MTL November

[bbussey]

If the single window coach is slated for an NdeM five pack in March, it stands to reason that the model will debut before then — possibly next month.

[Ngineer]

I am going to pre-order the Amtrak 4 car MOW set through my dealer.   

I already have the 4 Ortner hopper cars in Amtrak MOW orange they made a few years ago. (Runner pack #30 from August 2009.) These are really, really NICE, but they lack the brake cylinder.

Does anybody know where I can find decals for the following locos? I have the locos, but no decals.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4639552
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1688162
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3430952

Especially the white numberboard with black letters is hard to find. Does Microscale have them?

Cheers

   Javier

[peteski]

I am going to pre-order the Amtrak 4 car MOW set through my dealer.   

I already have the 4 Ortner hopper cars in Amtrak MOW orange they made a few years ago. (Runner pack #30 from August 2009.) These are really, really NICE, but they lack the brake cylinder.

Does anybody know where I can find decals for the following locos? I have the locos, but no decals.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4639552
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1688162
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3430952

Especially the white numberboard with black letters is hard to find. Does Microscale have them?

Cheers

   Javier

Even if specific decals are not available, the typeface used by Amtrak of that period is Helvetica.  Microsoft Arial is a similar font, and so is the generic "Switzerland" font.  You could just make and print your own black decals (white would be tougher).

I remember decorating my own Amtrak phase II and II models 30 years ago, and using Letraset rub-on dry-transfer lettering (Helvetica of course). to do the lettering and numbers.  Some of the logos had black lettering with white outlines. For those I first rubbed on white letters, then slightly smaller black letters over them.  That gave me black lettering with white outlines (not needed for what you are modeling).

[mu26aeh]

Those TTX bulkheads are great looking !  And a much better price point that the scarce Exactrail models (different car I know).  And they probably track better too.

[bbussey]

If the single window coach is slated for an NdeM five pack in March, it stands to reason that the model will debut before then — possibly next month.

Got confirmation from MTL today (and permission to post) that the first SWC will be released in January and that there will be three roads released by March.  I was not told which roads will be first, although I suspect that NYC and NH will be among that group.

[thomasjmdavis]

Bryan,
Thanks for the information. 

[Missaberoad]

Got confirmation from MTL today (and permission to post) that the first SWC will be released in January and that there will be three roads released by March.  I was not told which roads will be first, although I suspect that NYC and NH will be among that group.

Nice! Based on past releases Canadian pacific should be among the early roads aswell...

[Maletrain]

Great!  Now, the only question is whether MTL will get around to issuing a SWC in Erie paint before I can finish building my shop and get a paint booth set up.  I hope so, because my "to-do" list appears to be threatening to exceed my remaining life expectancy.

[Chris333]

Just lurking while everyone else asks for Erie... 

[Point353]

Just lurking while everyone else asks for Erie... 

Erie ✔ Single-window ✔  ✔

[thomasjmdavis]

Erie ✔ Single-window ✔  ✔

All we need to do is what the Erie actually did in 1:1 scale...start with a single window coach, make a smooth side above the beltrail, with double width sealed windows, replace doors, create a "betterment" roof, rearrange the interior with fewer, more comfortable seats, and repaint.

[Chris333]

Yeah funny how they modernized single windows by pairing them   

[Maletrain]

Yes, somebody with a laser cutter or even a knife cutter, could probably make above-the-belt-rail "car sides that would allow us to do the retrofitting needed to model a lot of the "modernized" heavyweight cars.  I keep thinking about that, but I don't have either at the moment.  Cutting those car windows by hand in N scale is not going to work, for me, at least.

[thomasjmdavis]

Yes, somebody with a laser cutter or even a knife cutter, could probably make above-the-belt-rail "car sides that would allow us to do the retrofitting needed to model a lot of the "modernized" heavyweight cars.  I keep thinking about that, but I don't have either at the moment.  Cutting those car windows by hand in N scale is not going to work, for me, at least.

I think we will see brass sides (or a whole kit) before too long, at least for the Erie cars (somewhere on my wish list are also GTW and ACL rebuilds). I've tried doing "above the beltrail" kitbashes, and the difficulty there is that the upper 1/2 side only has a few hundredths of an inch (2-3 N scale inches) below the windows- which makes for a very delicate part- at least for my big fingers.  If I were to try a "do it myself" approach, I think I would opt for a whole side with window cut outs, and then add a belt rail and archer rivets.

I made stand ins years ago, cut the window center framing out of Rivarossi cars and fashioned a roof from the RR roofs, some scrap ends and about 1/2 tube of squadron putty.

This conversation reminds me that I still have a stack of L&N cars to do with the Brass Car Sides I have stashed away.

[basementcalling]

What the hell is a single window coach? They all have more than one window to my non passenger fan eye.