Hi guys,
Anybody have any experience with the TSP core kits? All I've ever seen of them is that same small photo that's been published in MR and on the Walthers website. I'm mainly interested in the Budd core, which unfortunately isn't all that useful unless you scratchbuild sides. I think I've figured out how to form the various fluting patterns from styrene, but I'd like to know if the fluting on the TSP roof is correct.
What I mean by 'correct' is how the flutes are shaped. On the Walthers Budd cars, they're basically shaped like .010" rods all the way around, which looks really good. Unfortunately, because of the curved surface, it's understandably difficult to cut a die that accurately, so on both Rivarossi's old 1940s and on TSP's Hi-Levels, the flutes remain vertical all the way instead of being tangent to the curve, which distorts their shape by the time you get down to the roofline. For example, the fluting on the Hi-Levels should look continuous all the way down to the bottom of the window strip, but there's a break at the roofline where the flutes jump from vertical to horizontal instead of blending. You can get away with this on cars like the UP 10-6s, which had smooth letterboards, but it just won't work on an ATSF or CB&Q-type car with the fully fluted letterboards.
(Kato seemed to get the continuous fluting right on their business car, but because it's basically an observation car, I'd need two shells at $25 each in order to kitbash a regular full-length car).
Anyway...was hoping someone could either compare a TSP roof to a Walthers one, or post a closeup photo of the core kit's pieces. I know Eastern Car Works makes a Budd core kit as well (and even a set of NYC-prototype sides to go with it), but I'm doubtful of their quality unless someone can post a photo. I wish Walthers had more and better photos of items!
Anybody have any experience with the TSP core kits? All I've ever seen of them is that same small photo that's been published in MR and on the Walthers website. I'm mainly interested in the Budd core, which unfortunately isn't all that useful unless you scratchbuild sides. I think I've figured out how to form the various fluting patterns from styrene, but I'd like to know if the fluting on the TSP roof is correct.
What I mean by 'correct' is how the flutes are shaped. On the Walthers Budd cars, they're basically shaped like .010" rods all the way around, which looks really good. Unfortunately, because of the curved surface, it's understandably difficult to cut a die that accurately, so on both Rivarossi's old 1940s and on TSP's Hi-Levels, the flutes remain vertical all the way instead of being tangent to the curve, which distorts their shape by the time you get down to the roofline. For example, the fluting on the Hi-Levels should look continuous all the way down to the bottom of the window strip, but there's a break at the roofline where the flutes jump from vertical to horizontal instead of blending. You can get away with this on cars like the UP 10-6s, which had smooth letterboards, but it just won't work on an ATSF or CB&Q-type car with the fully fluted letterboards.
(Kato seemed to get the continuous fluting right on their business car, but because it's basically an observation car, I'd need two shells at $25 each in order to kitbash a regular full-length car).
Anyway...was hoping someone could either compare a TSP roof to a Walthers one, or post a closeup photo of the core kit's pieces. I know Eastern Car Works makes a Budd core kit as well (and even a set of NYC-prototype sides to go with it), but I'm doubtful of their quality unless someone can post a photo. I wish Walthers had more and better photos of items!
