So to start with, no I'm not dead, RL fell on top of me. Second off, the day has finally come to start a project long overdue thanks to a certain warehouse blowout sale. I finally got my hands on Train Station Products/Train Ready Products Burlington Northern Glacier View Theater Inspection car kit, and the rest of the parts are currently being gathered. Hopefully this thread will continue to document the car's build progress along with it's part list: Train Station Products 9690 Interior Kit for #860 Bachmann Autotrain Full Dome (For Roof) Microscale decals HO 87-695 Burlington Northern executive F units J128 (For Pinstripes) UTA54 Utah Pacific Models RR Product Grab Irons Brass 12/ UTA55 Utah Pacific Models RR Product Corner Grab Irons 2/ Owl Mountain Models OMM #10002 Tailgate Passenger Gyrolite Detail Associates 2304 Wind Deflector Set TrakWorks TW#1103 Dark Silver/Stitched Pull Red Inside Shades Train Station Products 405 - Passenger Car Diaphragms Tubular Style Badger Modellflex 16-39 SP Letter Gray (Interiro Walls/Floor) Badger Modellflex 16-184 Lehigh Valley Cornell Red (Seats) Badger Modellflex 16-206 Dark Flesh (Tables In Dome) Tru-Color Paint Railroad Color Acrylic Paint #242 Burlington Northern Executive Cream Tru-Color Paint Railroad Color Acrylic Paint #242 Burlington Northern Executive Green Badger Modellflex 16--06 Antique White Tamiya PS-31 Smoke (Window Tint) Kadee #158 Medium Shank Centerset Couplers Walthers Proto HO 920-2134 GSC 11' Six-Wheel Trucks, Pullman-Standard Super Dome Black Interior kit is next and the Viewing window is currently being painted white to match the prototype. And finally the kit in all it's glory attached to this thread.
I am very much looking forward to seeing this done, I have wanted to do one of these for a long time!
The interesting thing is how the underframe is setup and if a set of Walthers trucks will fit to it. I just measured the car sides against my Walthers BN Glacier View dome and it's slightly short. TSP Did make a kit for walthers full domes but the interior kit won't fit. So now comes the tricky part. Between the car sides "skirts" I need a replica of walthers full dome underframe parts so I can load the weights inside it and stabalize the car. The trucks TSP provides will not cut it. The couplers are truck mounted and I need them body mounted. Thank goodness for Kadees. As for the windows, the plan is this: On the car sides, those white pieces glue to the back to bring them in line with the bachmann parts. So It'll be car shell, clear styrene hit with the window tint, then the white back sides and then the window shades. I won't be picking the interior kit up til December so at the moment how I'm going to weight this and then assemble it is hanging in the balance. I have to say first impressions is that I'm a bit disappointed in the assembly instrucks of this kit, but being that NO ONE has built photos of this, we're going to find away to adapt. Window tint arrives in a week or so and the end door can have it's window finished, then I'll have the photos posted for that part. Please be aware this is going to be a slow build time as I gather the parts up. That and a propellant can air brush system (It'll haveto do for now and I've worked with them before so for the amoount of space I have, I won't be running into issues).
Well A minor update involving the trucks. The walthers trucks were borrowed from my Full dome and they do not fit at all. The best I can hope for is the Bachmann trucks will. The problem is this changes my LED wiring setup. Originally I was going to use the Walthers trucks for their contract mount points they use for their own interior lighting kits. Now it's looking like I may have to mount a couple of battery holders under the car. This might help compensate for weight so I can at least get the rear marker lamps and track inspection lights lit. Got to love it when curve balls are thrown at you.
Cant wait to see this project come along, wow what a great ideas, and your efforts to overcome the obstacles will be great to see.
I agree with Tom. Project threads like this are my favorite! You motivate me to get back to my various unfinished projects. I'm using Kadee coupler centering springs cut and bent to use as electrical pick ups from all eight of the caboose wheels. I've never tried battery power but it sounds like you have a good plan.
Just keeping people updated, No this project isn't dead, I just ordered the interior kit which I'll be doing painting and photo threads on as soon as it arrives,, the end window is being finished up and I'll be painting the interior DRGW Building Brown with a special oxide red seats and I may be using Palace Car Company's dome lounge seats to fit the dome since I have af ull size drawing of her rebuilt blue prints under BN. I haven't been able to get my tablet to be read by windows 10 atm, because my charge cable for the PC is dead, should have one shortly. Don't jump those tracks, we'll be rigth back after these messages xD
Okay it's been a few months because I made the mistake of installing windows 10 and it went down hard. That and I'm int he middle of a move heading towards Tampa Bay. Anyone in FLorida here Heads up BN modeler invading east coast territory. That being said, The interior kit never shipped, I've hadn othing but trouble getting ahold of Train Ready Products to get my hands on it. However I did get my hands on a bachmann full dome and once them ove is complete I'll set up to start photographing again. I'll also be youtube logging build progress to go with tthis thread so I'll let everyone know what the link is when the time comes.
Good luck on your relocation. Florida seems to be attracting a fair number of folks. In recent years, my B-I-L moved there.
