So I see these cars are now available. I didn't reserve any because they didn't "appear" to be correct prototypes for the Northern Pacific or D&RGW. I've got most of my books stored so I don't have them handy to confirm this. These are probably good enough for most folks... I just prefer... "dead-on or very close to" prototypical whenever possible. So if anyone out there can give me an opinion of how close to the prototype this is for D&RGW and Northern Pacific... I'd appreaciate it. Thank-you in advance.
With my diabetic vision they all look good to me. Grin! Grandpa Joe, I really need to see them up close and personal. Looking at the illustrations doesn't get it for me. I know the D&RGW had a flea bag of various types of baggage cars. I just don't know if this is one of them. I have a number of videos by Otto Perry that highlights the D&RGW. I might use this as a good excuse to get them out and give a look see. Take a nap and otherwise do nothing. Like you my books are stored in anticipation of my next move.
I did a web search and the closest photo I found to the Walthers D&RGW baggage car is a steel rebuilt heavyweight (car #710) which appears to be about a 60' length more or less and looks more like a Wheels of Times Harriman baggage car. I also saw a photo of a combine which could be a Pullman-Standard design (#1200 to 1202)... but is probably is closer to 80' than 72' length. I'm looking through this website: http://www.drgw.org/data/passenger/folios/index.htm I didn't check for Northern Pacific baggage cars yet.
Are these correct for NP? maybe. The NP had loads of 72' Pullman Standard baggage cars for use on the Mainstreeter but the doors were two different sizes and had only two windows, not three like the Walthers model. That being said, there are pictures on the N Scale Supply web site that show a C&O version with this configuration (two windows). This is only a drawing and I'm not sure if they will actually release them this way. I hope so.
Grandpa Joe, After looking at the tapes, understanding Otto Perry was one of those who would take a head end shot and hardly wait for the equipment to roll by and then he was off to another head shot. I can't confirm the authenticity of Walther's 72' baggage car. Not to say there isn't one. It's just that I can't authenticate it. Hegstadt 1, It's even harder to confirm anything for NP. There is little to no resources on the internet. Everyone wants to sell you a book. Nothing wrong with that but you'd of thought there were other railfans, who took pictures and they would share them on the internet.
The smoothside was built for the CGW (3) and they ended up on the GN, so those two are correct. The corrugated car was PM. Having said that, they have the right *feel* to be NP, ATSF (gray), RI, and maybe SP and NYC. I wouldn't hesitate to run them in those schemes until I had time to build others, or better models came along. The rest of the current crop of schemes are kinda stretching it for me. DRGW, Pennsy, CNW don't really feel right. UP would be OK but we already have the Kato car that is correct. Amtrak? Don't know.
Walthers not the way to go for D&RGW baggage cars I'd be more inclined to purchase the Wheels of Time' 60' Harriman style cars as an older version of the D&RGW fleet of 700 series baggage cars by changing the Harriman roof to a clerestory type roof. ConCor/Riva 85' smoothside baggage car is closer to the 1210 to 1212 series of baggage cars than the 72' long one from Walthers.
There is a wealth of Otto Perry, and other, photos at the Denver Library. Search in Digital Images here: http://history.denverlibrary.org/images/index.html Helps to have a car number. How about a combine instead? [SIZE=2][URL="http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00011039+OP-11039"]00011039[/URL][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][/SIZE] Ben
Walthers did not tool the doors separate on the N Scale version so we do not have the three different choices that the HO guys have. Other than the doors the NP car is pretty much a look-alike for the cars they did have. The rest all look pretty good and are great stand-ins until exact prototypes come along for the various roads they are painted for. Charlie Vlk
Thanks for your input Charlie, nice to hear from you again. I found the research page for the Northern Pacific Railroad Historical Association and as Charlie and Andrew have mentioned, the NP has several similar 73' PS cars which are reasonably close to the Walthers model. These cars were produced for NP from 1956 to 1959 and lasted til the end of passenger service on the NP... and may have continued into Amtrak service. There were 40 cars built... so there are plenty to choose from. In the early 1960's several became 'water tank' baggage cars. I believe they were used as a water supply for the steam generators to heat passenger cars in the winter. I don't know if there was any external differnce for these conversions... other than being lettered 'water baggage' on the outside. http://www.nprha.org BTW: Thanks to Mike Lustig of the NPRHA for compiling the information on the link below: http://research.nprha.org/Lists/Streamlined Passenger Cars/Standard View.aspx
Slightly off-topic: Does anybody know if there is an FAQ or a tutorial on building passenger cars from brass car sides (e.g. M & R) and core kits (e.g. American Limited) on the internet? If not, has a tutorial been published in Model Railroader or a similar publication? Frank
