Guys,

I recently purchased at an estate sale two brass HOn3 passenger cars (only $20 each).  I figured it was a quick way to get some rolling stock on my under construction East Broad Top.

There were no boxes. The only identification was a UNITED sticker on the bottom of each.

Anyone know the prototypes they are based on?

They did each have a sticker with some numbers handwritten.  Not sure that means anything.

The first car is a parlor or chair car from the 5 car set issued by PFM way back when.  The second car is the combine from that set.  I spent a lot of time not long ago trying to find out what the prototype of the parlor car was.  You'll note the distinctive window patterns and the presence of platforms on both ends.  I checked out the two most recent books on DRGW passenger cars and came to the conclusion that this car represents a combination of features from several cars and not a specific prototype car.  The only disclaimer I can put on that conclusion is that not all Chair cars from the early years were adequately photographed.  The combine represents a car from the 202 to 210 group.  It lacks several features specific to the long combine used on the Pagosa branch.  These cars were produced somewhere in the late 60's - early 70's, and are good examples of how limited prototype research was back then. PFM allowed their first K-27 to come out with features taken from at least 3 different  locos, so this coach set fits right into the thinking of brass importers and builders back then.  Never the less, they are well built and certainly convey the feel of narrow gauge passenger equiipment. 

-----Original Message---
From: Bruce <in2trains@...>
To: HOn3@groups.io
Sent: Sun, Oct 11, 2020 10:18 am
Subject: [HOn3] Prototype?

Guys,

I recently purchased at an estate sale two brass HOn3 passenger cars (only $20 each).  I figured it was a quick way to get some rolling stock on my under construction East Broad Top.

There were no boxes. The only identification was a UNITED sticker on the bottom of each.

Anyone know the prototypes they are based on?

Thank you to all responders.  My summation is for $40 I got a decent pair of cars I can use on my EBT until I can get more appropriate cars.

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 2:24 PM Lawrence Wisniewski via groups.io <lwreno=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

The first car is a parlor or chair car from the 5 car set issued by PFM way back when.  The second car is the combine from that set.  I spent a lot of time not long ago trying to find out what the prototype of the parlor car was.  You'll note the distinctive window patterns and the presence of platforms on both ends.  I checked out the two most recent books on DRGW passenger cars and came to the conclusion that this car represents a combination of features from several cars and not a specific prototype car.  The only disclaimer I can put on that conclusion is that not all Chair cars from the early years were adequately photographed.  The combine represents a car from the 202 to 210 group.  It lacks several features specific to the long combine used on the Pagosa branch.  These cars were produced somewhere in the late 60's - early 70's, and are good examples of how limited prototype research was back then. PFM allowed their first K-27 to come out with features taken from at least 3 different  locos, so this coach set fits right into the thinking of brass importers and builders back then.  Never the less, they are well built and certainly convey the feel of narrow gauge passenger equiipment. 

-----Original Message---
From: Bruce <in2trains@...>
To: HOn3@groups.io
Sent: Sun, Oct 11, 2020 10:18 am
Subject: [HOn3] Prototype?

Guys,

I recently purchased at an estate sale two brass HOn3 passenger cars (only $20 each).  I figured it was a quick way to get some rolling stock on my under construction East Broad Top.

There were no boxes. The only identification was a UNITED sticker on the bottom of each.

Anyone know the prototypes they are based on?

You got a GREAT deal, Bruce!  A couple of years ago, at a train show,I picked up a couple of brass coaches for $50 each.  There were three available from an estate sale.  For some dumb reason I didn't buy all three -- I guess I was worried how to explain $150 price for three cars to my wife.  The upside is that they were painted and lettered for the EBT.  They even came with seats and passengers!  The coaches were numbered for EBT #5 and #6.  When I got them home I looked those numbers up in R&K.  Turns out that both those numbers were on the 1916 roster.  Number 5 was 36-8 and seated 43.  It was reclassified as a miner's coach and sold in 1953 to the Shenandoah Central, which sold it to the Tweetsie.  When the book was published it was still in use.  Number 6 is listed as 35 feet long seating 35.  It was retired in 1934.  My reaction to all that is "close enough!"  The cars were probably D&RGW prototypes, but they look pretty good trailing #14 with combine #14 on the rear!  And they actually run very well.  I should have bought the third one.

Russ

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 4:26 PM Bruce Bowie <buybruce@...> wrote:

Thank you to all responders.  My summation is for $40 I got a decent pair of cars I can use on my EBT until I can get more appropriate cars.

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 2:24 PM Lawrence Wisniewski via groups.io <lwreno=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

The first car is a parlor or chair car from the 5 car set issued by PFM way back when.  The second car is the combine from that set.  I spent a lot of time not long ago trying to find out what the prototype of the parlor car was.  You'll note the distinctive window patterns and the presence of platforms on both ends.  I checked out the two most recent books on DRGW passenger cars and came to the conclusion that this car represents a combination of features from several cars and not a specific prototype car.  The only disclaimer I can put on that conclusion is that not all Chair cars from the early years were adequately photographed.  The combine represents a car from the 202 to 210 group.  It lacks several features specific to the long combine used on the Pagosa branch.  These cars were produced somewhere in the late 60's - early 70's, and are good examples of how limited prototype research was back then. PFM allowed their first K-27 to come out with features taken from at least 3 different  locos, so this coach set fits right into the thinking of brass importers and builders back then.  Never the less, they are well built and certainly convey the feel of narrow gauge passenger equiipment. 

-----Original Message---
From: Bruce <in2trains@...>
To: HOn3@groups.io
Sent: Sun, Oct 11, 2020 10:18 am
Subject: [HOn3] Prototype?

Guys,

I recently purchased at an estate sale two brass HOn3 passenger cars (only $20 each).  I figured it was a quick way to get some rolling stock on my under construction East Broad Top.

There were no boxes. The only identification was a UNITED sticker on the bottom of each.

Anyone know the prototypes they are based on?

--
Russ Norris, MMR
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
http://blacklogvalleyrailroad.blogspot.com/

You got a GREAT deal, Bruce!  A couple of years ago, at a train show,I picked up a couple of brass coaches for $50 each.  There were three available from an estate sale.  For some dumb reason I didn't buy all three -- I guess I was worried how to explain $150 price for three cars to my wife.  The upside is that they were painted and lettered for the EBT.  They even came with seats and passengers!  The coaches were numbered for EBT #5 and #6.  When I got them home I looked those numbers up in R&K.  Turns out that both those numbers were on the 1916 roster.  Number 5 was 36-8 and seated 43.  It was reclassified as a miner's coach and sold in 1953 to the Shenandoah Central, which sold it to the Tweetsie.  When the book was published it was still in use.  Number 6 is listed as 35 feet long seating 35.  It was retired in 1934.  My reaction to all that is "close enough!"  The cars were probably D&RGW prototypes, but they look pretty good trailing #14 with combine #14 on the rear!  And they actually run very well.  I should have bought the third one.

Russ

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 4:26 PM Bruce Bowie <buybruce@...> wrote:

Thank you to all responders.  My summation is for $40 I got a decent pair of cars I can use on my EBT until I can get more appropriate cars.

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 2:24 PM Lawrence Wisniewski via groups.io <lwreno=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

The first car is a parlor or chair car from the 5 car set issued by PFM way back when.  The second car is the combine from that set.  I spent a lot of time not long ago trying to find out what the prototype of the parlor car was.  You'll note the distinctive window patterns and the presence of platforms on both ends.  I checked out the two most recent books on DRGW passenger cars and came to the conclusion that this car represents a combination of features from several cars and not a specific prototype car.  The only disclaimer I can put on that conclusion is that not all Chair cars from the early years were adequately photographed.  The combine represents a car from the 202 to 210 group.  It lacks several features specific to the long combine used on the Pagosa branch.  These cars were produced somewhere in the late 60's - early 70's, and are good examples of how limited prototype research was back then. PFM allowed their first K-27 to come out with features taken from at least 3 different  locos, so this coach set fits right into the thinking of brass importers and builders back then.  Never the less, they are well built and certainly convey the feel of narrow gauge passenger equiipment. 

-----Original Message---
From: Bruce <in2trains@...>
To: HOn3@groups.io
Sent: Sun, Oct 11, 2020 10:18 am
Subject: [HOn3] Prototype?

Guys,

I recently purchased at an estate sale two brass HOn3 passenger cars (only $20 each).  I figured it was a quick way to get some rolling stock on my under construction East Broad Top.

There were no boxes. The only identification was a UNITED sticker on the bottom of each.

Anyone know the prototypes they are based on?

--
Russ Norris, MMR
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
http://blacklogvalleyrailroad.blogspot.com/

They were also sold in 2 car sets. 

I have a pair in the original box somewhere

John Peckham

On Mon, Oct 12, 2020 at 9:25 AM, Mark Kasprowicz

<mark@...> wrote:

[Edited Message Follows]

I have a couple of those cars pictured in the five car set on Ebay but in a different box. At the same time there is another pair of passenger cars on Ebay different to mine but the same as two others in the 5 car set. The pairs are in the same style of box, black not dark blue. So were the original five car sets broken up for whatever reason and repackaged and is this the reason why Bruce just got hold of a pair? The absence of an RPO in the five car set might be an indication of how early this set was.

Mark K
Oxon England.