Heavyweights

[TrainCat2]

In three days I have had five different people asking if I would be willing to do heavyweights. Example: Pullman 12-1 sleepers, 10-1-2 sleepers, 3-2 sleeper, diners, etc, etc, etc ....

I can't believe that except for the old Rivarossi that no one else is making these. Are they actually needed that much and is anyone making sides/core kits? I wonder what triggered this plethora of heavyweight inquisitions.  ???

[FrankCampagna]

Rivarrosi hasn't made them in years. They had some issues anyway. MT has some cars in the works. I'd like to see an RPO/baggage combo, and a baggage/coach combo.

Frank

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Yes, there is demand for quality heavyweight cars (Rivarossi cars are severly dated from the 70s) but you first should know that MicroTrains is set to release four cars within the next couple of months... an USRA mail car, an unidentified coach, a 12 Section - 1 Drawing Room sleeper (possibly two versions for the 3410 plan) and a 10 Sect - 1 Drawing Room - 2 Compartment sleeper.  Additional cars are likely to also be done but how soon is uncertain at the present time.

One of the biggest disappointments modelers have felt with the Walthers take-over of Life-Like is that, while they have done some great steam they have done very little in regards to "Varnish" (passenger cars) and nothing to date involving heavyweights, which was suppose to have been one of the early releases by some accounts.  Newer "rumors" have it that they will revamp the Rivarossi line but I don't know if there is anything to it or not.  Seems to me that since Kato cut its teeth in doing a heavyweight baggage - mail car for its Broadway Ltd. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Kato soon announces a heavweight train.  They know of the demand for such... the biggest question will be what train to do where they can actually get the greatest usage for the cars.

Wheels of Time is another company to watch.  I have heard that a PRR P70-class coach may soon be making its self known and I wouldn't be surprised if some additional Harriman cars would come as well.  And it is always possible that Des Plaines Hobbies affiliate Centralia Car Shops could finally see fit to do some core kits which, in itself, would be a good reason for some etched brass car side manufacturers to try their hand at doing sides.  There are some great possibilities available.

I have followed the work that you are doing in regards to cabooses and believe that some of the same techniques could serve to create valuable and worthwhile passenger car sides IF a suitable core kit was available, which presently there is none, and until there is some suitable core kits ("kits" in as much because of the different types of cars that would be involved as well as some varying lengths) I wouldn't be one to jump too quickly.

Don't get me wrong... the very first pictures of your baywindow caboose and how folding the parts over to create the appropriate appearance for the cab's sides, etc., made me think right off the bat that such would be a valuable option to have as far as passenger cars go, especially so if it could bring some of the more unusual passenger cars to the scale, but like I say, without a proper core kit the work could pretty much be for naught and while I know a number of modelers who build passenger cars from either core kits or stock models with new sides, etc., they still seem to be pretty much a minority.  Most N-scalers are the type that if it ain't Ready-to-Run it ain't worth having.  I wish it weren't that way... but it is.

Shameful plug... I highly recommend the N-scale Varnish list.  A number of the members there have taken the challenge to create some truly fine models.  I can only hope more will be willing to do the same.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/N-scaleVarnish

[Puddington]

I build brass cars - lightweight passenger cars mainly; I say mainly because that's all that's available in brass as a rule. Jerry is correct - the dirth of heavyweights is due in large part to the lack of a core kit for them - different roof styles; ends, etc have yet to be creeated. Those of us who scratchbuild heavyweights often cut down a Riv car for the frame and modify the roof.

I would be first in line for various Pullman heavyweights - I have little fear of hacking up a Riv sleeper and re-making it into another model - but that's one person; and maybe it's because I've done it a lot or I have no sense of monitary value, having messed up so many cars...... :-[

If someone could build a core kit ( length being something the modeler can deal with as we do with the AL lightweight kits) and but two roof options (a generic clostry and "Harriman" or turtleback) then you could literally go to town with brass sides for heavyweight head end cars and Pullmans; not to mention coaches, the well under represented parlor cars and many others....The ancillary business being parts and roof options... the list is endless.....

[wm3798]

This...
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/wm/wm914140ags.jpg

and this...
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/wm/wm-rpo-xxn.jpg

and this...
http://www.wmrywesternlines.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/wm911922w.jpg

and this...
well, there's a full coach I wanted to show you, but I can't dredge up a photo...  Maybe Bufkin has one floating around...

Lee

[TrainCat2]

I'm not really ready and willing to jump in to this fray yet. Hell, I'm just getting ready to etch my H30, H30a and H25 that I have been working on and still have the H32 to start. I just thought it was strange that I got five requests in less # of days for the very same thing. I did know that MTL was working on a pullman and others as Joe told me about them at the last National Train Show. I had remembered a company making brass sides, I did not know they never did heavyweights.

Some more research is needed ...

[pfs]

I'm not really ready and willing to jump in to this fray yet. Hell, I'm just getting ready to etch my H30, H30a and H25 that I have been working on and still have the H32 to start. I just thought it was strange that I got five requests in less # of days for the very same thing. I did know that MTL was working on a pullman and others as Joe told me about them at the last National Train Show. I had remembered a company making brass sides, I did not know they never did heavyweights.

Some more research is needed ...

You're forgetting the NYC transfer

[Walkercolt]

Nobody seems to know anything for certain about the old RivaRossi Dies. I've been told they are no longer usable, that they have been sold, that they are fine, all by people "who should know", and are not known to BS. I would wait a while and see what MT does, and possibly they could become a "core-kit", or someone else could do a "dedicated" core kit for HW's, which is badly needed. The RR's have a number of "issues" to say the least. The lack of Harriman roofs, roof A/C ducting, etc. is a problem at best, and there are no easy answers. The top-weight of resin roofs and many details ruins that option realistically. Maybe a better answer is coming, maybe not. I'd just wait and see right now what shakes out. IF Kato decides to play HW's you'll have to see what one's they do. Same with MT. Niether is gonna "leak" much info before they hit the stores.

[Chris333]

I would wait for the MT car before you make etched sides. Hopefully the MT cars will make better cores than RR cars.

[jmlaboda - RIP]

M&R Models does do a few heavyweight sides and the results are truly great!!!  A few examples can be found on the N-scale Varnish site in the Files section.  The down side is that you will have to join to view them.  (I hated when Yahoo! Groups changed that.  Up until they did if an owner or moderator wanted to keep Files and Photos open to the public they could.  Now we can't.)

[Bob Bufkin]

Lee, I can't find any coach photos I took, however here's one from Jerry's site:

http://wvrailmuseum.com/wm-835-1.html

[Pomperaugrr]

Heavy weight coaches would be a home run.  Not everyone wants to model full, long distance passenger trains.  With all the steam power out there in N scale, there are a bunch of us that would love to run tourist trains on our modern layouts.  I'm a member of the Railway Museum of New England and would love to run a tourist train on my layout.  Here's a photo:

http://www.rmne.org/media/headerimages/headerimage_trainrides.jpg

Eric

[Mark5]

I'm not really ready and willing to jump in to this fray yet. Hell, I'm just getting ready to etch my H30, H30a and H25 that I have been working on and still have the H32 to start.

You're doing this?

http://prr.railfan.net/freight/freightphotos.html?photo=PRR_254252_H30_E10005_052435.jpg&fr=clH30

[TrainCat2]

Yup, ima done um. Just got to get a weekend off to etch them.



H30a and H25 too! I hired Steve Funaro to make the decals since he has the artwork already. Only question is if I can afford to include all decals for all versions, or I will have to cut them up and sell them as individual versions. MSRP should be around $30.

[Mark5]

Yup, ima done um. Just got to get a weekend off to etch them.

Cool. I know someone that will have decals for the N&W version in the near term.