GE Silverliner IV MU Single Unit PC Version

Photo by Mike Bartel

Photos of Silverliner IV Single Unit assembled production kit
Shown with Bachmann pantograph (not included)
Click to see larger images

These MU electric commuter cars can trace their heritage back to the PRR Budd Pioneer III commuter cars of 1958. When the NJDOT needed a replacement for the aging MP54 MU cars back in the mid 1960s, they turned to the St. Louis Car Co., which was already building an order of Silverliners based on the Budd cars for the PRR's Philadelphia area commuter operations. With a few changes in the tooling, the Arrow I was created for NJDOT. The basic design of the Silverliner was widened, center doors were added, and oval passenger windows replaced the square windows of the PRR St. Louis cars. After the Arrow I cars entered service, more cars were required, but this time both the Philadelphia and NJ commuter operations turned to General Electric, which designed a car based on the Arrow I design for both systems. Utilizing body shells designed by aerospace firm AVCO and assembled at the Budd (Red Lion) plant, GE built orders of Silverliner IV cars for both the PC and RDG, and successive batches of Arrow II and Arrow III cars for NJDOT. The Silverliner IVs and Arrow IIs began delivery in 1974, while the last batch of Arrow III cars was delivered in 1977.
All these MU classes use the same carbody and trucks, but the Silverliner IVs have the long auxiliary roofs, no center doors and Faively pantographs. Silverliner IVs were built in single-unit and married pair configurations and both types were delivered to the PC and the RDG lines in Philadelphia. Arrow II cars were built with short auxiliary roofs over the center loading doors, and Faively pantographs, and they were built as married pair sets only. The Arrow IIIs were built with short auxiliary roofs over the center doors (two separate units on either side of the roof, unlike the single-piece units of the Arrow IIs) and Stemman pantographs. Arrow IIIs were built in single-units and married pairs.
Most of the original fleets of Silverliners and Arrow IIIs are still in regular service, though the Arrow IIs were retired in the late 1990s. Reportedly, their floors were in bad shape when they were retired. There was talk of SEPTA acquiring the Arrow II fleet at that time, and even more ambitious talk of a private firm acquiring them for a Philadelphia/Harrisburg high-speed service, but nothing came of these ideas. SEPTA did acquire one Arrow II for use on its overhead wire train, which at this writing, is still in service as such.

THE MODELS:

IHP's models of these cars represent over 25 years of interest and intense research of these vehcles. We have created these models to be miniatures of the real vehicles, not just models or representations like all the other 'Silverliner IV' models you may see around. We measured the real cars and did 'rivet counting' to ensure the most accurate and detailed model could be produced within our capabilities. IHP has reworked these super models for greater ease of production and assembly while retaining the same great details that makes these the best and finest Silverliner IV models available in HO scale. Body shells are now cast in one piece with ends, auxiliary roofs, center door plugs and all body details for the version being represented. These kits also come ready to accept our own design power truck when it becomes available. All this excellence at a price you can afford.

FEATURES:
*Undecorated, nonpowered assembly KITS
*One-piece accurate body shells w/stepwells
*Underbody details accurate for all car types
*Interior correct for all car types
*Body details (Auxiliary Roofs, cab ends, side doors, numberboards, roof electrical details, air scoops and vents) correct for all types, most details cast in place
*Diecast Metal GSI trucks with 33" wheels, these are real detailed trucks, not metal bricks
*PC-Style Pilots
*Flush-fitting clear tinted window inserts
*Working dummy Faively Pantograph
*Decal sheet for PC-style car numbers
*Kadee-compatible coupler pockets
*Instructions and mounting hardware included
*Minimum Recommended Radius 22"

GE SILVERLINER IV MU Car Kits

87176

Silverliner IV Single Unit (PC version)

NOTE: For those of you with limited budgets and less time to build, IHP sells a 'streamlined' version of the Silverliner IV kit in our Express Series. The simple kits of this series utilize the same great details as the kit on this page, but without the interior, extra underbody, add-on roof details, GSI trucks and tinted windows to bring you an easier-to-build, lower-cost model, enabling you to build a fleet of these cars for less money. They are essentially the models we produce for SEPTA's Transit Gift Shop sold in kit form. See the Express Series page for more information.