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The Golden Era of Passenger Train Travel comes to HO Scale

Ask modelers and railfans aboutpassenger trains duringrailroading’s “golden age” andthey’ll describe high-driveredlocos and long, fast trains of darkgreen cars. Those cars, with theirclerestory roofs and heavy,riveted steel construction, weretrademarks of train travel in thefirst half of the 1900s.

New Walthers HO Scaleheavyweight passenger cars bringthe heyday of train travel to yourrailroad. Detailed to modernstandards, these replicas ofvintage passenger equipment areperfect for use with all of the newsteam and first-generation diesellocomotives now available,making it easier than ever to add the great trains of history to your pike.

Sturdy Cars Constructed with Safety in MindJust after the turn of the century,train derailments began to makethe news on a regular basis. Atthe time, most passenger carsfeatured wood construction orwood bodies on steel under-frames. They were tough tomaintain and didn’t fare well inwrecks, leading to a public outcryfor sturdy all-steel cars.

With riveted steel constructionand heavy fishbelly underframes,new all-steel cars outweighedtheir predecessors; railroadersdubbed them “heavyweights.”These cars were built between theteens and the 1930s with fewchanges to the basic designs.

In their early years, mostheavyweights had one thing incommon: they were paintedPullman Green and sleeperscarried Pullman lettering.Railroad-owned heavyweightcoaches, diners, baggage andother cars were painted to matchand carried railroad lettering.

As cars from premier passengertrains were replaced by the newstreamlined lightweightequipment, heavyweights werecascaded down to other first-classconsists. They typically remainedin the same paint schemes andwere hauled by steam loco-motives.

The Passenger Car Transition EraAs the continent’s railroadsmoved from steam locomotives todiesel power, their passenger carfleets underwent a transition oftheir own. Streamlined passengercars built in the 1930s and 1940sfor many roads’ premier trainswere bumped off these runs asthey were re-equipped with thelatest and greatest cars. Othernamed trains—the bulk of mostrailroads’ services—received thedisplaced lightweight cars. Mixedfreely with heavyweight cars, plusmail and express box cars andreefers, these trains fieldedfascinating and colorful consists.

Always looking for inexpensiveways to spruce up the image oftheir non-premier passengertrains, railroads repainted and/orremodeled heavyweight cars tomatch the lightweights! Most

added air conditioning—theductwork is easily visible as thebulges in the sides of theclerestory roof.

Other roads simply modernizedthe older cars and kept themrunning. Sleepers operated byPullman (by the late 1940s, the cars were owned by therailroads), coaches and dinersremained green. A good examplewas the CB&Q, which operatedPullman Green heavyweights andstainless steel lightweights up tothe beginning of Amtrak® in 1971.

Colorful Consists for your Layout New Walthers heavyweight carsoffer modelers the best of bothworlds. They’re availabledecorated in the traditionalPullman Green colors makingthem naturals on steam-poweredtrains. They’re also offered in thecolors used in the transition anddiesel era—schemes that manywore up through the 1960s.

On your layout, realistic steam-era consists are easy to re-createusing the Walthers heavyweights.Pre-1940 trains are easy to modelusing Pullman painted cars. Thecolorful consists of the late steamand early diesel eras are also easyto model. Simply use a mix ofWalthers heavyweights, Pullman-Standard smooth-side and Buddfluted-side cars. These mixedconsists operated everywhere, sothey’ll be at home on any layout.

For expanded consists, add thenew Walthers 50' GACX WoodExpress Reefer, and Trainline™

60' RPO, Combine and Baggagecars at the head end. These arereplicas of common smallerheavyweight cars used by avariety of railroads.

Walthers heavyweight car interiors featureappropriately colored parts.

CB&Q 12-1 Pullman

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Walthers Heavyweight Passenger CarsWalthers heavyweights are available in six body styles:12-1 Pullman, 8-1-2 Pullman, Paired-Window Coach,36-Seat Diner, 14-Section Pullman and 3-2Observation-Lounge.

Features of new Walthers ready-to-runheavyweights include:

• Scale dimensions and rivet detail

• Factory-installed side door hand rails

• Additional modeler-installed hand rails are included

• Complete end, roof and underbody detail

• Scale set-back windows

• Full multi-colored interiors

• Car name and number decals

• Working diaphragms

• Correct trucks with RP-25 metal wheels

• Factory-installed interior electrical contacts

• Snap-in interior lighting kit for DC or DCCavailable separately

• Removable roof with air conditioning ducts*

• Working McHenry™ knuckle couplers

• Swinging drawbars to improve performance oncurves

*Pullman-built Paired-Window Coaches feature removable standardclerestory roof.

Walthers heavyweight cars are available in thefollowing roadnames and are affordably pricedat $41.98 each:

• Pullman*

• ATSF

• CB&Q

• PRR (Tuscan Red)

• UP (two-tone gray)

• CNW (yellow, green)

• NYC (two-tone gray)

• UP (Armour Yellow)

• SP (two-tone gray)

• B&O (blue, gray)

• DRGW (silver, Grande Gold)

• MILW (orange w/maroon window band)

• GN (Pullman Green, Omaha Orange)

• Painted (Pullman Green), Unlettered*

• Undecorated*Diners and coaches are not available lettered with the Pullmanname as the company owned only sleepers and lounges. On mostrailroads, coaches and diners were painted to match the Pullmansleepers, but carried the roadname on the letterboard. Walthersheavyweight Coaches and Diners are available painted PullmanGreen with no lettering so you can add your favorite roadname.

Take the Realism of Walthers Heavyweights Even FartherLike other Walthers passenger cars, heavyweights have built-in electrical contacts and molded interior locating points to accept the Walthers InteriorLighting Conversions. With the introduction of the heavyweights come two new interior lighting kits—one for standard DC layouts and one for DCC-controlled layouts. Both provide constant-intensity lighting for car interiors, but each is electrically optimized for use with the indicated power source.

Also available are spare trucks for Walthers heavyweights. Each features diecast sideframes with applied plastic details (as appropriate) and metalwheelsets. Based on widely used designs, they’re perfect for retrofitting othermanufacturers’ heavyweight cars. Truck types 242A and 2411 are used onWalthers heavyweights; the others are used on Trainline® 60' heavyweight cars.

Interior Lighting Kits for Walthers Heavyweight Passenger Cars:DC Version, 933-1087 $10.98DCC Version, 933-1088 $7.98

Walthers Trucks for Heavyweight Passenger Cars, 1 Pair $12.98 (Unless Noted)For Trainline 60' Cars:933-1077 4-Wheel $10.98933-1078 6-Wheel Type 106W Wood Beam w/Friction Bearings 933-1079 6-Wheel Type 106W Wood Beam w/Roller Bearings For Walthers Heavyweights:933-1085 6-Wheel Type 242A933-1086 6-Wheel Type 2411

UP 12-1 Pullman

PRR 12-1 Pullman

ATSF 12-1 Pullman

CNW 12-1 Pullman

NYC 12-1 Pullman

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A Trackside Business for any Layout

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In many industrial districts, brickfactory buildings like the DaytonMachine Co. line the streets andsidings. The first CornerstoneSeries® Built-up model of arailroad-served industry, similarstructures are still in use over ahundred years after they werebuilt. Because of its timelessness,this detailed model is perfect forany steam- or diesel-era modelrailroad.

Hundreds of UsesTypical of small brick factoriesconstructed in the late 1800s andearly 1900s, buildings like theDayton Machine Co. were built totake advantage of natural light. A clerestory roof and plenty ofwindows allowed in sunlightduring the day in an era whenelectric lighting was in itsinfancy. A tall end door allowedfreight cars, wagons and trucksinside for loading or unloading;the cool breeze on hot days was aside benefit.

These buildings were ideal formachining and fabricationbusinesses. Over the years,woodworkers, machine shops,mechanics and other companiesoccupied these types ofstructures. Often, the buildings

were part of a larger complex likea steel mill or mine, housingelectrical or pumping equipment.Because of their durability, manyof these venerable structures stillstand in 2004.

A New Business in MinutesDayton Machine Co. makesadding a new business to yourrailroad a snap. If you model pre-1960 railroading, the large woodfreight car door will look great.For modern scenes, use thesupplied metal roll-up door.Grooves molded into the floor are designed to hold rails (soldseparately) so freight cars canenter. For operation, you’ll haveto leave the doors off.

The model comes decorated inrealistic colors and includes aninterior light. Detailed brick wallsfeature contrasting trim andwindows with glazing. A sheet of printed signs with safetywarnings and several businessnames including Dayton MachineCo., Performance Manufacturingand Rainbow Paints makescustomizing it to fit your sceneseasy. The structure is easilyweathered using brush-onweathering chalks and pigments.

Customize the large door to fityour era. Model includes vintagewood and modern roll-up doors.Leave the doors off if you’regoing to run freight cars inside.

Similar in shapeto DaytonMachine Co.this structure inMilwaukee,Wisconsin,features aclerestory roofand large centerdoor for trucks.Photo by BobGallegos

Dayton Machine Co. HO Scale 933-2823 $39.989-3/8 x 7-1/8" 4-15/16" TallN Scale 933-2606 $37.985-5/8 x 4-1/4" 3" Tall