I started with a LGB 3080 coach that I had originally repainted orange with green strip in honor of the Orange Blossom special and the colors of the coquina rock that is indigenes to the area, and that my water fall was built with. Originally I had a coach, combine and a box car colored this way with the road name of Coquina Falls RR. in the summer of 04 we several hurricanes one of which saw the combine broken into several pieces from a limb that penetrated the train storage area. I had always wanted a observation car that had the look of the heavy weight ones like the Presidents used to wave from. Now knowing that there was no such a car in the 1800rds I set upon making one.
I utilized the bulkhead from the broken combine. Moved the rear of the car forward by 1 set of windows, cut a window in where the stove used to be, and added flooring in to newly opened area. Installed a new rear bumper beam and installed the waiting metal platform railings from a Bachmann coach. Order new windows from TrainLi and it came with the new style that had curtains printed on them. Having a new coach and combine from LGB lettered for Pennsylvania that had the new style windows which had the curtains I was set. Not needing curtains in the open vestibule area I reused some of the old windows. Added a top skirt around the top with thin styrene and sculptured it using pinking sheers and then cut the tips of the peaks off. By this time I had a more complex paint scheme utilizing colors from the original OBS so the skirt was painted alternating yellow/orange.
By this time I was really into it , colored the curtains with magic marker which still let light through and looking like sheers, even painted the seats to look like leather. After adding passengers I discovered they hid the seats and it was a waste of time. So I turned my attention to lighting the car. Used 2 AAA batteries added 2 10mm LEDs for the interior of the coach, a light for the drumhead and lights for the 2 side lantern. Also put 1 light in the vestibule area, yellow of course to “keep the bugs away”. The drumhead and coach side lettering was all done with a silhouette Cameo that I sort of took over from my wife. Am very pleased with the new paint scheme as it really shows up well during the day and when passing lit buildings at night. Fun build, now if I would just take the time to paint the other 2 cars, LOL.
