North coast Limited dome coach build

Are these Mac Shop kits?  What are you using for trucks?

Wonderful thread, Aterry11--looking forward to your next update.

Also, do you have a vendor for the brass vista domes themselves--not the cars, just the domes?

I can't wait to see more. 

Also intereseted in the domes themselves.

I found three of Midland Productions Wabash/N&W domes that are made like the Cal Zeph.  The problem is the skirts are perfectly straight without the skirting cut out for the trucks.  I'm trying to decide whether to hand cut them and file or find a machinist to cut them out.  4 skirt cut outs per car so that's 12, maybe a machinist would give me a fair price seeing they could cut them all identical.  Any suggestions?

Ken ,

those look to be MAC SHOPS  Pennsy slabside car shells .

Two different guys.  Ken, if you can, find a machinist.  Carving at those extrusions can cause distortions in the flutes that are left.  I use an end mill for all cuts - windows, domes, and truck cutouts.  If you have a buddy with an end mill, the key is a wood clamp of sorts to hold the extrusion with floorboard inserted.  You also want to use plenty of green cutting oil (Ace Hardware) and always go counterclockwise.

Terry's extrusions are indeed Mac Shops.  The trucks look like Wasatch.

Haynes sold the dome kits separately before he closed down Mac Shops.  At one time Haynes's supplier of the castings said he had "lost" the patterns and molds so they may show up one day.  I wonder if there is a demand for his kits seeing that Atlas is bringing in such nice kits at a very reasonable price.  Personally I think there is especially seeing you can get almost any window arrangement you want and not have to wait years for someone to do the car you want.  Giving me the urge to call Haynes tomorrow.

Even before Atlas he had given up.  There just isn't enough volume.  After he shut down, he sold me some extrusions - nobody else has ever made the dome extrusion in O Scale, so I am fortunate to have captured enough.

O Scale is different now - mostly the market is assembled, painted, ready for couplers and otherwise ready to go.  Ask All Nation or CLW what the market is for good kits.

wow!  great work.

Gentlemen.  Thank you for the kind words and interest.

      the kits are a Moline  and a Mac shops both now defunct?  Bobs eyes are sharp, the trucks are indeed Wasatch and roll like the wind, going to need too,  by the time interior is in this thing it will weigh a ton.

  Pingman,  the wrapper is available from time to time at shows and evilbait.    Des plaines  has all of the lost wax brass castings from the midlands Budd cars still available, including the great dome wrapper, might be possible to use the ends and cut the window piece to fit?  I do not know this for sure.  The window size and configuration may be different from full to 3/4 domes.

      Here are mockup shots of dome 2's underbody nothing is set in stone all done for size guestimating.    the skirt still needs to be cut for the side ladder at the a end but wanted to wait until had castings in hand for size consideration.  hopefully it will be visually pleasing as not much info is available on underbody stuff.  You can't use Wasatch UP   domes for comparison due to the updated FRA mandates and the accuracy of their product . Closest I can find is in HO Rapido Budd dome they seem to believe in accurate underbodies, no dimensions so everything is by eye.

  Ken I used an angle grinder to cut with very dangerous.  I get lots of practice with one as a brick mason.  Remember Aluminum cuts like butter but is grabby, and it is extremely easy to damage the flutes. Good luck.

   Now if I can just find 2 of the 444 sleeper domes I'm in business.   Still want a set before Scott makes em , larger pool of cars and I can do an eastbound and a westbound consist.

What will you do to make the doors and ends match the polished aluminum sides?  I would what metalizer paint would match the sides when all are polished?

 VGN64,

   I am fortunate the NP NorthCoast Limited  was painted.  These are current progress shots

Lookin good !

Awesome! 

I thought everyone would enjoy pictures of several cars by Dan Pantera.  He was so  kind to share these shots I hope he doesn't mind me sharing these with you.

Man I sure wish Mr. Pantera would post photos or a coffee table book . really hard to emulate what you never get to see.   My time frame is before these cars slightly enough too avoid some FRA mandates and extra details that are a bear to engineer.      I can only hope and go slowly that my builds turn out half as good.

Here are some more pictures of Dan Pantera's work.   With no disrespect to Joe Fisher's work or other custom builders, I believe Dan is the one of the best if not the best custom passenger car builder we have.

VGN64.    Sweet Pics!!!!!  Do you Have about 5000 more?

    Just kidding !!!!!....... but if you could a few more of the NP postal dormitory car would be awesome.

If you are coming to the Chicago show Dan lives in the area and I believe usually attends so you can talk to him personally.

VGN64 posted:

Wow, I'd love to get my hands on a set of those!  Beautiful!

It would be awesome to  attend Chicago,  But alas like every year I am not able too attend.   This severely limits my parts availability and modeling progress .  When you never get too see the good stuff it truly is hard to emulate.

VGN64   I'm really serious in my request. Do you have any further pics of the NP mail dorm car, or can you tell me where to look for pics?

I'm heading to Chicago in the morning.  I hope to see Dan and get lots of pictures!!!!

Finally had time to  cut and file openings for the side steps on the  A ends and the funny little square hole in the skirts. Think a valve handle painted red will look good in the hole, still don't know what its for.  The seats are being cast by Wes and should be here later.

On to the other three cars in this paint sequence.

It has been a long search and it still is not done. Have acquired 3 Budd slab sided blanks and ends doors etc. but cannot source the dome wrapper.  Can find Kemtron ends for the dome but the kemtron wrapper is not correct for NP.
  I had to build some new workbenches and clean shop.but now its back to hunting the needed parts anybody got a spare like in photo .I can get some photoetcned and am looking into possible 3d printing some.   Would need a photocopy of the flat mac shops wrapper to get dimensions from as I have already formed mine.

Nice work