I have yet another question for the forums: Are there any HO plastic Streamline observation cars that from front bulkhead to end of tail actually measure 85 scale feet? (They can be either SS or CS.)
I purchased a car that claimed it was an 85 foot observation car for a project. However, I discovered that an overlay that is an actual 85 scale feet long didn't fit. (The car is too short.) I then measured the car with my scale ruler and it only measured out at 79 scale feet.
Goven that I already have 4 cars in this project that I will need to purchase body kits for and build the underframe details, I don't really want to have to do another one. Using an existing observarion car will also allow me to get the tail curve right and, (as already mentioned) get the underframe details already done as well.
Any suggestions anyone has will be very much welcomed.
Sounds to me like you will be doing a major kitbash. What's missing in the last 6 feet? If it's another window or other section, get another obs and slice out a 6-foot section, with whatever is missing included, and splice it into the one you're working with. That way you get to keep the boattail end , while still getting your 85 feet. Though I would settle for the 79' car - a lot less hassle. And unless you're modeling a very specific car, remember that few prototype cars were 85' long, so 79' is pretty close to the average length of a passenger car. And was the 85' over the end sills or the coupler faces? The latter could easily account for the missing 6'...
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Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
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"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
I actually am attempting to model a very specific car - a Northern Pacific "Club" series tail car as ran on the post-WWII North Coast Limited. That is why I have the custom styrene Union Station Products overlay piece that I mentioned in my original post.
I wouldn't call it a major kitbash as if I have the right length of car all I should need need to do is cut out the windows and attach the overlay.
As for length, I just need enough for the overlay to attach to whatever car base I get. In further measuring, It looks like about 83 feet would be enough.
Some photos of the project would be helpful.
I don't really have any model pics as it is still in pieces. Pics of a brass example of what I am doing are located here and here.
Pics of pieces would be fine. I havent heard of this company that does car sides before today. Just wondering if you could kit bash the opposite end from the observation end. The pics would answer that. What brand of car are you starting from?
Union Station Products was suggested by a another person in a previous post in regards to this car.
As to the parts that I have, I have a Con-Cor CS Obseervation car [CCCS] (reason for that particular car is the roof has the proper corrugations that match the previously referenced brass car), a Rivarossi flat end observation car [ROC] (a derail when purchased that never got sent to the scrapyard), and a Rivarossi RPO car [RRC] (another derail when purchased that never got sent to the scrapyard).
The thought that I had was use the ROC as the base as I like the underframe detail better on it. (The wheelbases are the same as well.) I would need to shorten the car from the wheelmount to the bulkhead end as that is too long based on the CCCS car. I was also thinking about grafting the fishtail end from the CCCS onto the ROC. That would be done by cutting the fishtail off the CCCS at the rear truck mount and remove the floor and shape the floor from the rear truck mount of the ROC. The roof from the CCCS and one of the other roofs would be bashed to get the proper length and get styrene strip to match the existing detail on the CCCS roof. (I would need to do that for most of the rest of the cars anyway.)
That is the only idea that I could come up with based on what I have for parts. If anyone has other ideas, I'm willing to entertain them as well.