Can anyone tell me where I might find a train consist? (I think that what you call it) not really for a particular train, but mainly for a generic passenger type train. For example, if I want to run an older Pullman type passenger train possibly like from the PRR or NYC, is there some place I can find out what type and how many cars were typically used on a run? Also what about what type of engines they may have used to pull the passenger train. Thanks...
MR put out a book on pike sized passenger trains and they also have an issue from May 2003 if you are interested. Go to their website to order.
Question's too generic - passenger trains were of all sizes. But sleeping cars wouldn't usually be found on small trains, because most such trains were short-distance. On the NYC, passenger power was once mainly Pacifics, but Hudsons bumped those to less important trains. Niagaras were used more on mail and express trains, leaving Hudsons on the top trains until diesels replaced them. Mohawks were also sometimes found on passenger and mail/express trains. E7 and E8s were the main passenger diesels; there were a few PA-1s and others. Steam-generator equipped RS-3s and GP7s were used on many local and branchline passenger runs. On the PRR, the K4 Pacific dominated passenger service. Being smaller than most other roads' top power, they were often double-headed on long trains. M1 Mountains were used in passenger service when new, but soon went to freight. E3 and E6 Atlantics handled lighter trains. After WW2, T1 duplexes were used for a couple years. After that came an assortment of diesels; E7s, E8s, FP7s, PA-1s, 6-axle Baldwin Sharks, Centipedes (for a few years before they went to freight)...
The NYC Harlem Division passenger trains between New York City and Chatham, NY (125 miles), had only coaches. The 2-3 trains that continued on to Pittsfield and North Adams, MA. would add either a combine or baggage in the consist. Steam power north of North White Plains, NY where the electric district out of Grand Central ended, consisted of J-2 Hudsons, K-11 Pacifics, or K-14 Pacifics. Sometimes an older loco like an F Class Ten-Wheeler would be assigned if no Pacifics or Hudsons were available at North White. Occasionally, if there was an accident on the Hudson Division, the Central would reroute long distance trains from Albany, NY to Chatham to get to New York over the Harlem Div. I saw some l-o-n-g shiny rerouted passenger trains like the 20th Century Limited or Empire State Express, very exciting as a kid. The Harlem ran a short peddler freight 2-3 times a week serving various customers along the way. Early every evening a 20-25 car milk train from Vermont went south into New york, and the empties went back north in the early morning. Also, if the Hudson Div. was blocked, the Central would reroute one or two high priority hotshot freights onto the Harlem. So I would recommend modelling the Central's Harlem Division if you wanted to run almost any steam consist that you could imagine for the 40's and early 50's. The Central ran diesels on the Harlem in the late 50's and 60s, RS-2s and RS-3s for passenger, and C-Liners and FAs for freight. I have a photo of a pair of E-7s on a rerouted Hudson Div. passenger train, I believe the caption said it was the Pacemaker..
