About Me Button

Conventions Button

Custom Painting Button

Links Button

Got Dachshunds button

Home Button

Howie Waelder Button

My Layout

My Models Button

Other Interests Button

Photography Button

PRR Builders Photos Button

PRR In S Scale Today Button

S Scale Modules Button

Solidworks Button

South Jersey S Scale Modelers

Conrail & PRSL N11

 

 

S_Scale_Conrail_&_PRSL_N11_Photos_1 small S_Scale_Conrail_&_PRSL_N11_Photos_2 small

This has been a very long off and on project - mostly off for many years. It all started in 2002. I was becoming more interested in the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines which was the railroad nearest to me growing up. The only correct PRSL “Cabin Cars” in S Scale were Overland N5 brass – hard to find in the pre-internet days and were expensive.  I saw a photo of 252 and liked it. I have some memories of the PRSL running. The transfer caboose was the correct time period for me just before becoming Conrail. The number one aspect for me about S Scale is having something that is one of a kind if I make it or bought it.

 

I belonged to many Yahoo groups. On 1 of the groups was Chad Boas that was making very nice HO cars from styrene and casting them in urethane for sale. I asked if he would make me a N11 which he declined but did make me this cabin.

 

S_Scale_Conrail_&_PRSL_N11_Photos_3 small S_Scale_Conrail_&_PRSL_N11_Photos_4 small

 

 

 

And so it was started. My plan was to make the frame from brass to give it some weight. Obviously 24 years later that did not happen. It became a work on it for a while project many times. In 2008 I learned Solidworks forever changing my modeling skills. That eventually led to me doing my own 3D printing as well. I liked the whole open grating of the platforms and steps.

 

Added 7-4-26

In the few months since I last worked on this the “just making a frame” idea changed to designing a complete 3D printed car including printing the end railings. I found this Conrail drawing that confirmed Chad’s original shell was not far off at all from being correct in spite of me not giving him any info when he made it.

 

Now the plan is to make the 3 PRSL N11 and make the same 3 cars again in the Conrail paint scheme. I am not even going to use the shell that Chad made for me! I got Circus City to make the decals.

 

There was MANY test prints to get to this point. I originally wanted wire handrails but some are curved so reproducing them exactly over 6 cars would be a massive time consuming challenge. The printed handrails are about .025 diameter. I would have used .015 wire anyway so the printed handrails are not extremely oversized.

 

  

 

 

N11 In P48

Through the Facebook Conrail Modelers Group I made contact with Patrick Welch who sent me these photos of his awesome scratchbuilt P48 Conrail N11. I used it as a reference for my designing.

 

 

 

 

Updated 7-4-26

All photos and content © Lanes Trains 2005-2026