Passenger Cars 2021

[bob turner]

I bet my percentage of wheels off the track compared to wheels actually posted is right on up there with the best of photo posters here.

On the E7 v E8, my affections are irrational, just like between bronze and plastic. I like the E7 number boards, and do not like those on the E8/9. Do not care for portholes. Just me. As a kid, I saw only E7s, PAs, and steam.

Back to JC for a minute. Not sure these were JC, but I got them from a local guy named Miller, and sold them to Allan Wehrle (both RIP). I think these are now in the capable hands of Maroon. Exquisite work for the 1930s, but not exactly what I wanted on my roster:

[Joseph Frank1]

Very nice pair there Joe, like that headlight sconce on the cab end of the trailer too, very MP-54ish. I noticed behind your gas electric is what appears to be an EL car, maybe a resin car body? Q-car?

Hello De Bruin

That IS a BMT Q Type trailer car. Its one I totally scratchbuilt- it is not an MTH Trains production Q car --

I built it with the low (aka "chopped down) roof as what was used in most years of the Q type El cars operating on the Brooklyn Myrtle Avenue BMT EL. I guess I built car that about 25 years ago. I have enough sides and ends already pre-built (mass produced) to complete a 6 car set. Just need to make the roofs for those cars if (ever) and when I decide to do them. Only made one completed car so far ! Here are two views of it in my layup yard -- it is used as a crew rider car in my BMT EL work trains.





BELOW is a 3 car set of IRT 3rd Ave. EL operated Q Types with their original high clerestory roofs that I scratch built. I have a 6 car train of these completed, these are 3 of those cars. The IRT 1939 NY Worlds Fair Subway car in bottom foreground is one of two I totally scratchbuilt from wood, styrene, cardstock, etc. All cars use Q Car Co. underbodies and trucks, and scale exact interior seating sets.



I have quite a lot of scratchbuilt IRT subway and IRT and BMT Wooden EL cars on my O Scale El system

Regards - Joe F

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[De Bruin]

That IS a BMT Q Type trailer car. It's one I totally scratchbuilt- it is not an MTH Trains production Q car .....

Wow Joe, not what I was expecting, candidly I was thinking your carbody project there was one of Quentin's resin castings but instead it's a scratch build, and very well done at that. Interesting you have the makings for five more of them pending roofs too .
The El shots are fabulous!
Wow......mind is "blown"
I (and I'm sure Martin, Phil, and JS Dave among many others) would dearly love to see the rest of your traction roster.
I know, big ask, but let me know, I was tee-ing up a pair of Walthers LI mu's, a Q-Car CTA 4000 set and a CNS&M car to post here but would be nice to have an current traction thread instead. Perhaps we should start a separate string for transit cars or alternatively add to the "Druck 17/64" thread instead?
Pete

[Joseph Frank1]

Just need to make the roofs for those cars if (ever) and when I decide to do them. Only made one completed car so far !

How do you make the cut down roofs? Curious as to process and what you start with for that as well.

==================================================================================================Hello Ruf

I actually do not "cut down" pre existing high clerestory roofs. I actually had a number of Q type "High Clerestory" roofs cast (resin) from a perfect master roof that I made for that purpose of scratch building bodies for Hi-Roof Q Type Cars (as seen in my 3rd Ave EL Q-type (models) Cars.

But for the low roof cars --- I simply start building the roof from scratch with a a flat "lower roof" either made from one piece of strip wood that is the proper height needed for the lower roof -- or by making a 2 piece sandwich using two thinner pieces -- see the drawing I created below and follow the color codes and legend for roof construction sections. This created the LOWER side sections of the roof to start.



The lower roof has an open center area to provide for the opened (but lowered) clerestory headroom --

Alternately, you could use -- for making the LOWER roof segment, a solid wide piece of flat bass wood in the thickness needed (or 2 pieces sandwiched to create same thickness) -- measured and cut to the the full carbody width and length required. Then CUT OUT and remove the center section piece measuring (with ink drawn lines first) the desired exact inside opening in that lower clerestory roof. The inner edges of that opening (for a clerestory headroom) would be sufficiently INBOARD from where the upper roof edges would over lap them and thus would be attached (glued) -- just as the drawing shows. Then sand down the clerestory roof to match the proper slope for the roof ends. Per what you see in the photos of my finished model. I do the sectional fabricated lower roof as it doesn't waste any wood - heh ! And when done, glue it to the carbody sides and ends -- and have the usual removable wooden floor.

Regards - Joe F

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[bob turner]

Gotta admit - way more participation than I expected. Thanks.

I like streetcars - rode a bunch of them when I was a kid, and even a few in the 1980s. Maybe a "Streetcar 2021" with repeats of all the old forgotten cars? Or just post them here.

Change gears a bit - here is a total-stock GGD ATSF "Chief" car. Yes, it is part of my collection, and sits in a string of Mac Shops, K-Line, and Kasiner cars, all polished or plated aluminum. This one is apparently extruded aluminum with a coating designed to simulate light stainless, while preventing corrosion. Believe me, bare aluminum cars need corrosion control - I polish mine at five year intervals, and still have not figured out how to get the polish out of the corrugations.

Anyway, here. A work of art, right out of the old box. No skills required.

[E7]

Guessing I might have had a street car ride or two when I was a brat. I remember seeing them flitting about in the Cheltenham section of Philadelphia back in the mid 70's. They didn't waste much time.

The GGD cars are pretty hard to beat for looks and price.

[De Bruin]

Yeah it’s tricky to get the polish out of fluted aluminum, silicone spray on a soft cotton cloth works though you have to be avoid decaled surfaces as you do with the polish.

Stunning! What I thought was chocolate brown really is maroon.

I asked Jim a few years ago about that shade difference in the GM&O dark maroon and he related reading that the earlier darker maroon was characteristic of the Chicago & Altons pre-merger passenger scheme and that the lighter(redder) maroon began to replace it through the 1950’s to the lighter shade, this being true for both passenger stock and the ex-C&A units in their diesel roster. Opinion both are attractive, but I like the later version better.

The GM&O train that opens "In the Heat of the Night" is a beauty, though somewhat of an anachronism for the time frame (GM&O had discontinued service south of St. Louis in the late 50's) Likewise the fictional "Sparta MS" would have only seen Alco and Baldwins on varnish as the EMD's were kept on the Chi-St.Louis runs. The town in the film is actually Sparta, Illinois on the GM&O line to Mobile.

[bob turner]

Staying in the mode of excellent store-bought passenger cars (of which I have quite a few) here are the Sunset/GGD heavyweights. The one on the left is a brass diner, the one on the right is a plastic Pullman. These are both very good models - I always say I do not "do" plastic models, but I know how to appreciate the infinitely better detail that plastic injection models attain.

For me, the flaws here are only the mis-matched roofs, and the lower edge of the end door on the plastic Pullman. If I did collect plastic, I would have a string of these pulled by a Sunset E7. Probably cannot do much better than that at twice the price.

[De Bruin]

Here’s another inexpensive “geriatric case” from Ebay, what I’m assuming as a Walthers 475# series coach, awaiting rebuilding.

This is normally (have enough “projects” already) the kind of junk I pass on, but the sides are rare in my experience, the split window sash is characteristic of early 20th century coach stock which makes this perfect for a variety of secondary trains especially for those having rolling antique passenger rosters like the B&M, CV, LV etc.

I cannot find this specific car side in any of my Walthers catalogs, though it’s combine mate #4753 does appear in my earliest (1957) edition, suggesting that these sides were discontinued before then.

It was configured with floating bolsters and un-insulated high rail wheel sets to operate on tight radius three rail.

The usual "recipe" for something like this is to disassemble it to get rid of the escucheon pins in the sides, repair the pin holes etc. dip paint off the ends and sides, prime, paint, reassemble with liners and glaze, install seats, decal. Whew, makes me tired thinking about it.

[bob turner]

That one will be charming when finished. Looking forward to the absence of pinheads! Make it GM&O?

Back to my "chocolate vs. maroon" comment - apparently even in the 1970s the maroon was quite dark. Might have to get the old airbrush out - completely enamored with reds and oranges. Here is a link to GM&O E7s - worth it, I think!

https://www.condrenrails.com/GM&O/GM&O-E7s.html

Edit: If you want to get totally lost in excellent railroad photography, and have a spare afternoon, check out Mike:

https://www.condrenrails.com/

I am going to the airport, having only scratched the surface. Found a prototype for my latest ten-wheeler in the Frisco Steam section!

[R.K. Maroon]

Neat old coach, Pete. I will give a look-see through the older Walthers catalogs and post a listing for that car if I find one. In the meantime, here is the baggage-express from the consist:



I am just red-green color blind enough to know better than to wade too far into any discussion of color. Whether "just not right" or "dead nuts on", I can't tell, but to me the colors on this car certainly look to be what long-time GM&O modeler Fred Bradley would call "in the range". According to Fred, he once asked somebody working in one of the GM&O shops what colors they were using for paint. The guy said they would go to the local paint store and find something "in the range" and use it. He said they didn't worry much about it much as all red paints faded fairly quickly.

As an aside, my red 2002 PT cruiser still looks pretty good at age 20, but the red 1994 Ford Explorer before it had faded to orange by the time I sold it at age 10

Jim

[ScaleCraft]

Reminds me of story told me many decades ago about passenger car colors.

"Pullman Green" he claimed came about from US Army leftover millions of gallons of Olive Drab sold off after a conflict as surplus.

Various case lots, combined with whatever they had on hand to throw in, plus fading, and nobody can really tie down "Pullman Green".

[bob turner]

Now we drop back in time - 19th century coaches:



Of note - the yellow one is LaBelle, from the Miller collection. The red one is plastic MTH - all I did to it was stick in some NWSL wheelsets. If I "did" plastic I would have a string of six of these beauties, pulled by a D16sb. Yes, there has been some progress on the D16, but not enough to brag about.