Author Topic: Lowell Smith PC Business Car  (Read 2013 times)

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crrcoal

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Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« on: December 04, 2018, 07:04:45 PM »
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Hi folks,

Might anyone have a prototype photo of this car; https://lowellsmith.net/product/penn-centrals-pennsylvania-exl-release-34/
I found a photo of it in Pennsy but can't find it in PC. It's not a foobie is it?  Thanks!
« Last Edit: December 08, 2018, 12:28:50 PM by GaryHinshaw »

bbussey

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2018, 07:25:05 PM »
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If this artwork is what is being used for the model, then the “Penn Central” front and the “Pennsylvania” font are off.
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crrcoal

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2018, 09:19:16 PM »
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Thanks Bryan.

Here is the Pennsy car
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=483813
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/22171/

Still searching for PC info on it.



thomasjmdavis

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2018, 09:32:56 PM »
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Well, it is a foobie in so far as the car plan is not the same as PRR 120- the window arrangement is different.  As to whether it ever wore "Penn Central" on the letterboard, at the same time as numbered 120, while in Tuscan?  That question might best be addressed to Lowell Smith.  I don't know why he would do a foobie paint scheme when he could have used the original PRR scheme (or has he already done that one?)
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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2018, 09:23:04 AM »
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He's doing the PRR version too:

https://lowellsmith.net/product/add-on-pennsylvanias-business-car-120-exl-release-34/

Speaking of, this is the car that Bennett Levin owns and has been a fixture on PV trains and various specials for years.

I'm actually kinda surprised that Lowell didn't get together with Kato to do a set with this car and the JTRR E8s. They're often seen dead heading together.

thomasjmdavis

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2018, 11:11:33 AM »
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He's doing the PRR version too:

https://lowellsmith.net/product/add-on-pennsylvanias-business-car-120-exl-release-34/

Speaking of, this is the car that Bennett Levin owns and has been a fixture on PV trains and various specials for years.

I'm actually kinda surprised that Lowell didn't get together with Kato to do a set with this car and the JTRR E8s. They're often seen dead heading together.
Oh good.  Window patterns notwithstanding, it is a very elegant car.  For whatever reason, I couldn't find it when I looked on his site the other day. 

Interesting that he is using different window patterns (at least according to the pics on the 2 pages) for the PC and PRR versions.   

The JTRR locos bring up another possibility.  Given the several new paint schemes he is bringing out (Texas Special, etc), maybe he could put in an order for undec E units and paint to match. 
Tom D.

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davefoxx

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2018, 12:01:10 PM »
+1
Speaking of, this is the car that Bennett Levin owns and has been a fixture on PV trains and various specials for years.

I'm actually kinda surprised that Lowell didn't get together with Kato to do a set with this car and the JTRR E8s. They're often seen dead heading together.

Oh, man!  If Kato released the E8s decorated for the JTRR units, I'd be in.  I've ridden behind them twice on CRHS specials.  My wife even car-hosted with me once, and I bet she would like to see the models, too.  Good memories.  That is my favorite PRR scheme with the Tuscan Red carbody, single stripe, and large PENNSYLVANIA lettering.

In fact,  here's a horrible picture of my buddy, Lee, and No. 5711 in October 2009 taken in the bowels of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia:



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crrcoal

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2018, 04:34:39 PM »
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Thanks guys for the info. good stuff!

Not to derail the thread, but, looks like the JTRR E8's have made their last run this past weekend. The Levins have said they are not going to install mandated PTC as it is too costly.

bbussey

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2018, 12:14:23 AM »
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Slight correction to my artwork critique.  The car name could be the correct font, tough to tell from the jpeg.  But the font for the car numbers definitely is not.  Pennsy used an ornate block style for the numbers.  The numbers on the Kato GG1 five-stripe and the MTL heavyweights are the correct font.  The numbers also are too small, based on the prototype photos up-thread.  And the PENN CENTRAL font definitely is off.
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chicken45

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2018, 02:39:06 PM »
+1
I think I ordered opted for 180 Philadelphia because 120 Pennsylvania didn't look enough like 120 for me.
I've been trying to get @Lemosteam and @Scott Lupia to do brass car sides of 120.

There's 3 PRR cars, (#100 New York being the third in the series, and the PC version of 120 as the 4th).
Here's what I know.

The PRR only had 1 lighweight business car and it was that silver one Kato did a few years back (#1000). It was formerly owned by Anheuser Busch. It's active today on Amtrak as #10000.

100 was built in Altoona as LIRR 1000. In January '31, it was renamed New York as it would be based out of NY. It was renamed The New Yorker in '37. It went back to LIRR in '39, and back to PRR in 51. In '59, it was renamed to Chesapeake and based out of Baltimore.

120 was built in '28. In '39 it was named Baltimore and based of West Philly. It was renamed Pennsylvania in '52. It underwent extensive modernization in late '53 and this was likely when then windows were changed to those rounded corner ones (like the Kato BL cars) and not traditional heavyweight double windows liek are what are found on most MTL heavyweight observation cars. In PC, that PC worm and all that was applied in '68, but was renumbered to PC14 in March of '68 but that didn't happen right away as pictures from Robert Kennedy's funeral train still show it tuscan PC 120 (with the car name paint out in anticipation of a temporary renaming it Senator Kennedy in June 8th 1068.
 Renumbered to PC 9 and painted green sometime after 6/69 and before retirement. It was retired in '71 and was restored to Pennsylvania and tuscan.
The door placement on the model is wrong. The window placement is not perfect, but again, the door throws it off. It should be on the end, not over the trucks. The PC font looks wrong, as does the number font, as @bbussey pointed out, as well as the numeral spacing (too close together). Actually the font looks wrong on the PRR cars, too.

180...well, more of the same. The lifecycle of these cars is that they started out with clerestory roofs and were modernized in the 50's with arch roofs. They also went from 3 axle trucks to 2 axle trucks.
But there photos show clerestory roofs and 2 axle trucks, so there's that.  180's was modernized in March 1952, but photos show 2 axle trucks and a clerestory roof. A photo from '59 shows an arch roof.

Hope that helps someone.

The biggest problems with these models are the sides and replacing the 3 axle trucks with 2 axle trucks.  But they will look REALLY nice, so, I'll live with 180 until I can scratchbuild 120. I'd like to see a the tooling differences between 120 and the other two. The preview picture make it look like there's no rivets on the sides of 120, but 120 was DEFINITELY a heavyweight and DEFINITELY riveted despite looking like a lightweight. 
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crrcoal

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2018, 08:05:06 PM »
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Awesome info. Thanks Josh!

bbussey

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #11 on: December 06, 2018, 11:36:09 PM »
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They would be okay as foobs if the artwork was correct.
Bryan Busséy
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eja

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Re: Lowell Smith PC Business Car
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2018, 12:54:55 AM »
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Not to derail the thread, but, looks like the JTRR E8's have made their last run this past weekend. The Levins have said they are not going to install mandated PTC as it is too costly.

Ouch ! That is indeed sad news.