# Passenger coaches



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Question
I have a Lionel G 4-4-2 Atlantic that I am going to re-letter for the B&O. My plan originally was to purchase two Aristo Craft B&O Heavy Weights for it to pull. 
But with Aristo Crafts demise, the price of used Aristo stuff is up on ebay, so I am looking for alternatives.
Any suggestions as to other G gauge passenger cars that would look ok to pull behind my Atlantic?
I have two Aristo Craft wooden coaches, but I believe them to be too old for this loco.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARISTOCRAFT-POLK-REA-DELTON-31202-B-O-THE-ROYAL-BLUE-observation-car-G-Scale-/121227149780?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item1c39b381d4
It seems there is nothing between the wood sided cars and the heavy weights in time frame available in G. What do you think about using the Polar Express coaches by Lionel? Would they be too small height and width wise?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

I have been watching Aristo prices on ebay the last few months..and I dont see prices going up at all..
if they are going up, its not enough to be noticeable..

I am also looking for Aristo heavyweights..but I mainly want parts..trucks and roofs..because im planning to kitbash some cars..
(I need everything except the sides! 
those parts seldom come up for sale, but thats why im watching ebay.
recently, complete (used) Aristo heavyweights have been selling for $120 to $150..about the same price they have always been.
new coaches are in the $200 to $300 range...again, doesn't seem unusually high to me..

but anyway..IMO the only reasonable coaches for your Lionel Atlantic would be the Aristo heavyweights..
nothing else really fits..(perhaps the USA Trains 1/29 coaches as well..but they are even more expensive, about $300, and very little used, since they are more recent than the Aristos)
The Lionel Atlantic is said to be 1/32 scale, but recent thread here show its fairly large, and it fits perfectly with 1/29 coaches:

Lionel 4-4-2 & Aristo Heavy Weights

It's a model of a very large PRR Atlantic, IMO it appears much closer to 1/29 than 1/32..its a large locomotive.

The smaller "wood" cars definitely wouldn't look right..wrong scale, wrong prototype gauge, wrong size, wrong era..
so yeah, there isnt really anything better than the Aristo heavyweights..
(I dont know the size of the Lionel Polar Express cars..)

Scot


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

(I dont know the size of the Lionel Polar Express cars..)

Randy & Scott;

The Lionel Polar Express (battery & "pseudo G") cars are some unknown "rubber" scale. We see them from time to time at the hobby store where I help out. Also, no real windows - the "light" is painted on the window blanks. Poorly scaled, inadequately detailed, avoid them like the plague!

I'm not even sure that Victor could turn this sow's ear into a silk purse.

Best,
David Meashey


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Randy:

Have you tried calling dealers who used to carry a lot of Aristo, such as Star Hobbies, Nicholas Smith, Trainworld? They might have some in stock. I was in Star on Monday and they have stacks of Aristo cars. I didn't see any heavy weights, but I wasn't looking for them.

Chuck


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. So it looks like the Heavy Weights are the way to go. I'll need to wait till after Christmas to buy a couple.


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## dtetreault (Jan 23, 2008)

Randy, If you have several Aristo Sierra coaches you can bash them together like so.


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

What you really need to find are old Delton full sized coaches.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Anyone have pictures of the Delton coaches? I don't recall ever seeing them. The only thing I find on ebay are wooden passenger cars by Delton


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Dennis, those are wooden cars correct?


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## dtetreault (Jan 23, 2008)

Randy, 
Yes, those are 2 Aristo Sierra wooden coaches spliced together to make 1 car.
Dennis


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Delton-3280...ch-G-Scale-Train-Car-NEW-In-BOX-/121222946402 

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7727238 

http://www.ross-crain.com/rr_dsp2c-equip.htm


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Curmudgeon on 06 Dec 2013 07:37 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Delton-3280...ch-G-Scale-Train-Car-NEW-In-BOX-/121222946402 

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7727238 

http://www.ross-crain.com/rr_dsp2c-equip.htm

So you think the wooden coaches would look ok being pulled by the Atlantic?


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## Tom Parkins (Jan 2, 2008)

Wooden coaches would mostly NOT look okay if you are trying to represent prototype operations. 

All of us a run our railroads the way we want and justify our own operation to please us. If you want to run wooden coaches, and you like it.....do it. Hey I mix in some Bachmann wooden coaches wtih my Aristos...and the Bachmann's represent narrow gauge cars!!!! But since you asked.....


A little prototype background. The Lionel Atlantic is a model of PRR E6s Atlantic built around 1914. It was very successful and lasted until near the end of steam in the 1950s. The B&O had some similar Atlantics and some even had the distinctive Belpaire boiler since B&O was under PRR ownership for a while in the early 1900s. The B&O Atlantics ran until 1947. On the B&O steel coaches appeared in the 1910s. By 1916, 3/4 of the passenger cars were steel. Some wooden cars survived in obscure service through the end of steam, but they were upgraded with steel ends and underframe etc. 

It's possible that somewhere on the B&O there may have been a milkrun in the 30s or 40s with an Atlantic and a couple wooden coaches. Much more likely is seeing an Atlantic hauling a half dozen steel coaches between Baltimore and Philly or a commuter run somewhere. The Aristo heavyweight coach is a reasonable stand in for B&O clerestory roof coach. B&O mostly had 6 wheel trucks on passenger cars. The Aristo smoothside also approximates B&O modernized equipment. Possible some of that may also have been hauled behind Atlantics, but not common.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for your info Tom


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