1935 Hi clearification question.

[wcfn100]

I'm hoping those MILW fans can answer a couple questions regarding the new 1935 Hiawatha release.

From what I can find, the original set was only five cars vs. the six in the FVM set.  The only reference I can find to the sixth car - 'Tip Top Cafe' - is the 'Tip Top Tap' cars that weren't part of the '35 but added in '36 with a diner being added at the same time.

Can anyone clearify how this sixth car fits in?  And if it is the car added in '36, is this set short a diner?


edit:  Nevermind, Milwaukee Road Remembered references the set that FVM is releasing. 


Jason

[Nato]

   It may not matter anyway, Brass Carsides was to supply the sides for this project as I understand it, and the company that does the sides for Dennis will not do them without a gaurenteed number or some such and this project ,or atleast the sides at Brass Car Sides have been cancled. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[SkipGear]

It seems to me it would make sense that they were cancled because of the pending release of the train in RTR form. There is even a comment on the Brass Car Sides site that they will be discontinuing sides as they come to market in plastic. After the QC mess with the Centrailia / IM hybrid cars, I doubt FVM would try to use brass sides and plastic parts in a mass production item.

[Sokramiketes]

After the QC mess with the Centrailia / IM hybrid cars, I doubt FVM would try to use brass sides and plastic parts in a mass production item.

Which Centralia/IM cars were hybrid brass and plastic?

[SkipGear]

Sorry, I thought that the early cars were brass side kits assembled by IM. I never owned any because they hadn't released anything I was interested in yet. I'm guessing they were injection molded sides? I have a half dozen of the B&O cars on back order and since ordering they have changed to molded cars, setting them back a year or more. I'm not complaining though, the QC issues of the early "assebled kits" had me worried. Even at that I just have a feeling that FVM won't go the "kit built" route and will have molded bodies.

[altohorn25]

Jason,

Here's some info that will help you out.  All this information is in Jim Scribbins' book, The Hiawatha Story.  There is a new edition out in soft cover that I would highly recommend for you.  Anyways, here it is:

4-4-2 Atlantic
tap-diner (there was no full diner in the orginal consist)
3 coaches
1 parlor
1 beaver tail parlor

1 engine, 6 cars

The train was so popular that additional coaches were added as needed (hence FVM offering the additional coaches).  I've seen pictures of the train with as many as 5 coaches, but that was about the top end as to what the 4-4-2 could pull.  The 1942 cars were lighter which is why you can sometimes find pics of the atlantics with more cars.  Hope this helps you out.

For the record, the FVM release will have plastic cars; no brass car sides will be used or were planned on being used.  The brass car sides could never have been used anyways since they are for later (1948) prototypes.  Not quite sure who started that rumor, but they had false information.

[Chris333]

Here it is pulling 9 cars:

[Nato]

  Early IM Centrailia cars were plastic sideded ,"Golden Valley" in California released a UP Caboose Kit. He also started to do Shasta Daylight cars then he (can't rember his name) sold out to Des Plains Hobbies who did not offer the caboose, but did also offer a 6-4-4 sleeping car kit. These cars and several more that were Des Plains own tooling (I believe) became Centralia assembled IM cars, the caboose nade sense as Centralia already offered this car in HO along with an IC Caboose that I wish was available in N.           The 6-4-4 American Series sleeper lacked much side detail and the windows looked overly large compaired to Kato's yet I bought a couple to compair also the 4-4-2 car when it came out. Now IM has revised the tooling with better windows and side details. Brass & plastic can be used together as Brass Car sides for a number of years has stocked American Limited Core kits (these are plastic) to use with his sides.              Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.