The East Wind

[nickelplate759]

It's going to take a while, but I'm finally starting on a prewar version of The East Wind.  That's the silver & yellow version.
I've got decals (from Highball Graphics) already.

I'll use a Micro-Trains baggage car with round roof for the New Haven baggage.  I'll change the trucks, but leave the rest alone.

I have PRR P70kR sides from PRR-Parts (the old East Wind sides), which are just flat laser-cut acrylic.   I can add a belt rail pretty easily, but I probably won't add rivet details.  The train usually ran with three of these cars.

In 1941 the pool of cars included 3 ACL dining cars that are pretty close to the Micro-Trains PRR diner - the most obvious difference is paired vs. single-pane windows.

The 1941 pool also included Osgood-Bradley coaches from the B&M and New Haven - I'll paint a Rapido coach for one of the New Haven cars.

That's probably all the cars I'll do.  There was often a PRR PLC70R lounge in 1941, but I haven't found any evidence that it was ever painted in the silver+yellow scheme.

[nickelplate759]

Here are some resources:



N-scale decals:  Highball Graphics
https://highballgraphics.com/index.php/1803/15/passenger/passenger-n-scale/bm-mec-nh-prr-passenger-the-east-wind-passenger-cars-ho-scale-1111-detail

Articles:

• Summer 1978 B&M Historical Society Bulletin  https://www.bmrrhs.org/
• The Keystone, Vol. 38 No. 4,  Winter 2005 (I don't have a copy of this).

Brass models from Division Point:
https://www.divisionpoint.com/site/east-wind-train-mecbmnhprr-ho/

Postcard:

[ncbqguy]

I typed a pretty complete history of the CB&Q DA-5 and DA-6 diners that were used on the Florida trains and the ACL Carr’s on the Eastwind but a glitch denied posting when I finished it.   There were 22 cars that served the Q, ACL, FEC, SAL, KCS, C&S and FW&D...and were also painted Pullman.  A full R&D package available for anybody wanting to produce a heavyweight diner with broader appeal than PRR or ATSF!
Charlie Vlk

[OldEastRR]

If the picture in the above link is the baggage car a Wheels of Time 70' baggage is a closer match to the pre-war car. One side of the car is pretty close to NH prototype. I had to switch the positions of the doors on the other side to match the NH version.  There were both 4wheel truck and 6 wheel truck model versions made, and with clerestory or round roof. The combinations were changed to match specific RRs.  It may be hard to find any. I also had to fabricate the multipane wood-braced baggage doors. Depending on which car you can get, you'll probably have to rearrange the roof vents to match the NH.

[thomasjmdavis]

Great project. 

Judging from photo of the brass model diner...
https://www.brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/089123/HO-Brass-Model-DP-1353-East-Wind-Pre-War-2-Car-Set-B-M-Boston-Maine-ACL-Atlantic-Coast-Line-Coach-48-Seat-Diner-4595-Bangor-F-P-Interior-2016-Run-Sam-Tech
...the MTL diner is indeed very close to at least one of the ACL diners.  "Bangor" (as it is named in the set) does not appear in the published roster for ACL cars (diners were all named for online cities), but I suspect it was so named when assigned to the East Wind, and once the summer travel season was over, it returned to its ACL name.

[nickelplate759]

The four ACL diners assigned in 1941 were renamed for use in the East Wind.

“Fayetteville” became “Washington,” “Fort Myers” became “Bangor,” “Ocala” became “New York” and “Sarasota” became “Portland.”

Fayetteville/Washington was apparently a different design than the other three.

[nickelplate759]

I'm going to need something to pull this.   

The only loco type I have already that I know pulled the pre-war East Wind is a DGLE GG1. 
I'm pretty sure that the PRR only used electrics to pull the East Wind between NYC and DC, so my PRR T1 is out - but wouldn't that look cool?
I have a NH USRA light 4-8-2, but no evidence that one ever was used on the East Wind.  Absent something better I'll probably use it anyway.

Most of the pictures I've found show a B&M P-4a or NH Pacific, but there's at least one photo (from the 1st run) with a B&M R-1d.
Any of these would take significant kitbashing, and to be honest I'm more interested in a "good enough" approximation of the train rather than getting it perfect. 

Any suggestions?

[nickelplate759]

Here's a question - I know that Keystone Details ( @Lemosteam ) offers several different versions of the PRR 2DP5 truck.    Which variant works best with an American Limited core kit - the "Hells Gate" variant or the "Lima" Variant?

[Lemosteam]

Here's a question - I know that Keystone Details ( @Lemosteam ) offers several different versions of the PRR 2DP5 truck.    Which variant works best with an American Limited core kit - the "Hells Gate" variant or the "Lima" Variant?

@nickelplate759 I cannot answer that question.  The Hell Gate version has a bolster ring to better support the chassis wobble, and the Lima does not.  It has a direct impact on ride height though.  So if the floor of the AML kit is similar to a Lima, relative to the rail head, I would use the Lima. I.e. it all depends on the thickness of the bolster boss relative to the floor.

Both designs are for 36" wheelsets.

Technically either will work fine, but you might have to shim/shave either the coupler mounting surface or the bolster plane to get the coupler where you want it relative to the rail.

[nickelplate759]

Thinking further ...

I've found that the original Hells Gate design was intended to use the trucks that East Wind Manufacturing commissioned from American Limited.  So that suggests that the Hells Gate design might be a better fit for an American Limited core kit.    I'll start there.

[Lemosteam]

Thinking further ...

I've found that the original Hells Gate design was intended to use the trucks that East Wind Manufacturing commissioned from American Limited.  So that suggests that the Hells Gate design might be a better fit for an American Limited core kit.    I'll start there.

The three piece pewter trucks are vaporware.  It's why I designed mine.  The latest B60b kits refer the customer to Keystone Details now.

Plus they are very finicky to assemble straight.

If that is your supposition (and I agree) then the HGM version of my trucks would be best.

Here they are on my B60b Messenger model:

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Didn't BLI just do some FEC Es? Those might be perfect.

[thomasjmdavis]

I have some of the original Hells Gate 2DP5 trucks made by ALM on my 2 B60b's.  They are (as far as I can see) the same ALM bolster used for the ALM inside and outside swing hanger trucks included with their kits, but with a different side frame. So the KD ones that fit the B60b should be a very good fit.

[garethashenden]

I see you mention the 1978 B&MRRHS Bulletin article, but have you seen the 2006 one? Volume 25 Number 3. There are some nice color photographs.

[nickelplate759]

Didn't BLI just do some FEC Es? Those might be perfect.

They're gorgeous, but the East Wind terminated in Washington DC, and I'm pretty sure the FEC had nothing to do with it.  Perhaps you were thinking of the South Wind?