Hallmark Freedom Train

[David K. Smith]

Despite not being into passenger trains at all, I had reason to go into a Hallmark store today and saw a healthy stock of the Freedom Train items, and, well, I couldn't just walk past them, I had to look, and so... I got a bunch. They are surprisingly well done, and close enough to scale for non-rivet-counters like me. It will take some work to make them road-worthy, but I think it's worth it, if only for the novelty of having a half-decent passenger train at a very decent price... in Z scale no less.

There are some curious aspects to them, incidentally. For instance, they are tree ornaments, right? So why did they weight them? And make free-rolling wheels and rotating trucks? And couplers--of a sort--that can be used to couple them together? Makes me wonder...

[tom mann]

It is a mystery:  why are the Hallmark ornaments usable models, yet the houses made by micro-trains are not usable models?

 ???

[3rdrail]

It is a mystery:  why are the Hallmark ornaments usable models, yet the houses made by micro-trains are not usable models?

 ???

Ohhh, Mr. Mann, thou hast a wicked tongue - or keyboard fingers.

[Chris333]

I bought 7 of them and plan to re-side them with etched pieces to make:
2 baggage express
1 RPO
3 coaches
1 business car

I'll post photos later, I'm at work now 

[Chris333]

Top car is original with paint stripped:

[David K. Smith]

Chris, you simply do not waste any time, do you? And you are getting altogehter too good at etching brass...

Here's another oddity I just discovered about the ornaments. The wheel gauge is different between the cars and the loco. They are spaced too wide for Z scale on the cars, but the loco will roll on Z scale track! Although the wheel quality is so poor that the loco wobbles horribly. But even stranger, the wheel pair on each truck nearest the fuel tank are blind--no flanges. Curiouser and curiouser...

[wcfn100]

Chris, I've been wondering why you still use a relief for the rivets?  It would appear on those cars that you could reverse the artwork and have raised rivets and window frames.  Are you worried about the thickness of the final sheet?

Jason

[Chris333]

Jason,

I'm worried it will come out just like the last time I tried  :-\  You need a nice professional pressurized etch tank to half etch a whole sheet and have it come out evenly.

I could always do the artwork that way and send them out, but so far I haven't found a place that can use my artwork.

[Pray59]

I picked up 5 more of the Hallmark Heavyweights today, because $12.50 is a good kitbasher's price. Really, it's the roof, ends, and trucks that sell me, but how much would it cost in another scale just to purchase those detail parts alone?

I finished my observation car, with carsides I laser engraved. It's a bit rough, but I will do a better job next time.

-Robert

[David K. Smith]

I picked up 5 more of the Hallmark Heavyweights today, because $12.50 is a good kitbasher's price. Really, it's the roof, ends, and trucks that sell me, but how much would it cost in another scale just to purchase those detail parts alone?

Yes, I've gotten into the habit of picking up a couple more every time I drive by a Hallmark. It's hard to turn down economical kitbashing material like this. I even got a couple of the PAs. No idea what I'll do with them, but I like the idea of having cheap "junk" on hand.

Edit: I now regret purchasing the PAs. Unlike the passenger cars, the loco is diecast metal. Which pretty much does away with kitbashing possibilities. I discovered this after it occurred to me that I could possibly chop it up to make a crude FA, and discovered it was diecast when I started to disassemble it. Oh, well...

[Pray59]

I did not pick any of the PA's up. I was just thinking of stuff NP had, and they don't have any PA's or FA's, so I guess I lucked out.

I have pictures of NP pulling these cars with GP9TT locos! So they lasted quite a while. Even BN had a bunch to use as business cars and different MOW functions.

[Pray59]

A little progress:

[Chris333]

I like the 2-tone 

[Sokramiketes]

Loewy colors may be the best passenger paint scheme ever.  Looks awesome.

[tom mann]

Robert, nice work.