hi, i am going to buy a passenger train for my berkshire to pull. the berk was my dads train so i am new to the hobby. there are so many out there was wondering which one was a good one to buy. the only thing i know i want for sure is one where you can see the interior. also which is better, heavyweight, alumumin etc.

thanks

IMO K-Line made the best passenger cars. Assuming you have a PW engine,I would go with 15 inch passenger cars. MTH Railking ones are not bad. In either case you may wish to add some more passengers. The type of car is personal preference.

Dale H

WHatever cars you decide on, make sure they will look ok on whatever diameter curves you are running. While many of the modern passenger sets are stunning in appearance, if you are running smaller curves the inner overhang will kill the look of the cars on your layout. I have many o31 curves. Even though 15" cars will run on these curves, I find the overhang looks too funky, so I stick with o27 sized (about 10") cars.

Smaller cars look great on bigger curves.

i have 072 curves so that wont be a problem. what is a pw engine. also should i get alum or heavyweight. thanks

PW = Post war. Buy what you like. Frank makes a good point about how they look on the curves. I think heavy weights would look sharp with a PW loco. There are others here who are more qualified to answer. Good luck in your decision.

Even though in real life the Berkshire was primarily a freight engine, I think the heavyweights look sharp behind it.

quote:

Originally posted by wahoo4db:
i have 072 curves so that wont be a problem. what is a pw engine. also should i get alum or heavyweight. thanks

Even though you have larger curves (how I wish I had the space), 15" cars will probably look best. They will marry those curves very nicely. There are lots of larger sets and when you see the amount of overhang you get on an o72 curve with a 21" car, it really defeats the purpose.

Stick with cars that really match your curves and you won't be disappointed.

Anything less than a 21" car for a streamlined set or an 18"-20" car for a heavyweight is pretty much a joke and waste of time in my opinion.

Of course my opinions are my own and no one else need agree.

K-Line made some wonderful cars in the slightly less to scale size in streamlined 18", while MTH also makes some gorgeous "shorty" 18" cars. Golden Gate Depot is making some of the only mass produced scale heavyweights and I enjoy mine a great deal. K-Line, Lionel and MTH make very nice heavyweights in the 18" scale as well. Lionel and MTH are both good bets for you at that size. Finally don't forget the Williams 18" cars as well. Decent cars at a bargain.

As for 21" cars on 0-72 it is all in how you work your curves into the layout. Not any different than 10-12" cars on 031.

Your Berkshire should have a number right underneath the cab window. If you post the cab number, folks will have a good idea of what you have.
We all have our own preferences. I'd go for a set of Madision (heavyweight) style cars.

quote:

Originally posted by GG1 4877:
Anything less than a 21" car for a streamlined set or an 18"-20" car for a heavyweight is pretty much a joke and waste of time in my opinion.


.

You'd have a good laugh at the time I'm wasting

On a serious note: Your Dad's Berk is probably a Lionel 736, so semi-scale cars would look fine. I think MTH Railking gives the best value for the money (detail and interiors) in semi-scale passenger cars (about $150. retail for 4 cars).

Madison cars would be my choice. Dont overlook the detail and make sure you get a set with interiors and take the time to put passengers and conductors in their place. WHAT ROAD NAME DO YOU HAVE AND IS YOU BERK A PREMIER OR RAILKING VERSION?

I respectfully disagree on 21" passenger cars. I have O-72 cars with 18" MTH passenger cars, and on the curve the still has considerable overhang. In my opinion 18" cars are a good compromise between scale length and the curves the vast majority of O gaugers have to buy to fit where ever they operate.

quote:

Originally posted by GG1 4877:

Anything less than a 21" car for a streamlined set or an 18"-20" car for a heavyweight is pretty much a joke

Ah, the typical elitist view . . . How refreshing.

If anything less than cars of that size is "a joke" than folks really should consider bumping up their curves to 96" or better. The amount of overhang generated by a 21" car is pretty significant. That just doesn't look anywhere close to realistic.

quote:

and waste of time in my opinion.

Thinking back, I can't ever remember time spent enjoying running trains as a waste of time.

quote:

I respectfully disagree on 21" passenger cars. I have O-72 cars with 18" MTH passenger cars, and on the curve the still has considerable overhang. In my opinion 18" cars are a good compromise between scale length and the curves the vast majority of O gaugers have to buy to fit where ever they operate.

I'll take traditional sized Madison cars over any of the larger ones. While they are not scale sized, neither were the postwar Berkshires. I think running smaller trains makes any layout look bigger.

Some of us don't have the luxury of having a huge layout, so this necessitates that we run cars smaller than 21". My layout is 13'x 10' using 060, 048, and 036 Fastrack curves. I have three sets of the pre lionel K-Line 15" passenger cars. The Santa-Fe heavyweight 4 car set, The Southern Pacific Daylight heavyweight 6 car set, and the Southern Pacific Daylight streamline 6 car set. The cars are beautiful! They come with full interiors including passengers, opening doors, and K-Lines streamlighting. The heavyweights are ABS plastic and the streamliners are aluminum. These sets pop up all the time on ebay.

J.D.

thanks guys for all the info. great help to a new comer. i have a 736 3 cab window. i think i will be going with 15-18in and will go with heavyweights. seems like madison is a good choice. i have about 350 to spend. not that i have to spend that but thats my bankroll for it. problem is i dont know what is a good deal and what is overpriced. is a price guide worth it. i say that because i have been a card collector for years and the price guides are pretty much worthless

quote:

Originally posted by armypilot:
Some of us don't have the luxury of having a huge layout, so this necessitates that we run cars smaller than 21".

J.D.

Acoording to GG1 4877, your layout is a joke because you don't run 21" cars.

I will never understand why folks want to bash others in such a condescending fashion.

Are there any passenger cars in between the 10-11" O27 size and the 15-16" size?

For an O31 layout, I'm okay with the 15-16" overhang, but reliably backing them into a siding with a bend has not worked for me.

Is there a 13-14" passenger car?

quote:

Originally posted by Rail Reading:
Are there any passenger cars in between the 10-11" O27 size and the 15-16" size?

For an O31 layout, I'm okay with the 15-16" overhang, but reliably backing them into a siding with a bend has not worked for me.

Is there a 13-14" passenger car?

Apply that thought generally back in scale. A 13" car would be 53 ', 14" would be 56'.

15" = 60'

18" = 72'

21" = 84'

I'd say that a set of MTH RailKing Madisons is probably your best bet. I have a set of PRR ones that I run behind my Lionel traditional-sized K4s and they look fantastic. Larger scale cars would look a little out of place (too big) running behind a postwar loco, IMHO.

The MTH Madisons have interiors but no figures (you have to add those) and they have a reasonable level of detail for the price. Also, MTH has done them in many different roadnames over the years. You may have to hunt a little for the specific roadname you want, but they shouldn't be too hard to find. You can see a pretty comprehensive list of these by going to www.mth-railking.com, clicking on the "Product Search" link at the top of the screen and selecting "Passenger Car" in the product class box, "RailKing" in the product lines box, and "Madison" in the "add a description" box. You can narrow your search further by specifying a roadname as well.

Andy

quote:

Originally posted by Rail Reading:
Are there any passenger cars in between the 10-11" O27 size and the 15-16" size?

For an O31 layout, I'm okay with the 15-16" overhang, but reliably backing them into a siding with a bend has not worked for me.

Is there a 13-14" passenger car?

K-line's "Streamliners" were 13" cars I believe...

Peter

quote:

Apply that thought generally back in scale. A 13" car would be 53 ', 14" would be 56'.

I was not clear. I do know how to do the aritmetic.

The O27 passenger cars a fun, but they look like toys.

I like the Railking 60' Madison cars which measure about 15".

I'm wondering if their is a bit more realistic looking passenger car than the O27s and is also 14" or under (which would mean that it would not be 1:48 scale, at least in length).

And, (horror of horrors) has anyone taken an 18" passenger and shortened it by cutting out 1 or 2 window sections, or about 4" out of the middle? It might be fun to do just for the "omg, what have you done" reaction.

I agree with the Forum members who suggest 15 inch Madison type coaches for your post war Berk. Pick a manufacturer and road name that fits your fancy.

Wahoo, if you are wanting to keep the cars Lionel, not sure about the price. If you are considering getting a set of Williams copies, $200.00 for a 4 car set is not unreasonable, and can probably be had for even a little less.
It seems to me, anything over the 15 inch mark may look a little strange behind a 736.

getting more and more knowledge from you guys. i am going with 15in cars. just talked to my uncle and i have to go with lionel. my dad is gone now and my uncle about flipped when i started talking about other brands. so is there a catalog out there or some reference where i can look at choices for lionel pass cars with interior detail, 15 in. thanks guys

Fifteen inch Lionel "madison style" (some folks say they should not be referred to as Madison cars) would be a good choice on 72" diameter.

One of the recent conventional classics sets came with these. I do not know if they are available separately, but they would look very nice behind your 736.

As for running other brands - I admit that it the road name "Lionel Lines" is your best choice, in my opinion.

You've gotten some pretty good responses on what size of passenger cars would be in best overall proportion to your Berk engine (note I did not say layout). Enjoy the locomotive you inherited, run whatever you like behind it, regardless if you stick with one brand or not. It's yours to do with as you please, not others (including your uncle).

Here are some o27 sized post war cars behind a 726

Jonathan Peiffer, Thanks. I will stop work on my 4X10 layout, sell off everything and get out of the hobby. Since it will be a waste of my time and money why would I continue.

Wahoo, consider the Williams cars. They're great IMO.

Enjoy the hobby

Al

The cars from the recent Conv. Classics GG-1 set would be a great match. They weren't sold seperately, though. Seems like someone had the set from the early 90's for sale on the buy/sell board.

quote:

Originally posted by L.I.TRAIN:
Madison cars would be my choice. Dont overlook the detail and make sure you get a set with interiors and take the time to put passengers and conductors in their place. WHAT ROAD NAME DO YOU HAVE AND IS YOU BERK A PREMIER OR RAILKING VERSION?

It sounds like the fellow has a GENUINE Lionel post war Berkshire. What is this "premier" and "railking" you speak of?

Lionel and MTH have some nice 15" passenger cars.

quote:

Originally posted by wahoo4db:
so is there a catalog out there or some reference where i can look at choices for lionel pass cars with interior detail, 15 in. thanks guys

You can browse through Lionel's offerings (about the last 9 years or so) on Lionel's Product Finder (click on "Passenger Cars" under the "Browse by category" box). Unfortunately, most of Lionel's non-scale offerings do not have interiors but instead have translucent plastic window inserts with passenger silhouettes and interior illumination. I thought I read somewhere that recent "Baby Madisons" had interiors, but I haven't personally seen any of them.

As an alternative, you may try looking for train shows in your area and look for actual postwar Lionel passenger cars. They won't have interiors, either, but they will be Made-in-the-USA Lionel. This type of hunt can be fun. If you decide to go this route, you may want to pick up a copy of the book "Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1945-1969" by David Doyle to see pictures of what is out there.

Andy

quote:

Originally posted by alap:
Jonathan Peiffer, Thanks. I will stop work on my 4X10 layout, sell off everything and get out of the hobby. Since it will be a waste of my time and money why would I continue.

Are you using passenger cars that are less than 21" - if so, then on top of your effort being a waste - it's also a joke, at least according to Jonathon.

Pity us lowly folks who don't have 2000 square feet for a layout are relegated to "joke" status.

Just so you know what 21 " cars look like on 072 track and 081 track - looky here. I think 21 inch cars still look pretty bad on 072 track. I have 081 and those 21" cars still look sketchy to me. I like em but you need big curves.

http://lizardattitude.homestea...iTuDe_Ogauge_10.html


18" is a good compromise but I also have selectively compressed Semi - Scale Williams [15.5 inch] and MTH [14.5 inch] passenger cars [Madisons] for my more toylike trains like the MTH Railking Vanderbilt and Lionel "baby" Hudson...

I love Frank53s PW 027 round top passenger cars....

You have to run what you can on the layout that you have and space alloted. I choose simpler track plans [loop within a loop] with 071 and 081 curves so I can run the biggest rolling stock if I choose. So I run the big and the small...extreme cultural diversity for me!

One of wahoo4db's requirements is that the cars he purchases must have interiors.

quote:

One of wahoo4db's requirements is that the cars he purchases must have interiors.

RailKing Passenger cars then - tons to pick from. Many available for good price points on eBay. Or your favorite train store....

Lionel has some heavyweights with interiors at 19".

ok guys with all your help i think i have found the one i like. now i would like your feedback on this set. lionel 6-21180. B&O heavyweight 4 pack set. 15in cars with interior detail with figures already in. looks like lionel charges 250.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wahoo4db,

They will look great behind the Berk.

Carumba.

yeah - what Nick just said.

Very nice choice.

If you can find them, K-Line made some heavyweight cars that would go very well with your Berk. They were about 15" with lighting and interiors. They were sized roughly like Lionel's original brown Madison cars and are handsomely proportioned.

Wild Mary's photos might actually be the original K-Line tooling.

I've got a 3 pack of the Red Cross cars and they compliment my Berk nicely. They also made some Army cars that were released about the time they went under. Pretty scarce, but I keep looking because I eventually want to have a military train to run with the Red Cross cars.

I recollect some MILW and SP cars were offered as well, but not sure if they were ever made. They do offer another alternative.

Fred

quote:

Originally posted by wild mary:

They will look great behind the Berk.

While they certainly look great,     to my knowledge  (though I could be wrong), the B&O never ran Berkshire's.

And, while not "populated" with figures (they use silhouettes) Lionel did offer Madison-type passenger cars if you wanted to run your Berkshire prototypically, using the Pere Marquette moniker (which ran Berkshire's).  

                                                        (click on the image)

               

Just a suggestion.

Actually, whatever you choose to run behind your 736 will look great!
 

quote:

Originally posted by AlanH:...... While they certainly look great, to my knowledge (though I could be wrong), the B&O never ran Berkshire's.

Alan you're absolutely correct but they'd still great. Only these roads ran Berks:

Santa Fe
Boston & Maine
Chicago & North Western
Chesapeake & Ohio
Detroit, Toledo & Ironton
Erie
Illinois Central
Louisville & Nashville
Missouri Pacific
Nickel Plate
Norfolk & Southern
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie / Boston & Albany
Pere Marquette
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac
Toronto, Hamilton, & Buffalo
Virginian
Wheeling & Lake Erie

quote:

Originally posted by pdx1955:

quote:

Originally posted by Rail Reading:
Are there any passenger cars in between the 10-11" O27 size and the 15-16" size?

For an O31 layout, I'm okay with the 15-16" overhang, but reliably backing them into a siding with a bend has not worked for me.

Is there a 13-14" passenger car?

K-line's "Streamliners" were 13" cars I believe...

Peter

My K-Line SP Daylight streamliners from a few years back are 15" aluminum and as a note they have adjustable couplers so you can run them diaphram to diaphram if your curves will allow. BTW these are their higher end cars with detailed interiors and passengers and not from their lower end "streamliner" series. Those were 13" and had window sillouettes.

J.D.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: armypilot,

I'm curious but were there passenger cars that were 76' long? It seems like both Lionel and MTH are the only companies making 18 in. cars.

quote:

Originally posted by Frank53:

quote:

Originally posted by armypilot:
Some of us don't have the luxury of having a huge layout, so this necessitates that we run cars smaller than 21".

J.D.

Acoording to GG1 4877, your layout is a joke because you don't run 21" cars.

I will never understand why folks want to bash others in such a condescending fashion.

Well it appears that due to most of the responses, the jokes on him!

I've read GG1 4877's reply at least 5 times and I see nothing condensending about it. He's simply stating his personal opinion. As a matter of fact Jon goes on to recommend some shorter cars that would work well. That's just his style. Perhaps some of us would do well to develope a thicker skin.

quote:

Originally posted by wild mary:
I've read GG1 4877's reply at least 5 times and I see nothing condensending about it. He's simply stating his personal opinion.

You're a pretty tolerant fellow nick. In his opinion -- according to his own words -- my choices, and the choices of everyone else which don't meet his standards are a joke.

Being someone who enjoys the hobby at the lowest end of the spectrum -- old trains, tubular track, small radius curves -- I really get a bit worn out reading superior attitudes pontificate about how me and many others are just "less than."

quote:

Originally posted by Frank53:

quote:

Originally posted by wild mary:
I've read GG1 4877's reply at least 5 times and I see nothing condensending about it. He's simply stating his personal opinion.

You're a pretty tolerant fellow nick. In his opinion -- according to his own words -- my choices, and the choices of everyone else which don't meet his standards are a joke.

Being someone who enjoys the hobby at the lowest end of the spectrum -- old trains, tubular track, small radius curves -- I really get a bit worn out reading superior attitudes pontificate about how me and many others are just "less than."

Frank, you're one of the finest layout builders around. You don't NEED all that rivet counting to make a gorgeous scene.

quote:

Originally posted by techie:

Frank, you're one of the finest layout builders around. You don't NEED all that rivet counting to make a gorgeous scene.

You are way too kind, and I appreciate your comment.

I find these discussions distrubing, as it appears the hobby then leans towards who has the biggest, most expensive , etc etc. I've read absolutely mind-numbing commets here by what I perceive to be "elitists" who disparage the effort, resources or perhaps that should be phrased "willingness to spend" of others.

It's just such bad form, in my opinion.