And now for something completely different: review of a passenger car model.

Arriving in the mail today much to my glee is an N&W P3 coach, part of MTH's new Powhatan Arrow set. The rest I hope will be delivered soon.

Some history on the cars would be appropriate for the review. According to Thomas W. Dixon's book on the Powhatan Arrow. The P3 is a class of 10-coaches built for the N&W by Pullman-Standard and delivered in 1949. They came in a couple different interior color schemes with the MTH car using a 2-tone brown interior scheme. The MTH model represents an as-delivered car, though it has black trucks instead of the original Pullman green. The under-frame skirts are in place, as are the cinder deflectors at each end. The skirts were removed in the mid '50s to make maintenance easier, but I don't know when the cinder deflectors were removed.

Now, I am not a detail snob, but I can get picky at times, so though I didn't measure out the car, the dimensions looked good at first glance. In comparing the model to the photos and drawings in Dixon's Powhatan Arrow book I find the model compares very well in terms of fidelity to detail and paint and lettering. Only having had Walthers and Spectrum cars to compare this model too, I'd been impressed by the level of detail included, such as the cut-levers, air, steam and signal lines, plus all the under-frame piping.
The car came standard with a variety of Kadee's #58 coupler, and rather free rolling metal wheels.
I rather liked the stock lighting, though waiting for the capacitor to activate on DC might take a bit of time as it says in the instructions.
The interior includes not just molded seats, but also seats in the smoking lounges and restroom accouterments. but they tried to approximate the style of seating used with the armrests molded like the originals. The seats and floor are a dark-brown while the sides are a light greenish-brown (I have a hard time with some colors so forgive me if that's not accurate).
There are two screw holes for the couplers so one can have the cars closer coupled if they like.
That had been the good, now here's what I am not so thrilled about:
The interior has the chair surfaces barely above the floor, so anyone seeking to add figures will need to chop off legs. I did so though I can see I'll have to do so to the conductor figure as well as he towers well above the other figures. Some of Preiser's passenger sets do not include the full legs, so they'd work well.
I don't like that the diaphragms do not compress in, but only swivel, but even so for those with very wide curves I am imagine they'll look great.
The eyelet like pieces to the left and right above the diaphragms were not well done, on the model they're basically plastic nubs. One day I'd like to replace with better parts.
That being said, with the alternatives being scratch-building, car sides and cores or brass I'd happily take the MTH cars and look forward to the rest of the series.
I've yet to really layout test the car, but will soon for sure.
Thanks all
Alvie