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Amtrak detailing project

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  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: ROCK ISLAND IL
  • 221 posts
Posted by fourt on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 12:24 AM

 Ahh neat on the figures, they will not have to look to good as you can barely see them inside through the window. looking at e-bay they had some that looks as if a 1 year painted them, and others that looked a whole lot better. Will have to get some on pay day. Thanks for the info.

Modeling on the cheap

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  • From: North Aurora, IL
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Posted by ho modern modeler on Monday, April 18, 2016 12:23 PM

O.P. quote:

" Since they either don't have interiors or have tinted windows, I'm not going to do any upgrades on those."

Nice job on the interiors! Just to mention, I am currently upgrading my old $12 Walthers Amfleet cars to as close to the level of details as their new ones. I have made interiors for the 8 I have (including 2 Viewliners) and finished one coach and it looks really cool with L.E.D lights through the original tinted glass, probably the most realistic of all of the Passenger cars that I've done so far.

Mine doesn't move.......it's at the station!!!

 

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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, April 18, 2016 6:52 AM

fourt

 Working on some insides of some passenger cars myself. Looking for some seated passengers that do not cost a arm and a leg, bought one set that was like 12 dollers for 8 figures. Any ides?

 

For inside passenger cars, these fit the bill:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120-pcs-HO-scale-1-87-Painted-People-seated-passenger-/400123256807?hash=item5d29345fe7

Not perfect but you can touch them up a little and tone down some of the colors**. This seller has several quantities or lot sizes, some seated, some standing. Browse the site, I'm sure you'll find some things of use.

They also offer a large quantity of unpainted HO figures if you have the time to do your own painting.

Good Luck, Ed

**edit, I have found that a wash in thinned, light gray, flat paint gives the little people a more realistic look.

  • Member since
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  • From: ROCK ISLAND IL
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Posted by fourt on Monday, April 18, 2016 1:16 AM

 Working on some insides of some passenger cars myself. Looking for some seated passengers that do not cost a arm and a leg, bought one set that was like 12 dollers for 8 figures. Any ides?

Modeling on the cheap

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Posted by Lone Wolf and Santa Fe on Saturday, April 16, 2016 2:38 PM

Very nice!

Modeling a fictional version of California set in the 1990s Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Railroad
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Posted by Burlington Northern #24 on Monday, April 15, 2013 3:51 PM

holy smokes, this is amazing. I suppose I should detail the innards of my passenger cars.

SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide 

Gary DuPrey

N scale model railroader 

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Posted by chatanuga on Monday, April 15, 2013 3:07 PM

Here are the sets of figures that I got for my Amtrak cars.

Here is why I redid the window shades.  The original color on the left turned out to be too bright, looking almost white under the lights.  I ended up going with a darker gray on the right.

Here's a view of my workbench while adding passengers.  Smaller tweezers work best in the smaller roomettes in the sleepers.

And here are the finished cars.  In some cases, I tried to add a little story to set the scene in each.  In the sleepers, I didn't put as many passengers as in the other cars due to several windows having drawn window shades, giving the impression that the space is possibly occupied.

Slumbercoach 2080 "Loch Sloy"

Slumbercoach 2087 "Loch Ness"

Sleeper 2432 "Pacific Waves" - In this car, I added some of the passengers getting dressed.

Sleeper 2881 "Pacific Sands" - Again, I added some of the passengers getting dressed, including a man in his bathrobe shaving in the bathroom.

Lounge 3637 "William Penn"

Coach 4723 - In this car, I added one of the two conductors from the passenger train crew set and have him talking with a seated passenger as well as another passenger in the aisle.

Coach 5289 - I used the other conductor in this car and have him talking to a couple of passengers in the aisle.

Diner 8524 -There's quite a bit going on in this car as the kitchen crew prepares meals and passengers relax in the dining area.  One cook has popped out of the kitchen to look over the scene and make sure everything is running smoothly.  Another cook has brought a dish out directly to one of the tables with the waiter and is about to serve it to the waiting couple.  Meanwhile, at the next table, a man sits with his arms crossed, obviously not happy with the service.

After getting the pictures taken of the cars and with the roofs back on, it was time to shoot some video of the full 18-car train as it went through its paces around the layout.

B6GoacG2GrE

Enjoy!  Big Smile

Kevin

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  • From: Good ol' USA
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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 5:30 PM

Kevin,

I saw the videos, good going! Cool how you represent the 1980s with the F40s and 90s with the Genesis units.  The only thing missing is the sweet sound of a Nathan K5LA horn.

I know what you mean about some of the details not being seen.  Before painting my interiors, I first look through the windows of the passenger car to see what is actually visible, make a mental note and then proceeding. 



"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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  • From: Hilliard, Ohio
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Posted by chatanuga on Sunday, April 7, 2013 11:52 AM

Was going to finish the window shades last night, but looking at the ones I did last weekend, they were too light of a gray color (almost looking white), so I'm redoing the ones I've already done.

I also looked up what colors I used for my interiors since I still have the old bottles of paints stored away.  I basically picked them based on what was available at the local hobby stores and went by what looked good when choosing.  I basically went by photos I'd seen online, in videos, and old Amtrak timetables from the mid-1980s.

Floquil Tuscan:  diner, lounge, and slumbercoach seats

Model Master Sand Beige:  walls in all cars

Pollyscale Reefer White:  headrests on all cars, toilets, and tables in diner

Pollyscale CSX Blue:  coach and 10-6 sleeper seats

Pollyscale Roof Brown:  floors in all cars

Testors Flat Black:  kitchen floor in diner and bottom half of molded tables (simulating tablecloths hanging over the edges)

Testors Aluminum:  kitchen walls and countertops in diner and sinks in restrooms

Some of the details won't be seen, which I discovered after reassembling the cars when I did the interiors years ago, but they still look good, I think.  :)

Kevin

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  • From: Hilliard, Ohio
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Posted by chatanuga on Saturday, April 6, 2013 7:42 PM

Should be fixed now.  Forgot that I had embedding disabled on some of my earlier videos.

Kevin

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Saturday, April 6, 2013 6:40 PM

Kevin,

When I clicked on the YouTube vid, the message below is all I saw:

Embedding disabled by request

Watch on YouTube

Could you please post a clickable link?

Thanks Cool

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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  • From: Victor Harbor, South Australia
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Posted by alexstan on Saturday, April 6, 2013 4:08 PM

Looking very good Kevin! Can't wait to see the finished job!

Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA

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Posted by chatanuga on Saturday, April 6, 2013 2:07 PM

AntonioFP45

Would be really cool to see a "YouTube" vid with an F40 pulling those well decorated cars.  With the equipment that you've shown so far you can easily model a Silver Meteor, Silver Star, or Crescent.  YesSmile  Is there a particular train that you're aiming for?

Basically, my current layout (and planned dream layout) models the Mansfield, Ohio area with a fictional Columbus-Cleveland route.  In my world, the Broadway Limited has been returned to its home rails, and the Pennsylvanian has been extended to Chicago.  Also, on the Columbus-Cleveland route, Amtrak runs the Ohio 3-C Corridor connecting Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland using Amfleet cars on those trains.

Here are some videos of the Amtrak trains I've run.  Some of the earlier ones were before I began organizing the consists (coaches together, sleepers together, etc.).

watch?v=xW8GW1PAHDA

watch?v=TiCTXd3HNuk

watch?v=x45m5sig2t8

watch?v=YnHPPiKY7Kc

One improvement on the Amfleet cars is noticeable in that last video.  I blackened the faces of the wheels, removing the unrealistic shine.

Kevin

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  • From: Chi-Town
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Posted by zstripe on Saturday, April 6, 2013 7:00 AM

BroadwayLion

AMTRAK Derailing Project. That's what you will get on my railroad~

And they ain't even going to get through some of my tunnels.

ROAR

Lion,

You must have been able to get your,'' spell checker'' fixed.. LOL..

Cheers,

Frank

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Posted by BroadwayLion on Saturday, April 6, 2013 6:55 AM

AMTRAK Derailing Project. That's what you will get on my railroad~

And they ain't even going to get through some of my tunnels.

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Saturday, April 6, 2013 6:21 AM

Thanks Kevin,

Would be really cool to see a "YouTube" vid with an F40 pulling those well decorated cars.  With the equipment that you've shown so far you can easily model a Silver Meteor, Silver Star, or Crescent.  YesSmile  Is there a particular train that you're aiming for? 

I've found painting anti-macassars to be a tedious process and have been trying to find a quicker method.  I'm going to attempt to cut some from white stick-on labels on a graphics printer that a gentleman I know gave me access to.  No guarantee that it's going to work, but I'll give it a try.

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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  • From: Hilliard, Ohio
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Posted by chatanuga on Sunday, March 31, 2013 7:09 PM

AntonioFP45

If you don't mind my asking.......what technique do you use to paint your antimacassars? They look really good! YesCool

Really simple actually.  Painted the tops of the backs of the seats white and then used the seat color on toothpicks to do the straight side edges.  I then used the seat color on a #0 brush to paint across, cutting them to the needed length.  Took a bit of time and patience, but it was worth it.

Got shades in five of the eight cars this afternoon.  I figured it would be easier with no people in the way.  Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and it would have been much easier if I would have done the shades 11 years ago when I had the sides off.  Despite that, they're looking better now with some of the shades drawn partway and a couple here and there drawn completely.  Much better than all of the windows wide open, which I have rarely seen in pictures of real passenger cars.

Kevin

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Sunday, March 31, 2013 5:35 PM

Chatanuga,

That is beautiful work! Brings back memories of riding the Heritage Fleet Silver Meteor years back.

If you don't mind my asking.......what technique do you use to paint your antimacassars? They look really good! YesCool

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by ChadLRyan on Sunday, March 31, 2013 3:01 PM

Kevin,

Your Attention & Talents really show, those are superior models now!
Thanks for sharing!

Chad L Ryan
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    December 2003
  • From: Anaheim, CA Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Southwest Chief on Sunday, March 31, 2013 2:16 PM

Top notch interior painting Yes

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
Click Here for my model train photo website

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Posted by EMD.Don on Sunday, March 31, 2013 1:24 PM

Crisp and sharp looking cars! Well done.

Regards, Don.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."

N Scale Railroader.
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Posted by rdgk1se3019 on Sunday, March 31, 2013 12:15 PM

Hey thats some nice work you have done.........keep up the good work ......I look forward to seeing progress.

Dennis Blank Jr.

CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad

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Amtrak detailing project
Posted by chatanuga on Sunday, March 31, 2013 12:02 PM

Back in 2001 and 2002, I got my Walthers Budd Amtrak cars.  At the time, I was between layouts as well as nearing having to move to be closer to my job.  Looking at the interiors of the cars when I got them, I decided that they needed improving from the tan plastic they were molded in.  Popping the tops and sides off, I hand painted the interiors with toothpicks and #0 brushes.  While not perfect, they were a marked improvement over the original plain tan.  I also added Train Station Products end gates to each car.

At the time, I'd thought about adding people, but I never got around to it.  This past year, after going through past issues of MR and other magazines, I decided that the cars needed people and sunshades on some of the windows.  However, I was unable to afford it due to other expenses taking priority as well as starting my own business.  Over the past couple months, I received from my day job a couple large and unexpected bonuses for some extra work that I did last fall.  After paying off my student loan (woohoo! Big Smile) I decided to use some of what was left over to go ahead and get people for my passenger trains.

Here are what the cars currently look like.

Slumbercoach 2080 "Loch Sloy"

Slumbercoach 2087 "Loch Ness"

Sleeper 2432 "Pacific Waves"

Sleeper 2881 "Pacific Sands"

Lounge 3637 "William Penn"

Coach 4723

Coach 5289

Diner 8524

The rest of the cars in my Amtrak fleet include MHC, baggage, and Amfleet I and II cars.  Since they either don't have interiors or have tinted windows, I'm not going to do any upgrades on those.

Once I get the sunshades and people in the cars, I'll be posting pictures of the completed cars.

Kevin

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