Ed, you are probably right. I'd probably be able to get a model of a passenger car actually used on the SFZ with pointless arrow paint using other, much less expensive models. Shame as that dome has awesome detail. It is a Canadian prototype and I think it was ex-NP, GN and CZ domes that saw SFZ servcie. Even ex SP long domes but those are brass only I think.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761I have no idea if they ever used any Canadian domes painted for Amtrak, but that one sure is pretty!
One of the Broadway Limited C-Z domes would probably fit the bill in that case. I don't mind the slight detail variations associated with the CP cars. The car shells were built at Budd's Red Lion plant near Philly.
Cheers, Ed
A one-off passenger train I would like to model, for the past 40 years, is a 1970's pointless arrow Amtrak San Franciso Zephyr, which ran with a mix of heritage rolling stock.
I have no idea if they ever used any Canadian domes painted for Amtrak, but that one sure is pretty!
After an unexplained delay with my order from an on-line retailer I finally recieved my Rapido dome! It was worth the wait.
Rapido_dome3 by Edmund, on Flickr
There is a new molding for the dome itself and no longer a three-piece affair . It meets the roof-line very snugly.
Rapido_dome6 by Edmund, on Flickr
The paint and finish are stunning! Paint registration and color is perfect — and just how did they get the stripe to pass over the exhaust vent without one bit of distortion!
Rapido_dome5 by Edmund, on Flickr
Note the car-line number holder and the perfectly-rendered window shades. Also the buffer plate support rods.
My only very minor nit-pick is that I believe the hand brake ratchet sticks out a little bit too far into the passageway. Like I said, very minor...
Rapido_dome4 by Edmund, on Flickr
The end gate is perfect and note the car number on the door AND the hand brake chain!
Rapido_dome1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Jason takes pride in including all the underbody appliances and piping. Amazing stuff. Note the hand brake chain continues through the end sill. The metal couplers are painted rust brown.
Rapido_dome2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Battery charging receptacle, service reservoirs, battery box, conduit, steam, air and water lines. Neat stuff. I did have one water-fill box that was a little crooked. Easy fix... someday.
Nice touch on the "annex" window.
pido_dome by Edmund, on Flickr
The dome is lit with two small LEDs near the floor to represent the aisle lights. Nice solution for a difficult situation.
Amtrak_dome1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Red tables, purple seats! That's the Amtrak I remember
Amtrak_dome2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Amtrak_dome by Edmund, on Flickr
The phrase "State-Of-The-Art" gets tossed around a lot. I'm of the opinion that this model does represent the finest HO passenger car available today. It truly raises the bar in fine-scale modeling.
The VIA domes are former Canadian Pacific dome cars, BUT it appears that the answer to your question depends upon the time period you are operating.
I just watched a Highball Productions dvd, and by 2005, it appears that VIA had indeed rebuilt the mid train dome cars to the other configuration: short end forward. They say in the video that all the former Budd equipment had been rebuilt but they do not give a date for the rebuilding. Clearly by the 2000's passenger car interiors from the early 1960's would have required "updating".
John
Jason--
Is that like trying to model Santa Fe Yellow? I just don't like it when certain manufacturers yellow lettering and yellow sill stripe are very noticeably "off" from the yellow warbonnet (when in real life all were the same, at least until post-BNSF partial paint jobs that were done at Topeka to use up the yellow and blue paint on hand). That caused me to sell the offending products, because I could never be happy with them.
To me, a "reasonable" person would rather have the updated product with all the improvements than to have a product that is a nearly perfect match for some previously released product. From having run the new dome car on my layout, I think the lighting is stunning and yet also not too bright or overdone.
dh28473I notice the lighting is a different colour between the mid dome a tail dome car any reason?
Yes - we were never happy with the original lighting as it looked too green. The green should come more from the window tint and less from the LEDs.
We are happier with the Mid-Train Dome lighting but when we made our Royal Hudson video you can really notice the difference between the two domes.
This is the trouble any manufacturer gets into when they improve a product - it won't match the old stuff!
Don't get me started on our VIA yellow colour. We've had a lot of trouble getting that right. That wasn't just a case of trying to improve it. It was more a case of trying to get the colour remotely plausible!
-Jason
Jason Shron - President - Rapido Trains Inc. - RapidoTrains.comMy HO scale Kingston Sub layout: Facebook.com/KingstonSub
The windows in the dome on the mid train dome are definitely tinted green. The tinting of side windows may be lesser. This would change the light shade a little bit.
riogrande5761--very nice train!
Over at TrainOrders, they've reported the seats are backwards in many of the Rapido version; apparently Rapido has reported they cannot be reversed because of how they were made. CP and D&H are reportedly correct.
PRR8259 I have owned all kinds of passenger cars, including expensive brass cars. .. the Palace Car Company Rio Grande cars (pro painted brass), the brass plated California Zephyr cars along with the BLI ones John Mock
I have owned all kinds of passenger cars, including expensive brass cars. .. the Palace Car Company Rio Grande cars (pro painted brass), the brass plated California Zephyr cars along with the BLI ones
John Mock
Speaking of Palace Car Company, I have two versions of the Prospector Combines; one is being painted at present in the single stripe mid-1960's thru early 1970's scheme and has the skirts and dorm windows. The other (pictured below) is a late 1970's version which is good for my specific time period for the RGZ:
At one time I had a full set of the Kumata/Oriental Limited/Challenger/High Country Brass California Zephyr brass cars too but sold them and have the BLI version now, some of there shown here on the RGZ:
dh28473Pullman did rapido replace the car/
Yes. It was one of those "comedy of errors" kind of things. When my new Kootenay Park car arrived from the retailer I had noticed that the Canadian Pacific was slightly crooked on the letterboard (as shown in my second photo, above).
I sent an email to Dan Garcia at Rapido and he said they had spares and would be glad to send a replacement. I returned the first one.
The replacement arrived and although there was very little sign of damage to the shipping box the car inside was, as you see, ready for the scrap yard. Dan said he personally inspected the car before shipping so it was damaged by the postal handlers.
Dan sent another car, this time Tremblant Park since they had no more of the Kootenay Park named ones. I did not have to send the damaged one back.
Rapido has always provided an excellent response in the few times that I've had to rely on them for replacement parts or service.
Regards, Ed
I'm expecting my Wabash dome, ordered direct, to arrive any day, now.
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
Issues? Who's got issues:
IMG_2482 by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_2481 by Edmund, on Flickr
Of course, this was a shipping problem.
Rapido corrected it to my complete satisfaction.
On mine they are straight.
Yes, I just bought one of the Rapido mid train domes: the D&H one which is absolutely correct for two cars leased from CP. It is the best passenger car I have ever owned, period. The fluting is nice, and yes, the little gap around the dome is wider than I might prefer--but just look at the photo of the real dome on the back of the Rapido box, and notice the damage to the fluting on the prototype (and how the real dome is not a perfect fit at that seam, either)...The Rapido car has a gorgeous interior, nice clear tinted curved plastic windows, and nice lighting. The whole effect is just beautiful. Those who want all the underbody detail--it has more than many brass cars.
I do agree with the above post: the Rapido version of "stainless steel" finish is a bit too muted. If I'm assembling a train of these beauties, I want them to gleam more. The Walthers cars do capture the look of stainless steel better--but that's my only real criticism of an otherwise excellent car.
I have owned all kinds of passenger cars, including expensive brass cars. I wanted, recently, to buy one of the neat yellow cars from the East Wind (joint PRR/NH/ACL/B&M passenger train) but at $775 each, some of them that are for sale have just plain bad painting with bad color separations!
I've owned the Overland Models factory finished Santa Fe high level cars, and the Walthers Santa Fe high level cars limited edition with the people in them, the Palace Car Company Rio Grande cars (pro painted brass), the brass plated California Zephyr cars along with the BLI ones, and the Athearn Genesis SP chair cars with the nice lighted interiors, and different interior colors for different coaches...
The problem with most brass passenger cars, besides the price, is that the sides are etched brass--they cannot get the correct shape of fluted stainless steel--they just look toylike, at any price. A relative few more recent cars are "better" but they approach $800 or more EACH with the full treatment of windows, lights, etc.
I'm an American prototype railroad fan, with a preference for Lehigh Valley, Reading, and other northeastern roads. Rapido's recent offerings of both engines and passenger cars have been outstanding. My problem is I cannot afford to own all the fine products they have in the pipeline.
Respectfully submitted--
I have the Park-series Dome Observation. I imagine the mid-train Budd dome would be of similar construction.
IMG_6762_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
I'm more than pleased with it. I have several of the fluted Budd coaches and a bunch of the 8600 New Haven coaches and parlors, too. My personal taste is that the Superior Stainless steel finish is a bit more muted, compared to the Walthers plated finish, which to my eye is closer to my recollection of Budd and Pullman fluting.
Details are amazing with interior furnishings and underbody appliances very accurately reproduced. Running qualities are excellent, especially compared to the earlier Continental cars. I'm especially glad Rapido did away with the EEzy-Peecie lighting (green LEDs and batteries) the recent cars have track pickup and bright (almost too bright) lighting.
I'm on the fence about buying more Budd domes*. I missed out on the full Canadian when Rapido offered it (practically sold-out before it was even announced). I may break down and find room for one more
A very minor pick is how the dome end fits into the roof line. There is a bit of a gap where the framework meets the roof since it is molded in separate pieces. Again, minor, but it may bug you if you're a stickler for details.
CP_KP1 by Edmund, on Flickr
I recommend the recent Rapido passenger cars.
* Oh, I guess I just fell off the fence! Torn between Wabash and Amtrak. Went with the Amtrak (the Wabash were sold out already).
HAs anyone bought any if so what do you think I'm thinking to buy one. thanks 28473