With the announcement of Kato's N Scale 20th Century Limited with little to no information. I'm excited and disappointed at the same time.
Last week I thought I'll get an HO scale passenger car a month. So I can slowly build the NYC 20th Century Limited 1948-54 that was made in 2008/09. Also I wanted to model the 1960s version. Little bits of pictures but not the whole train.
Planning on getting the 22 Roomette sleeper but in the 60s were no longer smooth it's corrugated steel and the RPO were repainted into a dark gray.
Then I recently purchased a Walthers Grill Diner (6328) and 56 seat coach (30005).
The question is: What's the full 1960s consist? Since the Wikipedia consist is like the only one and timetables lists like one car. Making it hard to pin down.
Second when did the black letterboard was placed? Would that be after 1961 rebuilds or during 1965?
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Hi,
Here's a look at some of the Century paint details, mostly aimed at the '38 and '40 versions but later in the article are some details up to the "combined Commodore Vanderbilt" era (1958 or so).
https://nycshs.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/painting20thcenturylimited.pdf
I have some consists around here that I'll try to dig up as time permits. Generally, the coaches, sleepercoaches and Budd Pullmans were toward the front and, depending on traffic, three to five of the original Century Pullman Standard cars were carried toward the rear.
Further details are here, again, mainly looking at the '38 and '40 schemes.
Century_Englewood_2 by Edmund, on Flickr
April 21, 1965.
Here you see a 10-6, two Sleepercoaches, a grill-diner and two Budd coaches toward the head end. The Century cars begin at the diner under the cantilevered signal bridge in the distance. Sleepercoaches forst appeared on the Century on October 25, 1959.
Although I've seen a few photos of a black letterboard on the Budd cars I do not believe it was adopted as a standard. Dark gray was certainly more prevalent. The black letterboards may have been on the four leased Sleepercoaches from Budd before the NYC 22 Roomette cars went in for rebuilding.
Good Luck, Ed
Further research I found out that in May 1958 the headend car were repainted solid gray with aluminum gray lettering. Including the dark gray letterboards with aluminum gray lettering in 1956.
Car cement (black) which was used on leaking roofs is why those equipments were painted black. To hide
I noticed that picture too. I couldn't tell if that was another coach and a 10-6 sleeper. Since the grill diner is the third car of the train making it unorganized.
angelob6660I couldn't tell if that was another coach and a 10-6 sleeper.
I agree. It looks like there's only one Budd coach and the last Budd car before the P-S Kitchen actually looks like one of the 22 Roomette Harbor cars.
Ed
Off Topic, but IMHO, that was one handsome train, steam or diesel, any era (I particularly love the Dreyfuss streamlined J3s, though). Not as colorful as some, but there's something about the gray carbodies, especially with the lightning stripe.
Deano
angelob6660 With the announcement of Kato's N Scale 20th Century Limited with little to no information. I'm excited and disappointed at the same time. Last week I thought I'll get an HO scale passenger car a month. So I can slowly build the NYC 20th Century Limited 1948-54 that was made in 2008/09. Also I wanted to model the 1960s version. Little bits of pictures but not the whole train.
One word of caution. When you buy a passenger set over time, you run the risk of it going out of production and being hard to get. I made that mistake with the Fox Valley HO 1935 Hiawatha set for their 4-4-2 streamlined loco. I got the loco and a few cars through Historic Rail including their unique beaver tailed observation car. I figured I would add a coach or two each month until I had a reasonable sized consist. Unfortunately that production run quickly sold out and Fox Valley began taking pre-orders for their next production run. That was over two years ago. They keep announcing new scheduled production runs but those keep getting pushed back. Last I looked there is one scheduled for this March but I am not optimistic this one is for real. I keep searching ebay but with no luck. I have three coaches on back order with my LHS but there is no telling when if ever that order will be filled.
EDIT: After posting this, I went to the Fox Valley website to get an update. This is what they have to say about their production run:
New Run On Hold/ Delayed
This from a different site (and dated an unknown number of months ago):
The following is part of a letter we received from Matt Gaudynski, the head of Fox Valley Models: "Over the weekend, news broke that a large supplier of model trains in China has closed its doors. Fox Valley Models has used this factory for a large portion of our products. As of today, there is no clear path that will resume production in short order, or an easy way to move projects. With this news, we must reluctantly list all previously announced products as Postponed/Cancelled. If projects can be moved, it will take a number of months to do so, and then get a new factory up to speed on our projects will take even more time..."
"Over the weekend, news broke that a large supplier of model trains in China has closed its doors. Fox Valley Models has used this factory for a large portion of our products. As of today, there is no clear path that will resume production in short order, or an easy way to move projects. With this news, we must reluctantly list all previously announced products as Postponed/Cancelled. If projects can be moved, it will take a number of months to do so, and then get a new factory up to speed on our projects will take even more time..."
Here is an actual east bound consist from 1950. 4028 E7A
4108 E7B4910 Baggage 60' RPOCalumet River 10-6Bay Bridge 4-4-2Chicago River 10-6Port of New York 12 DBRCastleton Bridge 4-4-2Eads Bridge 4-4-210572 Atlantic Shore Telephone Room Buffet 30 seat Lounge Car403 onehalf twin unit dining car with 68 seat dining room475 onehalf twin unit Kitchen 21 crew dormitory carPecos River 10-6Port Chester 12 DBRPort Lawrence 12 DBRHigh Bridge 4-4-2Sandy River 5 DBR Buffet 25 seat high windowed lounge observation
Ira
Overmod This from a different site (and dated an unknown number of months ago): The following is part of a letter we received from Matt Gaudynski, the head of Fox Valley Models: "Over the weekend, news broke that a large supplier of model trains in China has closed its doors. Fox Valley Models has used this factory for a large portion of our products. As of today, there is no clear path that will resume production in short order, or an easy way to move projects. With this news, we must reluctantly list all previously announced products as Postponed/Cancelled. If projects can be moved, it will take a number of months to do so, and then get a new factory up to speed on our projects will take even more time..."
John-NYBW angelob6660 With the announcement of Kato's N Scale 20th Century Limited with little to no information. I'm excited and disappointed at the same time. Last week I thought I'll get an HO scale passenger car a month. So I can slowly build the NYC 20th Century Limited 1948-54 that was made in 2008/09. Also I wanted to model the 1960s version. Little bits of pictures but not the whole train. One word of caution. When you buy a passenger set over time, you run the risk of it going out of production and being hard to get. I made that mistake with the Fox Valley HO 1935 Hiawatha set for their 4-4-2 streamlined loco. I got the loco and a few cars through Historic Rail including their unique beaver tailed observation car. I figured I would add a coach or two each month until I had a reasonable sized consist. Unfortunately that production run quickly sold out and Fox Valley began taking pre-orders for their next production run. That was over two years ago. They keep announcing new scheduled production runs but those keep getting pushed back. Last I looked there is one scheduled for this March but I am not optimistic this one is for real. I keep searching ebay but with no luck. I have three coaches on back order with my LHS but there is no telling when if ever that order will be filled. EDIT: After posting this, I went to the Fox Valley website to get an update. This is what they have to say about their production run: New Run On Hold/ Delayed
I'm hoping that Walthers will remake the NYC 20th Century Limited from 11/12 years ago since they did the same with PRR Broadway Limited, ATSF Super Chief, and GN Empire Builder. That way I can purchase a reasonable price for the RPO-Baggage, Observation car and others.
caldreamer Here is an actual east bound consist from 1950. 4028 E7A 4108 E7B4910 Baggage 60' RPOCalumet River 10-6Bay Bridge 4-4-2Chicago River 10-6Port of New York 12 DBRCastleton Bridge 4-4-2Eads Bridge 4-4-210572 Atlantic Shore Telephone Room Buffet 30 seat Lounge Car403 onehalf twin unit dining car with 68 seat dining room475 onehalf twin unit Kitchen 21 crew dormitory carPecos River 10-6Port Chester 12 DBRPort Lawrence 12 DBRHigh Bridge 4-4-2Sandy River 5 DBR Buffet 25 seat high windowed lounge observation Ira
This will help me as to where I place the sleepers in the consist. Including the 2 unit car.
Thanks.
angelob6660Sandy River 5 DBR Buffet
Sandy Creek
Cheers, Ed