Question for T.Albers and others: Can this become a Budd dome?

Carl, is that from the new, 21 inch tooling? If yes, where did you find it and can you get more?

Thanks

Charlie

@Charlie posted:

Carl, is that from the new, 21 inch tooling? If yes, where did you find it and can you get more?

Thanks

Charlie

The part shown is for a LIONEL 15" aluminum full dome car.

My project is to shorten the full dome down to a scale length for a typical Budd short dome car since I've yet to find a reliable source for the short domes in scale.

Understood and thanks Carl. From the image I was not sure what the origin of the dome was. I have been looking for domes for many years now and it seems like the two from the Lionel 21 inch cars (Pullman and Budd) would do the trick but don't seem to be available for separate sale. 

Thanks for the quick response.

Charlie

@Charlie, my multiple searches for LIONEL domes on their parts website has found ZERO domes (15", 18", and 21") for separate sale.  At one time last year, just before the LIONEL parts sale in November, the Pullmand/non-Budd style domes used on the CP 18" cars WERE available for separate sale @$20 per, but last I looked a couple of days ago (I'm desperate for domes) they are no longer available.

I'm hoping @T.Albers will chime in to the discussion.  My modeling skills are modest and I'd hate to buy and chop up new parts for a project with no hope of success from the start.

Hi Carl, I have been wondering how that dome car project has been going.    I have been watching your original thread because I wanted to see how you tackled this problem.   

The biggest issue with that 15" dome structure is it doesn't look wide enough to fit your shell.  From the photos at the top of this thread it might be 1/4" to small to fit the width of your car.  It would be real tough to fabricate something that could make up the 1/4" difference and still match the roofs rounded surface.  From what I remember of your original posting you needed a 6 1/2 long by 2.5 wide dome structure and matching window?  If that's true those are the exact dimensions of a K-Line dome car (as seen in the photos below).   So the first thing is to verify that 15" dome structure has either a width of 2.25" or 2.5".  Next is that 15" dome structure looks more like an ACF dome than Budd but that's a minor fix.

Easiest option:  Since there are no train shows to find used shells right now, you could buy the K-Line shell with complete dome section that's on eBay.  It has the correct Budd style dome structure you want, includes the inside dome window.  If you can verify it matches your dimensions all you would have to do it paint the dome structure the color you need.  Here's a link:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/62013...1:g:3WoAAOSwfl1ciofM .  

Find an inexpensive kit that includes a brass dome:  Wait for more 21" MAC shop dome cars to appear on eBay.  3 of these MAC shop dome cars sold last month for $24 each.   Each MAC shops car included a complete brass dome structure that gets built to the exact length needed.  Also, since it came from a 21" MAC shops car there is a better chance this brass dome will match the width of your car.   https://www.ebay.com/itm/DR-P1...rksid=p2047675.l2557

Although, Brasseur Electric Trains do not have replacement K-Line domes anymore, they do show different size replacement glass sections which could help if you were to fabricate your own dome:   https://traindoctor.com/servic...ages/K4688-03-03.jpg

Let us know what you decided 

Thank you, @T.Albers for your comprehensive and thoughtful reply.  

I've saved the eBay search for the Mac Shops domes, so I won't miss the next one, hopefully.  This dome kit would require assembly skills that I'm not sure I possess.   But it would be worth a long, hard look.

And I will contact an owner of the Rio Grande dome car like the one in the eBay listing for measurements.

Atlas does not sell the dome structure, but they do offer a glazing kit which may be worth further investigation.

Again, thanks.