Robert wanted me to make fun of the Marklin passenger cars. I don't think I'll go that far, ;-) but I did get my set from Germany today. For those that care, I'll post the nearest prototypes as I find matches. I was wrong on some of my earlier presumptions... namely that ain't no slumbercoach! Sorry Robert. I'll edit my posts with photos later too.
First off is the diner. It matches Santa Fe Pullman Standard diners built in 1940 pretty well, down to the prewar full letterboard across the side of the car. There is a minor problem in that Marklin put full height windows in the kitchen, rather than the 3/4 height windows that were on the prototype. Would be easy to fix if you're painting and lettering yourself... would be even easier to ignore. As with all the Marklin cars, there should be deeper skirting. Skirting on this car was corrugated, so it's not an easy fix. Marklin numbered this car 602 in the Santa Fe set pretending it was a postwar car from the '53 Super Chief. Similar, but it has the wrong corrugations for the post war car. The Official Pullan-Standard Library, RPC Publications Vol.1:
Observation is next. Marklin car seems to match the 50-seat coach/observations built in 1940 for the Santa Fe and served on the original single level El Capitan. The wierd paired windows on the end of the observation are a bit of a mystery. They are actually drawn like that in the side elevation in the Pullman Library, but the photos of the cars don't show it. I'm guessing Marklin followed the drawing rather than photos. There is also an extra window next to the vestibule door on one side. Don't know how that snuck in there.
Third up is the 24 duplex sleeper that I originally labled a slumbercoach. But, this is a decidedly P-S prototype with smooth roof and different window arrangement than the Budd Slumbercoaches. These were built for the Santa Fe in 1947, and for some reason Marklin put the proper size name boards on this car after super-sizing them on the other cars. They were in the Santa Fe pool and ran on such trains as the Kansas City Chief, Texas Chief, and Grand Canyon. Last one was retired by Amtrak in 1976. The Official Pullman-Standard Library, RPC Publications, Vol.1:
What? No Stillwell coachesmg: http://20thcenturyhobbies.com/trainnut/PJLayoutImages/erie2018ArchedWindowStillwellpassengercoach.JPG
Mike, Are you just looking at the current Santa Fe set? Are the Marklin passenger cars from different sets all the same or do the cars actually vary from set to set and RR to RR? Budd cars would be nice. I'm actually pretty surprised that no one has yet made aftermarket skirts and kits to dress up all the equipment missing from underneath the cars. Even if this kind of stuff does vary greatly from RR to RR, I would've thought someone would at least have done the most popular RR's like ATSF and PRR. One of the projects on my (way too long) project list is an RPO. We do a train show at the National Postal Museum here in DC every year. Randy
I think Marklin has only done the six car types and has painted them in several schemes. Seems to me there have been a few 4 car sets, but it's the same tooling. But, all I have is the 6-car ATSF set so that's what I'm comparing. I thought I was going to get some photos up last night but it didn't happen. Maybe tonight. I have a few ideas for Z scale passenger cars. Overall these Marklin cars are too short, and as such arn't a great starting point for other projects. I think a core kit a la American Limited is in order.
Russell, is that from the car set that Bill Kronenberger has? And why hasn't Bill put kits for these into production like he talked about (or at least sold the roof mold to someone who wants to produce it)? Bill, you out there? I know you said you didn't get much interest, but with everyone crying for heavyweights, I don't understand that. Randy
Bill has been dealing with a lot of health issues and early retirement. He is consentrating on getting his home layout going right now. I will see if I can get him to hand off the heavyweight roof project so that can get going.
What all is needed in the way of passenger cars that we don't have yet? Detail Kits for improving Marklin passenger cars Budd cars (and RDC's) Heavyweights Superliner cars Amfleet cars RPO's Gallery/Bi-level commuter cars ACF cars (enough demand for these?) What we have: Marklin PS streamliner cars (need work) AZL Bombardier coaches and cab cars AZL Surfliner coaches and cab cars AZL SP Daylight chair cars (brass) FR (out of production) SP Bi-level cars Marklin "Old time" coaches AZL at one time announced some additional SP, PRR and perhaps NYC cars (Rob, I know AZL was starting to move on additional SP cars, can you give us an update?) Randy
Russell, Is that a 15' or a 20' RPO apartment? I want to model a SOUTHERN Rwy RPO that the National Postal Museum (part of the Smithsonian Institute) has in it's collection. I think it was a 60' but I have to check. I have considered using one of the old Micro Machines train cars to do a 30' RPO apartment/baggage combo, but I haven't gotten any drawings yet. I'm not sure if theirs is supposed to be an RPO/baggage or RPO/REA car. It will need a lot of work, but it is something of a starting point. Randy
I seen those cars at the 2005 NTS when Bill K. was running them. They look really great, and I did not know they came from European prototype cars untill Bill mentioned it.
I did not modify the windows or anything so it does not really represent any US prototype. I suppose it would be closer to a 30' post office apartment. I don't remember exactly when but the USPS standardized on three sizes. Fifteen, thirty and sixty foot lengths. The railroads then had all subsequent cars built to those specs. A 60' car was usually all RPO. A 65' to 70' car could have a 15' or 30' RPO with the remainder baggage. The SP had both 15 and 30 foot appartments in its various longer heavyweight cars.
Make that "diner" in the singular. Santa Fe bought all of its other pre-war diners from Budd. I kit bashed this car in N scale a long time ago and put together a history of it. The 1488 was a one-of-a-kind built by Pullman as a back up to protect the Budd diners on the twice a week Super Chief at that time. It eventually wound up on the Texas Chief in the 1960's before being sold to Sunny Look's Steak House in Houston. They used it as a dining room, welding up the trucks so they did not move and eventually donated the car to the Gulf Coast Chaper NRHS. While there, we salvaged parts off it before selling it for scrap. It was so messed up by then it would never run again. The scrap yard sold it to someone who moved it to Waelder, Texas and opened the "Choo Choo" lounge. After that failed it went back to a scrap yard and served as an office. It is now a restaurant again outside Luling, Texas. I have one of the number boards off of it from when we were salvaging parts at the museum.
After the war, Santa Fe ordered upgrade "kits" for most of their Pullman cars. Basically new corrugations and clips to replace the above the window belt and then bolted on new short letter boards over that. Then all their Pullman cars looked the same. Then they went out and bought a bunch of Budd chair cars with full-length letter boards. Go figure.
