N scale Via Rail Passenger Consist?

[SkipGear]

I have a buddy trying to put together a reasonably accurate consist using currently available Via equipment (mainly Rapido). Since I have no clue on Via operation and we have a strong contingent of Canadian friends on here, I figured this the best place to ask.

I believe his goal is to recreate one of the cross country tourist trains. Any help will be appreciated. This is as far from transition era B&O as I can get without heading into Europe.

[jmlaboda]

Two Groups on Yahoo! Groups could possibly be of use...

Passenger Train Consists
Canadian Passenger Rail

[craigolio1]

Day nighters and E sleepers were used on the Canadian but you'd have to use Concor models for stainless cars. By prototype modellers' standards they are way off but they look quite nice. The only missing car would then be the ex-CN baggage cars but I imagine we'll see those from Rapido in the future. Intermountain has done both the FP9 and F9B in VIA.

Craig

Edit:

Concor did a smooth side baggage in VIA that could be a stand-in until the Rapido model is available.

Consists varried through out the year and in the summer could be 20 cars long or more but if you wanted to model something representative that would fit on an N scale layout it may go something like this:

FP9A, F9B, blue smooth side baggage, stainless baggage-dorm, stainless coach or two, stainless skyline dome, blue day-nighter or two, stainless "Manor" sleeper or two, stainless dining car, stainless "Chateau" sleeper or two, stainless Park dome-observation.

I can't recall which it would be but the blue E sleepers were used in place of one of the series of stainless sleepers (or maybe in addition to?), I can't recall but you could use a couple of them too.

[nickelplate759]

My circa 1997 approximate Canadian is made of ConCor Budd stainless cars with decals from Microscale (I didn't care for the Con-Cor paint job).  I used
the 10-6 car for "Manor" cars, the Slumbercoach for (very approximate) "Chateau" cars, the full-baggage for the baggage-dorm.  For domes, observation coach and diner I used the ConCor equivalents (again, only approximately correct).   Power is two repainted and redetailed Life-Like F40PH (changed the pilots, added winterization hatches,  moved the horns and changed to 3-chime).

If you want to go all out, Union Station Products has styrene side kits for many of the Canadian cars, listed under their Canadian Pacific page: http://unionstationproducts.com/canadian_pacific.html

George

[lock4244]

The Canadian has pretty much been solid Budd stainless steel equipment, so Rapido N scale stuff won't be of much help (except for VIA's early years).

[Puddington]

So, using our Rapido cars you can make up a fairly close Super Continental consist for VIA. A couple of coaches followed by one or two Dayniters. Throw in a Cafe Bar lounge as a stand in for a full dining car ( we'll hopefully get to that car in HO and N in 2016) and then add sleepers, the 10-5 and E sleepers (Duplex) are both prototypical VIA cars (ex CN). You can add other sleepers for other mfg's painted for VIA as well. It would be nice if someone would "lose their minds and shirts" and make a I sleeper (24 roomette duplex - first smoothside CN car) as they were used as crew dorms by VIA.

All you need is a prototypical ex CN baggage express car...... hmmmm... wonder if that will be announced by anyone soon.....

Now, the Budd Canadian cars... No ones are close (Kato, Con Cor) and we're not ready to jump into that yet.... we will; but not right now....

[jjb62556]

I have 3 different so called "Canadians" made up of Concor and Kato Budd cars as stand ins..I have the Canadian Pacific set that was put out by Kato...In this set I have replaced the observation that came with the set with a modified Dome observation from a California Zephyr set. The second one is a mix of Concor/Kato cars in the red CP RAIL scheme with another California Zephyr Dome Observation...Thrid is a VIA made up of Concor/Kato cars and a third Dome/Observation modified.....For power,  set 1 & 2 use ABA set of IM FP7's and FP9's with F7 B units.  The VIA set uses FP7 & 9's A units plus I have 2 Kato F40's I painted for VIA in both grey & yellow schemes...Until Rapido does one...these will do.........

[craigolio1]

The Canadian has pretty much been solid Budd stainless steel equipment, so Rapido N scale stuff won't be of much help (except for VIA's early years).

Yes I should have said that was for an earlier Canadian.

Craig.

[SkipGear]

Thanks for the info, it's probably more knowledge than he is ready for. I will let him know his options.  Once again the railwire crew comes through.