Intermountain/CCS Diners

[bman]

Just to follow up on these, has anyone who bought them had issues with coupler boxes not staying together? 3 of the 5 I bought had coupler boxes that were already loose or opened up (coupler having fallen out), straight out of the box. A friend of mine has also reported he's had the same issues. Anyone else seeing this?

The one I have ran flawlessly around a TTrak display we set up for several hours straight outta the box. The tight radius had me concerned at the start but wasn't an issue.

[randgust]

OK, gotta share.    What got me going on the Santa Fe was a July '72 westbound trip across on the short-lived Amtrak "Chief" with F-units and the rainbow era.

I distinctly remember the UP diner, it seemed so out of place on the Santa Fe.    For years I've fought it but now I embrace it, and the Centralia car finally got here.  Now, I added the bigger kitchen stacks, the full-length radio antenna, and a painted interior with figures.   Hey, I went cheap with the 100 Z-figures for $10 and chopped them off below the waist, but the diner isn't empty!

This is a great car but it finally has met what I've wanted for decades.....
(oh, and yeah, the step is bent from the factory, I see it, I'll get to it)


Link:  http://www.randgust.com/Diner01.jpg


Link:  http://www.randgust.com/Diner02.jpg


Link: http://www.randgust.com/Diner03.jpg

I have a slide of the train in Lamy, same consist with that UP diner on an eastbound trip, and yep, the windows are really tinted green.

[Ike the BN Freak]

If anyone has one of the "western" ones, can they post side shots of both sides. I'm trying to see how much work would it be to convert one to a BN business car

[Mark5]

If anyone has one of the "western" ones, can they post side shots of both sides. I'm trying to see how much work would it be to convert one to a BN business car

Some views here: https://intermountain-railway.com/distrib/ccs/html/ccswesterndinerdetails.htm

[Ike the BN Freak]

Some views here: https://intermountain-railway.com/distrib/ccs/html/ccswesterndinerdetails.htm

Was hoping for photos versus CADs. But even based on CADs, looks like enough work to justify starting with a different model.

[randgust]

The design and assembly of these lends itself to be equipped with replacement sides.

The underframe and interior snap out; interior is a separate piece.  Car weight is between the two

The roof is a snap-on as well, to get into the lighting board you have to take the roof off, take out a tiny screw, and that gets you to the batteries.

While trucks are coupler-mount, wouldn't be hard to change if you want to.

So the sides are just sort of 'out there' casting with the ends and you really wouldn't have to do an overlay, just cut / print new sides.

Compared to the typical 'glue together' Intermountain diesel shell that can't even be repainted without significant damage, this is close to genius.

[thomasjmdavis]

Sounds like the Centralia cars haven't changed that much since the early days, when they were assembled from Des Plaines Hobbies kits. Des Plaines still carries a few of the kits- hoping we will see them re-stocked once Matt gets the new ScaleAmerica lines squared away after the Fox Valley Models deal with ScaleTrains.

https://shopfvm.com/

Introducing Scale America

ScaleTrains will be handling production of the original Fox Valley Line. We are keeping the former Red Caboose and Deluxe lines, and will be consolidating it with the Des Plaines Hobbies line of goods. This includes N & HO Parts, Centralia Car Shops, S Scale America and O Scale America. Watch for more info later this year about Scale America.

[peteski]

Compared to the typical 'glue together' Intermountain diesel shell that can't even be repainted without significant damage, this is close to genius.

Yes, isn't that nice?     *ALL* the Kato models I have ever own or seen are also always assembles using snap-together glue-less assembly.  Yes, it would be nice of other manufacturers followed that suit.  But if one wants added-on super-detail parts, those require glue (and the obligatory glue stains).

[keeper]

The design and assembly of these lends itself to be equipped with replacement sides.

The underframe and interior snap out; interior is a separate piece.  Car weight is between the two

The roof is a snap-on as well, to get into the lighting board you have to take the roof off, take out a tiny screw, and that gets you to the batteries.

While trucks are coupler-mount, wouldn't be hard to change if you want to.

So the sides are just sort of 'out there' casting with the ends and you really wouldn't have to do an overlay, just cut / print new sides.

Compared to the typical 'glue together' Intermountain diesel shell that can't even be repainted without significant damage, this is close to genius.

A friend of mine has one of the new diners, an IC one, so I think it is an eastern diner.
We didn't manage to get the lights on.
Is the contact for the light where the batteries are?
Do I understand it correctly that one can remove the roof after removing the whole body from the underframe?

Thomas 

[randgust]

Mine arrived with dead batteries and it was a puzzle to figure out how to change them.  The roof clips on.  There's a little circuit board in there with a couple tiny screws holding it in.  Take those out, and you can lift out the circuit board to change the batteries.

[keeper]

Ok, thanks, we will try that.

[kscessandriver]

Ok, thanks, we will try that.

Not sure if these will help, but it's the Intermountain description on replacing batteries in these cars. https://intermountain-railway.com/BatteryReplaceNPaxCar.htm

[randgust]

Yeah, that's consistent with my experience.

The Rapido easy-peasy lights I put in my Kato cars have a reed switch that is fairly broad in sensitivity.   The magnet switch in these IM cars has to be spot-on as to location, and then turns on and shuts off in stages, coming on and dimming to off, interesting to watch, but also annoying if you think it is supposed to just instantly snap on and off like the Rapido.   Give it a second.

[CBQ Fan]

I picked up an SP Overland two tone gray scheme. Anyone else see one and if so thoughts on the colors?

[CBQ Fan]

I picked up an SP Overland two tone gray scheme. Anyone else see one and if so thoughts on the colors?

Bump