Lowell Smith Exectuive Line Alaska Business Cars

[Nato]

                    :|The Lowell Smith Executive Line Alaska Railroad Business Cars are now out. Two car names available "Glacier Pass" and "Denali". The cars use the modernized smooth side business car body and full width modern style roof. My Denali comes nicely painted in the current version of the railroads blue and yellow paint scheme with silver-gray trucks (molded in color), road name, and car name on lower sides, circular herald on the forward pier panel between the windows. The rear platform railing is blue, I cannot confirm the accuracy of this, however the car is very nice and a good match to the KATO ARR painted cars and locomotives.  Nate Goodman (Nato). 

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Accuracy?  There has never been a prototype for this model that I can find.  Not even close.

[wcfn100]

Accuracy?  There has never been a prototype for this model that I can find.  Not even close.

Jason

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Compare the model to the photographs and you will see how far off the model actually  is.  GN rebuilt this car to a streamlined profile on the roof and sealed thermapane windows on the sides... while the model represents thermapane windows the pattern is very inaccurate.  Shame that they didn't talk to someone who knows something about what a business car's windows should look like before they cut the mold.  Nice stand-ins but major foobies.

[wcfn100]

Compare the model to the photographs and you will see how far off the model actually  is. 

I have to expectation of them being correct, but I do think this falls under the category of having a prototype.

Jason

[peteski]

I don't think any new molds were cut here by MT.  These are standard parts they already had (the smoothside observation car and the roof).  You have to remember that this item is geared towards the collector market (not towards prototype modelers).

Lowell Smith makes some really nifty models, but the prototype accuracy is not the main goal. I tried to collect his American Freedom Train series but I after buying few releases I realized that except for the paint job, many cars aren't even remotely close to the prototype.  I even had couple of discussions (over the phone) with Lowell.  He acknowledged the shortcomings and told me that to make the set prototypically accurate, it would cost many times of the already rather steep price.

[Nato]

       I will agree that the accuracy is not great, MT manufactured the smooth side business car body and roof exclusively for Lowell Smith, he has also done non modernized office cars using the stock MT heavyweight observation car. Some of the road names he has done on the modernized body look more like prototype than others, SP a good stand in, UP would be good stand in, but platform end color is incorrect. Rio Grande Single Stripe, not a bad stand in, this body has been used on his series of NS office cars, they are ok, but no cookie, lastly his Western Pacific car makes a pretty good stand in to me. No I' am not trying to defend the Smith cars as they are either foobs  or stand ins, to have accurate you need brass models or maybe KATO. However the art work for the soon to be released US 1 Ferdinand Magellan car, shows a riveted heavyweight office car body that in looking at photos resembles the actual car, only one side is in the art so I do not know about the other side. Again MT is making the body for Lowell Smith.                                                                                                                                                                               Nate Goodman (Nato).

[jmlaboda - RIP]

However the art work for the soon to be released US 1 Ferdinand Magellan car, shows a riveted heavyweight office car body that in looking at photos resembles the actual car, only one side is in the art so I do not know about the other side. Again MT is making the body for Lowell Smith.

Look again at photos of the Ferdinand Magellan and then look at the artwork.  Unfortunately the drawing is still rather inaccurate and I assume (yah, I know...) that if the model follows the drawing it will be off as well.





Close... but close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades... and Foobieville.

[wcfn100]

Here's what he says about the new car.

The design of this new car is loosely based on Pullman’s ‘Office Cars’ of which there were six.  The car has rivets and most noticeably no vestibule on the B end.  The steps have been replaced with a utility box, as in the prototype of so many business cars.  There is also a kitchen door.

Jason

[Nato]

                Jerry, Thanks for posting the comparison photos, Jason, thanks for posting the exact text of the Lowell Smith Flyer. Yes close , but no cookies, but none  the less a new office car body. Nate Goodman (Nato).   

[jmlaboda - RIP]

The design of this new car is loosely based on Pullman’s ‘Office Cars’ of which there were six.

Not sure what he used as a reference but during the course of time that Pullman Standard built cars they produced all steel 20 private car leasers, most of which were later sold to railroads though a few were scrapped prematurely and at least one was sold to a private individual.  Add to it an unknown number of wood private leaser cars the number grows even more.

Can provide info on all steel cars if anyone wants it.  Just PM me and I will forward the list.