I used pictures as a reference for my SP diner from a Google search.
Several pictures showed a table for four. A couple had 4 chairs at tables on one side of the car and two chairs on the other with a smaller table. I went for one car of each type.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps
Progress Update:
Using the Pikestuff seats, I have reworked them into 4 sets of seats for the coaches. (I found I have 4 of them when I was figuring out what I needed.) I also have the beginnings of the interior for the diner. I have run into another problem: Does anyone make or have dimensions for tables for said diner? I think I can built the rest of the interior.
NHTX The sidewalls of most model passenger equipment are much thicker than the prototype. Also, measure your seats to see how their width compares with the real thing. Finally, your window strip may be contributing to the problem of maintaining a prototypical aisle width as well. Trimming, surgery and reconstruction are necessary evils when building interiors in model passenger cars. Good luck.
The sidewalls of most model passenger equipment are much thicker than the prototype. Also, measure your seats to see how their width compares with the real thing. Finally, your window strip may be contributing to the problem of maintaining a prototypical aisle width as well. Trimming, surgery and reconstruction are necessary evils when building interiors in model passenger cars. Good luck.
Right on!
I’ve found over the years almost everything made to correct scale for interiors is too large for the reasons mentioned by NHTX. The HO Bachmann interior seats are too small for 1:100 figures.If you can find an HO scale IHC interior the seats fit very good (widthwise) in the Athearn cars. The IHC seat spacing doesn’t fit the Athearn window spacing. I cut the seats off the floor by cutting the floor away leaving the floor under the seats for adding height, still a bit short for HO figure legs. I attach .04” Styrene strips to the bottom of the chairs to increase leg room then HO figures fit without chopping off the feet. The increased chair back is still usable and looks good. I glue the taller chairs to .01” Styrene sheet aligned with the Athearn windows, it’s flimsy but works when attached to the Athearn floor. I drill a couple of holes in the walkway and use a 2mm flat head screw to attach the seat floor to the Athearn floor. I don’t glue in any interiors. The Athearn floors have several small holes that will except the 2mm screws (they self tap in the plastic). I do not use the Athearn weights, I add #8 birdshot for weight then prep the floors flat.
You can see the holes for the screws.I use ⅛” copper foil tape for lighting power attached the side of the Athearn floor.
In this floor I drilled two #24 holes for 2mm nuts for added interior anchoring, press fit with a dab of CA.
The seats are Mel resin castings, the sofas are two chairs modified.
When populated they look pretty good.I spent quite a bit of time coming up with my interiors, trying several manufacturers and the IHC is the best to work with and looks the best when finished.I lucked out on the IHC interiors, three kits for $12 delivered off eBay. Lots of material to chop up.As for diners I would use Shapewasy chairs and make the tables. The Shapeway HO furniture quality is great!!!EDIT:This is my kitbashed Southern Pacific ¾ Dome/Lounge car. The seats are Bachmann and the figures have no feet.
The car began its life as a Athearn 72’ diner and ended up as a ¾ Dome car.
Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Got the seats this afternoon and discovered something interesting. The Pikestuff seats, when they are glued together, seem to be too wide to fit in my Athearn coach cars and leave an aisle in the middle. (I can only presume that is true for all the rest of the cars as well.) As a result, I spent quite a bit of time prying seat sets back apart. Am I doing something in error or do I need to modify the cars from stock in order to properly build an interior?
That is the only way I can paint figures.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I need to get a picture of this figure painting technique.
I hold the figure in my left hand, brush in my right, both elbows on the desk. Then I press my pinkie fingers together. This steadies everything out, and I can paint figures.
My hands began shaking years ago.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 FRRYKid I have never had good luck trying to cast things. I have not had good results casting items either. Time to learn. -Kevin
FRRYKid I have never had good luck trying to cast things.
I have not had good results casting items either.
Time to learn.
My first attempts at casting wasn’t very nice, it takes patience and fortitude to conquer many things. It took about three months to end up with a nice looking figure but it was worth ever second of hair pulling time (not much hair left).The trick for two piece molds is using acorn nuts to align the halves.I made this mold box so that it has adjustable acorn nuts, it works best if I use three, one on top and two on the bottom so I don’t get confused putting them together. I use 2 minute resin and after mixing for a bit over a minute you have to be quick assembling the mold.
Everything is adjustable in the box to accommodate the objects.Notice the acorn alignment in the molds. I use more than the amount of resin needed in the mold (top and bottom) and after assembling them it forces out the excess resin. I set a 1 pound weight on top of the molds keeping pressure on the resin until demold in roughly 5 minutes. Lots of flashing to remove.
The hard part now is the painting, at 83 everything shakes making it very difficult.This is about the only way I can paint the itty bitty people, both elbows on the workbench and the figure stuck in a pencil eraser to control the rotation.
If shaky Mel can do it any one can. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Very nice Wayne!!I wish I had seen your diner before I made mine. I just might redo mine.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
While I can't hold a candle to Mel's work, I did make a very simple interior for a Rivarossi diner....
...It currently has no diners nor any china, cutlery, or glassware, but at least it's not totally empty...
All that was required was some .060" sheet styrene and some paint. The tables are simple rectangles of styrene, cemented to a false floor, also made from the same material. The false floor is elevated (on stacked squares of the same stuff) so that the table-tops are pretty-much level with the window sills.
The bankette-style seatbacks are also cemented directly to the false floor, with the seat portions simply represented by paint, the same colour as used on the seat-backs. If you have some seated figures, paint them, then do some amputations - I'd say perhaps mid-bum height, or a little below the waist.
It was very easy (and cheap!) to build, and I think it would look great with some sawed-off diners added. As-is, it's at least not an empty shell of a dining car....tromp l'oeil...no one will be the wiser.
Wayne
FRRYKidI have never had good luck trying to cast things.
However, I need twelve more "Toxic Waste Drums" made by Fortress Figures, that have been OOP for over a decade. They are needed for this freight car project.
If I want them I will need to cast them myself.
I have 5 packs of Pikestuff LW seats on the way for my interiors. Given I only have a few cars that need interiors, a casting kit probably wouldn't be a good idea. (Besides, I have never had good luck trying to cast things.) I have 3 coaches, a diner, a dome-obs, a vista-dome, and a regular observation car that need interiors. As for the rest of the collection, I have a baggage car and 2 steam generator cars (converted Athearn RPO cars).
Make your own. It sounds like you have something in mind, just do it to it. If you have a lot of interiors to make I would suggest making molds for seat castings, much easier than building them individually. One $20 casting kit ($16 with 40% coupon) from Hobby Lobby will make enough interior components to build up several dozen cars easily.The convenient seating arraignment for Athearn cars is 7 chairs on each side of the walk way. I bought a couple of IHC interiors and chopped them up then glued the seats spaced to fit the car window spacing on your preferred car. Then make a master mold. Easy to paint and install.The two seating molds in my pictures above fit both the Athearn streamline (light weight) and heavy weight Pullmans’.I kinda followed the SP floorplan on the streamlined observation above. The heavy weight odservation below is a Mel floorplan. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
RR_Mel There is a guy that does 3D interiors on Shayways, they are very nice but a bit pricy for me.https://www.shapeways.com/product/8GGSAY24J/athearn-heavyweight-passenger-diner-car-interior-h?optionId=43045700&li=marketplace
There is a guy that does 3D interiors on Shayways, they are very nice but a bit pricy for me.https://www.shapeways.com/product/8GGSAY24J/athearn-heavyweight-passenger-diner-car-interior-h?optionId=43045700&li=marketplace
Unfortunately, that is the wrong era of car for what I need and I couldn't find any other diner interiors that fit. However, I did find an idea or two that I can use for my other interiors.
Thanks guys! When my arthritis flare ups get really bad working at my workbench on little stuff is about all I can do. I will normally make and paint about 70 in a session. Once I get going it’s actually fun. The hard part is the painting and repainting sometime five or six times each.I have close to a dozen vehicles to finish when the Bako heat goes away. Can’t get much done with fans running.
EDIT
They're not all girls Wayne.
This guy swings a hammer by servo.
Overmod...Any time I get depressed by bad circumstances, all I have to do is look at a few 'Mel' scenes and I'm refreshed.
Yeah, Mel has changed the meaning of LPBs as "Little Plastic Beings" or even Little Plastic B*****ds, into one of Lusciously Perfect Babes.
I'm continuously impressed by his well-populated scenes, whether at a backyard get-together, a gathering on the station platform, or a coach full of passengers. Outstanding work!
I have a few of these posts bookmarked. Any time I get depressed by bad circumstances, all I have to do is look at a few 'Mel' scenes and I'm refreshed.
SpaceMouse RR_Mel Everything in my passenger cars are “Mel made” including the figures. I am impressed. RR_Mel It’s easy to customize both the figures and furniture using castings. I'd really like to know how you do this. I'd love to be able to make custom characters. Those LED lamps were cool. I may not need lamps like that in the 1890's, but I put it away for future reference.
RR_Mel Everything in my passenger cars are “Mel made” including the figures.
I am impressed.
RR_Mel It’s easy to customize both the figures and furniture using castings.
I'd really like to know how you do this. I'd love to be able to make custom characters.
Those LED lamps were cool. I may not need lamps like that in the 1890's, but I put it away for future reference.
Check out Hobby Lobby for Resin Casting Kits.I started out making molds of Preiser figures then chopping off and reposition heads, arms and legs. I then make molds of the repositioned figures. I wanted to have some nice looking ladies and there just isn’t many in HO scale so I bought a few bald female HO figures off Shapewasy (very pricy) and did the same with them. I have over 100 HO Figure molds, I generally have four figures per mold, about 40 molds.The Casting Kit is $19 so with the 40% off coupon its about $12 you can make over 100 figures easily. I bought a Resin Refill off eBay two years ago and it’s still good. I have about half left after making hundreds of casings.https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMAZING-Casting-Epoxy-Resin-Mix-32-oz-16oz-A-16oz-B-CLEAR-Cast-Easy-USA/401393818190?epid=14033157797&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item5d74ef9a4e:g:XHYAAOSwBw5dkJtw&enc=AQAFAAACYBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkTboA95HSvGa1O5UmCCGJLjcaaEpo9tQQIHT%2F%2FHklKKJZFB0p6JruVxrOoiQOwlyUevZQvHd%2FL2rLki8p6%2BRLimLnzi2EdrLF1uklgEfRY%2F5qdHRj%2BsoFeAmKM9vqPmo%2Btr1YmUm9XsI1G%2Bc3LzTnautYTx70rv4jl%2F29jQWPgUchF92jUyTOjvUoWZSeEPDGy3BTR0wyDelDmNw8xVYGU7CNr4v%2BMUmpT8I1vr36f4MT1WoRp1qwjP%2F3hdVFcA%2BVxNifPEkYgd40ZYQebrdkkebSP%2B4lQJ5l9y1N7737TGzaJFXDeq6X5l2U1kB0cqNRSYuUXI8pxmj2XcnIMKR1K7hTacsdqHL87M5NnY9CFtM9%2Fcxv6VBufSvbvEfJeYm0Ol5wqyeRJqoJFi0reVphWWs664JY9WtusU8HmXYh7PFf7IcSXH1HT0%2Fw%2FJlfsyLzkscuuuPzEYwlGpsWssTsl6UC%2BxIMvk3eelyVWuv7o8TOL8LATG2q1zD1tIuLFhQtnlb1zJ4VlirIy%2BwuF00x1wzZm8OUXmC6rliHHCoZYKqYAEDTB5jdnNZosGRIe%2FXcKtRJKJbcgIe0PLz0v%2FR0bZqdrnYBrXjLwVgOFNRqBqreVbOQZwfm%2FKkztbisi7dgCSKlPBT60mmxENoEh6U5gkgeNYiTWubfFrtATdMNuB7mC90rJ9hBWt%2FHKKFvBjPkWB4w9Q8HXzAmuNmBK7VxQCHDWpT3fmcxiCcpV1Qy9H4SLYf1VlBAMTY6%2FUk2yFFq&checksum=4013938181903188042e2998409086bea5100143aaf1A few of my castings.Molds.
I bought the Shapeways figures bald and add the hair that way every head is different
All Mel Castings.It’s time consuming but very worthwhile, I have about 500 figures for a $50 or so investment, or about 10¢ plus paint and elbow grease.Once I get going it gets easier. Now if I just paint figures like Kiven, WOW.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
FRRYKid Even after looking at those, I still think I will build my own. That way I can customize them as I see fit. The only interior plan I can't find is for a diner car that was converted to grill car similar to what early Amtrak did.
Even after looking at those, I still think I will build my own. That way I can customize them as I see fit. The only interior plan I can't find is for a diner car that was converted to grill car similar to what early Amtrak did.
There is a guy that does 3D interiors on Shayways, they are very nice but a bit pricy for me.https://www.shapeways.com/product/8GGSAY24J/athearn-heavyweight-passenger-diner-car-interior-h?optionId=43045700&li=marketplace Besides I like building up my own interiors.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
RR_MelEverything in my passenger cars are “Mel made” including the figures.
RR_MelIt’s easy to customize both the figures and furniture using castings.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Palace Car Co. makes interior kits for most all Athearn HO cars, they include diagrams for how to assemble them.
http://www.palacecarco.com/products.php?cat=3
I've got one train of Rivarossi coaches that I've painted the interiors for and added a few figures, mostly crudely painted undecs. Then I've got a bunch of streamliners with cloudy windows that you can't see into. I'm happy with both trains.
I learned early on with interior structure detailing that I could spend a lot of time doing interiors, but unless the structures were in the front of the layout and the windows were large enough, no one could see my work.
I really admire Mel's work. I wish I had that patience. I wish I had eyes good enough to appreciate the work he does.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I have never even had enough gumption to finish a basic interior in one passenger car.
The SGRR may never see passenger train operations.
Those seats are “Mel seats”. Many years ago I bought a couple of IHC Interiors and chopped them up modified the pieces then made molds. All of the furniture in my structures and rolling stock are Mel castings with the exception of some Shapeways chairs.
Pictures are expandable by clicking on them.Everything in my passenger cars are “Mel made” including the figures.
The floor and walls are .02” Styrene sheet, the furniture are resin casting as are the figures. The table lamps are 3mm warm white LEDs inverted with a gold bead for the base and Styrene tubing lamp shade.
It’s easy to customize both the figures and furniture using castings.Making resin castings of the Shapeway chairs is too delicate of a task for me, even the Shapewasy chairs have missing legs.This is a Mel mold of chair car seats.The seats were individual and spaced for the Athearn 72’ chair cars.
These are from my streamlined observation car. The glasses are cut pieces of fiber optic cable.
I get a kick out of building up interiors even though they aren’t very viewable with the shells on. Kinda my thing. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
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Whose seats are those that you used in the observation car? I was looking to get some Pikestuff LW seats for the interiors of my cars.
I have looked at/studied many of the plans published in Model Railroader through the years.
Going from memory, and window placement on the models, I think I could piece together a believable floor plan.
No one is going to pop the roof off and inspect your work. I believe this is one place where "close enough" will be good enough.
I just do a Google search “pullman passenger car floor plans”.https://www.google.com/search?source=univ&tbm=isch&q=pullman+passenger+car+floor+plans&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjyuqOuncPrAhXVrZ4KHcwzB-8QsAR6BAgMEAE&biw=1024&bih=622
I have all Athearn passenger cars which of course are 72’ much shorter than the real thing. I just use the floor plans as a go-by.
This site has equipment diagrams of the California Zephyr cars
http://www.californiazephyr.org/exhibits/index.phtml
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.