NYC "20th CENTURY LTD" NEW YORK CENTRAL 1948 FULL 9 CAR Set

Description: WALTHERS HO Scale Ready-To-Run 20th CENTURY LIMITED FULL 9 CAR SetOut-Of-Production DISCONTINUED By the ManufacturerNew York Central 1948 20th Century Limited Streamlined Cars AssembledOur consist includes One Each of : 932-9310 "…Shore" Series Club-Lounge 932-9311 "…Bridge" Series 4-4-2 Sleeper 932-9312 "…Creek" Series 5 Double Bedroom Buffet-Lounge-Observation 932-9313 "…River" Series 10-6 Sleeper 932-9314 "Port…" Series 12 Double-Bedroom Sleeper 932-9315 "…Bay" Series 22-Roomette Sleeper 932-9316 68-Seat Full-Length Dining Car #400-03 932-9317 Railway Post Office - Baggage #5017-20 w/60' Postal Apartment 932-9318 Kitchen-Dormitory #474-75 Completely New from Diesels to Lookout Lounge! A typical consist in the late 1940s would include the following (the actual number of sleepers would change daily to meet demand, and the train usually ran in two sections):•E7 A-B Diesel Set (used for entire trip)•One RPO/Baggage•Five 4-4-2 Sleepers•Three 10-6 Sleepers•One Lounge•One Dorm/Kitchen•One Full Diner•Three 13 Double-Bedroom Sleepers•ATSF 10-6 or 4-4-2 Sleeper•One Observation/LoungeStarting in 1946, ATSF and NYC offered run-through service so coast-to-coast passengers wouldn't need to change trains at Chicago; Santa Fe cars went east on the "20th Century," while New York Central 4-4-2 Bridge and 10-6 River sleepers went west on the "Chief." Our consist includes: 932-9317 Railway Post Office - Baggage #5017-20 w/60' Postal Apartment 932-9311 "…Bridge" Series 4-4-2 Sleeper 932-9315 "…Bay" Series 22-Roomette Sleeper 932-9313 "…River" Series 10-6 Sleeper 932-9314 "Port…" Series 12 Double-Bedroom Sleeper 932-9316 68-Seat Full-Length Dining Car #400-03 932-9318 Kitchen-Dormitory #474-75 932-9310 "…Shore" Series Club-Lounge 932-9312 "…Creek" Series 5 Double Bedroom Buffet-Lounge-Observation Based on 1948 Train• 9 Completely New Cars• Authentic Paint & Lettering• Superbly Detailed Inside & Out• PROTO-Max™ Die Cast Metal Knuckle Couplers• Matching PROTO 2000® E7 DieselsLike the prototype, Walthers 20th Century is "Completely New from Diesels to Lookout Lounge!" And best of all, you can build a complete and affordable Century fleet, from the Phase II EMD E7 diesels to the train's signature "…Creek" series observation-lounge.No other train fired the imagination of the American public like New York Central's 20th Century Limited. Its exclusive clientele and blistering schedule between New York and Chicago made it the stuff of legends for 65 years. A favorite with business and industry leaders, its luxurious accommodations - including a red carpet on the platform at New York - also attracted stars of stage and screen, further fueling the train's celebrity status and romantic image. New equipment finally arrived from Pullman in 1948, supplemented by refurbished 4-4-2 sleepers and RPOs from the 1938 trains. Painted in a new version of the two-tone gray scheme, sleepers and observations were named for various bodies of water in salute to the "Water Level Route" slogan. Up front, matched sets of EMD E7s provided 4000 horsepower to meet the 16-hour westbound, 15-1/2 hour eastward schedule. * Based on 1948 Train * 9 Completely New Cars * Authentic Paint & Lettering * Superbly Detailed Inside & Out * PROTO-Max(TM) Die Cast Metal Knuckle Couplers * Matching PROTO 2000(R) E7 Diesels (sold in a separate listing) No other train fired the imagination of the American public like New York Central's 20th Century Limited. Its exclusive clientele and blistering schedule between New York and Chicago made it the stuff of legends for 65 years. A favorite with business and industry leaders, its luxurious accommodations - including a red carpet on the platform at New York - also attracted stars of stage and screen, further fueling the train's celebrity status and romantic image. New equipment finally arrived from Pullman in 1948, supplemented by refurbished 4-4-2 sleepers and RPOs from the 1938 trains. Painted in a new version of the two-tone gray scheme, sleepers and observations were named for various bodies of water in salute to the "Water Level Route" slogan. Up front, matched sets of EMD E7s provided 4000 horsepower to meet the 16-hour westbound, 15-1/2 hour eastward schedule. 20TH CENTURY CONSIST A typical consist in the late 1940s would include the following (the actual number of sleepers would change daily to meet demand, and the train usually ran in two sections): E7 A-B Diesel Set (used for entire trip) One RPO/Baggage Five 4-4-2 sleepers Three 10-6 sleepers One Lounge One Dorm/Kitchen One Full Diner Three 13 Double-bedroom sleepers ATSF 10-6 or 4-4-2 Sleeper* One Observation/Lounge *Starting in 1946, ATSF and NYC offered run-through service so coast-to-coast passengers wouldn't need to change trains at Chicago; Santa Fe cars went east on the "20th Century," while New York Central 4-4-2 Bridge and 10-6 River sleepers went west on the "Chief." Like the prototype, Walthers 20th Century is "Completely New from Diesels to Lookout Lounge!" And best of all, you can build a complete and affordable Century fleet, from the Phase II EMD E7 diesels to the train's signature "...Creek" series observation-lounge. In addition, these First Edition models include a special certificate of authenticity, and an in-depth history of each car and loco! PLEASE NOTE: As these cars are the correct prototype length and feature full underbody detail to match the prototypes, a minimum 24" radius is recommended for operation. Photos show preproduction models with modeler-applied grab irons installed and painted; some details may vary. And Like the New York Central, you'll want the best motive power available to pull your 1948 Century - the all-new PROTO 2000 EMD Phase II E7 diesels available with or without sound and DCC. (Sold in Separate Listing) 20th CENTURY LIMITED HISTORY:The 20th Century Limited was an express passenger train on the New York Central Railroad (NYC) from 1902 to 1967. The train traveled between Grand Central Terminal in New York City and LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, Illinois, along the railroad's "Water Level Route".NYC inaugurated the 20th Century Limited as competition to the Pennsylvania Railroad, aimed at upper-class and business travelers. It made few station stops along the way and used track pans to take water at speed. On June 15, 1938, streamlined train sets designed by Henry Dreyfuss were added to the route.Widely considered to be one of the greatest American passenger trains of all time, the 20th Century Limited was the flagship train of the New York Central and was advertised as "The Most Famous Train in the World". It was described in The New York Times as having been "[...] known to railroad buffs for 65 years as the world's greatest train", and its style was described as "spectacularly understated". The phrase "red-carpet treatment" is derived from passengers' walking to the train on a specially-designed crimson carpet. History "The Most Famous Train In The World" (1912 NYC ad)The 20th Century Limited first ran on June 15, 1902. It completed its run from New York to Chicago in 20 hours, four hours less than previous trains, and arrived three minutes ahead of schedule. It offered a barbershop and secretarial services. The New York Times' report stressed the routine nature of the trip, with no special procedures being followed and no extra efforts being made to break records. It said that there "was no excitement along the way," and quoted a railroad official's claim: "it is a perfectly practical run and will be continued." Engineer William Gates said, "This schedule can be made without any difficulty. I can do it every time, barring accidents."The schedule cut two more hours off the run in June 1905, and, on the 21st of that month, the train was intentionally derailed on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway line at Mentor, Ohio, killing 21 passengers. It reverted to 20 hours in 1912 and was unchanged until 1932. In 1935, it dropped to 16 hours, 30 minutes; then to 16 hours on June 15, 1938, when lightweight cars were implemented.In the 1920s, the New York-Chicago fare was $32.70 plus the extra fare of $9.60, plus the Pullman charge (e.g. $9 for a lower berth), for a total of $51.30, equal to $891.28 today. This fare entitled a passenger to a bed closed off from the aisle by curtains; a compartment to oneself cost more. In 1928, the peak year, the train earned revenue of $10 million and was believed to be the most profitable train in the world.The cars of the 20th Century Limited were lit with fluorescent lamps soon after their introduction, which coincided with the introduction of the new Art Deco train sets on June 15, 1938. In 1938, industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss was commissioned by the New York Central to design streamlined train sets in Art Deco style, with the locomotive and passenger cars rendered in blues and grays (the colors of NYC). The streamlined sets were inaugurated on June 15, 1938. His design was probably the most famous American passenger train. The first new 20th Century Limited train left New York City at 18:00 Eastern Time and arrived at Chicago's La Salle Street Station the following morning at 09:00 Central Time, traveling the 960.7 miles (1,546 km) at an average 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The eastbound train left La Salle Street Station in Chicago at 15:00 and arrived at Grand Central Terminal the following morning at 08:00. For a few years after World War II, the eastward schedule was shortened to 15½ hours.In 1945, EMD diesel-electrics replaced steam, and two new diesel-electric-powered trainsets were commissioned. The replacement was inaugurated by General Dwight D. Eisenhower in September, 1948. This set was featured in postwar films such as North by Northwest and The Band Wagon.Like many express passenger trains through the mid-1960s, the 20th Century Limited carried an East Division (E.D.) Railway Post Office (R.P.O.) car operated by the Railway Mail Service (RMS) of the United States Post Office Department which was staffed by USPOD clerks as a "fast mail" on each of its daily runs. The mails received by, postmarked, processed, sorted and dispatched from the 20th Century Limited's RPOs were either canceled or backstamped (as appropriate) during the trip by hand-applied circular date stamps (CDS) reading "N.Y. & CHI. R.P.O. E.D. 20TH CEN.LTD." and the train's number: "25" (NY–CHI) or "26" (CHI–NY).For much of its history before 1957, the all-Pullman train made station stops only at Grand Central Terminal and Harmon for New York–area passengers and LaSalle Street Station and Englewood for Chicago-area passengers. These traveled in as many as seven sections (each was a separate, complete train), of which the first was named the Advance 20th Century Limited. In 1957, the 20th Century Limited schedule added more station stops to the original four (two terminals and two suburban stops). In the 1960s, the NYC added slumbercoaches to the roster of sleeping cars.DemiseBy the late 1960s, the train was in decline. On December 2, 1967 at 18:00, the half-full train left Grand Central Terminal's Track 34 for the last time. As always, carnations were given to men and perfume and flowers to women boarding the train. The next day, it arrived at LaSalle Street Station in Chicago 9 hours 50 minutes late due to a freight derailment near Conneaut, Ohio, which forced a slow rerouting over the parallel Nickel Plate railroad freight line.Present dayAmtrak now operates the Lake Shore Limited between New York Penn Station and Chicago Union Station. It follows a route similar to the 20th Century's, except west of Whiting, Indiana (near Chicago), where it switches to the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway.On August 26, 1999, the United States Postal Service issued 33-cent All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains commemorative stamps featuring five celebrated American passenger trains from the 1930s and 1940s. One of the five stamps features an image of a streamlined J-3a steam locomotive leading the 20th Century Limited out of the Chicago railyards on its way to New York, with the Board of Trade Building in the background. Car Features:Accurately scaled from engineering drawingsScaled Dimensions & Rivet DetailComplete End, Roof & Underbody DetailingFactory - Installed Side Door Hand RailsScale set-back windows Correct Trucks with RP-25 Metal WheelsDetailed Full InteriorsFull Decal Set Removable Roof Standard Drawbar Gearbox Light pick ups installed (accepts light bar - sold separately) Crisp detailed, realistic lettering, matched to prototype photographsRealistic satin paint finish, great for weatheringGreat for weathering with chalks or airbrush Detailed truck side framesLow-friction, nonmagnetic, needlepoint metal axles, no lubrication required.Minimum Radius 24 inches recommended It is FULL 9 CAR Setof the " 20th CENTURY LIMITED " Serieswith paperwork and CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY VERY HARD TO FIND ITEM SHIPPING: We do combine shipping on multiple purchases. If you do a Buy It Now the transaction requires immediate payment for each item separately. What you need to do is put it in the shopping cart and then when you go to checkout it will recalculate the shipping and combine the items for you. If you pay first I am unable to make any adjustment because ebay has then taken its fees on the shipping as well. If you have a concern message me and I can work something out for you. THIS IS AN ASSEMBLED Item The item is NEW in the original box from old stock PERSONAL INVENTORY: Many of these unique items are from my personal inventory which was accumulated over the years. They are hard to part with but due to downsizing in retirement they too are looking for a good home which can appreciate and enjoy them. STORE INVENTORY: Having discontinued my Hobby Store and left frigid “Minne-Snow-Da” I have relocated and retired to the warmer part of the country, Down to Sunny TEXAS. I will be Liquidating the remaining stock. I will be listing items over the next year or so clearing them out. Please see the photos we take actual photos of each item Most of these items are New in the box removed only to take photos of them.

Price: 1899.95 USD

Location: Van, Texas

End Time: 2025-01-08T16:42:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD