Assorted Passenger Cars

 

These are some of the passenger cars I have built or modified from avaiable equipment.

 

UP Dome Lounge 9004

This car started out as an Overland models modern UP excursion train car. This will likely be an upcoming article subject, so I will leave it at the picture for now.

 

UP Dome Diner 8008

Same deal as above for this Dome Diner.

 

Santa Fe ACF RPO 86

This model was built from a Des Plaines Hobbies kit. An American Limited core kit was cut to length and the roof was scribed to simulate roof panel lines. I decided to use the old Rowa passenger trucks on this model which are a good match for the prototype. This car was painted with Alcad II Chrome laquer and lettered with Microscale decals. I use Testor's Metallizer sealer as a clear coat over the Alcad as it has dulled the Alcad effect less for me than Floquil Gloss. Alcad also makes their own clear finish, but I have not tried it. It may work equally as well.

 

Santa Fe Diner 601

The next finished car for a future Super Chief is this Diner built from a Des Plaines Hobbies kit. The roof panel lines were scribed into this car as well, and show up better in this picture. Car was painted with Alcad II in the same manner as the RPO above. I use Floquil Old Silver for the underbody equipment and diaphragms, as they were not stainless steel on the prototype.

 

SF Budd Baggage

This car was done to see how well a Kato car could be modified to represent a SF prototype car. The letter board and panels next to the doors were sanded smooth, then the letter board seams were scribed back in. Skirting was also removed, and Kato trucks from the smoothside series were added. Overall I'm happy with it, the only major problem is the small number board between the doors which is of improper size. I don't know how to change this without cutting out the whole section of fluting in this area.

 

CB&Q owned NCL Diner 458

This is a special car as it was built using a preproduction sample of the Budd Core Kit that is coming from Des Plaines Hobbies. I use Scalecoat I colors for my Northern Pacific passenger cars. Once the Floquil flat finish is applied over them, they match the prototype really well. The Floquil Flat Finish lightens the colors a bit, and is more of a semi-glos finsh rather than dead flat, so it gives a nice passenger car appearance. Glossy models just don't scale down well in my opinion.

 

NP 8-6-4 Sleeper 367

This car was built from a core kit and etched sides from M&R Models in Italy. It was painted with Scalecoat I paint like the diner above, and was lettered with Microscale decals. Underbody on these cars is painted Floquil Grimy Black so as not to have it dissappear in the shadows. Window shades are simply masking tape applied to the inside of the Railway Classics tinted window material. The material is available direct from RC.

Also, you will note that the window frames are silver on this car. The great thing about etched nickel silver sides is that the window frames can be scraped after painting to make them silver again. Sure beats hand painting, and comes out much cleaner to boot. I use stainless steel wire for passenger car hand grabs as well. These were usually left unpainted, so the wire looks just about perfect.

 

NP Slumbercoach Loch Ness

This is a Kato car with the skirting removed. Gold Metal Models steps were added, as well as American Limited diaphragms with reshaped striker plates to match the Budd contour. Trucks are from ConCor.

 

NP Coach 522 (ex C&NW 400 Coach)

This is a Des Plaines Hobbies plastic kit. You can almost make out the head rest covers on the coach seats in this photo. They were added with simple masking tape squares.

 

UP Storage Mail Car 5649

This car was built from a Laser Kit from American Model Builders. The trucks are 6-wheel roller bearing trucks from Des Plaines Hobbies, and closely match the trucks used on these long 85' baggage cars. Steps were added from Gold Metal Models.

 

UP Diner 4803

This car is a Kato model with Gold Metal Models steps, silver decal paper kickplates on the doors, and Microscale lettering. Railway Classics window tinting was applied to the inside of the Kato molded window pieces.

 

UP Pullman American Flyer

A Kato 6-6-4 was modified by removing portions of the skirts following a picture of the prototype in Morning Sun's UP Color Guide. Details from an extra American Limited parts sprue were then glued to the underbody boxes. Window tinting and masking tape shades finished things off.