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Opinion/Experience?...'Simple' Passenger Car Modification

dkdkrddkdkrdOGR Forum Member

I have a late-vintage K-Line 15" aluminum passenger car (Baggage/RPO) currently lettered for the Empire State Express (NYC).  Likewise, K-Line never provided a complementary RPO or Baggage/RPO as an add-on car for their several popular issues of the aluminum Santa Fe cars.  Ergo...

I would simply like to change the identification to Santa Fe.  Yes, I know there's no prototypical ATSF match for the NYC car style.  The closest among such Budd and AC&F cars built for their streamlined fleet was the group of Budd and AC&F cars numbered 3400-3408, and 3600-3606, respectively.  Cut the sides for another pedestrian door about mid-car, and add a 4th window to the PO zone, and you'd be closer...but still no cigar.  OTOH,...

Since I'm fully familiar with compromises in this hobby, I'd just like to change the letterboards to "Santa Fe", and the NYC car name boards to "Railway Express Agency", or REA and an imaginary car number, or some such sensible alternative.

I tried to find some appropriate replacement letter boards from among other Santa Fe Lionel and/or K-Line releases, but I'm never successful in navigating on-line exploded views with part numbers to aid in the search.  I'm in awe of ya'll that have cracked the codes of parts suppliers!

Second, I could make new boards from strip aluminum, decals, double-sided tape. 

The existing NYC boards seem to be pinned/riveted to the sides.  New signage would have to cover the old holes...or would they??  Perhaps the old NYC lettering could be carefully removed...e.g., ELO, other solvent, abrasive, etc.?  (The lettering doesn't seem to be stamped with any surface distortion of the metal strip...maybe?)

Don't really have to do any painting, per se.  The aluminum finish on the NYC cars is far glossier...almost chrome-like...in comparison to the K-Line/Lionel factory finish on the couple of Santa Fe aluminum sets I have.  If I sprayed an overcoat of, say, Dullcoat, or similar version of a clear matte, would that kill the gloss sufficiently to be more comparable to the duller representations of stainless??

All in all, I'm looking for the easy way to rebrand.  What say ye??  What's been your experience and/or best suggestions??

Appreciate the help. 

KD  (a.k.a., Lucas Gudinov)

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C cbq9911aOGR Forum Member

I've done this with Williams 72' streamliners.  First photo is "before"; the car is a Burlington car with the wrong font.  The font is the one used on heavyweight cars after 1960.  Second photo is the replacement letterboards; these were printed on cardstock and created with Microsoft Word.

You could remove the NYC lettering with Goo Gone or similar stuff, then redecal the cars for Santa Fe.  "Santa Fe" will fit on a "New York Central" letterboard.

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N NortonOGR Forum Member

The K-Line cars are metal so you could use lacquer thinner to remove the existing lettering, then apply decals.

Also the post war repro parts guys offer a Santa Fe Window strip with adhesive. Only problem its a red stripe. Google 2561 window strip. Jeff Kane at ttender.com has them as well as the auction site that shall not be named.

Pete

Last edited by Norton
dkdkrddkdkrdOGR Forum Member

Thanks for your input/suggestions, guys!

Well, while you were ruminating on the 'easy' part...getting rid of the lettering I don't want, and preparing the lettering boards for replacements ala Santa Fe...I think I've hit a major stumbling block...appropriate new decals.

As popular as the railroad is/was, in the modeling world there's apparently not enough demand for black, O-scale streamline passenger lettering for the decal purveyors to currently have such a set as Champ, for example, once made.  I utilized a local (Michigan) custom decal maker for an O-scale project a couple years ago.  It wasn't cheap then, I'm sure it's even less affordable now.

Ergo..."Meanwhile, back at the ranch,"...it may be time for me to get creative where I've never been before!

Later.

KD

Last edited by dkdkrd
N NortonOGR Forum Member
@dkdkrd posted:

Thanks for your input/suggestions, guys!

Well, while you were ruminating on the 'easy' part...getting rid of the lettering I don't want, and preparing the lettering boards for replacements ala Santa Fe...I think I've hit a major stumbling block...appropriate new decals.

As popular as the railroad is/was, in the modeling world there's apparently not enough demand for black, O-scale streamline passenger lettering for the decal purveyors to currently have such a set as Champ, for example, once made.  I utilized a local (Michigan) custom decal maker for an O-scale project a couple years ago.  It wasn't cheap then, I'm sure it's even less affordable now.

Ergo..."Meanwhile, back at the ranch,"...it may be time for me to get creative where I've never been before!

Later.

KD

Check your email.



Pete

dkdkrddkdkrdOGR Forum Member

Bill...

Will do.

Haven't started the conversion yet...Health issues (blood clots and surgery), seasonal priorities, and, quite frankly, a slow recovery of my hobby 'mojo' have taken precedence.  Making progress, though. ( I've lost 15 pounds of useless body weight in the process!!)

Been helping my dear wife with her online business. 

Thanks for asking....you're always welcome to inquire...(incl. Private Messaging).

KD

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