Polar Express Coaches?


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EightyMac

New Member
Hello. I am considering starting a project. It is to create HO mode;s of the Polar Express coaches from the movie.

In my own visual analysis, the coaches in the movie MAY look like standard heavyweights, but they're not. They're what I like to call "bantamweights" or "shorties." They are much shorter than a standard heavyweight---about 40 scale feet in length, which is evident if you compare the size of the coaches to the Berkshire's tender. The small size is also evident in interior shots, where there are only 10 rows of seats, and by the use of 4 axles instead of 6.

I was originally thinking about doing this as a kitbashing job---by essentially taking an ordinary off-the-shelf heavyweight, severing out the center section of the body, bonding the ends together (making sure the car is 40 scale feet) and trading the 3-axle trucks for 2-axle trucks.

Any opinions? Suggestions?
 
The MDC Harriman coaches are a close size and style to the polar coaches. I just used standard Rivarossi/AHM coaches for my Polar Express, I think it looks fine to me. I pull mine with a PFM/United brass Berkshire I modified to look more like the engine from the movie. Was a early NKP version without the mars light, all I did was remove the flying numberboards from the boiler face and install a bright constant intensity headlight. I have pics on here in another thread, photobucket's site is having issues and I cant get to my pics of my train at the moment. Mike
 
Mac...40' heavyweight coaches being hauled by a huge Berkshine would look very odd and ungainly indeed and totally out of character as HO models. Likewise, unless you have a pretty good background in kitbashing, chopping up and re-assembling full-sized coaches and having had the end results really look good, such a job can be more than a match for most hobbyists.

Might I suggest purchasing several of the newly issued, painted but undecaled, Rivarossi 60' heavyweight coaches listed in the the 2010 Walthers to act as a starting point...Walthers #635-HR4084. These are excellent shorty cars which even include interiors and they are not unreasonably priced.

NYW&B
 
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Ok, here are a few pics of my Polar Express locomotive and train. Mike
001-15.png

004-8.png

004-7.png
 
I will get a more complete train pic tonight when I run it at the local hobby shop. I have everything but the tail car done, I am in the process of making the normal flat end observation car into a rounded in with the red light and round railing on the tail. Cant wait to see your PE train. Mike
 
EMac, don't base your idea of how long the coaches are on the size of the Berkshire. From Wikipedia: In the film, artistic liberty is taken with the appearance of the locomotive and its tender, both being made to seem even more massive than the 794,500 pound (360,400 kilogram) original. The cars are definitely not Harriman coaches, since they all have clerestory windows. A standard length Rivarossi or Athearn heavyweight coach, or the shorty that NYW&B pointed out, would be fine. This was a computer generated animation and the car interiors were sized to fit the scene. I know the engine was based on a PM Berkshire but I've never read any authoritative information on what models, if any, they used for the coaches.
 
lionel did it both ways, as 6 axle heavyweights on thier upcoming scale version, and as 4 axle shorty heavyweights for the toy train set. Both look great, I think the movie pics show 2 axle trucks instead of 3 but its really just a personal choice since its a fictional train. I thought the standard AHM/Rivarossi heavyweights looked good enough, espicaly now they are all painted and lettered. Lionel put the PE lettering above the windows, but at several times during the movie, you can clearly see the name is below the windows. Now that the Christmas decorations are out, I plan to flock the roofs of all the cars to give them a snowy look. I like the Rivarossi coaches over the Athearn, they seem to track better and pull easier. I know my berk is having no problem pulling them. For berks, you have the newer Proto 2000 Berkshire in the PM lettering, Bachmann, the older Rivarossi's that will need the mars light removed along with the flying numberboards, or brass. Good luck with you endevor and please share pics along the way. PM me if you need assistance on aquiring decals, the gentleman I used can make more, around $25 a sheet and 1 sheet did my engine, all the cars with 1 spare set of car decals, 1 extra tender decal, locomotive number and a tail sign decal as it wasnt a lighted drumhead, but a circular plaque on the railing. Its a shame Lionel grabbed the licensing agreements, would have been nice to see a HO scale versoin produced. I didnt modify my pilot on my engine, I may eventualy put the longer cowcatcher version like in the movie. Cheers Mike
 
One of our club members has a Polar Express train that he runs when we set up. Im not a steam guy so I never paid close attention to the loco or any of the cars. Seems I recall him saying it was something he bought commercially instead of built.
 
I was thinking of modelling in HO. Thanks for your input! The coaches will be my first project, though I may not be able to complete it by this Christmas.

P. S.: I thought I should tell you that when I get to the Berkshire, I want to detail it the way the engine in the movie looks (white tender lettering, no road number, no number boards, no class lights, no feedwater heater, and a headlight seemingly embedded in the smokebox door rather than mounted on a bracket outside), and a DCC card with a PE-style-sounding whistle. Any advice there?
 
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