This is my latest attempt at posting photos on this site, using "shared" images this time and with ?jpg at the end of the image URL. Please - if anyone can see them, let me know, will you?
Here are some of my Santa Fe heavyweights including Rivarossi/Con-Cor, Micro-Trains, and Pecos River Brass. Most have GMM etched brass steps, stirrups, and other details added. The diaphragms are black rubber moldings made by Oriental Limited which I bought in bulk back in the 1990's.
The first photo shows the head end with engine 3751 in charge, pulling the Grand Canyon Limited with an an icing dock visible in the background.
Next is a Rivarosi baggage car. I lightly airbrushed Floquil's Grime and Mud onto the train's lower sides and ends to represent long travels through the desert.
These two cars are made by Pecos River Brass (left) and Rivarossi. The differences are considerable. Santa Fe had coaches and club cars that featured wide windows and very different roof equipment. The trucks were also of a unique design. All the cars on this train have weathering added as well as window "glass" and Micro-Scale decals for the PRB cars plus window shades and full interior detailing for all the cars.
This one is the Rivarossi combine, an actual ATSF prototype, shown facing backwards on the train. I re-oriented it properly after the photo shoot.
Pecos River Brass made this beautiful Coach Club car. PRB's cars are built in such a way that the end vestibules are sealed and inaccessible which is why no "glass" is visible in these areas.
This is the very car, the Pullman St. Croix that kindled my interest in N-scale. I was so impressed when I first saw one in the 1970's at an Orlando, FL hobby shop that I knew N-scale railroading would be in my future. I have two of them now. I didn't have the heart to weather these little gems.
This is the other one, bearing the new name of Centacre which came from a Micro-Scale decal sheet.
Here is a comparison shot of two Pullmans, the General Stoneman based on a Pecos River Brass model (left) and a Rivarossi 12-1 named Isaac Newton on the right. Notice the differences in height at the roofline even though the bottom edges of the bodies are closely matched. This difference is why I don't run the PRB Pullmans with the rest of my cars. All my other PRB Pullmans exhibit this same characteristic. Can anyone give an explanation for this difference?
Here we see one of the magnificent Micro-Trains Pullmans, the Red Oak. These models truly capture the look of those classic passenger cars. My interest in these older designs stems from when I was a teenager reading Model Railroader back in the 1950's and seeing those beautiful ads for the Walthers craftsmen kits for models like this one.
Rivarossi's diner model is a near perfect replica of the Santa Fe prototype. I added full interior detailing including patrons, wait staff, and flower vases on the tables.
Pecos River Brass did a wonderful job on this Parlor Club car. I've had to apply light oil to the wheel bearings to allow these relatively heavy cars to roll easily.
Micro-Trains' beautiful Pullman "Moose Lake" displays the faired-in air conditioning duct on the roof that gives these cars their distinctive look. The only Rivarossi car that featured such a duct was their observation car.
Here's Rivarossi's open platform observation car with GMM etched brass stirrups, rear steps, and platform railing. I used my computer and printer to make the venetian blinds. This model was built back in the early 1990's before my GMM etched brass venetian blinds were available. The GMM etched brass blinds also work well and offer a see-through effect. Several years after I did the interior work on this car, I added the newly available GMM etched brass heavyweight passenger car steps, stirrups, and handrail to finish the job.
Finally, this close-up shot shows the etched brass railing and the lighted tail sign made by Tomar products that displays the train's name when on: Grand Canyon Limited. I really wish that Kato-style trucks and lighting systems were available for these wonderful old classic passenger cars. My more modern passenger trains are all equipped with Kato's track-powered lighting system and I love them. I'm aware of battery-powered lights but am not interested in them because of the constant added cost of buying replacement batteries, not to mention having to handle and disassemble each car to replace them. For my needs, Kato's well-thought-out system is the best I've seen to date.
If anyone can see these images, please post your response so I can see if I'm having any success, will you? Thanks!
