wjstix wrote:The Athearn cars aren't discontinued, I think they just don't keep them in stock the way they used to. Seems like they'll go a long time between runs of some of their models. But at the typical flea market I see a lot of Athearn cars around. You might end up having to get undecs and paint them yourself, Testor's makes a chrome spray-can paint that looks good for stainless steel cars like Budd cars.
No, the Athearn Santa Fe's are. I looked on there site. second the can. On this it would be far easier than an airbrush. There may also be a good match for PUllman green if that's the way you want to go. Microscale makes good decals.
-Morgan
Try here:
Discount Trains Online, Athearn Passenger Cars
They appear to at least have SOME of the Santa Fe cars available. The RPO, Baggage, and Diner are available there painted and lettered, and the Vista Dome and Observation are available undecorated.
Robert Beaty
The Laughing Hippie
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The CF-7...a waste of a perfectly good F-unit!
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the
end of your tunnel, Was just a freight train coming
your way. -Metallica, No Leaf Clover
dadret wrote:I can't find the Athearn cars, except for the undecorated model, anywhere. I'm looking for Santa Fe - I tried e-Bay and Amazon as well as Google. Apparently there were discontinured some time ago. Where do you buy the Hornby/Rivarrosi cars? They're not in the Walthers catalog?
Walthers on line catalog indicate that the new Rivarossi 60' coaches are all sold out. The Hornby/Rivarossi site indicate that the 60' coaches have been released in an unlettered version as well. You will have to search the on-line hobby/trainshops for the 60' sets. Be patient I have acquired a few sets by watching e-bay.
Flashwave wrote: wjstix wrote:The Athearn cars aren't discontinued, I think they just don't keep them in stock the way they used to. Seems like they'll go a long time between runs of some of their models. But at the typical flea market I see a lot of Athearn cars around. You might end up having to get undecs and paint them yourself, Testor's makes a chrome spray-can paint that looks good for stainless steel cars like Budd cars.No, the Athearn Santa Fe's are. I looked on there site. second the can. On this it would be far easier than an airbrush. There may also be a good match for PUllman green if that's the way you want to go. Microscale makes good decals.
Appears the streamlined and heavyweight ATSF cars are "discontinued" which really means they aren't making them right now. It doesn't mean they won't make another run of one or both in the next year or two. Plus Athearn has made a ton of both types lettered ATSF over the years (their heavyweights are modelled on Santa Fe cars) so you probably can find them if you hunt around.
Floquil makes "Pullman Green" in a spray can. I prefer Badger Pullman Green which is a bit darker but the Floquil will work fine if you use it for all the HW cars so they match. Spray them with glosscote, apply decals, then spray with dullcote (both also available in cans).
Since the cars are black plastic, you'll probably want to spray them with gray primer. I like to do both the inside and outside with lt gray primer, then stuff the insides with one or two paper towels before spraying the outside Pullman green. That way the interior walls are a lighter color than the outside, makes it look better. (You could do the same thing with light green or another light color if you didn't want the insides to be gray.)
markpierce wrote:There are so many trade-offs in this hobby. That's why it is best to know what kind of equipment one plans to run and the level of unrealism one is willing to accept BEFORE one designs his layout. If I could do it over, I'd have visited every club and home layout possible before doing my own. Personally, HO-scale-60-footers don't even begin to look right until the radius inches toward 30, and "full-length-foot-long" passenger cars should have 36" or more. It is an individual-decision-kind-of-thing, assuming the equipment will operate reliably under the chosen circumstances.Mark
There are so many trade-offs in this hobby. That's why it is best to know what kind of equipment one plans to run and the level of unrealism one is willing to accept BEFORE one designs his layout. If I could do it over, I'd have visited every club and home layout possible before doing my own. Personally, HO-scale-60-footers don't even begin to look right until the radius inches toward 30, and "full-length-foot-long" passenger cars should have 36" or more. It is an individual-decision-kind-of-thing, assuming the equipment will operate reliably under the chosen circumstances.
Mark
don7 wrote: galaxy wrote: Then there are these Life Likes available now:http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450676and/or:http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450692they seem to be about 63.5 scale feet long. They come with horn hook couplers. I hope you are not seriously recommending that anyone obtain those cars? Have you ever seen these cars in person?
galaxy wrote: Then there are these Life Likes available now:http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450676and/or:http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450692they seem to be about 63.5 scale feet long. They come with horn hook couplers.
Then there are these Life Likes available now:
http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450676
and/or:
http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450692
they seem to be about 63.5 scale feet long. They come with horn hook couplers.
I hope you are not seriously recommending that anyone obtain those cars? Have you ever seen these cars in person?
I kind of like 'em myself!
They run pretty good, and take KaDee #5's with Talgo adapters. Sure, they aren't "prototypically correct" but neither are 18" curve radii. Replacing the "people" with .007 lexan for the windows helps.
I'm actually looking for some of the non-dome cars for a project here, if anyone has some they don't need!
Rotor
Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often you won't even notice ...
Rotorranch wrote: don7 wrote: galaxy wrote: Then there are these Life Likes available now:http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450676and/or:http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=lpisgr&ID=200450692they seem to be about 63.5 scale feet long. They come with horn hook couplers. I hope you are not seriously recommending that anyone obtain those cars? Have you ever seen these cars in person? I kind of like 'em myself! They run pretty good, and take KaDee #5's with Talgo adapters. Sure, they aren't "prototypically correct" but neither are 18" curve radii. Replacing the "people" with .007 lexan for the windows helps.I'm actually looking for some of the non-dome cars for a project here, if anyone has some they don't need!Rotor
How much are you willing to pay?
don7 wrote: Rotorranch wrote: I kind of like 'em myself! They run pretty good, and take KaDee #5's with Talgo adapters. Sure, they aren't "prototypically correct" but neither are 18" curve radii. Replacing the "people" with .007 lexan for the windows helps.I'm actually looking for some of the non-dome cars for a project here, if anyone has some they don't need!RotorHow much are you willing to pay?
Rotorranch wrote: I kind of like 'em myself! They run pretty good, and take KaDee #5's with Talgo adapters. Sure, they aren't "prototypically correct" but neither are 18" curve radii. Replacing the "people" with .007 lexan for the windows helps.I'm actually looking for some of the non-dome cars for a project here, if anyone has some they don't need!Rotor
As little as possible! Actually, if I told you, it would be a violation of forum rules. And I wouldn't want that!
I do have them. I got them simply because they are shorties and will run on my 18" curves, a bit better than the 72 footers.
I also got them because at least they are not the "old timer" passenger cars, though I have those too.
I would like some non-dome cars too, but seems they are only available with domes at the moment. (Hmmm. maybe I chop off the dome and add a new plain roof of styrene?).
I plan to cut the "people" out and replace with "windows" and maybe if I can find some that can be bashed in, some seats, maybe with torsos of 3D peeps in them maybe!
The dome cars may not be B & O proto, but I can at least run 'em behind my diesels.
I don't care what anybody says, I can at least run 'em. Just posted then in case the OP was interested.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Rotorranch wrote: don7 wrote: Rotorranch wrote: I kind of like 'em myself! They run pretty good, and take KaDee #5's with Talgo adapters. Sure, they aren't "prototypically correct" but neither are 18" curve radii. Replacing the "people" with .007 lexan for the windows helps.I'm actually looking for some of the non-dome cars for a project here, if anyone has some they don't need!RotorHow much are you willing to pay?As little as possible! Actually, if I told you, it would be a violation of forum rules. And I wouldn't want that!Rotor
I don't know about a violation (so I won't mention exact price maybe?), but I got them at my local hobby shop, new, off the shelf, on sale (probably because they are Life Like) for less than some online retailers who carry them at them moment.
galaxy wrote:I do have them. I got them simply because they are shorties and will run on my 18" curves, a bit better than the 72 footers. I also got them because at least they are not the "old timer" passenger cars, though I have those too.I would like some non-dome cars too, but seems they are only available with domes at the moment. (Hmmm. maybe I chop off the dome and add a new plain roof of styrene?).I plan to cut the "people" out and replace with "windows" and maybe if I can find some that can be bashed in, some seats, maybe with torsos of 3D peeps in them maybe!The dome cars may not be B & O proto, but I can at least run 'em behind my diesels.I don't care what anybody says, I can at least run 'em. Just posted then in case the OP was interested.
Yep, that's why I like them too.
I've got Rivarossi/AHM and Spectrums too, but those are for later when the layout grows up.
on the subject of people and nothing else, I actualy like the Roundhouse Palace sillouhettes, as the screen pattern looks more realistic than the paper printed. I dp have sme LL shorties, they do look good "in a pinch" or as a terminal filler wwhen all you see is a car shape. They also get run with their "Grandpas", a trio of TYCO shorties of similar, if not heavier, make.
I think I'm going to take Mark at his word (Walthers non-heavywieghts will handle 22" curves) and get ATSF Budd cars (they're due in 8/12) or maybe even the Super Chief - they're Budd and Pullman Standard.
I did some arithmetic and if I get the Con-Cor 72' and upgrade by adding lights, interiors, couplers, weights, etc I would spend more than it would cost to buy the equivalient Walthers cars and the end result would probably not be as good.
Besides, I actually rode the Super Chief when I was a kid!!! Thanks to everyone for all the good advise. I learn something everytime I ask a question on here.
Cool!
They look good, from what I've seen. Let us know how you like them.
I also agree with your statement about the cost of upgrading the cheaper cars. I have a couple sets of Rivarossi/AHM I'm slowly working on. They will end up as expensive as the nicer RTR cars, and probably still not as nice of quality.
dadret wrote:I want to add a passenger car train to my 1950s layout but I know the models of the 85' stramlined cars require a 24" mimium radius turn and mine are all right at 22" (I have some old IHC Heavyweights and they are really too long). Con-Cor makes a 72' version that I like but I know they would require a lot of work and money (add interiors, lights, probably change couplers) to make them like, and probably the same cost as, the Walthers cars I like best. All of the Walthers cars carry the "24" mim radius required" qualification but I am lead to believe that some of the Walthers cars are shorter than the 85 scale feet and will work on my layout. My problem is I don't know how to tell and there is no LHS around that has any that I can look at. Can someone help me or direct me to a source where I can find out the actual length (either is scale feet or real inches) of the Walthers Pullman Standard, Pullman Heavyweight, etc? I'm fairly sure that a 64 seat coach is longer than a 46 seat coach but my knowledge of old time passenger cars is VERY limited.
Athearn produces or had produced shorter length cars just for this reason. Look at Athearn or ebay for the cars.
You might try a walthers car but expect to do some modding to get it onto sharper curves. This means checking the coupler arrangement for a wider swing.
Also check out Bachmann.
Depending upon the era of your layout.
I think the Roundhouse Overland cars are quite acceptable. These coaches are still somewhat hard to find but they are being re-released by Roundhouse/Athearn and will soon be available again. These coaches do not have interiors like the Rivarossi 60' coaches.
Although they are marketed as 50' coaches the measurement does not take into account the open vestibules and in reality these coaches are almost the same size as the old Rivarossi 60' and the new Hornby-Rivarossi 60' coaches.
Although these cars are to me indistinguishable from each other they first 60' released by Rivarossi are quite hard to find and the new released coaches sold out very quickly and are rare to find.