Product Review: Walthers 2 Bedroom Buffet/Lounge

I recently purchased an HO scale model of a Buffet Lounge car once found on the Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited, made by Walthers.  For the last several years, Walthers has made models specific to one historically significant passenger train, and this year, they have created models of the cars for the Broadway Limited.  The Broadway Limited once operated daily between Union Station, in Chicago, and Pennsylvania Station, in New York.  It was a luxury train, with all first class accommodations, and a fast schedule with only limited stops.  The train was a direct competitor to the 20th Century Limited, of the New York Central System, and was one of dozens of trains connecting New York and Chicago.  Being a first class train, there were no coaches found in the consist.  The train had several different types of sleeping accommodations, as well as dining and lounge cars for passengers to eat, drink, and socialize as they rushed towards their destination.  The model I purchased represents a car built by Pullman Standard, specifically for the Pennsylvania Railroad to use on their Broadway Limited, which is a combination of two bedrooms, a lounge area, and a small buffet, where drinks and light snacks would be served to passengers in the lounge.

Exterior:

This car is painted in the tuscan red, used on many of the passenger cars, freight cars, and locomotives of the Pennsylvania's fleet.  It features gold pinstripes, and gold lettering.  The paint on the model is clear and crisp, with sharp lines, and no bleed over between colors.  All the lettering is crisp and clear, and the model generally represents the typical high quality of Walthers products.  A feature which is relatively new on Walthers passenger cars is painted window sashes.  On this model, as well as other cars in the Broadway Limited set, the window sashes have been painted a metallic silver color, for the metal sashes, or black, for the rubber sashes, depending on what type of window would have been found on the prototype.  While it is a small, relatively minor detail, it actually does quite a lot for the model, and makes it look a little sharper.

The car features proper under body details, all of which are separately applied.  The under body equipment is all painted black.  The car includes metal wheels, and metal truck side frames, which are designed to pick up electricity from the tracks.  A lighting kit can be purchased separately and added to the car for a lighted interior.  The car also features working diaphragms, and Proto MAX magnetic knuckle couplers.  Additionally, all the grab bars on the car come factory applied and painted.  The car comes with a decal sheet, so the modeler can choose the name and road number to be applied.  Instructions packaged with the car include a diagram for placing the number and name decals.

Interior:

As with all Walthers passenger cars, this car features an interior.  The interior is molded in a plain, beige plastic.  While most of the windows are small, the interior can be seen through the window.  The modeler could paint the interior if the beige was particularly problematic, although I have not found it to be distracting from the overall quality of the model.  The interior is accessed by removing the roof panel, which snaps into place.  While the model comes unlighted, all the electrical contacts are in place to add a lighting kit, also manufactured by Walthers.  Adding some people to the lounge area, inside the car, would also add to the overall appearance, especially if the model is in a place where it can be easily viewed.

Operation:
The car operates well right out of the box, although it does take a bit of effort to pull the thing.  This is pretty typical of Walthers passenger cars.  I have found that applying a very small amount of graphite to the ends of the axles helps the car roll more freely, without completely insulating the wheels from the interior electrical contacts.  The car is long, the prototype being 85 feet, and so it is limited in its turning ability.  I was able to pull the car around a curve as tight as a 21 inch radius, although the car looked rather silly on such a tight turn.  Walthers recommends a minimum radius of 24 inches, which would work better operationally, even if it still looks a little tight.  Overall the car comes ready to operate.

I am happy that I bought this model.  I had been thinking about it for quite some time, as the Broadway Limited was a very famous train at one time, and is quite significant historically.  Additionally, I have a small family connection to the train.  My great grandfather, who I did meet, though do not remember, was a regular passenger on the Broadway Limited.  He lived near New York, and work took him to both Washington and Chicago on many occasions.  His preferred way of getting to either place was the Pennsylvania Railroad, and he took the Broadway Limited to Chicago, and back many times, riding behind steam locomotives, and later diesels.  I imagine that on some of his trips, he sat in the very lounge this car represents, socializing with some of the other passengers, over some evening cocktails.

Manufacturer: Walthers
Retail Price: $69.98
Available Paint Schemes (Model Numbers): Pennsylvania (932-9680), Undecorated (932-9618)