Z Scale Passenger Trains... Anyone build one yet?

[pray59]

I have been collecting Marklin cars as a starting point for building a Northern Pacific North Coast Limited train pulled by an F7 ABA set, complete with 4 domes.

In another topic, I tasked Mike Skibbe, our US passenger train expert, to see if he could assemble a prototypical consist out of the cars available. After looking at the available choices, he said some major work would be required to assemble one.

At this point I am looking into options for domes and carsides to do my train.

How about anyone else? Are you planning a prototypical passenger consist for you favorite road? Have you painted up the available cars for your own road, or done and customizing to make your cars more protypical yet?

Let's use this topic to talk about our favorite passenger trains, and what we want to do to create them. All passenger trains, European, US, Canadian, etc.

I have the Marklin Prussian train set with the 2 color cars, which I admit that I know little about, but it is a nice looking small passenger train, and it looks great when we run it on my friend's Noch layout at train shows.

I also have the AZL Seattle Sounder with Bombardier cars, and the AZL Amtrak San Deigo Surfliner set. I run these trains on our ZBT modules.

Let's talk passenger trains!

-Robert :D

[HemiAdda2d]

Would Brass Car Sides be interested in a Z product line? With computers, now you can just scale down the image, and set the etching free!

[ztrack]

Passenger trains.... don't tell anyone, but AZL may be coming out with a few more passenger trains. One set will be an add on the SP Daylight sets. The others will be different roadnames that will go nicely with the PAs and E8s.

Rob Kluz

[Dan M.]

Well, since I'm planning to model the Alaska RR, I'll definitely need passnger cars :D I'm planning to get a couple of Marklin sets and go from there.

I've looked at the MTL Nn3 Passenger truck, and while it has potential, it would take alot of work to make it look like a modern passenger truck.

Anyone else want to petition MTL for a Z scale modern passenger truck? :D

[david f.]

i'm currently painting up cars for a Rio Grande 4 stripe (Royal Gorge) scheme. as mentioned elsewhere, i need a dome car do it right.

The Grande had three dome/observation cars they obtained form the C&O which they fitted with end doors so they could be run anywhere in the passenger consist. i got one of the southern 4 car units on the bay, and have seen dome cars before -- but not a one since.

so i'll paint up the cars i have (except the trailing obs car) and keep searching for a dome.

here is an N scale set i finished JUST BEFORE i made the jump into Z. it shows you what i'm going for.
http://www.railimages.com/albums/davidfreehling/abz.sized.jpg
http://www.railimages.com/albums/davidfreehling/aca.sized.jpg
dave f.

p.s. can any one help me find a dome car??? just one?

[pray59]

Those cars look great Dave! Are they N Scale or Z Scale? I mean, they look great!

I have been looking on ebay and have not seen single dome cars since last summer. I have a broken dome on one of mine.

-Robert

[RSmidt]

"don't tell anyone, but AZL may be coming out with a few more passenger trains."

Uh, Rob, I think you just told a whole bunch of people. ;)

I haven't done anything with passenger sets yet, but I do have a few plans to work on after NTS this summer.

I have an AZL Sounder set that I want to re-decal for the VRE (Virginia Railway Express) sets leased from Sounder. I'll need another car set to do it right, but I don't think the cars are available separately, just the locos. The VRE cars use the Sounder paint scheme with a big vinyl(?) decal over the Sounder logo and a little VRE logo added.

I also want to do a custom paint for the PRR Congressional and some Southern Railway passenger trains as well (I'm not really satisfied with Marklin F7's). The SOU used F7's, FP7's and E units all the way up in to the 1970's even after the start up of Amtrak. Pretty green and torpedo tubes.

Amtrak! I am 38 so I grew up with Amtrak. Love 'em or hate 'em, it's what I know as far as passenger trains. I would love to see Superliners and Metroliners to go along with FR's F40PH. By the way, what was the story behind that Genesis that was on the Ajin website a while back and purported to be Z scale?

I used to ride NJTransit to work everyday when I lived in NJ, so I would mind seeing Comet or Horizon cars either. A few other commuter lines used these as well, so it wouldn't be too far fetched for someone to produce these at some point. We've got a lot of other cars we need before we see these though.

Even Budd cars in addition to PS cars would be a huge leap forward!

Randy

[shamoo737]

I have a set of set of Surfliners, and I am working on a set of office train for my CSX layout. I would like to see some amfleet cars to go with FR's F40PH. I might still get The F40, and run it with my Surfliners. At least the shape is correct for a Superliner.

[Chris333]

If I found a 4-6-2 at a great price. Then I might be tempted to get a set of heavyweights, but I wonder how they would look on 8" curves...

[Kurt Moose]

I bought one of the old Penzee heavyweight combines off of Ebay and was wondering how I could make an easy mold to make a couple more, and then turn it into a standard coach or an observation for a heavyweight Empire Builder. graemlins/222.gif Any idea's? graemlins/headscratch.gif It comes as a kit with all the sides and top and bottom seperate, so it shouldn't be too hard, I'm not experienced in making molds though.

[shamoo737]

I am breaking the rule. epray has a set of Ice-3 for $230. I am modelling NA, but I always love the way Ice-3 look. In my layout, the Acelas could not fix their problems, and were replace with Ice-3's. I have to have one.

[Triplex]

By the way, what was the story behind that Genesis that was on the Ajin website a while back and purported to be Z scale?A while back? It's still there, along with a B&M Pacific.

[shamoo737]

Even if Ajin made Genesis avairlable, is there cars for it to pull. All we have is the Heritage fleet, and heavyweights.

[Phil]

I have the Amtrak set from Marklin and plan on getting one of FR's F40ph's to go with it. It might be more prototypical for the 70's and 80's, but that's OK, 'cause I'm planning to run a Chessie train anyway. graemlins/wink.gif

Still, it would be nice to have a modern passenger train to go with my modern NS and CSX. Then I'd have all three of the lines that run through my area. Maybe they could rework the Amtrak California cars or surfliners, as John said, they are the same shape.

[shamoo737]

I dont have a FR engine. I need a FR engine in my collection. I have read the reviews on FR's F40Ph, and they gave it a good review. I also seen pictures of It by Uwe at Yahoo. It was in Amtrack colors.It really looks great. Definetly have to have it.

[RSmidt]

Yes, we would need Amfleet and Superliner cars to properly run F40PH's (and a Genesis, if it were ever made).

I would even settle for ATSF Hi-Level cars. ;)

Horizons are used qui)te a bit in commuter service as well.

Randy

[Kurt Moose]

I just received my Penzee heavyweight combine, does anyone want to borrow it to make a mold, or would that be a copyright no-no? graemlins/nono.gif It would be nice to have a couple of these for my GN and maybe even splice one together to make a coach car and an observation car! graemlins/222.gif Whoever makes the molds can keep em, I just want a couple of cars for a GN "Cascadian" for my Stevens Pass layout. :D

[HemiAdda2d]

Just my 2c..
You can mold anything you want, if you're making it for your own use. If you sell it, that's when royalties and copyrights get into it.

[Kurt Moose]

Well, there wouldn't be any monies involved, just a couple of guy's wanting to make some passenger cars for themselves that you can't hardly get anymore. If I supply the body parts, someone makes the molds, and a couple of us get the passenger cars we want, can we still be sued?

[Gordon Werner]

Yes ... Superliners (and Pacific Coast Parlour cars) would be great as well as the various Amfleet I/II cars. and these would go well with the Surfliner cars.

Actually I am quite surprised that Marklin hasn't released a z-scale Aceala set yet ... especially since the mechanism would be similar to their ICE sets ...

Didn't FR release SP bi-level cars a while back? the all-grey ones with the center doors on the lower levels ... I think I remember seeing a photo in an old issue of zTrack

[RSmidt]

Yes, Gordon, FR did release SP bi-level cars some time ago. They are no longer available and apparently Harald doesn't really want to re-release them. Something about the difficulty of attaching the trucks.

I'm not sure how close these are to the Gallery cars that Metra used, but lot's of commuter railroads that run the F40PH that FR also offers also used these bi-level/Gallery commuter cars. He might sell a whole lot more F40PH's if he would re-release the bi-level cars as well.

Randy

[shamoo737]

Randy, I had e-mail Rob of Ztrack about AZL workin with FR, and release a set of F40 with the Bombardiers. All he said is that they had talks about it. Since I din't hear anything else, I doubt it will happen. I would love to see a Tri-Rail F40 pulling the green Bombardiers with the palm tree desing.

[John Bartolotto]

Kurt,

You can mold items for yourself, but as soon as you mold them and sell them or even give them away free to others then you have broken the law on copyright and royalties. I highly recommend against it.

John Bartolotto

[shamoo737]

I need help. I received my Ice-3 set yesterday, but it wont run. :( When I put the power car by itself, the gauge master light goes on. The end cars do light up, but the power car doesn't make any noise at all. The power car has a arrow, so I try to put in different direction. Why is it that when I buy a engine in e-pray I get burn. graemlins/226.gif Now I am two for two in buying duds.
I have contacted the dealer last night, but so far I have not receive a response. I hope it's something I did not connect correctly. Can the power car run by itself, or all the cars have to be conected.

[JR59]

John, all Cars have to be connected or the Train doesen't works. the power car alone doesen't work.

Regards
Jürg

[shamoo737]

Thanks Jurg, I will try again.

[shamoo737]

Jurg, do you have a picture on how far apart the cars are. I get the feeling I am not pushing the couplers in enought, but I dont want to push it too far in and break it. Marklin's manuals are the worse. It consist only couple of drawings, and no hints, or what to look for.

[JR59]

John, on the Marklin Homepage you can find a picture. www.marklin.de (http://www.marklin.de) search for 88713
The cars almost touch each other.

Regards
Jürg

[shamoo737]

Thanks Jurg. I finally figure how to couple them. It was a little tricky. I get the feeling that you have one of the biggest Z scale engine roster. Maybe you should start a tread, and show us your collection.

[Fred Ladd]

I just sent 23 NEW - Came originally from John Harmon who made the original molds - to Uncle Will- Full Throttle- 5 with trucks- balance have no trucks.
there were full sets.
Best Fred

[Kez]

Fred,

I assume we're back to talking passenger cars? And are you saying that Will now has 23 full sets of the PennZee heavyweights, most less trucks? If that's the case, then I would like to contact Will right away!

[JR59]

Hello John

I don't think so (about the collection) but when I have more time I will update my Railimage Album with photos from my collection.

Regards
Jürg


Originally posted by shamoo737:
Thanks Jurg. I finally figure how to couple them. It was a little tricky. I get the feeling that you have one of the biggest Z scale engine roster. Maybe you should start a tread, and show us your collection.

[JR59]

Bryan please let us know what you find out with Uncle Will. Thanks.

Regards
Jürg

Originally posted by Kez:
Fred,

I assume we're back to talking passenger cars? And are you saying that Will now has 23 full sets of the PennZee heavyweights, most less trucks? If that's the case, then I would like to contact Will right away!

[Kez]

I have sent Will a message, and will report back here if I find anything out (if I'm not sworn to secrecy or something). smile.gif

[Fred Ladd]

Brian- NO_ I sent Unkle Will 23 SINGLE car kits
There was a full set of cars with trucks and the rest were bagged kits-less trucks. Yes these are the heavy weights of John Harmon/Pennzee
Good luck
Fred

[david f.]

i got an email reply from uncle will that says his waiting list for these cars is long, and whatever comes in is already promised.

maybe one day i'll get into the full throttle community.

[Kez]

David,

Buy something from him on eBay. Buy about 20 of the cylindricals. Buy some FR stuff from him. ;)

I consider myself part of Will's insider community (I get all the early announcements before eBay listings, etc.), and he told me basically the same thing, so don't feel excluded. These have just been in demand for so long that people have written him over the years to say "If you EVER run across these, I want some".

I believe that those of us waiting patiently will be rewarded with some passenger cars before too long (fingers crossed).

[david f.]

thanks kez,

i almost bought some cylindricals, but i spent my budget on a set of modern american passenger cars (a southern set). when i get a free dollar i am going to buy some SP cylindricals (though i think uncle will is already out of them). i can/will buy them from anthony, but that doesn't get me into uncle will's camp. oh well.

i would do better to finish laying track on my layout and having something more than a test loop to run.

each thing in it's time (but i sure hate missing out on the two passenger cars i need).

i have a feeling that there will be more Z rolling stock coming! these are good days.
dave f.

[RSmidt]

Yes Dave, between MTL, AZL, FullThrottle and Mark4Design we should see about 10 to 12 new peices of rolling stock over the next year!

Start saving now. ;)

It would be interested to see if John Harmon would get back in to Z scale at all. He's been doing North American prototype TT scale, of all things, lately. I think he's been doing some S scale stuff as well.

Randy

[JR59]

Dave, good news, I finaly found a domecar for you, are you still interested?

Regards
Jürg

Originally posted by david f.:
thanks kez,

each thing in it's time (but i sure hate missing out on the two passenger cars i need).

dave f.

[david f.]

WOO HOO! THANKS SO MUCH!! that is all i need !!!!!

i'll email you for the details. you are a friend!
dave f.

[DPSTRIPE]

Originally posted by david f.:
i got an email reply from uncle will that says his waiting list for these cars is long, and whatever comes in is already promised.

maybe one day i'll get into the full throttle community.

[DPSTRIPE]

Oops.
David, don't let it get you down. Will's waiting list is real. I was on it for over two years. I had traded some stuff with him, and part of his end was a heavy weight set. Well, he couldn't get a complete one, and Bob O kept promising that it would be another week or two...
I have been buying from him since long before he moved to FLA.
Dan S.

[Steve 4 Painting]

I have a complete Marklin Amtrak set (w/o boxes) and a complete Marklin SP Daylight set (w/ original boxes) if someone is interested ?