Some of my N5 and N6 Cabin cars were completed in the early
1990s, before I became so detail oriented. Part of me wants to do these cars
over. I was using mostly Floquil Grimy Black only for the weathering. I
started using real glass for the windows from the N5c until now. PRSL
N5 200 Added
11-19-17 PRSL
N5 227 This PRSL N5 was the first Cabin Car that I ever painted in
about 1991. It is right out of the box with no modifications. I was trying to
simulate the white streaking under the lettering, as best as I could with the
“Binks” airbrush I was using at that time. Even though PRSL 227 was my first Cabin
Car paint job it might be up for a strip and redo at some point. |
|
Compare the old and new below.
Added 7-27-12
PRSL
N5 239
Added 7-27-12
PRR
N5b 477819
PRR
N5c
477880
By the time I painted these
2 N5c I was becoming more aware of details. I added marker lights, cut levers,
and pull chains for the air hoses and cut levers. Making the small piece of
flat bar for the cut lever chain was interesting. I made a small fixture to cut
them to length and drill the holes.
477789
This N5c was modeled after
a photo in Don Ball’s book “The Pennsylvania Railroad 1940 – 1950s.” The photo
is on page 98 showing Centipedes pushing an ore train with this N5c on the
rear. It was taken by Frank Tatnall. I was lucky
enough to get a copy of that photo from the original slide from Frank. I added
the same details as 477880 above, but I had
to put the man in the cupola. I soldered a piece of angle on the inside wall. I
cut a figure in half and screwed it to the angle looking out the window. I
could not figure out how to put the “3” on the front of the cupola. What does
it mean anyway? I consider these 2 models to be the turning point in the detail
level of all of my future modeling.
PRR
N6b
I traded away the 2 Lines West N6a I had after I learned that
they were all converted to N6b by my modeling period of 1956-57.
Added 7-27-12
PRR
N6b 981519
Added 9-8-12
PRR
N6b 980920
PRR
N8
The N8 has slightly edged
out the N5c as my favorite Cabin Car. As Pennsy’s
last group of new Cabins, they were modern yet have the distinctive PRR style
of previous classes.
I am particularly proud of
these N8 Cabin Cars. There are at least 30 hours of reworking and superdetailing to each of them. I made the master patterns
for the draft gear and cut lever brackets from measurements I took from a real
N8. I have the only S Scale N8 without antennas that are correct for the
PRR. Southwind Models imported 10 pieces
without roofwalks for Penn Central and Conrail. I bought 3 of them. The ladders
were also cut short. I put the roofwalks back ON and replaced the ladders. Other work included adding marker lamps, air hose and cut lever
chains, replacing Trainphone receivers, adding junctions boxes and conduit for
the Trainphone receivers, Trust Plates, the generator drive belt and simulated
the connection of the Trainphone system to the truck sideframes. I applied the
silver trim around the windows with Microscale silver decal stock. Doing this
to 2 cars was all that even I could stand!
I got all of my model car
numbers to correctly correspond to the real N8 that did and did not have
antennas. I learned after the Circle Keystone cars were completed that it is an
equipment box for the Trainphone system, not a tool box, under the center of the
car. All of the model cars were made with this box attached to the floor. I was
very relieved when they did put up a fight when I snapped them off of the cars
without antennas.
Circle Keystone
Car
478021
I
made a new Smokestack for this car.
Car
478081
Car
478119
Shadow
Keystone
Car
478041
Car
478202
How could I not do car 478202 since I have the
Builders photo? I just could not figure out how to make the generator and
generator shaft drive and still run the model.
The
Cabin Car track is getting full!
Details
It’s
ALL about the details!
Added
10-17-12
On October 2 2012, I had a momentous occasion. I completed all of
my Cabins Cars! This is the first rolling stock “category” that is done!
I also got both of my SD9 out to run for the first time on this
layout.
Updated 11-19-17
All
photos and content © Lanes Trains 2005-2018