Painting Intermountain/Centralia undecorated passenger cars..anyone tried it?

[nickelplate759]

Intermountain/Centralia makes the nicest (only?) full-skirted 4-4-2 passenger car around (Kato's is nicer but has skirts removed), other than the Des Plaines Hobbies kit (which I have, but is only so-so).

I'm tempted to by an undec and repaint it, but suspect that there may be challenges.  Anyone tried it and have any advice?

In particular, how hard is it to get the windows out (I'm betting they're glued in)?

George

[nkalanaga]

The only one i repainted was an ex-CNW coach, repainted because the factory GN Blue was too dark.  The actual painting was easy, just mask everything else and respray the blue.

The fun part was the windows.  At least in this car, they're a flexible plastic strip, glued behind the openings with a sticky substance, possibly some kind of rubber cement.  Easy to remove, not so easy to get back in.  It can be done, but isn't that easy.

[thomasjmdavis]

I can't answer the real question I think is being asked- are windows glued into an UNDEC Centralia car.  I believe this was true of early issue Centralia undecs (I recall being in a discussion about this years ago), but I don't have more current model that isn't decorated.  Both my first run 6-6-4s and my most recent run 4-4-2 that I bought at Lombard when in Chicago last month, have glued in windows.

My own inclination is to make a new plastic window strip (.005 clear)- as I always manage to damage the original in the process of removing it.  This also gives you the opportunity to add Venetian blinds or swap the strip of pinstripe tape they use for uniform raised window blinds for your own blinds as set by your N scale passengers. 

I give credit to Centralia/Intermountain (and Kato) for their beige interiors- much easier to paint than ones cast in turquoise blue, red, green, etc. And if you don't paint the interior, at least the wall color is fairly realistic and inconspicuous.  For whatever reason, many manufacturers seem to opt for an approximation of the carpet or upholstery color when molding their interiors- which makes lighting the car kind of pointless.

[Sokramiketes]

The newer assembled cars have better roofs and skirting detail.  However, the car sides are thicker.

The original kits had much better window appearance, thinner sides especilally where the window strip inserted, but that was unable to be duplicated when they molded the car body in one piece.

I've been known to combine the two versions, old sides with new roofs and underbodies, if I really wanted to do a car up right. 

[peteski]

I thought that Centralia cars used a simple strip of clear material for the windows, not molded clear plastic window inserts which are flush with the cars outer surface like used in Kato's cars.  At least that is how my PRR FOM cars are.

[OldEastRR]

The first run cars were totally glued together, had no interior or lights. Later runs added interiors and a battery lighting system (this was after Rapido came out with their versions) so you could get the roof off w/o wrecking it. I removed mine to put a center divider down the length of the sleepers so you couldn't see straight through the car, and varied the shade heights from the uniform level they'd been.
What ticked me off was the upgraded cars sold for the same price as the earlier empty interior versions.

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  The ones I have do.  The strip is easy to remove, at least on mine, as the "glue" is some sticky substance, not solvent cement, ACC, or anything else permanent.  If it stays with the window strip the strip could probably be stuck back in with it.  I used ACC on mine.

[Sokramiketes]

I thought that Centralia cars used a simple strip of clear material for the windows, not molded clear plastic window inserts which are flush with the cars outer surface like used in Kato's cars.  At least that is how my PRR FOM cars are.

Yes, correct.  All versions have used clear material, from the original kits, to the kits that were assembled in China to the newly tooled full carbodies.

The appareance of the first two versions, because the sides were molded separately, allowed a pocket for the window material to go in.  Thus, they appeared more like flush windows molded for openings.

The later newly tooled carbodies, well the mold base had to extract down, so they couldn't have the pocket.  These cars have thick sides and depressed window material, affecting the overall apperance of the cars. 

[nkalanaga]

In other words, the new ones look like 50+ year old passenger cars from the early days of N scale?

Sounds like a good market for someone who can 3D-print clear objects.

[Sokramiketes]

In other words, the new ones look like 50+ year old passenger cars from the early days of N scale?

Sounds like a good market for someone who can 3D-print clear objects.

Yup.  Always hoped the laser cut windows would be a solution, like AMB Laser-Kit used to offer in HO.  But no one brought those to market.

It's time to retool most of the Centralia line anyway.  Something at Kato/Rail Smith level of sharp tooling and running quality.