--- In BRHSlist@y..., Aeolus3@a... wrote:
> In a message dated 12/5/02 12:48:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
cbq168a@i...
> writes:
>
>
> > Although I'll be using these cars for the roof
> > and ends to use with sides from Brass Car Sides to build
> > some of the dome coaches for the Empire Builder and the
> > North Coast Limited to run over the CB&Q. Also shouldn't
> > forget the dome sleepers that the NCL carried also. Funny
> > thing is that I'll probably be able to add the fleet of
> > these cars (5-6) that I need combining the Brass Car Sides
> > sides and the Walthers body for less than what two $horeham
> > $hops dome coaches ran me for the Twin Cities Zephyr.
> >
>
> Check into the new "Core Kits" from Train Station. I think you'll find
> they're cheaper than buying the Walthers Cars just for the roofs.
They are
> using a Budd Roof that's really nice and also with the Pullman
Standard core
> kit you also get the ACF Roof.
>
> You can model the entire NCL using brass car sides with the
exceptions of the
> Slumber Coach (Walthers is perfect for NCL), the Observation, and
the Water
> Baggage. With the new Domes coming from Walthers I am thinking that
they
> might be a great core kit for the dome sleepers and coaches for the
NCL. I
> haven't checked the Train Station Budd Roofs against the Walthers
Budds so
> you may have to use the Walthers since Budd used the same roof for
all the
> post war cars. Well the short domes and the full domes are the
exceptions.
I would really like to find an accurate answer to that statement. I
feel that your comment that all Budd roofs are the same is probably
correct, however, if you look at various photos of Budd cars taken
from above, it appears that the two 'stiffeners' in the corrugations
that Budd used down the roofs may not all be the same width. Perhaps
it is the photo angle or perhaps there were variations in roofs as
Budd built various lots or orders. I would think that all the TCZ
cars should have been built the same, but perhaps not the same as some
other cars built for other trains. I rode a lot of miles in the domes
of the TCZ, EB and NCL and can not remember if they looked the same or
not. Maybe someone will have the answer.
As far as modeling the NCL,one can also look into the new kits by
Northstar Railroad Models(I hope this is the correct name, doing this
from memory)that are being advertised in the hobby magazines. They
are offering most cars from the NCL including the obs and other cars.
They previously offered the dome coaches with the flat side panels
ala EB and NCL. I believe the kits are combinations of plastic and
resin. I have seen one of their early kits of GN cars finished and
painted and they look good. Prices are in the $70 range IIRC.
Another possibility, and less expensive option, for the NCL obs would
be the Eastern Carworks streamline obs. kit. Its prototype is the
NYC'38 Century cars, but the general layout, rear end contour and roof
taper are quite close. With a little cut and fill work in the windows
area, you could be very close to either the NCL or GN Coulee series cars.
Bob Plaehn
|