Re: PC: Passenger Train models

["Philip J. Kuhl" <pjkuhl@xxxxxxxxx>]

Near-the-end-New York Central and all-of-Penn Central Empire Service trains
typically were three cars long (two coaches and a snack bar
oach)  --sometimes just two cars-- and as such are great for modeling.  They
typically were hauled by one E-unit, although two units were not uncommon in
the winter season to assure train heating because the steam generators on
all units weren't so reliable.  For a while, Penn Central
Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati service was a Beeliner (RDC) which is even
easier to model.

There were, indeed, plenty of long passenger and passenger/bulk mail trains
(The RPOs were not functioning in Penn Central days.)

But remember that one of the tricks in model railroading (probably all
scales, but certainly in HO and O scales) is that it is almost _never_
possible to model a railroad or part of a railroad 100% accurately for a
whole host of reasons, not the least of which is train length.  One hopes to
catch the _flavor_ of the railroad, not total accuracy.  So your PC
passenger train might have mixed NYC/PRR/PC motive power and mixed passenger
equipment of the predecessor roads and some repainted PC cars.  The train
doesn't have to be 12 cars long; just avoid unprototypical things like a PC
dome car or a PC PA-1 (Unless, of course, you're modeling a "what if"
scenario -- and if you all remember the postings we had on that some months
ago, that can be wonderful!)

BTW -- My recollection (I lived along the New York Central in Cleveland,
Ohio and Rochester, New York.) is that for practically all of the time PC
operated passenger trains there MOST of the equipment on its trains was
former NYC equipment.  PRR and NH equipment was not at all rare (NH was the
least common.), but was always overshadowed by the former NYC equipment.
Can any list members who lived along the PRR and the NYNH&H comment as to
what was PC practice on passenger trains operated in those areas?

Phil Kuhl
Arlington, Virginia
PJKuhl -AT- erols.com