station with the Sounder Train equipment.  

Dave:

I would also keep looking. Sooner or later this engine will show up. One of the outstanding features about this train is that it is operational today. People can relate to something they actually get to see on the rails.

Good luck in your hunt. I will also be on the lookout for you and if I find it I will be in touch with you directly.

Brian, you really hit home with this thread, great job!  You're right, we tend to model what we know, and what we know is our family's heritage... Whether its your father that worked for the Milwaukee, or my grandfather that worked for the Central, we all have great stories to share!

My story is one of the few that my Grandpa Mario (yes, I'm the 3rd) told me about having to go burn switches out on the Water Level Route one cold, winter's night.  He clearly told of one particular switch that was burning, and he was kicking to get it to unfreeze; when it popped and he looked over his shoulder to see a Hudson bearing down on him at track speed!

30 years later I can still see the fear in his eyes when he told that story.

That's why I model the Central.

K-line's Pacemaker - Soon to have interiors.

Hey Mark, if you have that K-line catalog, would you mind scanning the facing page (37) too?

I have the WP Exposition Flyer set shown on that page, but have never been able to find any information on it.

Thanks!

Wonderful story, Mario. It is so nice to have a railroad connection i the family. It is easy to understand why you are so passionate about the NYC.

Please post photos when you add the interiors to these cars.

Thanks Mark!  I picked up the set at a train show and have never seen the description before;  it's not on the legacy K-line site.

I'll let you know about the lottery ticket...

The Metra cars. Someone in the club that SanteFeJim has a full set, it was stunning.

illinoiscentral -

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