Passenger Coaches for Minitrix PRR 4-6-2 K4

[SuperDave]

Doing a little research for photos of coaches that were pulled by this famous locomotive. Anyone have any idea for coaches for this loco and time period?

From the few photos i've found it looks like 60 feet would be the correct length for these period pieces. Would the bachmann spectrum 60 foot steel coaches be a good match? I know they're out of production but i've seen quite a few still new in box on ebay including 3 piece sets and individual coaches, baggage, diner and observation.

72' and especially 85' definitely don't seem like they would look right and the 40' seem way too short.

[thirdrail]

The correct coach for the PRR K4s is available from Model Power, which is a model of the PRR P70 coach as built. MP also has a model of the PBM70, a coach-baggage-mail combine, and an observation car roughly based on PRR parlor obsertvations. The paint job is so poor you'll need to repaint and decal the cars with Microscale decals.

The P70 means the interior of the coach was 70 feet long, so that the full length of the cars, with vestibules, was 85 feet. PRR had some P54 coaches used in Pittburgh commuter services, but these were pulled by G5's 4-6-0's and later by RS3's. So, long cars are correct behind a K4s.

The closest car to the P54 was imported by Con-Cor and made by Kato. What Con-Cor called a "diner' had the correct window arrangement.

[taz-of-boyds]

Nice info thirdrail,

What kind of cars would be in service behind a 4-4-0 around 1900?

I have a photo (from the internet...) of a PRR passenger train heading to Cumberland, Maryland on the skew bridge over Will's Creek at the west end of the Narrows.  The caption says the loco is a D16 4-4-0.  I have another photo with a similar looking consist showing a baggage car followed by at least two coaches and dated 1910.  The coaches have closed vestibules, and I count 17 windows on the one.    (The schedule shows this service running from Cumberland to New York on the PRR.)

This is one corner of what I hope to model of the western Maryland coal centered railroads, and these trains would stop at the West Virginia Central & Pittsburgh RR depot in Cumberland (later to be WM).

Thanks for any help,
Charles

[GlennW]

This may be one time to hunt down the Bachmann Babes or other *bay sellers. All you would need is a baggage-combine-coach combo.

A second choice could be a well used Athearn/MDC Overton or Overton cars. The wood construction could be fine for branchline use bumped from the mainline. They are very nice cars.