Wood, arch-windowed coaches? Do they exist in N?

[spookshow]

Mark,
Who made that car in your photo?  That is really nice!

Mark did, thanks 

Cheers,
-Mark

[bbussey]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned rapid prototyping.  With wooden sides, the RP layering effect might not be all that objectionable.

Because first one would have to "make" the solid model, which may not be readily possible for everyone.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Max,
Do you have the plans. If so I would suggest etched brass overlays.

I would do them as a laminated section to get the depth you require. Only on set per car required so that the finished it can be urethane cast.

Regards

Al

[Bob Bufkin]

I always wondered why a lot of railroads painted their new steel cars, back then, to look like wooden cars they were replacing.  Did they actually think people would think the older wooden cars were safer?

[mmagliaro]

In answer to Alwyn, I have "diagrams", but not "drawings".  I would have to scan the diagram in and
then redraw the whole thing to make it into a careful, measured drawing. 

Mark's car is really a good job, and captures the look that I'm after.   Those Athearn/Roundhouse
business cars (only 1 car in the 4- car set) are not easy to find these days, even on eBay.
If I were paying attention, I could have snarfed up a bunch of shells from somebody who has sold off big batches
of the bare shells over the past year or so.

In any event, I really didn't want this to turn into a major project.   My 4-6-2 is enough of a project at one time!
I just wanted to see if anybody knew of some ready-made sides out there, or some other relatively simple solution.

I guess it means that if you are in N Scale, forget passenger service between 1900 - 1940 unless you
scratchbuild.

[jmlaboda]

"I guess it means that if you are in N Scale, forget passenger service between 1900 - 1940 unless you scratchbuild."

Not sure that is exactly the case since it is moreso 1900 - 1934 that is restrictive but kitbashing will help cover 1915 - 1934 mainline operations.  Oh, and don't paint the Pullman car roofs black... that didn't start, from what I have read on the Passenger Car List @ Yahoo! Groups until around 1936.

For wood vestibuled cars etching likely would be the best way of pursuing them, though there yet might be a way to do them with rapid prototyping.  From what I have seen of planked wood cars from Shapeways I have no interest in pursuing any of the offerings so far because the banding is horizontal and the planking is vertical... what would be scribed lines if one was scratchbuilding pretty much disappears in the banding.

[bbussey]

I always wondered why a lot of railroads painted their new steel cars, back then, to look like wooden cars they were replacing.  Did they actually think people would think the older wooden cars were safer?

Yes they did, especially in electrified territory.  People thought there was a higher risk of electrocution in steel cars.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Max,
How many different cars are there?

I was going to have a look at doing a set of coaches that I would love and I think they are pretty darn close. A mate of mine is going to draw them and then they would be available as a four car set.

Max email sent.

Regards

Al

[mmagliaro]

"I guess it means that if you are in N Scale, forget passenger service between 1900 - 1940 unless you scratchbuild."

Not sure that is exactly the case since it is moreso 1900 - 1934 that is restrictive but kitbashing will help cover 1915 - 1934 mainline operations.  Oh, and don't paint the Pullman car roofs black... that didn't start, from what I have read on the Passenger Car List @ Yahoo! Groups until around 1936.

For wood vestibuled cars etching likely would be the best way of pursuing them, though there yet might be a way to do them with rapid prototyping.  From what I have seen of planked wood cars from Shapeways I have no interest in pursuing any of the offerings so far because the banding is horizontal and the planking is vertical... what would be scribed lines if one was scratchbuilding pretty much disappears in the banding.

Well, okay,  1936 or 1940.  Close enough for me.  The thing is, some of thoseolder cars were still around in the 1940s and even early 1950s, and it would be great to have a few.   For me, I want some of that older stuff to put behind the 4-4-2 and the 4-6-2 I'm building.   Even though my layout them is early 1950s, I will just explain it away by saying that the big #700 and the NP Loewy F7's can pull the "modern" passenger cars, while some "lesser" short passenger trains with older cars will run behind my smaller steam (when that older steam isn't relegated to pulling some local freights).

[nkalanaga]

Jerry:  Thank you.  If someone made these I might have to buy a couple.  I have no idea what I'd pull them with, maybe one of the GN/BN passenger Fs or SDP40s?  They might also look interesting behind my MILW electric.

[jmlaboda]

"If someone made these I might have to buy a couple."

I'm right behind you there!!!  Definitely could use some for MofW service.

[mmagliaro]

Oh yes, I should have mentioned that quite a few of these wood-sided cars, the coaches, baggage, etc,
were relegated to X-xxx numbers as MoW cars and were still around even in the early 1970s
The SP&S color guide has a lot of pictures of them in that state.

[CBQ Fan]

What did Strasburg use for their N scale passenger models?

[nkalanaga]

True, the SP&S did have a bunch.  I'd forgotten them, partly because SP&S MOW equipment was a fairly rare sight in Pasco.  It was on the NP's main line, and the NP did the work there.