# At last some cars for the PRR fans in 1/32 scale



## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi there just a quick note to inform folks that PIKO is making a nice run of the two bay hoppers with ribbed sides in the steam era livery of the Pennsylvania railroad with the white ball herald and box car red colour, just right for the 1940 to end of steam era. These have had quite a few price hikes unfortunatly and are reruns from the old MDC molds however the bonus is that they now include a coal load. I fit mine with kadees and Comstock metal wheelsets and they look very nice (https://comstockrails.com/). Usual disclaimer as I have no connection whatsoever to any of these manufacturers. This is a fairly good representation of a car very comon on PRR trains.
Cheers

Simon


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So how much are 2 trucks?


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## zephyra (Jan 2, 2008)

du-bousquetaire said:


> Hi there just a quick note to inform folks that PIKO is making a nice run of the two bay hoppers with ribbed sides in the steam era livery of the Pennsylvania railroad with the white ball herald and box car red colour, just right for the 1940 to end of steam era. These have had quite a few price hikes unfortunatly and are reruns from the old MDC molds however the bonus is that they now include a coal load. I fit mine with kadees and Comstock metal wheelsets and they look very nice (https://comstockrails.com/). Usual disclaimer as I have no connection whatsoever to any of these manufacturers. This is a fairly good representation of a car very comon on PRR trains.
> Cheers
> 
> Simon


What scale are these - the website says 'G Scale' but that could mean anything from 1:20 to 1:32. I bought a set of USA trains coal hoppers thinking that they were 1:32, turned out they were 1:29


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## zephyra (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg Elmassian said:


> So how much are 2 trucks?


$154 

38916 PRR Rib-Side Hopper Car (G-Scale)


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

I believe that these are a re-make of the MDC cars, which are very definitely 1/32 scale.
Cheers,
David Leech, Canada


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

The link shows a length of 12.6"
The AAR class HM hopper was 34' 0" over Striking Castings = 12.75" in 1/32 scale.
Cheers,
David Leech, Canada


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

All the MDC molds that Piko took over have been established as 1:32 for the last what, 10 years? ;-)

That's expensive trucks on cars that I buy used (with broken trucks) for $30.

They are well detailed, faithful models though, and the used stuff was made when the molds were newer.

Greg


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## graham25 (Nov 22, 2015)

Can any one who owns one of these cars please list their width and height please.
Thank you Graham.


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi Graham: These are 32cm long (body only) by 102mm wide height is 112mm with new wheels from Comstock rails. I have been using them for years mixed in with some MTH four bay hoppers, and some Accucraft three bay hoppers. it makes a very realistic Coal extra for my middle division in 1/32 scale. Unfortunatly when I made this shot i completly forgot the Berlingo behind, darn!








Best, Simon


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## graham25 (Nov 22, 2015)

du-bousquetaire said:


> Hi Graham: These are 32cm long (body only) by 102mm wide height is 112mm with new wheels from Comstock rails. I have been using them for years mixed in with some MTH four bay hoppers, and some Accucraft three bay hoppers. it makes a very realistic Coal extra for my middle division in 1/32 scale. Unfortunatly when I made this shot i completly forgot the Berlingo behind, darn!
> View attachment 64312
> 
> Best, Simon


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## graham25 (Nov 22, 2015)

Thank you Simon, They do look very nice.


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## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

zephyra said:


> What scale are these - the website says 'G Scale' but that could mean anything from 1:20 to 1:32. I bought a set of USA trains coal hoppers thinking that they were 1:32, turned out they were 1:29


The Gaugemaster site lists them as 1:22.5






Pennsylvania Rib Sided Hopper w/Coal Load-Piko-38916 | Gaugemaster


Gaugemaster:PK38916 Pennsylvania Rib Sided Hopper w/Coal Load - Piko 38916




www.gaugemasterretail.com


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Well the Gaugemaster are wrong, clearly did not measure them or understand how Piko acquired the molds, and just ASSUMED they were the same scale as other Piko stuff...

You know about the word ASSume....


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

John 842 said:


> The Gaugemaster site lists them as 1:22.5
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gaugemaster are box readers. Also THE most expensive UK dealers anywhere in UK. My suggestion is to try around - twenty seconds on the internet showed me Top Slots and Trains selling them for £55.00 instead of £105.

What are you waiting for?


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

I don't know how it came about that Piko purchased the old MDC molds, perhaps these were subcontracted by MDC to Piko to mold their cars way back when... In any case I believe that by now they have reworked or rebuilt the molds anew. This short series of ex MDC cars is totally independent from the rest of the Piko cars, a different scale, a different subject (US prototypes) and even different from their other US prototype offerings. IE the flats, caboose, tank cars, gondolas and shorty passenger cars apear to be of narrow gauge equipment or turn of the century equipment, and are a different scale than the ex MDC freight cars. As I started late in 1/32 scale, these helped me make up a stud of freight cars along with MTH and Accucraft products jumping altogether any 1/29th scale products. It is too bad though that they never reconsidered reworking their boxcars to scale lengthe and reducing the height and lengtehening their reefers. It may have something to do with the maximum lenght that fits into their injection press. Especially since we don't have MTH anymore.
Best, Simon


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## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

tacfoley said:


> Gaugemaster are box readers. Also THE most expensive UK dealers anywhere in UK. My suggestion is to try around - twenty seconds on the internet showed me Top Slots and Trains selling them for £55.00 instead of £105.
> 
> What are you waiting for?


Top Slots and Trains are also listing them as 1:22.5 scale .......






Piko 38916 PRR Rib-Sided Hopper Wagon Coal Load at TopSlots n Trains


Piko 38916 G Scale Piko G Scale PRR Rib-Sided Hopper Wagon & Coal Load, 38916. G scale model North American freight rolling stock wagons by Piko Garden Railways. The Piko G scale 38916 Pennsylvania Railro...




www.topslotsntrains.com


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Just take a look at them - do they LOOK like 1.22.5 scale? When was the last time you saw a Pennsy narrow gauge car of any kind? Buy one, and if you don't like it, send it back. At that price you'd be daft not to give it a punt. WE are.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

QUOTE="du-bousquetaire, post: 1174085, member: 9032"]. Especially since we don't have MTH anymore.Best, Simon[/QUOTE]

Oh?



https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/mth-is-still-in-business


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## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

tacfoley said:


> Just take a look at them - do they LOOK like 1.22.5 scale? When was the last time you saw a Pennsy narrow gauge car of any kind? Buy one, and if you don't like it, send it back. At that price you'd be daft not to give it a punt. WE are.


I've long since lost interest in Peco rolling stock - one of my favorite diesel locomotives was the Russian Ludmilla loco - but when I looked at one in Gaugemasters showroom - something just didn't quite look right. So I pulled up the factory drawings and, shure enough, the vertcal dimensions were 1:22.5 scale and the horizintal ones were 1:32.

All done (I guess) to meet Pikos requirement that all their products will run round 600 mm radius curves.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Piko is the G scale offering
Peco makes track

The hoppers scale 1:32 correctly BUT! Many manufacturers will put spacers that raise the car when mixing them with other scales.

USA Trains makes the small ore hoppers and they were the Lionel ones and are 1:32... BUT USAT put a spacer insert in the bolster and raised the car to make it look bigger so it looked better with 1:29.

Take the dimensions of the body of the Piko hopper, you will get back to 1:32.

Greg


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

John 842 said:


> I've long since lost interest in Peco rolling stock - one of my favorite diesel locomotives was the Russian Ludmilla loco - but when I looked at one in Gaugemasters showroom - something just didn't quite look right. So I pulled up the factory drawings and, shure enough, the vertcal dimensions were 1:22.5 scale and the horizintal ones were 1:32.
> 
> All done (I guess) to meet Pikos requirement that all their products will run round 600 mm radius curves.


Peco is not the same as PIKO.


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## fredlub (Feb 7, 2010)

tacfoley said:


> Peco is not the same as PIKO.


Indeed.
Peco makes quality model railway items; PIKO makes plastic toys.
Regards
Fred


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That's a little harsh, the Piko quality has improved. I would say they are somewhat copying LGB at a lesser quality of components and build.

Not as bulletproof, drivetrains not quite as good, wheel "surface" issues (sintered steel instead of stainless tires or good plating).

In G scale, what does Peco make? 

Greg


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Greg Elmassian said:


> In G scale, what does Peco make?


Still not sure what 'G Scale" is, but they make flex track, switches and supplies for 45mm gauge and do call it G-45.
All the best,
David Leech, Canada


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, I know about the track, but did not know about any rolling stock.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Greg Elmassian said:


> In G scale, what does Peco make? Greg


Zero.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks TAC, thus my question, why does Fred compare Piko to Peco when we are talking rolling stock, there is no comparision because Peco does not make G scale rolling stock.

Piko is not terrible, and often more "rugged" than USAT or Aristo, since we are talking 1:29, the closest to the 1:32 that is now basically gone for new, inexpensive stuff.

Greg


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

I am not very familiar with existing 1/29th scale stuff or G scale stuff, but if you compare the rivet detail on a PIKO hopper with that on an Aristo Craft heavyweight coach its definitly finer. Sure compared to a ROW and co hopper there might be a few discrepancies from an absolute scale model, but once you have put scale wheelsets (Comstock or Garry Raymond) and fitted kadee couplers you have come quite close to it, sufficiently for me and building up a long coal extra (an absolute must have, for a PRR fan) is deffinitly more at reach than with its brass bretheren. Besides if wished you can ripp out the grabs and redo them to scale and by buying the PIKO spare parts (available on their web site) you can add brake cylinder air tank and brake wheel on the ends of the cars making them very close to scale. And to us 1/32 scale guys who are starved for rolling stock, its a godsend.
Merry christmas to all. Simon


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, the Piko hoppers are sort of an exception, since they are not new, far from it, they are from the old MDC molds, quite old, but very nice anyway, and well scaled in 1:32. Piko has fitted better trucks, the original MDC ones fell apart. 

Not sure how valid comparing the 1:32 Piko / MDC re-releases to the old Aristo 1:29 H/W cars. Anyway, the Piko cars are a great price point for what you get if you are 1:32.

So I think Fred's point may have been "aimed" at the "new" stuff that Piko designed themselves. But as mentioned before, not sure at all what his point was, comparing Piko and Peco.


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

I would tend to think that Pat mixed up the names of the two brands, so similiar.
Cheers, Simon


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

PD


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