# Polka Pullman Cars...



## wombat457 (Jul 15, 2015)

Evening All,

I am thinking about getting some of the Polka Pullman Heavy Passenger Cars, but was hoping to get some opinions of them from anyone who may have them.

I was also wondering how they would do on LGB R3/22.5 curves. I am led to believe that they require a minimum of an 8' diameter. From your experience, is that right with them being a 32" - 33" car?


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Those are very long cars and would probably go around an R3, but they would have to have truck mounted couplers.

There would be a lot of overhang in the curves and the would look too great.

I don't like the look of my USAt streamliners on the 10' diameter curves. The USAT cars are 33' long.

Here are some pictures of USAT streamliners on 10' diameter curves.



















USAT SD70 and USAT streamliner on 10' diameter curve.










The couplers are body mounted. I'm not sure they would work on 8' diameter curves.

Do you have any pictures of the Polka cars? I have not heard of them.

Chuck


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Could he mean "POLKS", as in Polks Generation Next (Aristocraft) Heavyweight cars?
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

David, I'll bet you are correct.

WB457:

If they are Polks cars, they are very nice, I have 8 and have converted all of mine to body mounted couplers, which results in closer coupling. They come with truck mounted couplers and should be able to handle 8' diameter curves, as they couple rather far apart.



A word of caution on the trucks. Some come with 2 axles and some with 3. I had trouble with the three axle trucks on my 10' diameter curves and I removed the middle truck. I have heard that on more recent versions they run OK with 3 axles on 10' and larger diameter curves.

Chuck

USAT on left, Aristo on right. Note the 3 axle truck on the Aristo car and two axle on the USAT. You can see through the truck where the center axle used to be.










close up of couplers











They make up a very nice train. Here are a couple of pictures of my heavyweights on Dr. Rivet's layout. The Aristo Mallet if battery powered with the batteries in the trainling box car.


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## wombat457 (Jul 15, 2015)

David Leech said:


> Could he mean "POLKS", as in Polks Generation Next (Aristocraft) Heavyweight cars?
> Cheers,
> David Leech, Delta, Canada


Ah yep - that was what I meant to say - Polks Generation. Thanks for correcting that.

Chuck,

They are beautiful looking cars but I was a little concerned about their length of 32" and the "over hang on the curves" looking too conspicuous. Your pictures clearly show that "over hang on 10' diameter track, can't imagine how bade it might look on 8' track.

Having to change out couplers might cause me a few headaches as well as I have never done that before. My USAT's all came with the appropriate Kadee couplers and I am a little hesitant to try to change them out in case I "mess" something up.

Thanks guys but I might have to re think my ideas and go back to Vintage Style cars for my Mogul - that would probably be more prototypical as well.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

They come with truck mounted couplers. Nothing to change, unless choose to go to larger curves and to bring the cars closer together. We can help then.

Chuck


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## wombat457 (Jul 15, 2015)

Okay, mis-read what you had said. If I can initially take them out of the boxes and put them on the track behind an engine, then that could convince me to get a couple or three over a period of time.

I am still seriously contemplating going up to the Aristo-Craft curves and now could fit their 6.25/22.5 curves in on the left side of the layout and could possibly go up again to their 7.??/22.5 curves for the right hand side. I think that would essentially give some where between 10' and 12' diameter curves which will no doubt be much better.

So far though, I have been unable to find Aristo-Craft (polk) track for sale as single items. Every where I have looked has it for sale as a package for a full circle. As has been said, if I do go that route, then I can use the R3 curves for the long siding so they wont go to waste.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, as to the cars. And yes to using the R3s on the passing siding. 
Chuck


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

wombat457 said:


> Ah yep - that was what I meant to say - Polks Generation. Thanks for correcting that.
> 
> Chuck,
> 
> They are beautiful looking cars but I was a little concerned about their length of 32" and the "over hang on the curves" looking too conspicuous. Your pictures clearly show that "over hang on 10' diameter track, can't imagine how bade it might look on 8' track.



You've seen the Tortoise & Lizard Bash video. There are four heavyweights behind the USAT F3 and you can see how they look.

BTW, I use the truck mounts but cut them back as far as possible using Kadees to get closer spacing.

Different video showing the heavyweights in motion (a year or two earlier).


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## wombat457 (Jul 15, 2015)

Thanks gents, appreciate it.


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

I routinely run the Aristo/Polks heavyweight cars around 8' and 10' diameter curves with no problems. They don't look the greatest if you look closely, as the above pictures show but they operate okay.

Ed Headington


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## wombat457 (Jul 15, 2015)

Ed,

Thanks for that. I am not one of these "it has to 100% correct" type of modelers" so I can live with things being a little off, so long as they look reasonable. I just like the Pullman cars and they are green, my wife's favorite color


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

I'm surprised that no one has provided the correct length of the Heavy Weight passenger cars your interested in here...

They are not 32" - 33", rather .. they run 29.5" over the roof ends..
The longer 85 ft versions I build run 35" long...

Good luck improving your layout!

Dirk


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