This was a great article and gave me some great ideas for my layout.  I would like to see more articles that gave details on adjustig car height and changing out older couplers for the newer KD type. I often have trouble getting the car height right, getting clearance for the trucks to turn and getting the couplers at the right height without some really ugly shimming.

Nice article. I'd love to see an article or series of articles on detailing the under carriage of passenger cars, either as part of a a kitbash or as a totally scratch-built underbody. I've seen many artricles on detailing the underside of freight cars, but none on the under carriage of passenger cars. There are so many detailing parts available (air conditioning units, water tanks, compressors etc.). It would be fun to see how these parts could be substituted or added to a passenger car model.

 Love the craftsman style articles!

Give us more articles on detailing passenger cars for different railroads, including how to change details on a commercial model to reflect changes that the prototype may have made to a car that had been in service for a few years.

I enjoyed the article very much just like I did your previous one. Minor problem: there is no Figure 53 although it is referenced, and the end was a bit abrupt (I went to the next page fully expecting there was more article content, but apparently the article had ended).

Dave,

Looks like an "oops" on Pg 39 - there are two Figure 52's. I'm going to assume the second one should have been Figure 53.

The article ends with Pg 42 and Figure 61 and the quip about it being time to take it off to the paint shop.

We probably should have noted there's a part 3 coming in January. This is the third and final part to the article.

Part 3 deals with a third car, plus it has a paint shop section with tips on painting the passenger cars, plus 3 click-n-spins - one of each car.

I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have an article focussed on the various machinery and appliances mounted to the underside of passenger equipment, both in the old days of steam powered a/c and the modern use of hep with electric mechanical a/c for passenger cars?  I think a lot of us wonder what all of those boxes and such are that are underneath the floor of passenger cars.

I really enjoy the careful how-to presentations in these articles.  They will be very helpful as I create my rebuilt/modernized HO passenger fleet.

I would think there is also interest in other examples of more modern passenger car modeling like Amtrak.

Am I right?

 Very right!

neglected areas in the model railroading press.  I'm sure that anything on passenger train modeling of any era would find a ready audience.

I found the first 2 articles on the lessons on passenger car modeling to be some of the best I have seen and no skimping on details.  I have been working on the interiors of three Rio Grande Southern 1890-1940  series Narrow Gauge Passenger Cars and the interiors along are a job in itself. I never thought of putting them in an article. I think M.R.Snell has put together one over the top Custom Deluxe Detailed article.

If this is the kind of how to do articles we can look forward to in MRH it won't be too long before Joe will be able to Boast at having created the title of #1 Model Railroad Magazine from Beginner to the highly advanced modeler.

I'm looking forward to part #3 in January and the monthly MRH Magazine to follow in 2011!!

Yes, you are right. Especially if they include N Scale passenger cars which have never been given a fair shake at least before KATO got involved.

Irv

We don't get many N scale articles - we would *love* more! In fact, if an N scale article comes in, it immediately goes to the top of the list because we're looking for more of them.

So if anyone wants to do an N scale "Lessons in passenger car modeling" article - please do. If it's anywhere close to what Matt has done, we'll be very interested.

 N scale is doing pretty well with modern passenger cars, between Kato, Bachmann and Con-cor, you can model any Amtrak train!

 Jay, if you haven't checked out MRH sponsor, Rapido's passenger cars, you're missing some of the best out there.  Tonnes of detail, diaphragms, interiors AND interior lighting included.  I've got 6 and they are wonderful cars.  Check them out http://www.rapidotrains.com/pancoach.html

When i was into HO I made sure my passenger cars all had lighting kits installed, It was easy to do since all of those cars were made by Athearn and came in those blue boxes. Athearn also made an easily installed lighting kit as well. I also had two Bachman cars that were in Amtrak livery and represented the first new cars built for Amtrak and a matching GE E60CP. Those came lighted to begin with so I didn't worry about not having lighted passenger cars back then.

My N-Scale passenger cars aren't lighted and I am hesitating to install lighting kits since I don't know if it will be worth it. I have 4 Trix Amtrak Passenger cars which represent the Heritage fleet. I also have 3 Bachman full length observation cars. I also have one other car but I don't remember who made it. I don't know if lighting kits are available for any of those. And then I have the 15 cars made Kato that represent the Broadway Limited. There are lighting kits for those but I don't remember where I can get them nor do I know how to install them in all of these cars. They do look prety good when being pulled by either of my Kato GG-1s.

Now you might wonder what I would do with Amtrak on my layout which is mostly designed around car float operations. Well the tracks run from Brooklyn, NY to Oak Point Yard in the South Bronx, and in order to get there they have to cross over the Hell Gate Bridge which connects Queens and the Bronx. That bridge is used by both freight and passenger trains with the passenger trains coming from Penn Station in Manhattan.

Right now I plan to eventually have two level layout with access to and from the upper level consisting of a helix disguised as the Hell Gate Bridge. The way I see it now the helix will need to connect the two levels needs to raise 20 to 30 car trains some 15 inches and have 17 or 18 inch radius track.. Of course this can change if I can find another way of accomplishing this. I have time to worry about that though as I've got finish the lower level at east to the point where I can run trains on it.

Irv

One of the best moves made lately in the industry was for Micro-Trains to make their new passengers cars compatible with Rapido's (they make them too) Easy-Peasy lighting board.

Standardization is a good thing.

 Sorry, I'm an HO modeler, forgot that Rapido makes N scale, 

I could be wrong but wasn't it Rapido that started out as a "N" Scale Manufacturer an that introduced "N" Scale to the U.S.A.?

anyone know for sure?

Dan

Some confusion here, given two manufacturers with nearly same name:

Rapido (who make "easy peasy" accessory for his cars) is a Canadian firm that make several HO and N scale passenger cars. He declare to have the best details under and I agree.

Arnold Rapido is a German brand ( I don'tremember well but now Hornby  buy this company?) one of the first to introduce in Europe models in N scale. I don't remember if the import in US during the 60s was made by itself or in venture with an US brand.

in 1960 Arnold introduced "N" Scale in Germany followed by Canada Christmas 1960 and 2 years later in 1962  When "N" scale is introduced to The United States and takes 5 more years in U.S. to take off in actual sales with the introduction of over 100 different cars and accessories and twelve road name diesel and steam engines in 1977.

What I could not find is if Arnold and Arnold Rapido are the same thing or different companies.

Does anyone know off hand?

I did find out that The SP Daylight made it's run on the California Coast line in 1937.

I remember that it was Aurora introduced N Scale through using the Postage Stamp Trains name on the imported Armold Rapido trains. I wasn't into trains back then but I did see them and I do have some of the cars produced under that name. They have since been converted to Microtrains couplers and trucks. I don't have many but they work nicely.

Irv

Very good photos of the modelling. MRH excells in the way projects like this one ae illustrated even though I personally be interested in doing this paricular project

Great article and information, and I finally, more guidance on creating/modeling turtleback/arch roofs...the first I've seen since the Bill Darnaby article in MR decades ago! Notice the scarcity of this type of roof in RTR and kit models?  I need more of this!!  Well done, text, guidance and especially the photos!  More please!

The article on the CONRAIL track geometry car had excellent photos.

The Washington Northern artilce was an inspiration for scenery and perspective making short and long distances blend.

The rock moulds making article was interesting. I find that if you use the right type of plasterers moulding plaster it is possible to carve into it almost any sedimentary rock pattern as it is drying without needing moulds.  Key is looking at the real thing first, taking photos of the real thing and then viewing them during the plaster carving.  Finally colouring is most successfull the more separate layers of paint and/or wash/stain are used without trying to get total coverage from any one coating.

where did you get the replacement window strips or are they custom made

geno sharp