Model Railroading > Walthers UP excursion cars

Walthers recently released a few UP modern excursion passenger cars and dome cars. Do you guys think they will do more in the future? It seems odd they only did 6....

They need to do them in N scale... I'd be happy with the 6.

I believe it all depends on how well they sell, just look at how many "name" trains Walthers is releasing now a days.

Posted from Android

I hope Walthers would consider other prototypes for the UP City cars also. The Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus, Alaska Railroad, Auto Train, and Amtrak (Phase I paint on some car types) are also prototype.

I hope they did more than simply change the window colors for the Heritage Fleet UP cars.

There are a number of details on the Heritage Fleet cars that are quite different from the as delivered City cars that Walthers has already delivered. The full sized cars all currently sport tube type diaphragms for one thing.

For example the window arrangement of the Colorado Eagle (dome diner) is very different from the as constructed appearance, as the car was heavily modified by a different owner after purchase from Auto Train, before UP repurchased the car. It now has dining seating and windows where the kitchen was at one time and the under dome dining area is gone. A photo of the full size Colorado Eagle taken in July 2005 for reference.

The Willie James, has changed a lot from its days as Pacific Domain (as built) or even when it was named Cabarton in more recent times. Lots of under body details have been changed and restaurant style exhaust fans have been added to the roof when some of the bedrooms were removed and a kitchen installed. Propane tank carriers were installed under the car at the same time.

There are other changes to many of the other cars, I wonder how many of the details have been changed by Walthers on the city train car tooling to match the full sized cars.

I have not seen the new models yet, but have seen the photos on the Walthers web site. In the past Walthers has had some cars that were almost there, but not quite.

Bob



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/11 23:33 by up421.

---

RailThunder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope Walthers would consider other prototypes
> for the UP City cars also. The Ringling Brothers
> Barnum Bailey Circus, Alaska Railroad, Auto Train,
> and Amtrak (Phase I paint on some car types) are
> also prototype.

The heritage of Ringling's current PASSENGER-type cars are largely a collection of former U.P. cars (there are a host from other railroads as well), and attached photos show some of the cars at the Palmetto, Florida Shops complex. There were N-scale RBBB coaches made along with flats, however they got many of the truck-frames wrong: making the 4-axle coaches into 6-axle cars, which is NOT prototypical. For anyone following Ringling's fleet numbering, all 4-axle passenger cars begin with "4" and all 6-axle passenger-type cars begin with "6" (freight cars, the show's flats, begin with "8" - for FR8).

The actual heritage of the show's entire 2010 PASSENGER-TYPE car fleet are as follows:

2010 RED UNIT PASSENGER-type equipment (list shown in alpha-numeric order for easy reference):

RBBX 40001 (Coach 35); UP 5450
RBBX 40002 (Coach 49); UP 5451
RBBX 40003 (Coach 57); UP 5453
RBBX 40004 (Coach 46); UP 5457
RBBX 40005 (Coach 41); UP 5458

RBBX 40007 (Coach 36); UP 5465
RBBX 40012 (Coach 33); UP Alpine Scene
RBBX 40015 (Coach 51); UP 5460
RBBX 40017 (Coach 59); UP 5464
RBBX 41302 (Coach 42); PRR 8245 Bedford Inn

RBBX 41306 (Coach 34); PRR 8264 Kane Inn
RBBX 41311 (Coach 32); N&W Pike County
RBBX 41313 (Coach 38); UP 5526
RBBX 41315 (Coach 40); PRR 8290 Van Wert Inn
RBBX 41406 (Coach 39); SP 2365

RBBX 42007 (Coach 60); UP 5414
RBBX 42017 (Coach 29,Center Vestibule); UP 5434
RBBX 42018 (Coach 30,Center Vestibule); UP 5435
RBBX 42019 (Coach 28,Center Vestibule); UP 5438
RBBX 42020 (Coach 56); UP 5439

RBBX 42021 (Coach 54); UP 5440
RBBX 42022 (Coach 31); UP 5444
RBBX 43001 (Coach 37); UP 5493
RBBX 43002 (Coach 43); UP 5529
RBBX 43004 (Coach 47); UP 5533

RBBX 43005 (Coach 55); UP 5535
RBBX 43006 (Coach 53); UP 5536
RBBX 43008 (Coach 50); UP 5542
RBBX 43010 (Coach 52); UP 5499
RBBX 43011 (Coach 48); UP 5537

RBBX 60002 STOCK A / Genset; UP 5755 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 60011 Generator; 480V (Car 45); UP 6319 [Baggage/Messenger] (former Blue Unit 182)
RBBX 60012 Pie Car 44 [Circus Diner]; UP 6322 [Baggage/Messenger]
RBBX 63002 SHOP 58 [Train Crew]; UP 6329 [Baggage/Messenger]
RBBX 63004 STOCK C; UP 5764 [Postal/Storage]

RBBX 63006 STOCK B; UP 5747 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 63008 Auxiliary Generator 61 (“AUX.”); UP 5776 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 63011 STOCK D; UP 5766 [Postal/Storage]
______________________________________

2010 BLUE UNIT PASSENGER-type equipment (list shown in alpha-numeric order for easy reference):

RBBX 40006 Coach 172; UP 5459
RBBX 40010 Coach 187; UP Alpine Camp
RBBX 40011 Coach 180; UP Alpine Pass
RBBX 40013 Coach 193; UP American General
RBBX 40014 Coach 199; UP American View

RBBX 40016 Coach 167; UP 5461
RBBX 41301 Coach 168; PRR 8242 Anderson Inn
RBBX 41304 Coach 184; PRR 8257 Elmira Inn
RBBX 41307 Coach 186; PRR 8267 Lewistown Inn
RBBX 41308 Coach 174; PRR 8268 Lima Inn

RBBX 41309 Coach 175; N&W Duke University
RBBX 41310 Coach 183-1/2; N&W Pulaski County
RBBX 41312 Coach 191; UP 5513
RBBX 41316 Coach 188; PRR 8260 Greensburg Inn
RBBX 41317 Coach 185; PRR 8288 Uniontown Inn

RBBX 41402 Coach 194; B&O 7103 Kingfisher
RBBX 41404 Coach 190; SAL 52 Pinehurst
RBBX 41405 Coach 170; SAL 55 Cedartown
RBBX 42001 Coach 183; UP 5401
RBBX 42005 Coach 198 (Center Vestibule); UP 5407

RBBX 42006 Coach 196 (Center Vestibule); UP 5410
RBBX 42009 Coach 197 (Center Vestibule); UP 5418
RBBX 42010 Coach 176; UP 5419
RBBX 42011 Coach 195; UP 5421
RBBX 42013 Coach 189; UP 5425

RBBX 42015 Coach 179; UP 5432
RBBX 42016 Coach 178; UP 5433
RBBX 42103 Coach 169; GN 1230
RBBX 43003 Coach 177; UP 5507
RBBX 43007 Coach 171; UP 5540

RBBX 43009 Coach 173; UP 5488
RBBX 43012 Coach 192; UP 5541
RBBX 60001 SHOP 166 (Circus Train Crew); UP 5749 [Postal/Storage; original floor remains in shop office]
RBBX 60006 STOCK 2; UP 6312 [Baggage/Messenger]
RBBX 60010 STOCK 3; UP 6318 [Baggage/Messenger]

RBBX 60017 STOCK 4; UP 6304 [Baggage/Messenger]
RBBX 63005 SHOP 200 (Circus Porter crew); UP 5758 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 63007 Generator; 480V 182; UP 5761 [Postal/Storage] (from 2009 Red Unit #45)
RBBX 63009 STOCK 1; UP 5762 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 63010 PIE CAR 181; UP 5770 [Postal/Storage]
_____________________________________________

PALMETTO, FL. Shops Complex [in east Palmetto] -- 23 cars, stored:

RBBX 41303; PRR 8253 Coatesville Inn
RBBX 41305; PRR 8263 Jeanette Inn
RBBX 41314; PRR 8272 Marietta Inn (SEMTA commuter coach “Royal Oak”) – Used as PAL. office car
RBBX 41401; B&O 7104 Mockingbird
RBBX 41403; SAL 50 Bay Pines

RBBX 41407; UP 1445 Pacific Trail
RBBX 41408; UP 1425 Pacific Lodge
RBBX 41409; B&O 7110 Wren
RBBX 42002; UP 5402
RBBX 42003; UP 5405

RBBX 42008; UP 5417
RBBX 42014; UP 5431
RBBX 42023; UP 5443 (in Alaska RR paint) - PHOTO attached to this TO.COM message
RBBX 60003; UP 5757 Postal/Storage – To Be SCRAPPED
RBBX 60015; UP 5642 Baggage

RBBX 60016; UP 5663 Baggage - SEE PHOTO attached to this TO.COM message (below)
RBBX 60018; UP 6301 Baggage/Storage
RBBX 60019; UP 5735 Postal/Storage
RBBX 60020; UP 6321 Baggage/Storage
RBBX 63001; UP 6327 Baggage/Storage (Blue Unit Pie Car 181; ex-Red Unit Tunnel Car 29)

RBBX 63012; UP 5770 Postal/Storage
RBBX 63013; UP 5780 Postal/Storage

ELLENTON, FL. (4 cars, awaiting disposition)
RBBX 60004; UP 6300 Baggage/Storage
RBBX 60009; UP 6317 “
RBBX 60014; UP 6324 “
RBBX 63003; UP 6330 “

POLK CITY, FL. ELEPHANT FARM (1 car, in use as a Media Center)
RBBX 40009; SP 2214; C&NW 3481
(Former Red Unit “School Car” is located on a fixed platform, and sports both Red and Blue “Globe Logos”)



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/11 14:00 by rbx551985.

---

---

---

I have heard that at least one HO scale model manufacturer is considering the construction of the modern Ringling fleet in extreme detail, however I do not know which builder that might be. I expect the cars could be quite expensive, as the prototypes are VERY HEAVILY REBUILT from their former U.P. (and other RR) passenger cars. Here are photos of 3 of the ON-TOUR fleet cars:

(1) Exterior of the BLUE UNIT's new PIE CAR [Circus Diner], (rebuilt from a former U.P. 6-axle baggage-car); note the original door frames are almost invisible now since the rebuild during 2009....

(2) One of the RED UNIT's "Center Vestibule" cars (there are three on each RBBB train), for housing main staff and/or stars of the show. The new vestibules are cut into the sides of the cars, and do NOT slice through the center/under sill; the cars are just as safe as any standard passenger car.

(3) Blue Unit's train is pulling through NS's CREWE, VA. Yard in April 2010. NOTE the above-the roof electrical conduits; these provide a safe "trench" for power cables. Note seen in this above-the-train shot are the cars' WHITE reflectorization stickers, custom-build possum bellies, water tanks, septic ("DONNIKER") tanks, and other items the show has added to the cars' underframes -- a nightmare for scratch-builders.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/11 14:09 by rbx551985.

---

---

---

Last 3 photos today for the Ringling passenger cars of 2010/2011:

(1) The most elaborate cars are the STOCK CARS (4 per train), which are ex-U.P. 6-axle baggage cars.

(2) For those who crave extreme detail, what model-manufacturer can make ACTUAL SCOTCH-GLO globe logos which read "THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH" - blue for the Blue Unit cars, and red for the Red Unit cars? That's asking a bit much, to be sure, but I know some modelers will ask.... Oh, and who noticed that there are TWO DIFFERENT large red banner-types on the coaches? The older ones had the word "CIRCUS" at the end, and the newer ones don't -- plus they're two types of fonts as well, another challenge for those who insist on total accuracy. (The prototype banners are HUGE, 6-piece 3M-Company decals, which aren't that easy to apply. At least THAT is one thing the prototype and models would have in common, if one uses decals instead of factory-painted equipment!)

(3) They even car spare tires-- er, wheel sets. (Ahem.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/11 13:59 by rbx551985.

---

---

---

FAR BETTER IMAGES of the Blue Unit's train (including roof-shots from above), and taken THIS WEEK in Mass., can be found in this new Eastern Railroads discussion thread:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2580380

Rail Thunder,

Thank you for listing the vast fleet of former UPRR Streamliner equipment. I have been looking for details on Pacific Trail and Pacific Lodge being on RRB property and you have the photo of one of the cars partially stripped to confirm that.