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I know that can be a subjective question, but if anyone can give me a ballpark estimate as far as 1) quality of construction and 2) accuracy to prototype I would much appreciate it.
I'm specifically interested in PRR and NYC in the 1930-45 era, and due to being partial to BLI products I'm looking at a PRR K4s or M1, and the NYC Hudson to pull them.
So far I've been looking at the Con-Cor BCS line and they appear by the description to be worth the $60-$70 price. Has anyone bought/used/seen them operate and have an opinion? Other brands I've looked at are MTH and Walthers. Is there one that's "better" than the others?
My favorite passenger cars are Kato and Walthers.....with good price/value. Then there are some really really expensive ones.....don't know too much about those.....but they have more detail.
Accuracy to the prototype can be a bit of a moving target depending on the prototype. Passenger cars tend to be unique or custom ordered to each railroad. The model manufacturers will build their model off of one particular car, and then offer it in paint schemes for several railroads, where it's really only truely 100% for one (or maybe 2 or 3, if they got them secondhand) railroads.
Rapido Trains makes some really nicely detailed passenger cars. They're really accurate for their prototypes (which are all CN cars). They'd be stand-ins for NYC. The prototypes for cars from Walthers I know vary from car to car. They've also been running sets of cars for some specific trains. Broadway Limited also makes some nice cars - they did the California Zehyr cars, which probably aren't too useful for an NYC/PRR modeller, but I think it was BLI or Kato that did a set of passenger cars matching the PRR's "Broadway Limited".
I saw that MTH released a five car set for the "20th Century" and the "Broadway Limited" but only the NYC set is, or is very close, to prototype. I'm probably not going to find or pay for the streamlined J3 Hudson that pulled the 20th Century cars though. I'd rather go for a more generic (but close to proto) set of typical NYC and PRR passenger cars that would run less prestigious routes. Unless I've overlooked something I do believe Con-Cor's Branchline products are the closest to what I'm looking for. If nobody here has seen them to offer a review, perhaps I'll buy them anyway and provide a review of my own.
I saw that MTH released a five car set for the "20th Century" and the "Broadway Limited" but only the NYC set is, or is very close, to prototype. I'm probably not going to find or pay for the streamlined J3 Hudson that pulled the 20th Century cars though. I'd rather go for a more generic (but close to proto) set of typical NYC and PRR passenger cars that would run less prestigious routes. Unless I've overlooked something I do believe Con-Cor's Branchline products are the closest to what I'm looking for. If nobody here has seen them to offer a review, perhaps I'll buy them anyway and provide a review of my own.
I know that can be a subjective question, but if anyone can give me a ballpark estimate as far as 1) quality of construction and 2) accuracy to prototype I would much appreciate it.
Accuracy to the prototype is something you will have to research. Most passenger cars produced (even the old AHM) were prototypical, but often not for the railroad the cars were painted in. For example the 1930's observation was prototypical for the Pennsy, but not for any of the other roads they painted on it.
I'm specifically interested in PRR and NYC in the 1930-45 era, and due to being partial to BLI products I'm looking at a PRR K4s or M1, and the NYC Hudson to pull them.
So far I've been looking at the Con-Cor BCS line and they appear by the description to be worth the $60-$70 price.
???? Those BCS cars would not be correct for mainlines in the 1930-1940 era, neither are they prototypically accurate. The real railroads were all rushing to streamliners in that time frame. These cars would have been on their way to scrap or branches, or sold 2nd hand to shortlines in that time period (hence the BCS designation). Then these Con-Cor cars are "shorties". The prototype Pullman Solariums were 85' cars. Con-cor's are 65', so they can negotiate 18" radius model train curves. I mean there might have been prototypes for 65' cars (I know CNW had a bunch), but in my opinion not for NYC big main line power like you described. One could probably get by with some of them off the main behind a K4 that was pushed out of service by a T1.
Other brands I've looked at are MTH and Walthers. Is there one that's "better" than the others?
I would not do business with MTH regardless of the "betterness" of their product. I have hundreds of the Walthers cars and have been very pleased with them overall. Most people who have complaints are trying to run them on sharp curves. Mine do fine on curves 32" radius and better. If one trims the frame on the heavyweights they will go around 28" OK.
Since you seem to be looking for heavy weight cars from the 1920's, you might want to consider Branchline kits. They are highly detailed, highly accurate, and since the company went under a couple years ago they are dirt cheap on the used market. I picked up piles of them for $5.00 each last year.
First part - Yeah, from what I researched so far it seems I'll have to make some compromises on the proto issue. I guess I can't expect much selection on whole passenger sets that are accurate from head to toe.
Second part - I actually prefer a branchline set up, partly due to having a limited space for turn radius, from 22" - 30". Would the K4s and Hudsons have pulled BCS duty on a regular basis?
Third part - I'll definitely search around for the Branchline models...thanks again for the info!
The Branchline BCS cars do come with interiors, are lit, and are very well detailed. They are for branchline or commute service though. The MP-54 Pennsy coaches, both the first release unpowered, and the more recent powered coaches are dead on for prototypical accuracy. Not too sure about other roads, but as has been mentioned, that can be a moving target. I have a large collection of passenger cars including a respectable amount of brass and still use stand ins if necessary. You cna find reviews online for these. Google is your friend!
Unfortunately I am a more western railroad person and don't know a lot of details about NYC and Pennsy. I do not know when/if the Hudsons were ever assigned to branchline or commuter duty. I would think locomotives on commuter trains on the Pennsy would have been electric. Many heavy locomotives could not be run on the lighter branchline track. That is why I speculated that the K4s would be much more likely candidates.
