I think the core-kit plus sides concept is an excellent one for S, since the chances of getting a variet of cars made up RTR is pretty low. The wood roof/floor with styrene sides and ends would work now and be fairly inexpensive. The same idea with molded resin or styrene parts for the roof, floor and ends would allow for more detail to be put in by the manufacturer, a lot less like "scratchbuilding" and therefore probably a bit higher sales. The basic concept would work for heavyweights as well, although the rivedted sides would have to be cast resin or etched brass sheet rather than laser cut to get the rivet and plate detail.
As far as widely-used prototypes go, Branchline Trains recent heavyweight coach seems to have bee close to a fair number of prototypes. Another HO manufacturer some years ago selected the 1930's Pullman Std lightweight coach as having a wide number of prototypes from all across the continent - the same car AC Gilbert choose that is offten called an "American Flyer Car". Pieter Roos --- In [email protected], "Thomas Baker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Recently, a number of people have expressed interest in streamlined, smooth-sided passenger cars. The comment came up that it is hard to get cars that fit a particular road because most cars were custom built to plans created by the railroads. Do we still have the man, Sautters was the name I think, in Ohio who will laser cut any given window pattern if we furnish the scale drawings? He apparently even has a repertoire of plans that he could laser cut right now if one were to notify him. > > It appears that any mention of wood is a cardinal sin in the modeling world these days. At the risk of being kicked out of "church," I suggest that the streamlined wood roofs are available from various--probably obscure--sources. One might inquire among the readers of this list, for example. Certainly creating an prototypical end in the form of a styrene overlay is not beyond the skills of modelers on this list. If Mr. Sautters could laser cut the correct window pattern, if one could get the wood roof based on the old Northeastern pattern, one could certainly cut support blocks and a floor. > > Of course, if one wants the Twentieth-Century Limited, one might have to wait some time and lay out a heavy chunk of change. It could be done. For many of us the long, sleek limiteds of the Forties and Fifties are too much for the space we have. The secondary trains and locals fit much better into most spaces. To wit, the Great Northern "Red River" is a better choice than the "Empire Builder," and the Soo Line--well--that outfit had three and four-car trains all over the map in the Upper Midwest. Certainly, roads in other regions of the country had shorter trains as well. > > For shorter trains, the wood, laser-cut sides should work. > > Tom > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
