Lionel Amtrak Phase III Heritage Cars 4-Pack; 2-Pack; Station Sounds Diner Arrived - PICS !

I too got this set and the same thing with the baggage car. No ladders on phase III but ladders on Phase I

Also, another interesing fact about this set, the domes have changed on the dome car!

The Phase I domes use a Pullman angled dome design just like the B&O did with their Capitol Ltd.

The Phase III Amtrak uses a taller and rounder Budd design. Note the phase I cars are all fluted. This Amtrak Phase III set has a mix of fluted and smooth side cars. [See above pics]

Also note the baggage car seems correct at 18" while the rest of the set passenger cars are 21". NONE of the phase III Heritage cars have the Amtrak built in marker lights found flanking the diaphram at each bulkhead end. Nor [appropriately] is there any drumhead found on any of the cars.

Most of the Phase III heritage cars incorrectly still have their side skirting between the trucks. The exceptions being the dome and the coach found in the 2 pack.

Just got the 2 pack in the mail yesterday! Will be posting some pictures later with other Amtrak coaches!

@prrhorseshoecurve thanks for confirming what @Mike W. Said  regarding the presence of side skirts notched for trucks on Ph1 Heritage cars vs. having an open frame for the later cars!

2 questions:

1.) Anyone think that removing the skirts with a dremel cutting wheel and cleaning it with a sander is possible/a good idea?

2.) Anyone have any trouble with the couplers uncoupling when the train is in motion?

Nice job by Lionel on these cars overall.  I give them credit for nice looking paint. Also for putting the dome in the set without the camera.   Very happy they did not just paint up the round end observation car that usually comes with these sets, in a phase III consist.

I do wish they would have used the skirtless coach #2914 from the Penn Central set and pulled one of the cars with skirts.  Nice to have the dome and ex UP coach in the set which have no skirts.   I did not buy the dining car as I have the Silver Tureen already in a custom car by O.K. Streamliners.  Good choice of cars by Lionel.  Silver Tureen retained highback green seats from the CB&Q and some nice decorative metal work inside.  Silver Tureen was often on the Lake Shore Limited.

Shouldn't Lionel have stock ladders that will fit in the holes below the baggage car doors?

@StevefromPA posted:

1.) Anyone think that removing the skirts with a dremel cutting wheel and cleaning it with a sander is possible/a good idea?

I think that trying to use a Dremel "cutting wheel" is asking for trouble!!! That wheel is very likely to grab then go scooting across the car and forever damaging the car body!

@Big Jim I totally agree haha. I was just throwing stuff against the wall hoping for some advice. I found a thread that i I think is the answer to my question- carefully use an xacto and/or a mini hand saw or zona saw for abs plastic. thread is below for anyone else who is interested!

https://ogrforum.com/...ibbed-passenger-cars

The modified cars shown in the thread look soooo much better IMO. I don’t have anything against passenger cars with skirts, just prefer that they not be there if not on the prototype.

@VistaDomeScott totally agree with you wishing , “…they would have used the skirtless coach #2914 from the Penn Central set and pulled one of the cars with skirts….” . A lot of those Penn Central cars would make great Amtrak heritage cars. There’s smooth sided cars and ribbed with a smooth middle band- typical heritage cars(which makes sense considering Amtrak kept some PC cars).

I’m generally happy with what we got with this round of Amtrak Heritage cars, happy that Lionel didn’t totally just repaint their first set and modified other existing/or created new tooling for the cars that were majorly revamped. Biggest “ downsides” are 1.) the skirts on the ribbed cars 2.) if we could have just gotten one or 2 more smooth cars….3.) knowing how much I really would’ve enjoyed these if they were all prototypical.  When I’m running these in different consists I can’t help but wish there were a couple more to balance out my different phases of Amfleets, Horizons, K-line Heritage cars and Superliners