I have the PS1 version and understand MTH did this in PS2 as a passenger set. I think the prototype, even though it was scrapped pretty quick, pulled (more like attempted to pull) vista domes? Can anyone tell anything about the cars that came with the set? Are they Premier scale or Railking Semi-scale? Were they available separate sale? Anybody know where a guy could buy a set?

Thanks,
Stack

The PS2 passenger set came with one vista dome, one observation, one coach and one baggage car. They are the silver cars with a yellow stripe.

Last week Jim's Train Shop still had a two car set that may be an add on for this train. It is a vista dome and a diner with interiors.

Here is the link to the two car set: JimsTrainShop

The train the M1 was to pull the "Chessie" was to have been pulled partly by the Turbine and then split and part to be pulled by the yellowbelly steamlined Hudson. One of which survives today in the B&O Museum in Baltimore. Lionel made a model of this one. For some reason the train service never started although the cars were built and in hand by the RR the cars were reassigned or sold off.

The MTH cars in the set are just the standard streamlined set MTH always makes one of each and they are not specific to the train. I would not take the cars in the set as any indication of what would run in the actual train. I have a 19 inch MTH Premier Full length vista dome from the PS1 version of this train. No full length domes were purchased by C&O for this train. If you want to know the MTH stock # is 20-6749 and the car is #1852. The domes purchased for the Chessie were the low profile domes for clearance. They had a very angled look to them I have not seen a commercial model in O that looks close. After the Chessie trainset break up B&O ended up with some of them. One was for sale recently by DF Bandhart or some such in poor shape.

I am slowly building a set of cars to repaint into a 1970's era Auto-train and they ran many of the full length domes left at the time. The closest these domes would come to C&O terratory is the diamond crossing at Doswell VA.

Thanks guys, the engine is such a beast I would think anything less than scale wouldn't look right. Thanks for the in-depth info Silver Lake.

Stack

To expand on what Silver Lake said - The MTH cars are based on Pullman Standard prototypes. The Chessie cars were built by Budd and therefore should have fluted roofs. The most unique car in the Chessie consist was the boat tail dome observation which isn't included in the MTH set.

Since The Chessie only ran for publicity photos and such, the M-1's were placed in service for about a year or so pulling the C&O's regular named trains which were Pullman green heavyweights at that time. So if you want a consist that is more or less correct for the M-1 get Lionel's heavyweight George Washington passenger cars or MTH's C&O green heavyweight cars. Of course these are also just Lionel and MTH's generic heavyweight cars, so they aren't real accurate either.

Ken

Thanks Ken, more good information. I have a set of MTH's scale Pullman heavyweights in the Pullman road name.

Before you get too excited about a passenger consist for the M-1, I would test it for pulling power. The first run of this loco had serious traction problems due to the fact that too much of the engine's weight was supported by the lead, middle and trailing trucks and not the powered trucks. A serious modification was required otherwise many traction tires were shed and the engine would barely pull its own tender. I am not sure if the second proto-2 version is any better.

So far everything that i have read is correct, the MTH Chessie Set is the Pullman Standard Lightweight Cars that better resemble the Post War Era Santa Fe's Cars, the Coaches are correct for the 44-Seat Coaches anf the Dome Coach is an Santa Fe "Pleasure Domes", several years ago an O scale Manufacture in Vero Beach,Florida called Mac Shops made the correct cars for the Chessie Consists, i remember seeing some illistrations in some of the 2-Rail Magazines of the Combines and the Dome-Sleepers that were showned, but never really saw the models in person, i did send for an catalog some time ago and they did list that they made the cars, but you would have too order what you wanted and they made them for when you ordered them, i think they are still in business but they don't have an website, i know i tried to find thwm on the internet but no luck.

In addition to the 4 car set that was offered with the PS2 M1, there were 6 additional cars available. They were:

20-66125 Vista Dome / Diner 2 car set
20-67125 Full length dome
20-68125 RPO Mail
20-69125 Diner / Passenger Coach 2 car set

These later versions have people in them. I understand that previous consists were dead-heading.

Gilly

quote:

Originally posted by Gilly@N&W:

I understand that previous consists were dead-heading.

Gilly

That is right my Chessie full dome from the first release is MT.

quote:

Before you get too excited about a passenger consist for the M-1, I would test it for pulling power.

I've read this but miraculously, I've got nine 60' passenger cars hooked up to my PS1 and she pulls just fine. If I throttle up to quickly in a curve she'll spin a bit, but recovers just fine.

Stack

Ive got the PS-2 version of this loco. I too was interested in the consist of Bud cars. It seems there were going to be 14 car consists with no head end equipment.

I found this very informative article:

http://www.wilkinsontrains.com...isp.cfm?train_id=195

Seems (from reading the article) that only a 5 car consist was pulled by the M-1s, mostly for publicity.

Now to find some photos of the "boat tail dome observation" car...