Large Scale Central

Rescaling Bachmann coaches

Modeling
#1

I posted about this a while ago, and got some very helpful replies–helpful enough that I’ve now destroyed several perfectly good Bachmann coaches in an effort to get them to look more 1:29, mainlinish. Here are some preliminary results of lowering and lengthening the cars

My first thought is “better, but the window is too high.” I’m not sure what to do about that. Painting them with black roofs and darker colors will help, I think. I might try using pinstriping to make the window line look lower than it is. I’d probably never run them with heavyweights anyway. The heavyweights do seems small–maybe they are in 1:32, as Richard Smith suggested So is it worth doing another one, or is the disporportion to glaring?

#2

Wow! Mike those look great!

The Illinois Terminal used to have arched windows panels above the windows on the Interurbans and coaches. When retrofitted they closed off the arched windows, maybe you could try somehting like that? They also closed off the windows in the vestibules at that time and installed some vent scoops. I think Bruce did something like that on his 1:20.3 coach.

#3

Nice work!

#4

Neat. But, I do agree that the windows look too high. I think I would cut out a section and lower the windows. It would be pretty straightforward as you could cut a piece out right below the windows - leaving the belt rail.

#5

The definitely would look better as-is if not run with the heavyweights. I like what you’ve done so far.

#6

I think that if you were to lower the windows, they would still look too big. You might give some consideration to filling in the arched windows, or covering them over with siding. Just my 2c worth.

#7

I like what you’ve done so far. I have a few of these to do myself but I haven’t started work on them yet so I can’t offer any help.

#8

I don’t know if I can manage lowering the windows–this stuff is hard to cut straight. I have a table saw and a bandsaw (both full size), and both have been giving me results that are too coarse. I ended up cutting this by making a straight cut right down the middle of the small window, and then nibbling the posts down with flush cutting pliers. The plastic in these things is not all that thick. I painted it today and put a stripe on it. I’m printing up some lettering just to see how it looks. If it never runs with heavyweights it’s more passable. It might end up annoying me too much and I’ll have to slice that 1/4 inch off.

Also I’ve never had any luck cutting neat holes or curves inside styrene. I’ve cut windows and they always look ragged. I’ve never been able to come close to getting a curve to look right

#9

Mike, Take a photo of one of these and play with it in photoshop or one of its’ clones. You should be able to find a suitable texture at Precision Products. I’d be leery of cutting it, too, though some have had great success at it.

#10

Well I painted and lettered it–thanks to the Cricut machine. I’m very pleased!

(http://www.mylargescale.com/1stclass/lownote/coaches5.jpg)

(http://www.mylargescale.com/1stclass/lownote/coaches6a.jpg)

The low light and blurriness is hiding a lot of sins, but the striping seems to my eye to have made the window height less objectionable. Still too big, but I’m satisfied with the results for now

#11

That DOES look good.

#12

Mike,
Nice job.
You seem to have mastered the Cricut machine. How much did the Cricut cost?
Ralph

#13

They will look great as-is. Run 'em :smiley:

#14

Mike,
That looks wonderful! I think the one thing though that would make them more compatible would be to add closed vestibules. That would make the coach look longer thus reducing the illusion of height plus making them fit era-wise. I don’t think that open platform cars were ever run with diaphragm equipped cars.

I really like your work.

#15
mike omalley said:
...made the window height less objectionable. Still too big, but I'm satisfied with the results for now
Who knows, maybe the RR bought the cars for a route with spectacular scenery and ordered bigger windows. There is a chancy memory of reading where at least one (GN? CM&StP?) did so way way back when.

That is quite a change from “out of the box”!

#16

Thank you all very much!. It came out well overall. The black roof really helps and the stripe worked better than I expected. Now I’ve got to make a second one

Ralph, the Cricut machine is called the “Personal Cutter” and WalMart had them on closeout for $179. The company that makes the Cricut wants you to buy font cartridges for it, but there’s software called “SureCutsaLot” that allows you to use any tru=type font. That was another $50. Then you have to buy adhesive vinyl. It’ll be worth it in the long run, but it hasn’t paid for itself yet, but I’m getting there. It will cut any kind of adhesive vinyl or paper. I assume you could cut thin styrene with it, maybe thin wood as well. The software will import .svg (scalable vector graphics) files.

Richard, closed vestibules is an interesting idea. Hmm… Not sure I could pull it off

#17

Mike,
along the path of Forrest’s thinking, the D&RGW narrow-gauge did have several coaches with high single piece windows (no arch or crownlights). The railroad letterboard was basically non-existent due the oversized window height. It is not unreasonable to assume that coaches similar to yours did not have a basis in fact (there is a prototype for everything). Your thinking is using the Aristo heavyweight as a basis. It is likely that if these are underscale, then the difference to your models is visually exaggerated.

#18

I’m not actually using the aristo heavyweights as a model–I just put them out there to offer a size reference. I probably won’t run them mixed with heavyweights: I’m going to make a little forney that pulls them.

John White’s American Railway Passenger car shows a number of standard gage cars with single windows. But it’s true that small arches were common. I was actually thinking that the window looked too high in reference to a 1:29 person walking inside. It’s very clear looking at the doors, which i didn’t show because they need to be redone. But putting them next to the heavyweights really shows the high window level

#19

I have heard of cars being equipped with “Commuter Windows” … where the windows were taller, with the idea that standing passengers would be able to see out, as well as seated ones. Perhaps if you need a reason, that would do; these coaches could be commuter service cars, or appropriated from a pool of such things for other use.

Matthew (OV)

#20

Actully the Bmann cars are loosely based on J&S crs built for the Boston, Revere Bech & Lynn which I think was sorta a commuter line and hs those high windows. I personally have been looking to try to 1:20 bmann combine, so far seems like it would be easier to build it from the ground up…