Would there be a demand for Heavyweight Solarium coaches from MTL

[Paradise275]

Hi.
Many railways in the north ran with Solarium Coaches because of the colder climate.
Pullman made a lot of these and they were also run by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.
Con-Cor made them in HO but I don't think anyone has made them in N scale.
With the heavyweight program running with Micro-Trains, whould there be a demand for
this coach? I know I would like them.

Rick

[bbussey]

First, you would have to site a significant number of roads that had them.

Second, you'll have to convince Joe.

[Kisatchie]

First, you would have to site a significant number of roads that had them....

Yeah, I'd be interested in finding out which roads had them.


Hmm... I could use a few
for my Alaska & Hawaii
Railroad...

[victor miranda]

lets see if I have this straight.
find Joe.
paste car on Joe.
see if it sticks?

I suggest super glue.

hmmmm....mmm...
I wish I could state I'd get one.  I think the dome cars are cool.
so I may get it anyway.

I don't think they were on coal fired steam engine trains?

oooof what part of n-scale marginal market does that not miss?

victor

[Chris333]

I'd be interested if it had single windows 

[Paradise275]

Hi
I was thinking more about the heavy weight solarium car rather than the domed observation car.
See this review/link.

Rick

   http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/reviews/cm_extra_walthers_solarium.php

[CBQ Fan]

I would buy them in the usual suspect roads that have been run.  I am thinking GN, NP, and maybe even the Q had some.  I would have to check.  WP and DRG had some in photos of the expo flyer.

[peteski]

Hi
I was thinking more about the heavy weight solarium car rather than the domed observation car.
See this review/link.

   http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/reviews/cm_extra_walthers_solarium.php

No single-windows - Chris is out! 

[CBQ Fan]

A group of 43 cars was built in several lots to various versions of plan #3975. In Some Classic Trains, Arthur Dubin states that these cars were assigned to many top trains of the day, including the ACL Everglades, B&O Capitol Limited, CN-GTW International, C&EI-L&N-et al Dixie Flyer, IC Seminole, L&N Pan American, MP-T&P Sunshine Special, PRR Broadway Limited, StLSF-MKT Texas Special, and UP Pony Express. After WWII these cars were eventually transferred from Pullman to the PRR (19), B&O (7), NYC (3), B&M (2), GN (2), NP (1), Strates Shows (2), industrial firms (3), retired (2), wrecked (1) and scrapped (1).

[Paradise275]

Here are some of the roads and quantities they had of these Solarium coaches. In addition Canadian National had them and Canadian Pacific has many that they built "in house" using similar designs. So you see there was a great demand for this coach. Northern Pacific changed to this coach from the open platform both for safety reasons and to get more usable space inside the car.

A group of 43 cars was built in several lots to various versions of plan #3975. In Some Classic Trains, Arthur Dubin states that these cars were assigned to many top trains of the day, including the ACL Everglades, B&O Capitol Limited, CN-GTW International, C&EI-L&N-et al Dixie Flyer, IC Seminole, L&N Pan American, MP-T&P Sunshine Special, PRR Broadway Limited, StLSF-MKT Texas Special, and UP Pony Express. After WWII these cars were eventually transferred from Pullman to the PRR (19), B&O (7), NYC (3), B&M (2), GN (2), NP (1), Strates Shows (2), industrial firms (3), retired (2), wrecked (1) and scrapped (1).
"Pullman Project" web site show that a total 18 of "C" version cars were built in lots 6217, 6262 and 6275 between December 1928 and July 1929. As built, all the cars were painted Pullman green and carried names in series -Canyon (4), Capitol- (5), Dixie- (4), Palm- (4), plus "Montreal". By the early 1930's, the Dixie-, -Canyon and a pair of Palm- cars were repainted in PRR tuscan red and received numbers in the series 8533 to 8549. Beginning in 1938, the Capitol- cars began receiving the B&O's blue and gray colors.

Rick

[Bob Bufkin]

Funny there is no mention of the Burlington cars. 

Also, they were not really coaches.  More like Parlor cars and were often times used in mid train as a lounge car.

[Paradise275]

Bob, Burlington may have run them under the "Pullman" banner. A lot of roads did.
See the bottom of my last post "the Pullman Project".

Rick

[CBQ Fan]

Burlington had the Happy Hollow and the Lancaster Club.

[Paradise275]

There you go. I guess there were many more roads than listed that used these cars. All the more reason to have one available in n scale (note to Joe at MTL) LOL.
Handy modellers would paint them in their own road names. As you said, some were used in the train consist as lounge cars. You could probably have held a dance in them.

Rick

[Puddington]

The issue with solariums is, as usual; design. Many were rebuilt from other cars so commonality of design isn't high. Kitbashing is an option; I have done so and recently Geoff Gooderham made a CPR "Cape" series kit;



The fact of the matter is that heavyweights had a wide range of local shop flavour to them; MT has to pick a prototype and that road (or roads) modellers are winners; the rest get a decent foobie; which is better than no car at all....