MTL single window coach looks like a winner

[Iain]

Is that a non-AC roof?  No big bulges?

[chicken45]

Had the opportunity to see samples of the Micro-Trains single window coach last night, as did @peteski.  Looks very very good. The February releases on the model will be NYC (four-wheel truck) and 1960s PRR (six-wheel truck), both of which will be on display today. Four-side tooling on the roof.  New Haven McGinnis within the next couple of months.

They are doin 1960’s PRR P70? Scotch lite keystones, right?
Interesting.  I’m trying to figure out how to use this or mod it. 
My biggest struggles are that many later P70 variants only had one vestibule.
I don’t know about 6 wheeled trucks in the 60’s but you could swap the trucks and plug some windows for a fbR.

[bman]

I'm guessing both the NYC and PRR  cars made it to PC in some manner of commuter service?  My PC modeling is limited to '75 and '76 in Ohio along the Panhandle.. These are tempting. I'll do a little research on the subject to find out over the morning's trucker's blend I just brewed up.

[bbussey]

Yes, Scotchlite red-keystone scheme. Same scheme they’ve been releasing recently on the other bodystyles.

One bolster and underframe for both truck styles.  The existing six-wheel truck with the offset bolster hole is being utilized.  And the “airspace” above the truck between the end of the centersill and the back of the coupler has been eliminated. Standard 1015 coupler with push-pin mount.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
NYC

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
PRR Late

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Painted/Undecorated

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Underbody w/4-wheel truck installed.

The cars are “derailed” because the table isn’t level and they were rolling off the display.

[C855B]

That certainly is a handsome car, so I understand the interest. I take it that it was predominately an Eastern RR style, the West of that era dominated by Harriman designs.

[Point353]

I take it that it was predominately an Eastern RR style, the West of that era dominated by Harriman designs.

Based on the roadnames that Branchline released on their HO model, some non-Eastern roads would include GN, MP, GM&O, L&N, CB&Q and SP&S.

[thomasjmdavis]

Is that a non-AC roof?  No big bulges?

The "big bulges" were less common on coaches than sleepers.  Many lines DID have vents on top of the roof on the coaches (with roofs resembling sleepers, "betterment", "balloon" and other solutions), but others opted to run the vents internally- so a road specific question.  I can't cite the source off the top of my head, but recall reading that a major reason for running the vents above the roof on a sleeper was that if run internally, they would have interfered with the mechanism, and cut down on space generally, for the upper berths in the car- which is not an issue with a coach. 

MT has already released "balloon" roofs for some of their cars, and this one seems like a natural for that as it would let them approximate more prototypes.  And various roof styles are also available in resin and 3-D materials, along with SEAC hatches and such if those are appropriate for a given road. And we can also hope somebody does "betterment" roofs. 

Did anyone who has seen the single window models note whether roofs or other parts can be interchanged with the paired window coach and/or other MT heavyweights? (which is to say, is it the same length as the other coach or one of the other cars?).  Not a big deal for me, as I should be able to answer the question for myself in a few weeks.

[Chris333]

Yes AC can always be added, but would be hard to remove.

[bbussey]

The model is 78 scale feet long. I’m not certain, but I believe the paired-window model is 80 scale feet. The remaining MTL heavyweight bodystyles are either shorter or longer.

On New Haven air conditioned coaches, the ducts were inside the roof clerestory. It probably was the same for New York Central and other roads.

[ncbqguy]

That certainly is a handsome car, so I understand the interest. I take it that it was predominately an Eastern RR style, the West of that era dominated by Harriman designs.

The Harriman designs, while important, hardly dominate even the SP and UP.   Very early steel construction limited to a few roads. 
AT&SF, GN, MIILW, CRI&P, NP, CB&Q, MP, FRISCO, WAB, GM&O, T&P, are just a few of the roads west of the Mississippi that didn’t even favor balloon roof coaches.

Charlie Vlk

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yes, Scotchlite red-keystone scheme. Same scheme they’ve been releasing recently on the other bodystyles.

Haha, figures. I just grabbed the paired window car for my PC commuter train. Now I realized I should've waited!

[thomasjmdavis]

That certainly is a handsome car, so I understand the interest. I take it that it was predominately an Eastern RR style, the West of that era dominated by Harriman designs.

Well, both MT coaches (paired window and single window) are Eastern prototypes (B&O and NYC respectively, or so I understand).  And I suspect that ATSF, NP, GN, CBQ etc historians might take some exception with the idea that Harriman designs "dominated" the west.  I have been a bit surprised that Wheels of Time has not produced a full length SP or UP heavyweight coach in N scale.  But then, I am even more surprised that this is the first single window coach of the several heavyweight coaches produced, and that to date, no one has mass produced a Santa Fe heavyweight coach.

[thomasjmdavis]

The model is 78 scale feet long. I’m not certain, but I believe the paired-window model is 80 scale feet. The remaining MTL heavyweight bodystyles are either shorter or longer.

On New Haven air conditioned coaches, the ducts were inside the roof clerestory. It probably was the same for New York Central and other roads.

The paired window coach is also 78' (more or less).  Of course, this is always complicated by how one measures- measuring roof length of the paired window, I get 5.8725 (78' 4") according to my inexpensive digital caliper.

[C855B]

Just goes to show how little I know about passenger equipment, esp. anything pre-WW II. But the MTL car is still a looker; sadly I can't find a purpose for it on my nearly all-UP-in-1970 MRR.

[chicken45]

Yes, Scotchlite red-keystone scheme. Same scheme they’ve been releasing recently on the other bodystyles.

One bolster and underframe for both truck styles.  The existing six-wheel truck with the offset bolster hole is being utilized.  And the “airspace” above the truck between the end of the centersill and the back of the coupler has been eliminated. Standard 1015 coupler with push-pin mount.

(Attachment Link)
NYC

(Attachment Link)
PRR Late

(Attachment Link)
Painted/Undecorated

(Attachment Link)
Underbody w/4-wheel truck installed.

The cars are “derailed” because the table isn’t level and they were rolling off the display.

Thanks for posting those, @bbussey !
I think I may pick up a few of these for an fbR! I hope to see these in the earlier schemes eventually. 
The stripes are tough to decal.