Kato Santa Fe Super Chief cars: what other trains can I create with them?

[chessie system fan]

I acquired a Kato Super Chief set recently and it came with some extra cars. I have extras of everything except the RPO, dome, and observation.  Is there any train I can create with the extra ones? Or is there a relatively painless way to research this information on my own?

[Sokramiketes]

With all the Kato Santa Fe cars done over the years, and four additions, you can make almost all the major name trains.

1) Concor Santa Fe Budd paired window coach
2) Blue series 10-3-2 sleeper (etched sides only)
3) Santa Fe Full Dome (Bachmann ok, Look Model best but unobtanium)
4) Small window chair car (etched sides only)

Have fun perusing the consists from 1954- onward here:
https://santafe.gmbus.com/

[chessie system fan]

Excellent website. Thanks!

This could be easier than I thought.  I also have some Con Cor Budd coaches, and I have drawings of the other cars.  Assuming the full dome is similar in shape to the GN one that I'm ~50% done designing, I bet I could knock that one out pretty easily.  All I'd need is time...

[nkalanaga]

As far as I know the main differences between the GN and ATSF full domes are the sides, corrugated vs "slab side", and that the GN car has an extra lounge window on one side.  The letterboards were also different, but that would be a fairly minor change.

Model Railroader had an article back in the September 1975 issue on kitbashing a GN car from the HO Bachmann car.  If you can find that, it wouldn't be hard to reverse-engineer an ATSF car from the GN version.  The June 1984 MR had plans for the GN car, but no mention of the ATSF version, so probably wouldn't be much use.

I'd definitely like to have some of the GN full domes.  All six ended up in Amtrak service, in multiple colors, although none were in the original green and orange by then.

[chessie system fan]

Yes, I have all those magazines.  I have all the Budd floor plans, too.  So here's where the project currently stands.  I need to design the ends, and stretch the car to full length instead of test length. And the interior needs some cleanup work.  But that's about it for the body.

[nkalanaga]

Are there any correct trucks currently available, or would one need a pair of the old Bachmann trucks and new wheels?  No problem for me, as I have plenty of the Bachmann cars!

[chessie system fan]

I think the Kato Budd diner trucks from the El Capitan are correct? Or correct-enough?  I have a pair... somewhere.

[nickelplate759]

The Kato trucks appear to be a more accurate rendering of the same prototype as Bachmann.   The Bachmann truck has outside brake shoes, and the Kato doesn't - I don't know what the Santa Fe dome's had.

Use the Kato.

You can compare them both on Spookshow's site here: http://www.spookshow.net/trucks/trucks.php

[thomasjmdavis]

Definitely the Kato trucks, if you use the Bachmann car.  Takes a bit of work to get them attached- the Kato is a clip-on mount, but it adapts easily to a screw. Give better rolling qualities AND makes it runs much better in an otherwise Kato consist if it has Kato trucks.

Not that it appeared in regular consists after the 40s, but also worth mentioning is that Con-Cor did a model of the original ATSF Budd obs, the Navaho. This was the round end sleeper-lounge obs from the 1937 Super Chief consist.

Also worth noting- through much of its life, the Grand Canyon often had a "tour" section, operating as the 2nd or 3rd section. This was made up of leased or borrowed sleepers, plus a diner (often a heavyweight ala Rivarossi). This allows the use of any spare ATSF sleepers, plus cars from almost any major road- NYC, PRR, UP, C&O, Pullman heavyweight pool sleepers, and others.  So NYC or PRR from other Kato sets, or Lowell Smith, would likely be appropriate. Both the C&O 10-6 and 5-lounge blunt end obs (Rowa cars of the old days) made it into those consists on occasion. Those trains looked like a 1972 Amtrak consist. Through much of its life, the Chief also carried some "foreign" sleepers- initially through cars from the East Coast to California, but later on, PRR or NYC leased cars also showed up from time to time.

[thomasjmdavis]

The Kato El Capitan set is also useful, and last I knew, readily available.  Later Super Chief consists included high level coaches (the trains were combined).  Although often the traffic was heavy enough that they ran as separate sections. The cars also appeared (IIRC) in the San Francisco Chief in later years.

Also note that Kato did a set with a modified (de-skirted) 10-6 from their early Budd sets, and an 11 bedroom car (mid 1960s)- which are good additions if modeling late  and add a little variety. Many of us also modified the 10-6s from the early sets by cutting away the skirts around the trucks to more accurately model the ATSF original versions of those cars.  Beware the con-cor 10-6- they marketed it at one point as "almost identical to Santa Fe" but it has the wrong window pattern on one side.

[chessie system fan]

That's all great info.  Thanks, Tom!