How might one approximate the Amtrak Cascades Talgo ?

[nickelplate759]

Funny enough, I'm actually working on one in CAD right now (VI). Can't share much yet, but I have made substantial progress. Haven't yet decided on the scale... More details at a later date.

Edit: Does anyone have detailed shots from the prototype, a notable video, and/or the N model(s)? I've used up my RRPA resources.

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There are a lot of videos and photos on the web, but not a lot of good shots of the sides of the cars.       
I'll be following your progress.     

The currently available N-scale Talgo models don't map super well to the Amtrak Cascades.  Either they are a newer body style (The Alvia Picasso set I mentioned - it's close the the 2nd generation of Cascades Talgo trains, with 4 windows per coach rather than 5 as in the first generation), or are for hotel (sleeper) trains, and none of them are a great approximation of the two end cars (baggage/utility).

[mcjaco]

Patch it as a Metra F59PHI

https://www.katousa.com/N/Bi-Level/index.html

Wrong paint scheme.  Metra got the F59s with the Surfliner scheme. 



Amtrak occasionally ran the Cascade F59s on the Hiawatha service.  That's a great pike sized train.

[Wutter]

Wrong paint scheme.  Metra got the F59s with the Surfliner scheme. 



Amtrak occasionally ran the Cascade F59s on the Hiawatha service.  That's a great pike sized train.

Metra had both:


For the Cascades ones, METX 88-93 got repainted into a pseudo-Surfliner scheme to match though, and METX 90 eventually got the CNW Heritage

The way to tell is the original Surfliner units had a black band across the windshield:


While the fully repainted Cascades units have a blue band across the windshield:

[nickelplate759]

thanks to a TRW member I've found some of the Electrotren Amtrak Talgo cars.  A little different from the later cars, but some paint, decals, and home-made tail fins and I should should be happy.

[nickelplate759]

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?

[Angus Shops]

“Cascades Double Latte”? You must be joking.

Oh, you’re not, it’s the PNW

[nickelplate759]

Nope!
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Direct from Amtrak.

[nickelplate759]

Now that I have some cars in hand, the next challenge is how to fabricate the tail fins.   Only the end is flat - they are curved on the other three sides.    I'll need 4 fins - two right and two left.


I don't want the end cars to be top-heavy, so I think the fins need to be hollow - I'm leaning towards fabricating them from .010" sheet styrene for the sides and top, maybe .040 on the end.  Maybe some .040 interior braces as well.

Thoughts or suggestions?

[peteski]

Thoughts or suggestions?

With all the superb 3D designers (with their printers) on TRW, maybe one of those folks could design them in CAD and print them out for you?  They could make them curved and hollow.   We all seem to help each other with our projects. Wouldn't hurt to ask in the 3D section . . .

[up__1995]

@peteski see my response at the bottom of page 1. I am working on one in CAD. More progress since that last post, but no major updates.

If anyone has details/drawings/*detail* photos/interior shots/etc, that would be greatly appreciated.

[peteski]

@peteski see my response at the bottom of page 1. I am working on one in CAD. More progress since that last post, but no major updates.

If anyone has details/drawings/*detail* photos/interior shots/etc, that would be greatly appreciated.

I did see it. George was looking to fabricate just the "tail fins" to tack them onto his Electrotren model, so I figured those alone could be rendered in 3D. Maybe you will be able to help George out.

[nickelplate759]

I can't vouch for their accuracy, but there are drawings by one Alex Stroshane here:

http://www.trainweb.org/asamtrak911/model/plans/

Look at the files with names that start with talgo-

[nickelplate759]

Well, I've hit a bit of a wall.    Switchline (http://switchlinedecals.com) lists decals for this train, but when I went to the website to order them they are listed as "Sold Out".  I sent an e-mail and they confirmed that they were sold out and had no intention of producing more.

So I may just stick to modeling the original train that the E-R cars are painted for.  It was pulled by a single F40PH in Phase 3 paint when I rode it in 1997.

[ncbqguy]

I can't vouch for their accuracy, but there are drawings by one Alex Stroshane here:

http://www.trainweb.org/asamtrak911/model/plans/

Look at the files with names that start with talgo-

Are there similar online drawings that are non-Amtrak subjects?  Passenger, freight, locomotives? 
Charlie Vlk

[nickelplate759]

The wall moved!   Switchline transferred their artwork to Fusion Scale Graphics (https://fsdecals.com/), and they are re-releasing (slowly) the decals.  They just released the set (in N scale) for the Cascades cars, and plan to release more of the ex-Switchline over time.

So, the project is back on!