How might one approximate the Amtrak Cascades Talgo ?

[nickelplate759]

As I wait for parts to work on the cars, I'm thinking about the cab car.    These are converted, de-powered F40PHs.  Not quite the same as a Cabbage, as there is no baggage compartment, but otherwise very similar.               

Like the prototype, I want mine to be unpowered.  Locomotion will come from the Athearn F59phi at the other end.    So I'm looking for good candidates.
There have been 4 N-scale F40PH models I'm aware of.   

• PFM: brass
• Model Power/Mehano : truly terrible.
• Life-Like : meh chassis, but with an OK body casting.
• Kato : very nice.

The best candidates seem to be Life-Like and Kato - I wouldn't want to hack up a PFM, and the Mehano is terrible even when you don't want it to run.
 
The Kato is of course the best looking, but I'd need to lighten it a lot, and I hate to destroy a good machine. 
Lifelike briefly sold dummies (in a set with a powered unit an a caboose), but the cheapest one I found (on eBay, of course) is asking for $100 for the whole set, which is just silly.
I may have to suck it up and gut a working Life-Like (and change the wheels), if I can find one that isn't stupid money.

Anyone got any other ideas?

[peteski]

I might have some Life-Like F40PH units in my stash (possibly even undercoated).  Since I now upgraded to Katos, I coudl let you have it for a song.    I'll see if I can dig it out in the next few days.  Shell-detail-wise the Life-Like models are giant leap above Model Power.  Not quite Katos, but can hold their own, even by today's standards.

[nickelplate759]

I might have some Life-Like F40PH units in my stash (possibly even undercoated).  Since I now upgraded to Katos, I coudl let you have it for a song.    I'll see if I can dig it out in the next few days.  Shell-detail-wise the Life-Like models are giant leap above Model Power.  Not quite Katos, but can hold their own, even by today's standards.

@peteski - clearly you don't remember ever hearing me attempt to sing.   

[peteski]

@peteski - clearly you don't remember ever hearing me attempt to sing.

Oh alright, LOL, I'll take few greenbacks instead.

[nickelplate759]

After further thought, I'm wondering how well a dummy-fied LifeLike F40PH will roll.   Anyone have experience with these?

 It'll be at the end of a 10+ car train of Talgo cars, with power at the other end.   

[peteski]

After further thought, I'm wondering how well a dummy-fied LifeLike F40PH will roll.   Anyone have experience with these?

 It'll be at the end of a 10+ car train of Talgo cars, with power at the other end.   

Well, as I mentioned in my email, those inside-bearing Life-Like trucks don't roll too well.  You can remove the idler gears and the electrical wipers to make them roll better, but they still won't roll as freely as Kato or Atlas low-friction trucks.  Another option would be to buy couple of Atlas or Kato trucks and try to mount them in the Life-Like chassis.  It will take some creative modeling, but I think it is possible.

[nickelplate759]

Well, as I mentioned in my email, those inside-bearing Life-Like trucks don't roll too well.  You can remove the idler gears and the electrical wipers to make them roll better, but they still won't roll as freely as Kato or Atlas low-friction trucks.  Another option would be to buy couple of Atlas or Kato trucks and try to mount them in the Life-Like chassis.  It will take some creative modeling, but I think it is possible.

Hmm - at that point it might be simpler and maybe even cheaper to start with a Kato.  Strip out the motor, remove all gears but the axle gears from the trucks, lighten the frame as much as I can without breaking it.   Maybe even use the contact strips to power a DCC function decoder.
At the very least I'll end up with a richer collection of spare parts, which is always a good thing.

[peteski]

Actually you don't even have to remove the motor and other guts.  My friend "dummified" a Kato E8 simply by removing the worms.  Or by the same token, you could remove the worm gear in the trucks.  Those small items can be easily kept in the original jewel box, in case you even need to get the model  back in in running condition.

I guess I won't start digging for the Life-Like units.

[nickelplate759]

Actually you don't even have to remove the motor and other guts.  My friend "dummified" a Kato E8 simply by removing the worms.  Or by the same token, you could remove the worm gear in the trucks.  Those small items can be easily kept in the original jewel box, in case you even need to get the model  back in in running condition.

I guess I won't start digging for the Life-Like units.

Good to know, thanks @peteski.  And I do appreciate the offer for Life-Like, but I do think that Kato is the better option operationally.

[peteski]

Good to know, thanks @peteski.  And I do appreciate the offer for Life-Like, but I do think that Kato is the better option operationally.

No problem.  I haven't even started to look for it. If you have the funds, Kato is certainly a better choice (for multiple reasons).

[nickelplate759]

Since I'm going to hack up a Kato, I want to start with the one that has at least some of the details needed.   Kato has made these at least three ways - no ditch lights, 2 ditch lights, and a Metra version with a whole bunch of lights.    The 2 ditch light version is closest to the Cascades cab cars, although it will still need a lot of work (fans and vents have to go at a minimum).   

It looks like it has been offered as Amtrak (2 numbers), Caltrans, Metrolink and VRE.

[Viperjim1]

Talgo cars on feebay now. Buy it now 75$ 4 cars and loco , 45.90 buy it now by Ibertan buy euro or Spain train.

[BCR 570]

Saw a news report the other day announcing the return of this train between Vancouver BC and Seattle WA this month.  One round trip for now; another to be added as equipment and staffing allows.

Tim

[nickelplate759]

Back in February I posted this:

Trying to identify paint colors.  Memory says that the Green and Cream (officially called Cascades Evergreen and Cascades Double Latte) are very close to the BN Executive (Grinstein) colors - and Tru-Color offers those colors.
I'm a little stumped on the brown - which is called Cascades Castilian Copper.  Anyone have any hints or experience for that one?

I found an Amtrak brochure that listed Pantone numbers for the colors.  I called Tru Color paint l and asked if they could tell me if they had a close match for the Pantone number (PMS 7597C), and just today they called me back and gave me a match.    Much to my disappointment it wasn't anything exotic - TCP-093 Oxide Brown.

I'm grateful to Tru Color for taking the time to look this up for me.  Onward!

[peteski]

LOL!  Lowly Oxide Brown?  Cascades Double Latte sounds much more exotic.  I guess that's what happens when sales or advertising people get into naming paint colors.  They do this for automobile colors too.

When I was buying my Scion xB, one of the colors (just plain metallic gray) was called "Thundercloud Metallic", and another copper color a "Torched Penny".