Modeling Amtrak's Coast Starlight

[nickelplate759]

I believe Con-Cor makes the Budd 48-seat leg-rest coach, but, not the 44-seat, and definitely not the PS 44-seat.

George

[loyalton]

Oh what fun. Just make sure you run it at least 6-12 hours late 

Sorry, but that was the "old" Starlate. The "new" Starlate is very much on time since they padded the schedule by many hours. In Soviet Amtrak ...

[jmlaboda]

On a side note Jerry, is the passenger consist Yahoo Group still active? I've tried to join twice and never heard anything back.

Hmm... its on and off, much like many lists at yahoo!  Wonder why you didn't get anywhere... let me check on that...

[sp org div]

Today I got a couple sleepers done that needed the skirts raised, using Russ Straw's method.
Thanks for sharing Russ.


... got to swap out those half-trucks.   

This worked pretty slick, but I only did one full length cut (jaw width), and decided best to just back off and stay with partial cuts of about 1/4" - 3/8 at a time.  It moves pretty quick (but still need to round the skirt ends as applicable).  Finishing up is fairly quick with the flat file.  I probably spent about an hour on each car.
Here's a few pics on how it went:









I like it.

Jeff

[jagged ben]

Thanks for the pictures!  I don't think I would have understood otherwise.   

As for the 44 seat coach, you guys would be right about the Pullman version.  However Con-Cor does make a Budd version that is appropriate for some ATSF cars in the 2800s.   They call it their "Twin Window Coach".  (Con-Cor has made two models of Budd coaches.)   And FWIW, here is a prototype on the Starlight in 1973.  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4060835   The car behind it looks like a Pullman and the one to the right (in Amtrak paint) looks like another Budd. 

Anybody have a source for which number series of ATSF coaches were made by which car maker?  Apparently the Budd's are 2816-2860, according to the caption of that photo.

[sp org div]

I got a book that covers some of the atsf that was bought by Amtrak:
 
x-atsf Pullman Standard coaches- 2791-2808, 2862-2945
x-atsf Budd coaches- 2816-2836, 2837-2860, 2958-2960, 3138-3166

I got the year manuf also, but would have to x-ref the car numbers from Amtrk to ID car config...

Jeff

[Cajonpassfan]

Hey Jeff, I told you posting a question here would get results...
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss
Fun stuff. Otto

[sp org div]

Hey Otto...  where is the answer to my first question.... What's with the red vestibule doors?
I found a couple more pics that show the bulkhead inside the vestibule painted red on other sleepers too...

Jerry really deserves a nod for the webpages he has created to help model passenger trains in N...
Thanks Jerry!

I feel sick that I waited too long and all the American Limited products have faded away.   

Jeff

[Cajonpassfan]

Jerry really deserves a nod for the webpages he has created to help model passenger trains in N...
Thanks Jerry!
Jeff

+1; more than a nod! Thank you Jerry!
Otto

[ArtinCA]

I asked this question out on the Amtrak Modelers Yahoo group and the reason for the doors being read is for train end visibility. A couple of cars got blue doors, but most were red.

Art

[squirrelhunter]

So Amtrak was painting all the end vestibule doors red in case the car was on the end of a train then? If so, this is good to know, since I am planning to use the upcoming Southwest Limited set and SDP40F's to model both the Houston and Dallas sections of the Lone Star (originally the Texas Chief).

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So Amtrak was painting all the end vestibule doors red in case the car was on the end of a train then? If so, this is good to know, since I am planning to use the upcoming Southwest Limited set and SDP40F's to model both the Houston and Dallas sections of the Lone Star (originally the Texas Chief).

I actually just saw a video of the Broadway Limited in the 90s last night, and it had a red door too.
https://youtu.be/HMkYjdWF6wg?t=1m6s

[sp org div]

After perusing mbernero's vast image collection of Amtrak heritage cars, I have found that there were also cars that had the inside of the vestibule walls painted red... or at least the bulkhead.  Maybe the intent early on was to build trains tying the red vestibule cars to the red door cars for consisting purposes?
mbernero's Flicker album is a must for anyone researching Amtrak heritage cars, with a nice image of just about every car on their roster.   
Check it out:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbernero/albums/72157660532470228

Jeff

[Snark45]

Hi Jeff

Totally mundane question  --  what is the brand name of the flush end-nippers that you're using in this project? I'm having difficulty finding a pair that's totally flush across the top...  Profuse Thanks,  Harry

[sp org div]

Hi Jeff

Totally mundane question  --  what is the brand name of the flush end-nippers that you're using in this project? I'm having difficulty finding a pair that's totally flush across the top...  Profuse Thanks,  Harry

Hey Harry

Those actually were a much better quality than I expected to find at Harbor Freight, I think their Pittsburgh brand...  about $5 after the 20% coupon. 
I used the grinding wheel to really blunt nose them.

Jeff