Amtrak baggage car Phase 5

Does anyone know how to model this baggage car from amtrak? its in phase 5 paint.

http://www.hebners.net/Amtrak/amtBAG1800/amt1800.jpg

St. Louis Car Co built for NP North Coast Limited. I recommend using the Rivarossi smoothside car, move one door, makle it the double as you can see. Then use highball graphics decals for Phase V amfleets and microsscale for vermonter baggage.
Cheers,
Nick

Actually, the car was built by Pullman-Standard in 1957 for the NP. I don't recommend using the Rivarossi car because you'd have a hard time relocating the doors to allow enough room for the Vermonter mural (although that model it is basically correct for ex-UP baggage car 1852, one of the Ethan Allen cars). Also, for some reason Rivarossi molded the roof in the wrong curvature, but oh well.

I modeled 1800's sister car, 1801, by making styrene sides to go with the ends and cut-down roof from an Eastern Car Works core kit. You would get better results using the higher-quality Pullman core kit from Train Station Products. It's really quite easy to cut out the door openings from a sheet of styrene and then just assemble the pieces of the car together.

I had to eyeball the dimensions from photographs, but I've since drawn fairly accurate plans for the cars in HO scale. The drawings are posted on my website, along with a detailed description of the project.





I hope you decide to take on the project - I'd love to model 1800 in that paint scheme, but I'm trying to stay focused on my early-'90s era.

You're right 1802 is St. Louis Car company, 1800 and 1801 were the ps cars. For some reason I had that reversed. The appraoch I recommended was the one I was considering using, but I like yours considerably more.
Cheers,
Nick

Nice photos and nice modeling, as always atrosa.

-otto-

Where did you get the decal for the Ethan Allen baggage car? Did you ever think about trying to model the Adirondack one? Your baggage cars along with the rest of your models on your website are truly great pieces of work Mr. Astrosa. My favorite is the cab car that you made from that old Bachmann Metroliner.

Thanks for the positive comments. The Ethan Allen Express mural decal is custom-made from my own artwork - wasn't an easy task to replicate that logo from photos and get the colors to look right, but I'm happy with the way it came out.

I'm planning to build one of the St. Louis Car Co. ex-Army baggage cars eventually, along with a baggage-dorm, but whether or not I decide to decal it for the Adirondack depends on my willingness to draw up and print that logo as well. Speaking of the Adirondack, I guess you saw the "Saratoga Inn" lounge car on my site, but I also plan to build a couple of the 88-seat Clocker coaches that were used on that train for several years.

Your user name reminds me - right now I have a kitbashed FL9 underway, using a pair of Stewart F9 shells for excellent detail. Cutting and splicing the shells was actually easier than I thought, but I still have quite a bit more detailing left to do before it's ready for paint!

Alex Stroshane

What kind of front and rear trucks do you plan to use? I assume that you will paint it in Phase III, correct? Good luck, hope we can see the results soon.

this is what i saw on highball graphics website

We are sorry but due to lack of time Highball Graphics is suspending our Custom Decal service until Fall. We will continue to bring you new sets as time permits and will still be filling stock orders.

Is there anyway I can model this baggage car without highball graphic's decal set for the acela coach? or will I have to wait?

The key phrase is "and will still be filling stock orders."

You can still buy their existing decals from them, they just won't be producing any custom decal sets for a while. I'd suggest you go ahead and order what you want in case they run out of stock and aren't able to produce more until the fall.