Upgraded Bachmann PRR P70 coach

[Lemosteam]

For my expanding fleet of P70's (see weekend update), I also bought three Bachmann P70 lighted coaches before they rapidly sold out.

Lacking on the car are some simple to add vent details and proper PRR trucks (in addition to other things I may tackle later), based on images from reference materials.  Here is an example:



I used Keystone Details Stack vents here.

Here is my upgraded and repainted roof.  the roof snaps off from the rest of the car using four tabs along each side.  the tabs are parallel to the sides of the car so a mild push to one side with a simultaneous lift should pop at least one, then migrate to the rest.

I ran a strip of tape down the middle of the roof to mark my 1mm hole centers. The Pinhead vent is located in the dead center of the roof and each stack vent is located in line with the small center post between each set of dual windows.  I repainted the roof and vents with Tamiya TS-6 matte black:

]



PRR 2DP5 trucks that are a swap in for the Bachmann car' electrical pickups for the lighting can be found roller bearing here and friction bearing here. (photo by @VonRyan)



If @bbussey wants to chime in he has an easy Micro-Trains 1015 coupler swap method as well (which I will do later).

[bbussey]

For the coupler swap, you basically remove all of the coupler box from the coupler arm except for the top face, and you mount a screw a 1015 to that. The knuckle will be at the correct height above the rails.

[brokemoto]

Is the Bachpersonn actually based on the Penn P-70, or is it "looks more than enough like it"?  Similar to the RR paired window coach, I have heard and read that they are based on a Baltimore and Ohio coach.  The MT is based on a B&O coach.  Still, all three look alike, except that the Bachmann does have four wheel trucks (as did the P-70, or most of them, at least).  B&O did have some standard coaches that had four wheel trucks, most of which were in commuter service in Washington, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

Do you find the B-mann factory knuckle coupler unsatisfactory, or do you just prefer the MT?  I have one of the B-mann B&O coaches and find the B-mann coupler acceptable.  It is good to know that the MT conversion is not difficult, as that external spring on the B-mann IS a weak point.

Nice job on the details on the Penn coach.

[bbussey]

Other than the trucks, it's a P70.

[peteski]

Do you find the B-mann factory knuckle coupler unsatisfactory, or do you just prefer the MT?  I have one of the B-mann B&O coaches and find the B-mann coupler acceptable.  It is good to know that the MT conversion is not difficult, as that external spring on the B-mann IS a weak point.

Even ignoring the poor operability (coupling/uncoupling), visually the huge "Boxing Glove" coupler head is totally unacceptable to me.  But we all have different opinions  on what is acceptable.