The new Intermountain Centralia 2-1-1 Observation cars are now out. Kato's smoothside car models the same configuration. Here are the differences. Kato's car has belt rail strips modeled on the sides above and below the windows. Some of the prototype cars had this feature .but not all. There are two upper berth windows for the compartment on the Kato car,some of the prototype cars had this arrangement some lacked the extra windows. Kato's tear drop shaped side marker lights are a bit oversize,but they do light up. Kato's radio antenna support posts are a bit oversize as is the wire you had to attach, or that now comes attached at the factory. Not a bad car untill you look at the IM version. The Intermountain car models cars with completely smooth sides and no upper bearth windows.Railroad specific details are found on these cars. The roof antenna arrangement on some cars Pullman Demonstrator, PRR,NYC for example is arranged like on Kato's car,but has finer support posts and very fine wire. The posts and wire are painted in the roof color of the cars modeled which would be correct. There are free standing grabs on the roofs and sides. The Illinois Central car features correct for that road a roof mounted rear red mars light,and a different radio antenna arrangement,a single long unit.On all the cars the rear side marker lights are more to scale,but are not lighted, and could not easly be converted. There are the two nice outside safety bars across the rear door end window not found on Kato's car,but found on Lionel's O later 027 version of these cars. The paint schemes on the cars I ordered are nice,but not without some complaints.The all Silver Pullman Demonstrator car is very well done,but looks plain Jane even the rear end as there was no train name tail sign execpt when assigned to various trains like the Arizona Limited. The PRR Fleet of Modernism scheme looks too brown to me,the tuscan and maroon should be redder, Con Cor got it right on their carsm also previous runs of IM sleepers. The NYC 1937-8 20 TH Century Limited scheme is very well done,but the silver car name on the gray sides like on the protype is impossable to read.The IC car is wonderful with a nice flat brown roof,not to glossey,but the orange side striping and car name is obviously a decal,instead of one continous long orange stripe two shorter ones were used so they overlapped them slightly on the car side where the car ends begin to curve and this creats a darker orange area.The roof vents on the various cars vary as to location, The non Pullman demonstrator cars feature decaled on rear tail signs which improves the looks.IC a Pannama Limnited, PRR a Keystone.NYC a Century sign. These cars are quite nice,I would recommend them. Nate Goodman (Nato).
