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)