I’ll compare some different cars and post them here, if anyone is interested.
Piko (left) USA (Right)
Sorry, I don’t do pictures…
You could also show the passenger cars offered by Bachmann, and LGB, which are a bit longer in length and offer as many or more varieties, such as two door and single door baggage cars, coaches and observation cars. The Bachmann cars ued to be much less expensive, when available…
On our expansive railroad here in Ottawa, we intermix a variety of the brands, and have them re-lettered for our railroad. As a branch line/short line we purchase used equipment and to save the cost of repainting, we simply re-letter the cars for our road…!!
There was of course the other cars put out by Delton…but they were a slightly smaller scale, although their RPO looks Ok in a consist of other makes, if you are not too fussy. Kalamazoo also put out a coach and combine, but they were offered only with arch bar freight trucks. Their combine was also offered as a Drover’s caboose, with a cupola…as was the LGB combine.
It is too bad that LGB, and or Bachmann never has offered an RPO in their line/scale, with or without a “Blind End”
Fred Mills
You will also note that in pictures, the Piko cars are almost just shorter versions of the LGB products.
Sorry for the numerous posts, but my memory seems to come out in short bursts…
Fred Mills
Fred,
You are not alone with the memory lapses. 
I think I have all (Or most–remember the memory thing) passenger car examples.
Except heavy weights or streamliners–none of those.
I’ll do more comparisons and post them to bore everyone to tears. 
The first thing I noticed is the one on the right either offers a better ride or has significantly cheaper fares. The one on the left does not have a single passenger. 
Seriously though, it got me thinking. There’s going to be a plethora of comparisons that folks will want to add to the conversation. Like what couplers come standard? Those couplers wouldn’t shake hands if they were both wearing gloves.
John, this is a perfect Wiki topic as it is doing a comparison. It would sure help those new to the hobby. It could include all sorts of things that newbies might want to know…
- scale accuracy
- ruggedness fragility
- enjoyability
- good for kitbashing
- do well on tight curves
*etc.
Anyway something to consider….
I thing the only one that will be compared is the Accucraft 1:20.3 that is to scale.
The rest are all whatevers… 
Couplers…well from my experience over 40 years is that in order to have a railroad in any scale, with varied makes of equipment, it is best to make one make of coupler, the coupler you like the most, and is dependable, your standard. If you keep all your curves and switches over 5 feet in diameter, then you can body mount…if you want to.
Trying to mix couplers is always frustrating.
All makes of rolling stock can be converted to any one make of coupler, without ruining your rolling stock, unless you are a collector, and want to retain some sort of value on resale.
Before Kadee finally came out with Large scale couplers, there was basicly only loop hook couplers available.
We standardized on the Kadee #1 gauge couplers when they first came out, as for once we had a coupler that didn’t look way oversize on a LS model, and performed very well on well maintained track. I also found that there was never a car that I couldn’t body mount a Kadee coupler on, and have the car look more prototypical.
Since way back then, I have body mounted Kadee couplers on well over 500 pieces of rolling stock…my own and for friends…my favourite is the Kadee #820.
Other people have their favourite couplers, and I respect their choice.
I don’t want to make couplers a major topic on this passenger car thread, but Couplers were mentioned a a part of the choice of Passenger cars on this thread.
Fred, I just read your reply and mentioned that you are the LSC go-to-guy for coupler advice… and I swear my phone was eavesdropping as this popped up on my news feed tonight.
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Interesting thing is that in actual railroading cars are not coupled and uncoupled; they are “tied” or “cut”. I think these terms are used to minimize radio time. When I was switching in the bowl of a hump yard, distance was measured by the number of (imaginary) 50 foot hopper cars. Radio instructions would sound like, “Five cars to a tie.” (Meaning 250 feet to a coupling.)
Best, David Meashey
There are probably 750+ cars in our small group of Geezer Gagers, all with body mounted KD’s.
820 (1906) series on the 1:32 and 830 (906) series on all the other scales.
Some are modified, but they are all KD’s using the KD height gauge for mounting.
All Lokies also.
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I have a Delton Long, Hartford long and Aristo short. I just have to dig them out.
Acucraft - bachmann
Accu - LGB
Accu - Delton short
Accu = USA short
Accu-PIKO
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Almost makes me want to get out some of my passenger cars for comparison.
Between the USA and PIKO shorties, I think the USA is a better model. It has more detail like roof vents and metal handrails. PIKO has no vents and all plastic handrails.
The Delton’s are well detailed and in a class of there own as the shortest.
LGB and Bachmann are basically the same. On the Bachmann’s, I have replaced all the porch rails and grabs on mine with metal ones and added roof vents.
I haven’t got around to adding roof vents to some of the LGB yet.
The PIKO has moved into 4th place as to details and finish in the shorty models.
I even rank the Delton above it.
Accucraft-Aristo Craft
USA-AristoCraft
So the Aristo 212 in interesting.
This is kinda going into the other thread of Shorty cars but is there a prototype for that arrangement especially with the double vestibule doors on the side?
I’m asking as a 56yr old young guy and do not no these things. So I gotta ask an old guy as I lost my old guy information source at the beginning of this year!
As an old Geezer, I haven’t seen a side door vestibule shorty picture of the real thing.
So I’m guessing it’s Lewis Polk’s idea.
I believe you are correct. I did a little more digging and I’m beginning to think it may have been it was a interurban NJ fantasy. Hard to say but 212 would look pretty cool with pantographs. Hard to say but the man had a mission which he accomplished.