When I heard that IM/Centraillia passenger cars were being revised I reserved three from Chuck at FRTS . Recieved my cars today. They feature interriors and Easier than Peasier Lighting. I ordered 6-4-4 sleeper,only new car out so far. The exterrior has been revised with windows that are not so oversized and have a frame rim around the edge. This car still pales in comparison to Kato's car which features all that nice rivet detail on the sides. I ordered two Missouri Pacific and one Erie car. The MP paint scheme is nicely applyed,the gray and blue colors with yellow (gold) striping looks very nice, colors come close to matching the colors used by Con Cor on their later not LTD Edition train set runs of MP cars. The Erie car recreates the as delivered scheme on these cars, not the later two tone green, but a solid dark green body,with Pullman in Gold on the letter boards. The way the cars are packed has been revised some so now boxes are narrower same width as the Walthers ones. Packed into the bottom is a 3 piece magnetic wand to be assembled. This consists of a rectangular handle piece with a hole drilled in it,a piece of plastic tubing to insert in the hole,and a very small circular magnet inserted into a plastic disk with a recessed area on the back. The rod is suppose to insert into the back of the disk, but as luck would have it the rod is just too big for a press fit. To solve the problem I temporarly used a blob of modeling clay to hold the magnet to the end of the rod. Instructions printed in the box liner tell you to remove a small plastic strip with a tab on the end that is inserted into one vestibule end thru the door window,to un insulate the light circut. You are then suppose to touch the wand over the roof at one end where the reed switch sensor is located to turn on the lights touch again to turn off. First off on one car the plastic strip was missing. When I removed the strip from the 2nd MP car I was easly able to activate the lighting.by either touching the roof or moving the wand just above it. To get the lighting to go out was harder. Touching the roof again or waving over would kill the lights,but if you then quickly removed the wand they came back on. Moving it away slowly does not re activate. The lighting when on is a yellowish glow,can't tell if it is LED, probably is,lighting is not overly bright,but ok in a dim lit room or darkened one. Now for the problem, lighting in other MP car and Erie Car when its tab was removed refuesed to work. I doubt that the lighting could get turned on during shipping, more likely damage from jarring to the LED, switch, or else a bad battery or loose connection wire. Are interriors really necessary on these cars, they are hardly seen through the windows? On the lighted car you can sort of make out seats. In a coach with large windows and no interrior partitions seats work better. My complaint about the original cars is still there. They simulated window shades but evenly positioned them on all windows instead ramndom heights. No I do not plan to retun the two cars with non working lights rather want to trouble shoot some more . On a 1-10 scale these cars rate 8.9 in my book. Oh yes the trucks are I believe now MT's and have leingth adjustment so closer or longer distance between cars is possible. How to replace the battery,and what will life be?Good question. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.
