Watch in hand, the conductor stands outside, ready to wave a highball. The porter shows us to our Pullman accommodations, and helps us settle in for the overnight dash to Chicago aboard the Pennsylvania Railroad's popular streamliner, The General.

A unique mix of mail, coaches and luxurious Pullmans, our newest HO WalthersProto name train is a fitting tribute to this legendary member of the famed Blue Ribbon fleet as it ran into the 1960s. Choose from 11 signature cars - including four newly tooled models - available with factory-printed names and numbers as appropriate, or standard versions with decals for easy customizing. Correct EP-25 (EMD E8A) diesels in two schemes will also be available separately to speed your trains east or west!

Sure to be the pride of your operations or collection, three layout-ready Deluxe Edition trains will also be available. Choose from two 13-car consists based on the complete train, along with a unique three-car set to model the Washington, DC, section running between Harrisburg and the nation's capital. These layout-ready-replicas each feature a unique factory-printed name or number, plus factory-installed LED interior lighting and Preiser figures (130 in the 13-car sets, 30 in the Washington Section) as appropriate. 

For the first time ever, we're offering a limited-edition freight train, based on the Pennsylvania's Merchandise Service. The Merchandise Service limited edition freight train is available in three sets, each featuring 12 newly tooled WalthersProto X29B rebuilt boxcars and an N6B wood cabin car (caboose), and limited edition EFP-15 (FP7) locomotives will be available separately as single units or in FP7-F7B sets, in two different paint schemes. Both versions will be offered in DCC and Sound versions, as well as Standard DC. 

 

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* Two authentic paint schemes -
          - Tuscan Red, Buff lettering w/5 stripes (no striping on windows), PRR Keystone
          - Tuscan Red, Buff lettering, single stripe, shadow Keystone
* Available with ESU LokSound 5 Sound & DCC for DCC and DC layouts
* Five-Pole, skew-wound high-efficiency can motor
* Helical gears with 14:1 ratio for smooth, ultra-quiet running
* Easy multiple-unit operation
* Superb paint and lettering with real metal and painted finish
* Heavy die-cast metal underframe
* Proto MAX™ metal knuckle couplers

 

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* 11 signature cars used on The General and other Blue Ribbon streamliners 
* Four new cars - 
        - P85b Coach
        - POC85 Buffet-Observation
        - BD85 85' ACF Pennsylvania-style Baggage-Dormitory
        - PS6L 85' Pullman-Standard 6-Double Bedroom Falls series sleeper
* Available in 2 versions - Standard w/decals, or Factory-printed name/number
* Prototypically tinted windows with gaskets as appropriate
* Factory-installed grab irons
* Modeler-installed extended drawbars for 22" radius curves
* Superbly detailed inside and out
* Correct trucks with turned metal 36" wheelsets
* Proto MAX™ metal knuckle couplers 

 

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After assuming the duties of The Trailblazer and the Liberty Limited in the 1950s, The General was called on to do double-duty, handling coaches as well as a block of cars heading to and from Washington, DC. These hand-offs took place at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where schedules allowed roughly 20 minutes to transition from electric engines to diesels, and complete switching chores. One of the few major trains without a true observation bringing up the rear; a coach-lounge-observation was placed up front as a buffer between the long-distance coaches and the head-end cars, and actually ran backward. The train also lacked a working railway post office but handled more than its share of bulk mail, typically weekly magazines such as Life and Look moving from eastern publishers to post offices in outlying large cities. 

These 1960s-era consists show the varied make-up of The General, including cars added during peak demand days. 

April 1960 

Train #48 East Bound
Unless noted, all cars run Chicago-New York City  

MS-60 (Mail Storage, 60' capacity; typically R50B or B60B)
BD85 Baggage-Dormitory
POC85 Coach-Lounge-Observation: observation end to East (car runs backward)
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
Twin-Unit Diner and Kitchen-Dormitory pair
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg 
12-4 Sleeper: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg 
10-6 Sleeper: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg 
6-Double Bedroom Sleeper
12-4 Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper: Roanoke to New York, to train #638 at Harrisburg
10-5 Sleeper: Erie to New York, to train #574 at Harrisburg
10-5 Sleeper: Buffalo to New York, to train #574 at Harrisburg 

Train #49 West Bound
Unless noted, all cars run New York City-Chicago

MS-60 (Mail Storage, 60' capacity; typically R50B or B60B to Harrisburg)
MS-60 (Mail Storage, 60' capacity; typically R50B or B60B to Chicago or Oakland Pier)
BD85 Baggage-Dormitory
POC85 Coach-Lounge-Observation: observation end to west (car runs backward)
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
Twin-Unit Diner and Kitchen-Dormitory pair
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach: Washington-Chicago, from train #549 at Harrisburg 
12-4 Sleeper: Washington-Chicago from train #549 at Harrisburg
10-6 Sleeper: Washington-Chicago from, train #549 at Harrisburg 
6-Double Bedroom Sleeper
12-4 Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper
21-Roomette Sleeper

April 1964

Train #48 East Bound
Unless noted, all cars run Chicago-New York

MS-60 (Mail Storage, 60' capacity; typically R50B or B60B to New York)
BD85 Baggage-Dormitory
POC85 Coach-Lounge-Observation: observation end to east (car runs backward)
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach: May 29 to Sept. 13
P85BR Long-distance coach: Last trip September 13
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
Twin-Unit Diner and Kitchen-Dormitory pair
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg
P85BR Long-distance coach: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg 
P85BR Long-distance coach: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg
10-6 Sleeper: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg 
6-Double Bedroom Sleeper
12-4 Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper: Cleveland-New York, from train #38 (Pittsburgh)

Train #49 West Bound
Unless noted, all cars run New York City - Chicago

Express Car: Sunday only, New York-Harrisburg
BD85 Baggage-Dormitory
POC85 Coach-Lounge-Observation: observation end to west (car runs backward)
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach: Friday Only
P85BR Long-distance coach: May 29-September 13
P85BR Long-distance coach; to September 13th
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
Twin-Unit Diner and Kitchen-Dormitory pair
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach: Washington-Chicago, from train #549 at Harrisburg 
P85BR Long-distance coach: Washington-Chicago, from train #549 at Harrisburg P85BR Long-distance coach: Washington-Chicago, from train #549 at Harrisburg 
10-6 Sleeper: Washington-Chicago from, train #549 at Harrisburg 
6-Double Bedroom Sleeper
12-4 Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper

April 30, 1967

#48 East Bound
Unless noted, all cars run Chicago-New York

Express Car: Chicago-New Haven (via NH train #172)
MS-60 (Mail Storage, 60' capacity; typically B60B to New York)
Baggage-Mail X29 boxcar
P85BR Long-distance coach, December 15-January 3rd
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
Coach-Lounge (#1132, or #1133)
Twin-Unit Diner and Kitchen-Dormitory pair
P85BR Long-distance coach: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg 
10-6 Sleeper: Chicago-Washington, to train #548 at Harrisburg
6-Double Bedroom Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper

Train #49 West Bound
Unless noted, all cars run New York-Chicago

Express Car; Sunday Only New York - Harrisburg
Baggage-Mail X29 boxcar
P85BR Long-distance coach, December 15-January 3rd
P85BR Long-distance coach
P85BR Long-distance coach
Coach-Lounge (#1132, or #1133)
Twin-Unit Diner and Kitchen-Dormitory pair
P85BR Long-distance coach: Washington-Chicago, from train #549 at Harrisburg 
10-6 Sleeper: Washington-Chicago, from train #549 at Harrisburg
6-Double Bedroom Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper
10-6 Sleeper
P85BR Long-distance coach: Friday Only, New York-Harrisburg
Mail Storage: Tuesday morning only, Pittsburgh-Chicago

 

Like the prototype, The General will move quickly - and all models in this series will be produced to order.

 

August 31, 2021 is the last day to order, and will be here before you know it. Don't be disappointed reserve your replicas of this legendary train today! 

 

Order Due Date: September 30, 2021

Anticipated Delivery Date: Starting 2022

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