Mike, thanks for the big splashy intro to the new car! Very glad it meets your needs...
Mike and I speak about possible projects fairly regularly, but he knows that the models I produce are the result of my own interests and needs for my layout. In other words, for fun. And the R car is still 'on the list'.
The cars are available now from Central Hobbies. They are unpainted resin, mostly assembled kits. The bodies are separate roof, ends, sides, and internal bits castings that I assemble, and the floors also have few bits preassembled. I do the partial assembly mostly because I've learned the hard way how to best put them together and I figure I don't need to share that frustration with others.
As for the 'generic' version, I was hoping that by using two 'all window' sides instead of one 'all window' and one 'corridor' side (these cars had an enclosed smoking room at one end that result in a short corridor, hence the single window on one side), I would have a more typical layout. This requires that the 'all window' side is precisely symmetrical on the centre line of the car so that windows on opposite sides of the cars line up properly. Unfortunately I was off just bit. I haven't assembled a two 'all window' side car yet to see just how awkward this looks...
As for the ridges above and below the windows, CPR cars typically had fairly pronounced drip edges above the windows and belt rails below. I admit the ones on the model are probably fatter than they should be, but I can't make them any finer given the limitations of the material I make the model masters with (Evergreen strip styrene). The same goes for the battens on the sides of the windows; too fat. No sensitivity here, just my explanation.
Geoff
