NYC observation car

[Bsklarski]

Anything close to this in N scale?

[kelticsylk]

There are tail cars with a similar shape, but I don't think any have those tall windows. It might be possible to kitbash something, but's it probably easier to just file or cut those rear windows larger.

I'm not sure if anybody makes a brass car side like that.

Frank Musick

[jmlaboda]

Such could be done with either Laser Horizons or Union Station Products sides but you will have to shape the "window glass" first to fit the roof of a readily available observation car model which is not an easy task.  The LH sides have better detail but both are very involved projects.  Besides that you might try kitbashing parts from the Concor GN smooth sided observation with parts from another car as an option but honestly no matter which way you try to approach this it ain't gonna be easy.  At least with the Concor GN car you are starting with oversized windows common to the NYC cars as well but you will need to alter the sides to a degree to represent the bedrooms and aisle side of the cars.

Some are speculating that maybe Kato will eventually do the 20th Century Ltd. but it is hard to say for sure since the Broadway was not the big hit that they were hoping it would be.  I just wish that there was better news in this regard.

For more information on what can be done with various models and car sides of different types available for modeling NYC cars see the NYC page at the N-scale Varnish User's Guide... at least some cars are easier to model than some might think...
http://n-scalevarnish.info/index/varnish/UsersGuide/NYC.htm

[bbussey]

No, but the real one is in Lebanon NJ on a siding at the NJ Transit station in excellent condition.

[peteski]

I would love for Kato to come out with 20th Century Ltd.!
Key Imports made a brass model of 1938 and 1940 trains.  I bought the loco but couldn't afford the entire train. 

The closest to the car in your photo would be the old Con-Cor smoothside observation car.  Thses are the the photos I have on-hand:







EDIT:
Another photo:



And more info: http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/passenger/ccsmooth.html
The windows appear to be slightly shorter and the arrangement is a bit different, but it does look pretty close.

[Mark5]

Ya, definatley the Concor car is closest (Concor car is GN prototype)

[kelticsylk]

Just occurred to me you could get the Con-Cor car and make all the other windows smaller using plastic filler pieces (or Squadron Green putty). Might be less work?

Frank

[ArtinCA]

Very interesting ideas. I'm interested in this car as well, since the American Orient Express ran with one as well.

[Nato]

             The Con Cor Smoothside cars are all models of Great Northern cars. One big problem is that the car sides are reversed,for example the diners' right & left sides shoul be on oposite sides. The Obs car is a model of Mountain Series cars built for the Mid Century Empire Builder Consists in I believe 1951. Con Cor has offered this car in New York Central Post War Gray Paint Scheme. The GN cars were later used on their "Western Star" train when "Great Dome Lounge " cars were added to the E Builder. Several of these cars still survive,atleast one is operational as a private car,.The RPO car that had the tooling damaged was a model of RPO Baggage cars built for 1947 "Empire Builder ",the replacement model is either a free lance or other road car,does not match GN cars. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[nickelplate759]

Of the ConCor GN cars, only the Diner and Sleeper have their sides reversed.  The rest are OK in that respect.

[Bsklarski]

I am thinking I should go with the Concor car and see what I can do. I appreciate the replies gentlemen.