Railsmith GN/NP Budd domes update

[wazzou]

Are you happy with his prior releases?  He does a pretty good job run-to-run to match.  I've found they fit in well enough with my ScaleCoat I models that I'm not itching to repaint anything.

Honestly, I don't own any as they just do not fit my modeling goals.
There could be some color shift in the original photograph, so I may have been more critical than I should be.
I'll have to leave it to those that actually possess the models.
I do know Lowell well and have no doubt that he's putting his best foot forward.

Here are the NPRHA's color cards, sprayed from formulas from Dupont, and compared to prototype paint chips.

[Sokramiketes]

That's what I love about the Scalecoat I colors so much, that light green actually has a touch of red in it, turning slightly earthy and less minty.

In person, Lowell is slightly more minty than not, but not drastically. 

[JoeD]

That's what I love about the Scalecoat I colors so much, that light green actually has a touch of red in it, turning slightly earthy and less minty.

In person, Lowell is slightly more minty than not, but not drastically.

I heard he was spicy but not minty.  interesting   LOL

[AlbertSpor]

The original picture posted at the top of this thread, is not close at all to what the models look like in person. The photos on his web site, at least on my computer, are much closer to the actual models. He had undecorated samples of the dome at the Portland Bridgetown meet, and they looked great in person.
Albert Spor

[CBQ Fan]

I am so frustrated with Northern Pacific passenger trains cars and engines. I have been trying to get a usable set of matching cars and engines since the days of Con-Cor. Walthers, Rapido Centralia, Intermountain and Rail Smith. Oh, and Microtrains heavyweight cars, some from Lowell Smith and the rest at a much cheaper price point from MT. I have all the RS cars offered but some how manage to miss the cutoff for the dome sleepers. The Intermountain F7s don’t match the IM F3s. I also was shipped DCC Sound when I ordered DC.  Hobby shop never responded to me on figuring that one out. Railsmith did offer Broadway Limited F 7nits in stealth but just an A and B unit.  You need at least an ABA set. I passed because I did want to risk more orphan engines. He did offer a second run but with my luck had I ordered the first run, the second would have never happened. So, I Kato offers a full set, I will order it.  But I am done trying to build one a car at a time.  All my other passenger train endeavors have worked out just fine, but I am just not destined to have my NCL!  Please return to your regular programming.

******

Update: Lowell’s website was showing the NP sleeper domes open again so I quickly placed my order. Drama for NP continues but this time a positive swing! 

[delamaize]

I came into some money I wasn't expecting. This, plus my train budget I didn't spend this year let me pre order both his dome/coaches, and dome/sleepers. I'm excited to change out some of my custom painted con-cor cars from my NCL.

[nkalanaga]

I have most of his NP cars, and they seem to match well with Scalecoat spray paints.  I assume the bottle versions are the same colors, but I haven't used them.

[Sokramiketes]

I heard he was spicy but not minty.  interesting   LOL

LOLOL

[Ike the BN Freak]

I might just have to get one and strip it being he hasn't done undec, and doesn't look like its in the works

[nickelplate759]

I've asked Lowell in the past about doing more undec's (albeit not the domes specifically), and he didn't say never, but he left me with the impression that it would be unlikely.    At the very least, undec's require special packaging if the window glazing isn't going to be pre-installed.

[chessie system fan]

I'd be okay if the windows come pre-installed as long as the glue doesn't come pre-installed.

[nkalanaga]

Every car I've bought from him has the windows VERY solidly glued.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Every car I've bought from him has the windows VERY solidly glued.

Thats my fear with buying one to strip, if the dome windows are a pain to remove to strip, it won't be worth it in my opinion

[nkalanaga]

Couldn't be worse than trying to paint a Con-Cor dome.  The dome, and roof, and windows, were a single clear casting!

I've had good luck masking the windows on his cars by putting the tape on, burnishing it down like dry transfers, then carefully cutting around the outside of the window frames.  That might work for the dome, or one could try Micro-Scales "Micro Masker".  I have a 40(?) year old bottle I've never used...

[CBQ Fan]

NP sleeper domes are back open.