I notice from a lot of pictures, and some in real life, that a lot of steam engines had "curtains" gathered and tied on either side of the cab opening. Have any of you successfully modeled these in HO? If so, what did you use? Is there a chance somebody manufactures them?
Mike C.
My layout is set in the summer, so the curtains have been taken down and stored. I've seen them modelled using tissue, aluminum foil, or brass shimstock, but am not aware of any commercially-available ones.
Wayne
I believe PSC makes some in HO in cast brass. I think they are for D&RGW C-class 2-8-0's but would probably work.
Roger Huber
I can not remember where I saw the article but someone was describing and showing pictures of how they made curtains from the cloth of used tea bags. The "used" tea bags had a nice color. The cloth was rolled in long thin rolls and tied with string and then attached to the edge of the cab. I do not remember how it was attached but I thought it looked very good.
Might have been in the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette. A lot of the early narrowgauge locos have tender-mount motors, so the cab curtains help disguise the driveshaft between tender and loco.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I found the article in the Nov. 2011 issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist. You can see it on their website.
Thanks for all the info! The tea bag idea sounds interesting. Gonna research the article.
I used to have some original Grand Trunk Western color slides of steam until I sold them. I remember the curtains were interesting as they looked to be white with black stripes.... They kind of reminded me of pajamas!
Victor A. Baird
www.erstwhilepublicatons.com
My new Walthers Proto P2k USRA 0-8-0 came with a set of moulded plastic curtins is some hard plastic, stryene I would guess. They are a press fit to the cab. Perhaps you can get that part seperatly, or somebody will get the aftermarket Idea and start making them. I kind of like the teabag idea as well, but I am sure if properly painted these with the P2K would be fine also.
Paul
Dayton and Mad River RR
Rio Grande Models makes 2 different sets of HO scale cab curtains in cast metal.
p/n 3552 for D&RGW "C" & "K" class engines $3.00 set
p/n 3559 long loco cabs $3.00 set
Deer Creek Locomotive Works