Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Window shades or venitian blinds on UP passenger cars?

2793 views
3 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 11:14 AM

Here's an example of what I was saying about the blinds getting a little worn out. Again, you won't go wrong with using roll-up shades on all the heavyweights, unless they were rebuilt, as some diners were, and the wide roll up shades on most of the sleepers and coaches.

 

The Venetian blinds were popular in the late 1930 pre-war equipment but generally fell out of favor for the reasons I mentioned.

4-4-2 American Royal, Adlake roll up shades.

Above is a modernized (Betterment) heavyweight coach with blinds. I wish more manufacturers would produce these types of modernized heavyweight.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=UP&cid=7

http://passcarphotos.rypn.org/Indices/UP1a.htm

https://donstrack.smugmug.com/UtahRails/Union-Pacific

Regards, Ed

  • Member since
    April 2019
  • 33 posts
Posted by Remeyer53 on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 9:08 AM

Right now I have two heavy weight consists (one 2 tone gray & one yellow and gray). I also have a light weight consist. All three of them have a couple of couches, several different sleepers and a lounge car. This is some of what I have.

Heavy weights

PS 10-1-2 "Lake..." series

PS 12-1 "Multnoma, Pipestone, etc."

PS 8-1-2 "Centaavon"

36 seat diner

Light weights

PS 6-6-4 "American..." series

Budd 10-6 "Pacific..." series

PS 4-4-2 "Imperial..." series

PS 11 dbl bedrooms "Placid Valley"

PS 5-2-2 "Ocean..." series

ACF #9001 dome lounge

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, October 19, 2019 6:00 PM

Generally, very generally, heavyweights mostly had roll-up, rubberized canvas shades but usually not on the aisle windows which would have a brass hand hold about half way up across the window.

If it is a lightweight or a modernized heavyweight the Venetian blinds would be in the public seating areas, lounge and dining cars, sometimes a parlor car might have blinds.

In the passenger rooms, berths and coach seats, there would usually be counter-balanced shades with a cable system to keep the shade from getting jammed.

Generally.

In later years of passenger operation, 1960 and beyond, many of the blinds were removed as being too noisy, troublesome, difficult to clean and generally worn out.

Some railroads went to sliding curtains, tied back at the window pillars and/or they installed the Adlake roll-up shades.

There are some good UP publicity stills at Utah Rails:

https://donstrack.smugmug.com/UtahRails/Union-Pacific/UP-Passenger-Cars-UPRR-Photos/

 Do you have specific car types you are looking seeking details for? RYPN carried on the Passenger Car Photos site and the particular car you are detailing may be shown there.

Good Luck, Ed

  • Member since
    April 2019
  • 33 posts
Window shades or venitian blinds on UP passenger cars?
Posted by Remeyer53 on Saturday, October 19, 2019 2:39 PM

I am detailing some HO scale Walthers Union Pacific passenger cars, both heavy weight and and light weight. I want to put window shades and venitian blinds in them, where appropriate. In the prototype photos most of the time the they are blurry enough that you can not tell which type of window treatment they have.

Does anyone know which cars or eras who have one or the other? I would suspect that venitian blinds would be more likely on light weight cars.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!