Mark, Nice i will keep those tips in mind when I start modifying my cars. Also did you notice the 6 wheel lead truck on the Howard Fogg generator car? They changed it to carry the extra weight of the generator. Phillip
Ah, I hadn't noticed that just the one truck was 3-axles. Thanks for pointing that out. Funny, I don't think I've ever seen that before (mixing 2 and 3-axle trucks on the same car). -Mark
Ive never seen it before ether. Does the 6 axle truck from the new baggage car clip on like the daylight cars or is it the standard screw mount like the others? Phillip
Kato's one and only 3-axle roller bearing passenger truck is a clip-on (most annoying). Unfortunately, the only other game in town is Bachmann. -Mark
Well, we're deep into foobie-land now... FYI, it is possible to mount the newer Kato 3-axle clip-on trucks onto the old screw-in bolster mounts. However, it does take a couple of tweaks - First off, the bolster hole in the truck is a bit tight, so file that out some. Second, the screw (if you use the original) interferes with the middle axle (which is really thick). I replaced those middle wheelsets with some that had both thinner axles and a workable axle length (sorry, my supply is all mixed together so I have no idea what they were, but most likely FVM or BLMA). More FYI - you can't put Kato 2-axle trucks on a Kato storage-mail car (not enough coupler reach). Consequently, I guess I'll have to put MT trucks on my (eventual) Council Bluffs baggage car. -Mark
Looks good. The clip trucks are annoying. Im waiting for Microtrains to release the smooth side business car that Lowell Smith has commissioned. Phillip
Definitely closer to the UP prototype, but I figured that since it's not a spot-on perfect match I'd save myself some airbrush miles and just use the already-painted Kato model. If Kato really is going to do a full-on excursion train (as the internet rumors would have it), I sure don't want to have hundreds of hours into a bunch of "pales in comparison to the what you can just buy" models Cheers, -Mark
Correction - it's not the couplers that are the problem, it's the sticky-uppy current wipers that cause the trucks to derail (they stick up too far). I trimmed the tips a bit and now the car tracks just fine with the 2-axle trucks. -Mark
Cannibalizing these COLA sets is working out a lot better than I thought it would. The 5 cars I actually kept from the first set wound up costing me just $6 apiece after figuring in what I made selling the other 6 cars on eBay. Not too shabby -Mark
How many sets did it take to get where you are now? Ive got one on the way but until I get it I dont know whats going to work and what i need to unload. Phillip
Two COLA sets took care of most of what I needed (4 coaches, 2 dome-coaches, 2 storage-mail and 1 baggage-dorm). At this point I just need to get one more coach and then decide how I'm going to do Sherman Hill and power/dorm/storage #207. Oh yeah, and then there's the water bottles to worry about too -Mark
Good to know thanks. The Sherman hill car looks like a modified 85 foot baggage with 6 wheel trucks. The water cars are definitely the icing on the cake. Phillip
The newly named Reed Jackson concession car was built in 1961 by the St. Louis Car Company as Railroad Post Office (RPO) UP 5818. It was converted into a maintenance of way tool car in 1968 and then into a maintenance of way kitchen car in 1981. After becoming part of the Heritage Fleet in 1992, it was converted into a concession car. I was thinking of maybe doing something with an old Rivarossi RPO - -Mark
I don't get it. This car has no side doors? Or do those coverings over the "used to be doors" come off? -Mark
Those "doors" fold down if that's what you are asking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsktesEalg4 This 2004 photo shows a side door. http://rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/1054/MVC-857F.JPG This 2008 photo shows the door plated over. http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1336767
The Rivarossi RPO looks like a good start - the windows are in the right place. I measured a Centralia Baggage Car (15.5 cm) and I think it would be a little two short. Andy
Just a bit of my experience. I lived in Grand Island NE for 20 years and saw the 3985 many times and I never saw the flag car in the consist. I saw the photo above showing the flag car and I think it is very interesting but I never saw it in real life in the 3985 consist.
