What would you use????

[The Great Destroyer]

Hi again,
Anyways,I found some good deals on 4 differant passenger car sets.I'm planning on custom painting them for my #608 and #611 I just need some advise on what ones would look best and work best for lighting.They are all new with metal wheels.Sets come with 2 coaches,1 observation car,and 1 vista dome car.They kinda resemble the style of the Pohwatten Arrow.(I hope I spelled that right)I think they are made by Model Power.Any advice?
Thanks in advance!
                                       Destroyer

1.Pennsylvania Streamline

2. Southern Pacific Streamline

3.Burlington Northern Streamline

4. Santa Fe Streamline

[brokemoto]

If those are the Model Power corrugated side cars they are going to look really silly behind a J.  They are really out of scale for any prototype.  They would look allright running behind a four axle passenger diesel on a pike with sharp curves, but they would look silly behind a large diesel or behind any kind of steam that regullarly pulled streamlined cars.

If you are going to paint and letter, you would do better to buy a set of Con-Cor smoothsides in any road name, strip, then paint and letter them.

If you want to buy an airbrush, associated equipment and the paint, there are several manufacturers of good equipment and good paint.  If you are just trying your skills, you may want to buy a couple of spray cans and see if painting and lettering is something that you like to do.  Floquil sells cans of PRR Tuscan Red, which was the color of the N&W passenger cars.  When you use it with the finishing and coating porducts, it gives good results. 

MicroScale does sell N&W decal sheets, but I do not know if they sell a passenger car sheet.  If they do  not, you can always buy the locomotive sheet and fudge it.  I doubt that you will find a Pocahontas or Powhatan Arrow logo on that sheet, but at least you will have the correct roadname.

If you do not mind running  heavyweights behind your locomotives, you could buy a set of Con-Cor PRR HWs, erase the PENNSYLVANIA roadname, substitute NORFOLK AND WESTERN, then apply the clearcoat of your choice.

If none of that appeals to you, contact me off list.  I may have three or four C-C N&W smoothsides that I am not using.  I will look.

In your position, I would not buy and paint the MP cars.

[GlennW]

The MP Streamlines will look silly behind a J. They are old Trix shells. THe cars are too short. THe trucks & couplers are worse.
MP only makes 3 body styles: Coach, Dome, Observation. They may look decent if pulled by the MP FP unit.

The MP heavyweights have a few more body styles. Getting a PRR set may look OK behind a J.

Your best bet is to find a RR/ConCor set. You may have to hunt them down on *bay or a swap meet. You could get lucky at ToyTrainHeaven or a ELHS that buys old sets.

[The Great Destroyer]

Hey Glenn and Moto,
I do paint.I have an Aztec dual action.I've just never done lettering on someting so small.I'm defanatly not sure of all the abreviations 'cept MP I know what C-C is I just don't know what PRR(Pullman Rivirossi?) I hope RR stand for rail road if not I'm clueless.Or maybe Rivirossi?Just kidding guys I'm really actually starting to learn the terms.I've never really done train painting just basicly Transformers(More than meets the eye)Very popular 80's toys not power TFs.Model cars,Real cars and some house painting.I also painted alot of Ral-Partha pewter mini figures.Would any of the old Santa-Fe table top cars look right?I'm just not real experienced in train lore.I just know I like them and want to build something really cool.Maybe like a country/edge of small town scene.Anyway Thanks again you guys.About those cars!Let me know.
                                                                     Destroyer

The MP Streamlines will look silly behind a J. They are old Trix shells. THe cars are too short. THe trucks & couplers are worse.
MP only makes 3 body styles: Coach, Dome, Observation. They may look decent if pulled by the MP FP unit.

The MP heavyweights have a few more body styles. Getting a PRR set may look OK behind a J.

Your best bet is to find a RR/ConCor set. You may have to hunt them down on *bay or a swap meet. You could get lucky at ToyTrainHeaven or a ELHS that buys old sets.

[brokemoto]

RR-Rivarossi
C-C- Con-Cor
MP-Model Power
PRR-Pennsylavania Railroad
HW-heavyweight
LW-lightweight, or streamlined cars

You could buy the HW cars made either by RR or MP in the PRR roadname.  They are already the proper color.  You can erase the PRR roadname and numbering and replace it with N&W.  Finally, add the clearcoat of your choice.  The MP cars are actually PRR prototypes.  The font on the lettering on the MP PRR HW cars is incorrect, anyhow.

I do not know if the N&W had any PRR passenger cars that it bought used from the PRR.  The N&W did buy some used PRR equipment over the years.  The PRR controlled the N&W until some time in the 1960s.  It was N&W dividends that kept the PRR out of bankruptcy court all those years.

Buy a magnifying lamp; it will make the job of decalling much simpler.  If you are going to buy a set of C-C LW or HW cars and strip them, buy some with black roofs.   On the C-C cars, the window glazing is part of the roof casting.  Since N&W passenger cars had black roofs, if you buy a set of cars with black roofs already, you will not need to expose the glazing to stripping solution.  Any stripping solution might discolor the clear plastic.

To strip the cars, you can use any of the stripping solutions out there or ninety-one per-cent alcohol.  I have also used brake fluid, but I am VERY careful how I use it and try to avoid using it.  I will not use it on the products of certain manufacturers, such as Life-Like (LL).  Certain Bachmann (aka B-mann, Bachpersonn, B-personn) products also will not stand up to brake fluid.  If you do use ninety-one per-cent alcohol, get a an old stiff bristle toothbrush and plenty of elbow grease.

If you are interested in those N&W cars, contact me off-list.

Oh, and one more thing, the N&W never had any vista-domes.  The only road East of the Mississippi River that had vista domes was the Baltimore and Ohio.  I have heard rumours of a Southern vista-dome, but I have never seen a photograph of one.  Except on the B&O, the tunnel clearances in the East were too low for vista domes.  Speaking of B&O, do not buy C-C sets to strip in B&O.  There is something about the paints used for that scheme that make them difficult to strip, even if you use brake fluid.

[The Great Destroyer]

Hey Brokemoto,
I sent you an email did you not get it?I've been having alot of failure notices and return emails too many problems with yahoo.I'll try again though.If it don't work I guess tag me first and I'll respond.Later.
                                         Destroyer

P.S.Thanks again!

[sully14]

I looked at the Micro Scale website, but could not find any decals for the N&W passenger cars. Oh well. Sully

[The Great Destroyer]

Everyone came out with the 4-6-4 j before bachmann did and everyone bought all the stuff out before the Bachmann fans could get 'em.I personally think they should re-release a set of n scale cars for it.Still the hunt continues!

I looked at the Micro Scale website, but could not find any decals for the N&W passenger cars. Oh well. Sully

[brokemoto]

Yes, TGD, I did get the e-Mail.  I will go into my passenger car box and see what I have.  I will then get back to you off list.

It looks like anyone who wants to paint N&W passenger cars will have to fudge the road names and car numbers from the steam locomotive sheet, as the font on the passenger cars was the similar to  that on the steam locomotives.   The spacing might be a bit funny, though.  Then, maybe there is an old NorthEast set out there, but I do not know.

If you look at shows, sometimes you can find N&W passenger cars, but you must look.  You can also join the ya-HOO! group, N Scale Yard Sale, and post a 'wanted'.

The only N scale J ever manufactured, of which I am aware, is B-mann's.  They had a Standard Line version of it.  They recently upgreaded it to SPECTRUM. which was not a boad move.

[The Great Destroyer]

I was speaking of HO scale and larger I should of been more specific.If I took enough time I'm sure I could stencil out the road names ect.I might give it a try after I see the size of the lettering.I'm in the proces of dumping off all my DBZ(Dragon Ball Z) toys and some other stuff to make room.I did find a Norfolk Southern sheet but they are all sold out and don't know if they are getting more.Where should I look for the best deals for the loco labels?After I get everything going and I get my stencils made I'd be willing to help anyone else out.Besides it only cost .40 to ship out stencil patterns.Give me about a month for anyone looking for the help.Anyways Thanks again Brokemoto.My friend got me a life like country cottage and church I can't wait to get started.I'll send you some pics when finished if my junk 50/50 cam will work lol.Later guys.

Yes, TGD, I did get the e-Mail.  I will go into my passenger car box and see what I have.  I will then get back to you off list.

It looks like anyone who wants to paint N&W passenger cars will have to fudge the road names and car numbers from the steam locomotive sheet, as the font on the passenger cars was the similar to  that on the steam locomotives.   The spacing might be a bit funny, though.  Then, maybe there is an old NorthEast set out there, but I do not know.

If you look at shows, sometimes you can find N&W passenger cars, but you must look.  You can also join the ya-HOO! group, N Scale Yard Sale, and post a 'wanted'.

The only N scale J ever manufactured, of which I am aware, is B-mann's.  They had a Standard Line version of it.  They recently upgreaded it to SPECTRUM. which was not a boad move.