Built in 1942, this lightweight streamlined car was one of 18 Imperial-series sleepers the Pullman Co. assigned to the San Francisco Overland Limited between Chicago and the West Coast. The car’s “4-4-2” designation indicates its accommodations included 4 bedrooms, 4 compartments, and 2 drawing rooms.
These cars were delivered in Pullman’s two-tone gray color scheme with Overland Limited lettering. When the Pullman Co. was forced to give up its monopoly on sleeping car services in 1948, the cars in lot no. 6668 were divided among the train’s operators. The Union Pacific bought 12, Chicago & North Western four, and Southern Pacific two. Between 1952 and 1956 the UP cars were repainted into the railroad’s postwar Armour Yellow scheme with the owner’s name on the letterboards.
These 4-4-2s operated system wide in the UP’s Streamliner car pool on the City of Los Angeles and City of San Francisco trains, and also on the City of Portland and City of St. Louis until the service was turned over to Amtrak in 1971. A few 4-4-2s were retained by the UP for company service, and some were converted into maintenance-of-way bunk cars.
The Walthers model matches all of the major dimensions shown in a prototype car diagram published in The Union Pacific Streamliners by Harold E. Ranks and William W. Kratville. It doesn’t have any skirting, so all of its interesting underbody details can be seen.
Prototype passenger cars were built to customer order, so Walthers has developed a clever multiple-option production method to accommodate all of these variations. Take a good look at the exploded drawings in the instruction sheet to see how it’s assembled.
Running gear. A pair of steel weights are sandwiched between the interior floor and the underbody. The weights bring the model up to the seven ounces specified in the National Model Railroad Association’s Recommended Practice RP-20.1.
The 4-4-2 sleeper has Proto-Max magnetic knuckle couplers mounted in swinging coupler boxes for operation on tight-radius curves. Walthers recommends a minimum radius of 24″, but the car looks much better on larger curves. The one-piece narrow diaphragms can move against their internal springs, but the coupler spacing doesn’t quite let the diaphragms touch.
The die-cast metal truck sideframes have crisply molded springs and other details and separately applied parts, such as the bolster anchors. All eight wheels of each truck can pick up power in case the buyer wants to add a lighting kit.
Finish. Our sample car came smoothly painted and clearly lettered. Decal lettering is provided for the UP Imperial-series car names. The roof and end grab irons are properly painted gray, while the unpainted side handrails represent prototypes that appear to be chrome or nickel plated.
The car’s weights also serve as part of the built-in interior lighting circuit. The model has interior contacts at the non-vestibule end so a Walthers no. 933-1049 constant lighting system (offered separately) may be added as a drop-in installation.
Overall, this Pullman-Standard 4-4-2 sleeper is a great start to Walthers’ Streamliner series of lightweight UP passenger cars, especially since I didn’t have to install any handrails, as was the case with previous Walthers ready-to-run passenger cars. Once all 14 cars are available, modelers can assemble an impressive consist to represent many passenger trains the UP operated in the postwar era.
Price: $64.98
Manufacturer
Wm. K. Walthers Inc.
P.O. Box 3039
Milwaukee, WI 53201-3039
www.walthers.com
Road name: Union Pacific. Undecorated also available.
Era: 1942 to 1971
Features
Accepts Walthers no. 933-1049 lighting kit (not included)
Decals for car names and numbers
Die-cast metal and plastic
41-HR trucks with free-rolling, scale 36″-diameter RP-25 metal wheels on plastic axles that match the National Model RailroadAssociation standards
Factory-installed wire handrails
Minimum radius: 24″
Proto-Max magnetic knuckle couplers (correct height) Weight: 7 ounces (matches NMRA recommended 3practice 20.1)
