I was at the WGH show in Puyallup WA this past weekend and saw the prototypes for the On30 excursion cars.
Man, they look great.
If these had been for sale at the Bachmann booth, I'd for sure would have bought one as I think I could justify one for a troop transport car (which were common on stateside RRs around Army bases in WW1 and WW2).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/willysmb44/On30/protoOn30_zpsz19ubotn.jpg)
I talked with one of the Bachman guys I'd remembered talking On30 with at the Portland NMRA convention. Real nice guy and I think he said he's also going to have an article in the On30 annual this year.
The cars aren't out yet, according to this link: http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=487_688_1067 (http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=487_688_1067)
Though I only want to run stuff that makes sense for my layout (and nothing that isn't appropriately weathered), I'm tempted to get one of the Lee Riley ones, as-is, out of respect for what he did for Bachmann and On30 in general...
:)
Why are they listed as freight cars?
I saw them there too, the guy at the booth said they should be available in April.
I wouldn't mind showing my respects by getting Mr. Riley's car as well, but I really want the yellow version with silver roof; should go well with my D&RGW set.
Quote from: Flare on January 25, 2017, 05:14:20 PM
Why are they listed as freight cars?
You're guess is as good as mine... :-\
Quote from: Flare on January 25, 2017, 05:14:20 PMI wouldn't mind showing my respects by getting Mr. Riley's car as well, but I really want the yellow version with silver roof; should go well with my D&RGW set.
Fair enough.
If I get one, I'd probably paint it grey and put some Army markings on it, as a lot of stateside rolling stock during WW1 and WW2 was actually
grey more often than not until late in WW2, into the Korean war era.
This shows you similar cars being used by the military:
(http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/usa5255.jpg)
They look nice.
But 60 bucks for a lot off enclosed air is a bit steep in my humble opinion.
Are these the last 0n30 twitches from Mr. B.?
Ton
Quote from: dutchbuilder on January 26, 2017, 05:15:08 AMBut 60 bucks for a lot off enclosed air is a bit steep in my humble opinion.
Mail order will be much cheaper, I'm sure, when they come out.
Quote from: dutchbuilder on January 26, 2017, 05:15:08 AMAre these the last 0n30 twitches from Mr. B.?
I can't tell. I've talked with the Bachmann people at the "World's Greatest Hobby" tour and the Portland NMRA convention and while I think on an individual level they still strongly support On30, I think the passing of Lee Riley might makes things difficult as I understand he was the strongest proponent of On30 within the company.
Is there anyone who make makes shorter On30 passenger cars? I searched the web a lot looking for some but I guess I'm out of luck.
I took one my JS P. cars apart to ponder the possibilities of shortening it. Maybe taking out the four center windows to make it eight windows long. It looks like a bigger bite than I want to take. I don't think I could get everything cut straight and the frame would be a big challenge for me.
I'm tempted to take my non-running trolley and see if the body will fit on a flat car.
Something like this?
http://www.amerikaanse-treinen.nl/forum/index.php?topic=1159.0
Ton
Wow! Exactly. Someone already thought of it. I Googled "tram coach" and I see others have done it.
With the short freight cars, I would have thought narrow gauge railroads would have had some shorter passenger cars.
I've relocated my "Narrow Gauge in the Rockies" by Lucius and Beebe to the lavatory library once again for my perusal while I'm indisposed to the outside world.
Quote from: Terry Toenges on February 15, 2017, 01:18:32 AM
Is there anyone who make makes shorter On30 passenger cars? I searched the web a lot looking for some but I guess I'm out of luck.
www.On30Kits.com
(http://www.on30ima.com/IMG_2510%20copy.jpg)
Thanks Dave. I've never done a craftsman kit like that. I don't know that I would attempt something like that. They look kind of fragile, too.
I started a Bachmann passenger car from the top of my layout and let it roll down hill just to see what would happen if a car came uncoupled on the way up. By the time it got to the last loop, it went flying off the track. It didn't sustain any damage but I imagine the wooden one would be in pieces.
I'm going to try the trolley idea. My first On30 trolley shot craps and it's just a paperweight now until I find another use for it. It wasn't DCC anyway and my new trolley has a decoder.
Quote from: Terry Toenges on February 15, 2017, 01:00:53 PMI've never done a craftsman kit like that. I don't know that I would attempt something like that. They look kind of fragile, too.
I started a Bachmann passenger car from the top of my layout and let it roll down hill just to see what would happen if a car came uncoupled on the way up. By the time it got to the last loop, it went flying off the track. It didn't sustain any damage but I imagine the wooden one would be in pieces.
Nah, they're not nearly THAT fragile. Sure, you wouldn't want to step on a wood kit or throw it across the room, but a box shape is a box shape and handled correctly, they're just fine. Someone sideswiped my Deerfield River Laser caboose kit with a ten-wheeler and there wasn't so much as a mark on it (other than the weathering I built it with, that it).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/willysmb44/On30/505scene_zpsr9dxp5nd.jpg)
That's the first such kit I ever built as I HAD to have that caboose to go with my Bachmann ET&WNC ten-wheelers. It was a learning experience and if I had another one to build, it'd look way better now that I've built one, but it looks, tracks and endures just like it should on my layout.
It looks like you did good on the caboose. I might try it. I might just wait for the excursion cars and buy a couple of them but I like the idea of enclosed cars. From the picture, I can't tell if the excursion cars are shorter or if they are just a revamped JS car.
Quote from: Terry Toenges on February 15, 2017, 05:04:36 PM
From the picture, I can't tell if the excursion cars are shorter or if they are just a revamped JS car.
I haven't seen a Jackson Sharp car, but from what I remember from the show the excursion cars were an inch or two longer than a center-cupola caboose.
That would be good. The JS cars cars are 8 1/2" measured along the roof.
Does anyone know if Mount Blue Model Co. is still in business? They have some 18' clerestory pass car kits.
http://mountbluemodelco.com/products.htm (http://mountbluemodelco.com/products.htm)
I was looking through the old Bachmann threads and see people have been asking for excursion cars since 2008.
Mt. Blue is still going strong-I purchased 3 of the "shorty" passenger cars from them at the Narrow Gauge Convention in Augusta, ME last September. They are also the source for the wood pilot kit for the Bachmann On30 2-4-4t Forney locomotive. Very easy to build, and just what the Forney needs to make it look right.
John Tumolo Britcarfan@aol.com
Mount Blue also makes two different sized excursion cars. They make nice kits, easy to assemble if you read and follow instructions. I've built a variety of the company's rolling stock kits, just not the two excursion cars.
I was able to create my own excursion car from a Bachmann On30 trolley.
(http://sarget.com/sitebuilder/images/trolley-both-713x229.jpg)
Here's a preliminary shot. It needs painting and railings on the ends. I took an old Bachmann On30 Christmas trolley that had quit running and converted it. After I took the pic, I realized I had set the roof on "off center".
I removed the old skirt, wheels, motor, bumper, operator/headlight piece, holiday decorated windows, red clerestory windows, and interior lights and circuit.
I used an exacto knife to cut off the various nubs and screw bolsters sticking up on the bottom of the base. I trimmed the underneath plastic gussets off the platforms on each end.
I took a Bachmann old time HO flat car frame and cut a little off each end. It now fits flat under the body.
When I removed the gates and fronts of drivers platforms (with the headlights in them), that left an elongated hole on each end.
I had some Kadee #5 couplers and boxes but the elongated hole was way too big for a screw. I used some talgo truck adapters turned upside on top of the platform. I was able to screw the coupler boxes on by going up through the hole and into the adapter, with the "ears" on the
adapter bridging the hole and resting on the platform.
I have the top catwalk off because I'll paint it a different color when I do the painting.
Fortunately, the couplers line up with my other On30 cars.
It all worked out quit well.
The underside of the trolley. I don't have the frame attached yet. I tried On30 passenger car trucks but they were too big. I would have had to find a shorter frame to move them closer to the center so they could have some swivel to them. Also, they made it sit too high and the couplers would have been too high.
(http://sarget.com/images/trolley-bottom.JPG)
Maybe I can augment my car with one or two of the new excursion cars or hunt around for another non-working trolley that someone want to part with.
I got my excursion car "trolley" done. I'm just waiting for the people that I ordered to arrive. The paint didn't come out the greatest but painting never was one of my strong points. It's a backwoods operation anyway.
Little Jimmy was always hanging around, asking for something to do to make a little money. He said his pa had run off with the widow lady down the road and had left him and ma and three brothers and two sisters with almost nothing to eat and no money to buy anything. I told him I could pay him a little something if he wanted to do some painting.
Since our newly completed tourist car needed a paint job, I showed him where buckets of paint were in the back of the shed. He got right to work while I went off and did some other chores. He worked all day on it and did an ok job. He was real happy when I paid him and he told that now they could eat for a few days. ;)
(http://sarget.com/images/IM000942.JPG)
(http://sarget.com/images/IM000941.JPG)
(http://sarget.com/sitebuilder/images/IM000945-600x339.jpg)
http://sarget.com/trains/traintips/traintip-bactrolleyconvert.html (http://sarget.com/trains/traintips/traintip-bactrolleyconvert.html)
Terry, What you could do is to scrape of the paint of the horizontal pieces sticking out of the body.
I don't know the right name in English.
It will break up the big green surface and horizontally accentuate the sides.
Ton
I see what you mean but that would probably be hard to do. Pinstripe tape might be easier if I wanted to go that route.
When I looked at Mount Blue Model Co's site, they recommend using Athearn's HO Commonwealth trucks under their On30 18' passenger car kits. That's what gave me the idea of just using an HO frame. An added benefit was that I got the truss rods, too.
Quote from: Terry Toenges on February 28, 2017, 12:00:34 PM
I see what you mean but that would probably be hard to do. Pinstripe tape might be easier if I wanted to go that route.
I used the last piece of a breakoff knife blade.
And then not the knife edge but the brakeoff surface.
Works fine.
Ton
I see that Trainworld has them on pre-order, but no timeframe for them yet for retail purchase.
I'll for sure buy at least one, paint it grey and put pre-WW2 Army markings on it.
I just got a call from Trainworld that the excursion cars are in and ready to be shipped; my car is on the way.
Quote from: J. S. Bach on March 24, 2017, 02:06:36 PM
I just got a call from Trainworld that the excursion cars are in and ready to be shipped; my car is on the way.
Great! Let us know how it looks when you get it.
Just found one on the German Ebay.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Bachmann-Spectrum-26005-On30-Open-Excursion-Car-limitiert-NEU-OVP-/371895267778?hash=item5696af71c2:g:24sAAOSwTM5YzBO2
Ton
Quote from: p51 on March 24, 2017, 03:14:21 PM
Great! Let us know how it looks when you get it.
It arrived yesterday and looks nice. No pictures as it looks exactly the picture in the Bachmann catalog (and I am lazy!!). Included in the box is a
postcard-sized memorial to Lee Ryan. I do like it.
Quote from: J. S. Bach on March 28, 2017, 08:23:27 PM
Quote from: p51 on March 24, 2017, 03:14:21 PM
Great! Let us know how it looks when you get it.
It arrived yesterday and looks nice. No pictures as it looks exactly the picture in the Bachmann catalog (and I am lazy!!). Included in the box is a
postcard-sized memorial to Lee Ryan. I do like it.
Great.
When I went to the national train show in Portland, I was so hoping Lee Riley would be there so I could personally thank him for pushing On30 and getting the ET&WNC ten-wheelers into production in On30. But sadly, he didn't make that event and passed not long afterward.
I assume they're on the passenger car frames, from the pre-production sample I saw a while back in person...
Quote from: p51 on March 29, 2017, 07:41:50 PM
I assume they're on the passenger car frames, from the pre-production sample I saw a while back in person...
They appear to be on a passenger car frame; there are cut-outs for the stepwells. I checked it against a passenger car and a boxcar; definitely a passenger car frame.
Haven't got one yet, but it looks like the long caboose frame.
The steps and endrailings look the same.
The excursion car is not based on another model. The car is entirely new tooling.
The underframe, end beams and trucks are clearly identical to those on The long caboose. In fact, the end beams have holes in them that were originally used to seat the ladders on the caboose. All of the upper super structure appears to be brand new. Overall, it is an interesting and colorful car!
Reg Barron