Rapido N Scale Gallery Cars

With the conclusion of World War II and the shift towards increased commuting from the newly established suburbs and downtown jobs, railroads were looking for ways to replace their fleets with modern equipment following the war. With the need to haul more passengers per car, and with the length of cars maxed out, Pullman and Budd developed what would quickly be called the “gallery car.” Using a standard passenger car chassis design, the height of the car was extended to the maximum clearance permitted and cantilevered walkways were placed above the standard passenger car (similar to luggage racks) with additional seating added on an upper level. The open space between the upper levels allowed a single conductor to check all tickets, and also gave the cars their nickname - The Gallery Car. With wide center doors and stairs to each of the 4 rows of gallery seating, these cars proved immensely popular in carrying more passengers and reducing loading time at stations.

The first examples of these cars built by Budd would be delivered to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1950 with an order of 30 coaches. The first cab cars would be developed for the Milwaukee Road with an order of 8 (along with 32 regular coaches) in 1961. Over 350 cars in total would be built by Budd, with the final examples rolling off the line in 1978. Since then other manufacturers have continued to use the overall concept of the gallery car for the design and construction of new vehicles, some of which have displaced many of the earliest cars built by Budd as well as Pullman.