That’s a very common pattern, seen on passenger cars from Billmeyer & Small, Jackson & Sharp, Laconia, Carter Bros, Brill and others. The narrow board below the belt rail matches the spacing between the windows, while the wide boards under the windows are half the width of the window. If you look at my coach 13 above, you’ll see a similar pattern, though the spacing between the windows is wider than on the CR&N cars.
Here’s another version, without the belt rail:
Later,
K
That’s what it is , its just more pronounced. Being 14 windows they must have squished leg room and put the windows closer together. That’s something to pay attention to.
Devon, I think your wife has good eyes. But it is always difficult to interpret old photos, especially if you only have one and it is blurry.
Devon Sinsley said:
That’s what it is , its just more pronounced. Being 14 windows they must have squished leg room and put the windows closer together. That’s something to pay attention to.
Sorry, but I have to disagree (again). The Brill coach looks like my #12, which is 40’+ long. The Carter Bros coach is only 35’ long (or 36’, I’d have to look at the plans, which I don’t have in FL!) So they didn’t squash the chairs close together - they made the coach long and used 14 windows.
My opinion is that you’d find the Carter Bros kit a poor start to a a 40’+ Brill coach. The Accucraft coach is a much better starting point, and is only $228.
I just found that I have the complete instruction set as PDFs. If you don’t know how to find them (on MLS) send me a PM and I will see you get them.
One thing I did notice is the list of items not included in the kits, such as thin wood for battens. You can buy basswood parts for dollhouses, etc., in craft stores, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I know I bought a few packs from somewhere - the 1/2 round for the belt rail was one item I couldn’t make myself.
The cars do need 1/4 round stock for the corners, which is almost impossible to laser cut. I bought a dowel rod (1/2" I think, by 3 ft) and screwed it to a piece of flat wood. I then ran the first 12" through my mini table saw to cut it into quarters length-wise. [It’s a long time since I built my kit! But I do have the photos of the construction if anyone needs them. and perhaps the supplier of the other parts.]
Well Pete,
I will take your advice. As someone who has done both the coach kit and the Accucraft conversion and knows where I need to go to get to the Brill coach I trust you that you would know which is the better starting point. The thing with starting with the Accucraft is It comes with the trucks and other details. I would think in the end there won’t be that much of a price different.
The two CR&N coaches are actually still alive though they look nothing like there former self. They are the White Pass & Yukon 214 “Lake Spirit” and 216 “Lake Black”. According to their website the coaches are 45’ 7" now they were extensively rebuilt when WP got them so I don’t know if that was the original length or the rebuilt length.
It’s doubtful they would have changed the length of the coaches, as that would be major work and require a completely new frame. The 45’ length probably includes end platforms, so the carbody itself is probably around 40’. That sounds right for a 14-window coach. 13-window coaches were typically on the order of 35 - 37’ over the carbody.
Later,
K
Pete and Kevin,
I appreciate all your help in making this decision. Glad we had the conversation and I didn’t start the Carter build. Though they would be fun to build but I want as close to a Brill coach as I can get and knowing that the Accucraft coach is the best starting point I with round up two of them.
Pete,
Now you have already done the 14 window conversion for the Brill. What is involved in that process. How does one go about getting new sides and is there anything else special I will need to pick up? I will need to get on these if i want to have them done by September which is my goal.
Doesn’t look much different from your photo. And it looks like the Accucraft - drooping roof ends and all!
And as Kevin says, they don’t change the outside much when they rebuild a coach. (It would be easier to build a whole new one if they did.)
Devon Sinsley said:
Pete and Kevin,
I appreciate all your help in making this decision. Glad we had the conversation and I didn’t start the Carter build. Though they would be fun to build but I want as close to a Brill coach as I can get and knowing that the Accucraft coach is the best starting point I with round up two of them.
Pete,
Now you have already done the 14 window conversion for the Brill. What is involved in that process. How does one go about getting new sides and is there anything else special I will need to pick up? I will need to get on these if i want to have them done by September which is my goal.
Devon,
First, let’s take this conversation away from the Carter Bros thread? I’d suggest adding it to my 14-window coach build thread, which I referenced above.
The devil is in the details I guess. What looks totally different to me looks at least similar to others. The siding is different (and now I know why (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)) and the roof with that droop and sharper corners is all wrong. But yeah I guess I can see my queen beneath the new facade. What was hideous is at one point the WP had put cupolas on them. Thank goodness they wised up and took them off, my understanding is that is when they got the new roof.
Interestingly the rumor is that an original truck from one of the two coaches is in a dirt bank at a WP facility. It is a narrow gauge truck stamped NP. Also a guy there that is a fan has a truck pedestal that he believes is from one of the coaches as it is also stamped NP. To anyone’s knowledge the only NG coaches ever owned by NP were the two from CR&N. He has actually offered to work a deal with me for that pedestal. Not sure if he was serious but I plan on following through.
Pete Thornton said:
Devon Sinsley said:
Pete and Kevin,
I appreciate all your help in making this decision. Glad we had the conversation and I didn’t start the Carter build. Though they would be fun to build but I want as close to a Brill coach as I can get and knowing that the Accucraft coach is the best starting point I with round up two of them.
Pete,
Now you have already done the 14 window conversion for the Brill. What is involved in that process. How does one go about getting new sides and is there anything else special I will need to pick up? I will need to get on these if i want to have them done by September which is my goal.
Devon,
First, let’s take this conversation away from the Carter Bros thread? I’d suggest adding it to my 14-window coach build thread, which I referenced above.
Good Idea.
I just ordered 4 coach kits from Harald. He is going to modify 2 of the kits by not cutting side windows, so I can make baggage cars from them.
It will be a few weeks until I get them. I found him very easy to work with.
Anyone ever get some from Harald and the Lasergang back in 2015? How do they look?
I have the plywood version of the coach and combine kits. Have assembled the coach kit, just needs some paint and decals. Will send picture when I can learn out to post pictures. Very happy with the kit, the master class drawings and directions. Waiting for the wood glue to set/dry was occasionally frustrating compared to the relatively quick work with styrene. Looking forward to completing the coach and bashing the combine to represent a D&RGW combine.
Photo inserting
That’s easy for you to say…
Yep. Very simple really. (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Never-ending discussion… how to post pictures…
It’s a good discussion, it means we are getting new posters and our group is alive and growing.
I’m glad to do it.
The never ending one was your DCC vs Battery(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif).
Bill Hunteman said:
I have the plywood version of the coach and combine kits. Have assembled the coach kit, just needs some paint and decals. Will send picture when I can learn out to post pictures. Very happy with the kit, the master class drawings and directions. Waiting for the wood glue to set/dry was occasionally frustrating compared to the relatively quick work with styrene. Looking forward to completing the coach and bashing the combine to represent a D&RGW combine.
Thanks to Joe, and DocWatson, on how to post phots.
