Mike,
You are correct about the FEF3 being a better runner than the Challenger. I have had problems with the 3985 on curves. I have used the OMI excursion E9's behind the FEF3 and Challenger for added pulling power. Do you have the latest OMI run of the big blow turbine? My father purchased one and it can barely pull itself. For the price you pay for it, the running quality of it was a huge disapointment. We asked Brian Marsh about it and got no real response about it. I only own a few omi diesels but I won't buy anymore after the turbine.
Looking at your list of OMI UP excursion cars I see you don't have the City of Salina coach. That car has got to be one of the hardest to find. I have only seen it for sale maybe 3-4 times in 8 years
I would still like to see some pictures if you have them. I am willing to buy all of them.
You have to remember, a whole set of brass cars would be a HAUL for any steamer. I was lucky enough to aquire the City of San Fransico by Overland for only $350 (I am a business car nut) and it is HEAVY! Amazing car inside and out, but boy she weighs like the Milw Cedar Rapids in real life!
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
I thought I'd update you guys on the box car. A guy by the name of Mark Preussler painted a box car for me to match my 844 set and reflect the real one. Here are the pics:
Modelers are fortunate that the Union Pacific's current passenger business/excursion train is made up primarily of "heritage" equipment. The recent Walthers UP "Streamliner" equipment will be very good starting points for those of us with a plastic budget. The dome-coach, dome-diner, dome-obs, 44-seat coach, 48-seat diner, the lounge car and baggage car are all very much as delivered. Most of the changes are on the underframe and some new antennas or vents on the roofs. Modest kitbashing can provide the modern sleepers and some of the business cars. Since the Walthers cars come without names or numbers it is a simple matter to use the Microscale UP Business car names set to give the cars their current names. The amount of extra detail can be as little or as extreme as one prefers.
Modeling UP's sleepers will require more than just modest kitbashing. As an example, Wyoming is a Deluxe 4 bedroom lounge sleeper and would require a complete re-arrangement of the windows on both sides plus, one would need to add an enclosed vesibule on the A-end of the car with a dorr on the room side of the car. Omaha is an 8 Bedroom sleeper. There are also differences between Dome Lounges, Walter Dean, Harriman and City of San Francisco.
Charlie
MP 53 on the BNSF Topeka Sub
Charlie Modeling UP's sleepers will require more than just modest kitbashing. As an example, Wyoming is a Deluxe 4 bedroom lounge sleeper and would require a complete re-arrangement of the windows on both sides plus, one would need to add an enclosed vesibule on the A-end of the car with a dorr on the room side of the car. Omaha is an 8 Bedroom sleeper. There are also differences between Dome Lounges, Walter Dean, Harriman and City of San Francisco. Charlie
What if you found car sides that matched wouldnt that be easier?
The problem with this is that there AREN'T any sides out there that match - because UP has modified the original sleepers so extensively. Most were 12-4 sleepers, and some similarities with window spacing can be found on these cars. However, most aren't available as sides, so you'd have to cut your own. I've contacted Union Station Products and they indicated that they needed the measurements for the size of the window and the spacing from the edge of the car to fashion sides for a modeler. In turn, I contacted UP and they said "no plans for the cars were available". While I believe that this person was a little to lazy to even check, it may be true, and you'll probably just have to work off photographs.
On the plus side, Green River, Omaha, and Portola have the same window arrangements, as do Lake Bluff and Lake Forest. Once you get one of these cars, you can model one or two more with the same window arrangement.
As for the Dome Lounges, the traditional window arrangement remains, but there are some car-specific details, like on the roof. The same thing goes for the Dome-Coaches
The Dome-Diners are relatively easy as well. City of Portland maintains the traditional window configuration, while Colorado Eagle has only some added windows on the kitchen side of the car and some blanked ones beneath the dome. Missouri River Eagle was actually a dome-coach, and this would be a good starting place to model this car, as only some windows beneath the dome were blanked.
I suggest looking at these websites while you're out "having fun" learning about these cars:
unionstationproducts.com
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/history/histequip/index.shtml
http://passcarphotos.info/
This last website has thousands of great photos. Simply scroll down to the Business Car section and click on "Union Pacific" for the inspection cars, business cars, and sleepers. Then scroll down to the Passenger Car section and click on "Union Pacific I through III". These websites are all very helpful.
Though I haven't modeled any of these cars as of yet, I consider myself somewhat of an expert on this subject. I've researched extensively over these cars, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at nrschum94@gmail.com
Nick
Steve Lee with UP is the person that you need to contact. He is now the manager of UP's Heritage fleet which includes all business cars and passenger cars, the steam fleet and the Centennial and E9's. I'm currently modeling a UP business train and I'm having to purchase brass cars imported by Overland models.