Micro Train Heavyweight Passenger Car update

[asarge]

No Jon, I don;t get vacation until first week in February. I have to stay local the weekend of the 31st and 1st to volunteer at the NMRA Piedmont Division auction.  Then it's off to find snow.

Back to business. I found my Classic Trains Pullman issue and the 12-1 is the most numerous arrangement of all time with over 4,000 produced until 1930 and the example pictured is an N&W car. The 10-1-2 had 550 HW cars and the one pictured in the magazine is an LV car.

Not being a passenger car expert like Jerry and others, what exactly is a chair car?

[Sokramiketes]

Not being a passenger car expert like Jerry and others, what exactly is a chair car?

Coach.

[Bob Bufkin]

A coach with more room and comfort for the passengers.  Normally used for long distance trains as compared to a commuter coach.  Usually had reclining seats and carried less people than a short distance coach.  Next up the scale is the parlor car.  I could use some parlor cars for daytime long distance trains.

[Puddington]

"Chair car" was a term that I always associated with the Union Pacific as they used it in their time tables for long distance coaches. I'm sure other RR's used it as well but the UP advertised their "chair cars". Bob's description above is exactly what my understanding of them is as well.

Parlor cars usually had more luxurous chairs, often that were angled or swiveled for a better view and/or converstion. Pullman passengers would often use the parlor car or a first class pasenger could as well. The CPR parlor cars were very similar to a paired winodw coach from the outside; with the notable exceptions being different window configurations at the ends due to the washrooms being different.

Due to the proliferation of 12-1's that was an obvious choice but what would be really great would be the ability to "modernize" them with sealed windows and a/c roofs......

[Bob Bufkin]

UP I think first used the term "chair cars" on their Challenger service (modernized coachs) in the 30's.  Santa Fe also used the term.  They had chair cars on their San Diagan which were modern Budd built cars.  That was nor really a long distance train and I had the pleasure of riding it a couple times before Amtrak took over.

[Puddington]

I have two Union Pacific "Chair car" kits - these are the kits with the acrylic sides; you strip off the tape, leave the windows covered and paint... they have me scared "chairless" to try them as I've heard horror stories about them. They were uber cheap when I bought them at Allied in LA; now I know why.....

....and don't ask me what a CPR modeler will do with two UP chair cars....... :-\

[Bob Bufkin]

I've got a couple of those types.  I have one now I need to decal and add trucks.  They are not that hard to do.  I hate doing small line decals on cars.  Just make sure of an even paint surface and let the paint try for a couple days and remove the tape from the windows.  Gotta admit that one side of the coach I did has a slightly grazed surface which I think some weathering will cover up. 

[Mark5]

I'm pretty sure Pullman was offering "chair car" service back in the 1880s if not earlier.

[Puddington]

I'm pretty sure Pullman was offering "chair car" service back in the 1880s if not earlier.

I seem to remember the same thing - atleast in the 1890's....

"where's Jerry when we need him anyway....running a freight train........"?

[Puddington]

More from the mind of Micro Trains' Joe........via Trainboard

Hey All,

Yes we will give everyone some advanced notice on these cars. They will be available seperatly like we did with the Z Cars so you can pick and choose. I hope we can offer undecs up front as well, but that's a marketing decision. We don't have a handle on what road names we will lead with but I suspect basic Pullman is a good start?

Cheers

Joe
MTL

"Excellent"....they will be available individually; thus I don't have to have 21 USRA 60' baggage cars I don't need to get 21 Pullman's or coaches..... I really hope marketting sees wisdom in offering undec's......an I agree a Pullman lettered car would be a good starting place because almost everyone ran those at one time or another.............

[3rdrail]

More from the mind of Micro Trains' Joe........via Trainboard

Hey All,

Yes we will give everyone some advanced notice on these cars. They will be available seperatly like we did with the Z Cars so you can pick and choose. I hope we can offer undecs up front as well, but that's a marketing decision. We don't have a handle on what road names we will lead with but I suspect basic Pullman is a good start?

Cheers

Joe
MTL

"Excellent"....they will be available individually; thus I don't have to have 21 USRA 60' baggage cars I don't need to get 21 Pullman's or coaches..... I really hope marketting sees wisdom in offering undec's......an I agree a Pullman lettered car would be a good starting place because almost everyone ran those at one time or another.............

Excepting most chair cars and all coaches belonged to the railroads and not the Pullman Co. A coach lettered "Pullman" would be almost like a gondola lettered the same. A lot will depend on the prototype selected. PRR, ATSF, SP, and UP all had distinctive heavyweight coaches. I'll leave to others more expert to decide which coach is the most "typical"  prototype that would stand in for others.

 

[Puddington]

More from the mind of Micro Trains' Joe........via Trainboard

Hey All,

Yes we will give everyone some advanced notice on these cars. They will be available seperatly like we did with the Z Cars so you can pick and choose. I hope we can offer undecs up front as well, but that's a marketing decision. We don't have a handle on what road names we will lead with but I suspect basic Pullman is a good start?

Cheers

Joe
MTL

"Excellent"....they will be available individually; thus I don't have to have 21 USRA 60' baggage cars I don't need to get 21 Pullman's or coaches..... I really hope marketting sees wisdom in offering undec's......an I agree a Pullman lettered car would be a good starting place because almost everyone ran those at one time or another.............

Excepting most chair cars and all coaches belonged to the railroads and not the Pullman Co. A coach lettered "Pullman" would be almost like a gondola lettered the same. A lot will depend on the prototype selected. PRR, ATSF, SP, and UP all had distinctive heavyweight coaches. I'll leave to others more expert to decide which coach is the most "typical"  prototype that would stand in for others.

 

I'd like to assume they just mean the 12-1 and 10-1-2 sleepers...........

[asarge]

"Excellent"....they will be available individually; thus I don't have to have 21 USRA 60' baggage cars I don't need to get 21 Pullman's or coaches..... I really hope marketting sees wisdom in offering undec's......an I agree a Pullman lettered car would be a good starting place because almost everyone ran those at one time or another.............

That info has been out for awhile. They id say that they would release a "set" of 4 but then qualified that by saying they would release 4 cars at a time as individual cars. That I beleive came from the president of MT in respon se to someones email.

[Mark5]

Pullman had chair cars (nicer than coaches) you could ride in. You paid a Pullman fare.

[Puddington]

"Excellent"....they will be available individually; thus I don't have to have 21 USRA 60' baggage cars I don't need to get 21 Pullman's or coaches..... I really hope marketting sees wisdom in offering undec's......an I agree a Pullman lettered car would be a good starting place because almost everyone ran those at one time or another.............

That info has been out for awhile. They id say that they would release a "set" of 4 but then qualified that by saying they would release 4 cars at a time as individual cars. That I beleive came from the president of MT in respon se to someones email.

First I'd have heard of it........