UP Passenger Cars (1947-1949)


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Kyle Naber

New Member
I bought an Athearn Genesis 4-8-4 (UP 830) for no good reason. I just thought it looked sharp! I usually model modern BNSF, so this is very out of my zone lol.

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I did some digging around and came across lots of conflicting information. Which HO scale passenger cars would go best with this? Grey or yellow? Streamline or heavyweight? This seems like a very transitional era for UP.

Thanks!
 
The correct answer is, "it depends".
There were trains of grey cars, yellow cars, streamlined, and modified older cars. Probably the best thing to do is look around for photos of those old trains, and see what you like the looks of.
Of course, if you want to get into prototypical accuracy, that's another can of worms...
 
bnsf971 said:
The correct answer is, "it depends".
There were trains of grey cars, yellow cars, streamlined, and modified older cars. Probably the best thing to do is look around for photos of those old trains, and see what you like the looks of.
Of course, if you want to get into prototypical accuracy, that's another can of worms...
Click to expand...

Ah, my least favorite correct answer lol. Thanks!
 

UP Passenger Cars Index Page

An index page for information about Union Pacific passenger cars.
utahrails.net

This is packed with info, but I can’t for the life of me find a picture of a “streamliner” before the 1950 cars from Budd. I wonder if one even exists in HO, because Walthers obviously makes cars from 1950+ in UP.
 
Kyle Naber said:

UP Passenger Cars Index Page

An index page for information about Union Pacific passenger cars.
utahrails.net

This is packed with info, but I can’t for the life of me find a picture of a “streamliner” before the 1950 cars from Budd. I wonder if one even exists in HO, because Walthers obviously makes cars from 1950+ in UP.
Click to expand...
Just after WWII was when streamlined lightweight cars began being everywhere.
In your link you have some of your answers, but it's not exactly jumping off the page.

UP Streamlined Heavyweight Passenger Cars

Information about Union Pacific streamlined heavyweight passenger cars.
utahrails.net
 
Kyle Naber said:
Which HO scale passenger cars would go best with this? Grey or yellow? Streamline or heavyweight? This seems like a very transitional era for UP.
Click to expand...
The harbor mist two tone grey scheme was used from 1946 until 1951 (don't know when they "finished" repainting, so at least 1952).
Most of the two tone grey was on heavy weight equipment however the City of St. Louis lightweight streamliner was painted in this scheme. It also ran on the Kansas Pacific track from KC to Denver where this locomotive was primary power used. That might be a good plan and would be my choice.

The locomotive would also be prototypical pulling yellow painted streamline cars. The City of Denver, and City of Portland would have also been pulled by a similar locomotive on the K&P tracks.

As far as vendors go, I am guessing there are more but:
IHC made a set of grey colored heavyweights. Could probably find them on ebay.
AHM made yellow streamliners.
Walthers currently makes bunches of yellow streamlined cars. For its age this loco should avoid the dome cars; however, it would be proper on a set of the heritage fleet. The 844 was painted in grey for a while back in the 1990s.
Bachmann makes a set of heavyweights in the yellow & grey scheme as does Walthers.
Branchline ... now Atlas might have heavyweights in either scheme.
 
Iron Horseman said:
The harbor mist two tone grey scheme was used from 1946 until 1951 (don't know when they "finished" repainting, so at least 1952).
Most of the two tone grey was on heavy weight equipment however the City of St. Louis lightweight streamliner was painted in this scheme. It also ran on the Kansas Pacific track from KC to Denver where this locomotive was primary power used. That might be a good plan and would be my choice.

The locomotive would also be prototypical pulling yellow painted streamline cars. The City of Denver, and City of Portland would have also been pulled by a similar locomotive on the K&P tracks.

As far as vendors go, I am guessing there are more but:
IHC made a set of grey colored heavyweights. Could probably find them on ebay.
AHM made yellow streamliners.
Walthers currently makes bunches of yellow streamlined cars. For its age this loco should avoid the dome cars; however, it would be proper on a set of the heritage fleet. The 844 was painted in grey for a while back in the 1990s.
Bachmann makes a set of heavyweights in the yellow & grey scheme as does Walthers.
Branchline ... now Atlas might have heavyweights in either scheme.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the product recommendations! It seems that UP removed yellow stripes from the grey locos in 1949 before going to black and graphite in 1952.

Heavyweights wouldn’t have been yellow until 1952, so it looks like my options are yellow (early) streamlines or grey heavyweights.

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This appears to be the TTG, but the shape and dimensions really remind me of the Athearn streamline cars.
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This one looks pretty unique, but I think this is an example of a modernized heavyweight (in yellow). I’m not sure who would make these, if anyone.
 
My first answer is since you model modern times I’d say go with whatever you like best, me I like the streamline yellow in excursion service.
My second answer, and it may be no help at all, is get a couple of each and see what grows on you! 😉
 
Kyle Naber said:
View attachment 173359

This one looks pretty unique, but I think this is an example of a modernized heavyweight (in yellow). I’m not sure who would make these, if anyone.
Click to expand...
Think you would have to go to brass for that one. Walthers did make a modernized heavyweight few years back, I think it was in the B&O Capital Limited set, but probably a diner rather than a coach. You could always hunt it up and see if the window arrangement is "close enough" to do a repaint.
 
Walthers made heavyweight passenger cars in the two tone gray, some with the yellow stripe and some with a white stripe. The loco you have also came with white striping from Athearn. Walthers also had the Armour Yellow passenger cars, all appropriate for you FEF loco. Might try E-bay or your favorite reseller/hobby shop for some new old stock of the Walthers passenger cars.

Kyle said......I bought an Athearn Genesis 4-8-4 (UP 830) for no good reason. I just thought it looked sharp! I usually model modern BNSF, so this is very out of my zone lol.

Oddly, I usually model UP steam but have lately purchased several Santa Fe steam locos.

Take care....John
 
westtexjohn said:
Walthers made heavyweight passenger cars in the two tone gray, some with the yellow stripe and some with a white stripe.
Click to expand...
Is that so? I’ve definitely seen the white stripes but not the yellow on the passenger cars. I think that would match the loco better (UP did the yellow stripes to match the new cars that would be delivered in the 50s, but the locos were back to black at that point).
 
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