Chuck Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 A project that I'll be starting soon is turning a USA Trains streamlined observation car into a "close representation" of one of the famous Milwaukee Road Skytop Lounge/ Observation cars. Here's a real one I'm going to use a ribbed sided car as I bought it at a fairly reasonable price of $125.00 Disassembled and paint stripped w/ 1:29 scale drawings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Those are so beautiful. Keep drawings of the patterns, I might like to try one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screwy Nick Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 and another masterpiece from the master, please keep us informed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamPower4ever Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Cool project Where do you get the drawings? Jens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Thanks all as I maybe in over my head on this one! Jens, After much looking I finally found thru the http://trains.com website that Railroad Model Craftsman published the HO scale drawings in a November 1971 issue. I bought that magazine on eBay and then had a printing house copy & enlarge them for me And the best part is they have both versions of the Skytops drawn. The Rapids version... And the Creek version... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamPower4ever Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Thanks, Chuck, but I wasn't actually looking for the Skytop Lounge drawings. I'm thinking of getting drawings of the Santa Fe hi-levels for El Capitan just wrap my mind around how such coaches could be constructed at a reasonable cost. I've written the Santa Fe Historical Society (Temple Collection) about it, but no reply so far. I was hoping you had the drawings from some "universal" source. I'm considering writing to Amtrak and Bombardier (I think that's where any remains of the Budd company may have ended up. Maybe they still have the archives.) Jens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Jens, I'd start searching the magazines such as Model Railroader, Model Railroad Craftsman, Mainline Modeler etc. Those bi-level cars were all basically the same shell. Great Trains/ American Standard made the bi-level cars in 1:32 scale though they were a bit short in length and made rather crude...then again they were made in the late 1980's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Some guys over on Large Scale Central have been building those, might check the forums there and look back a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamPower4ever Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 MRC and MM are good suggestions. I did find an old thread on trains.com where in the fourth post, there's a reference to the book "Santa Fe's High Level Cars" by Kogan, Ochiello and McCormick, which should be the reference. Of course, it's unavailable everywhere, but I'll keep looking. If anyone spots it and you don't want it yourself, give me a heads up, please. Other references in the post are Santa Fe Modeler, Santa Fe High Iron and Warbonnet, which I believe are old publications of the Santa Fe Modelers Group. I did find on Amazon - and have ordered - a copy of High Iron 1971-73, which should have plans for the lounge and the diner. I'll see where that gets me. Shipping from the US is more expensive than the book, but hey ... 'Warbonnet' is available from the Santa Fe Historical Society, but their ordering page is broken. I tried ordering the 1999 Q3 volume, but it dropped the Q2 volume in the shopping basket Jerry: Thanks, I'll try looking there I'll move out of the way now, seeing that I've all but hijacked Chucks thread. I owe you a beer, Chuck ! Edit: I got the Santa Fe Historical Society shop to work, so I ordered the right issue of 'Warbonnet'. Also, I found a copy of 'Santa Fe Modeler 1984-1986' on the Amazon UK site, so I should have reading stuff for a few winter evenings ... Jens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I hope it's OK to post this as a reference. Are these what you're describing? Down the page near the bottom: http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/15593/building-and-bashing-amtrak-equi/view/page/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I'll be using these as a reference: http://www.trainweb.org/amtrakpix/locoshots/locoshots.html and http://www.hebners.net/amtrak/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamPower4ever Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I hope it's OK to post this as a reference. Are these what you're describing? Almost. The Amtrak Superliners were inspired by the ATSF hi-levels, but they were slightly different. You can see it in this picture, where a heritage ATSF coach is sandwiched between what appears to be Superliners. The difference in profile is very visible. Chuck: Two beers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Jens, thank you for that picture. I see the difference. I thought they were mostly the same. I don't mean to take away anything from Chuck's post here. We should probably have a different post about this subject. I will look for drawings too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I might have Mark Dashaw do the window area as a 3-D print in plastic. Looking at some other photos I found it seems the window glass area was actually flat, had some curves around it to fool the ey.e Plan to graft it on a MTH observation car, need to check dimensions but has been to cold to go dig it out of the shed! I took the plans and made them 1/32nd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 I know what you're saying about the windows being flat and the drawings do show that as a dashed line in the overhead view. I've been kicking around the idea of making a "skeleton" out of brass for the windows then wrapping it with brass. Then again I may build it all curved in one piece if it looks good to the eye. The only people who'd know it wasn't right would be rivet counters and I'm not one of those. Your pic is kind of deceiving as the windows are removed. The windows themselves were mounted in a big aluminum frame that was held in with screw from the outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoungCR Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Yep the glass is all flat, Brooks Stevens designed the car that way because curved glass wasn't available back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 And just plain flat rr glass is expensive enough as it's basically bullet proof! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Chuck have you started on this yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Jerry, No as been a change in plans...the observation car that I was going to use is now slated to be painted into Amtrak Phase III paint. I have other USA Amtrak cars that are corrugated so it'll fit in nice I do have a set of 5 USA Trains UP smoothside cars that I may strip & paint into Milwaukee Road colors and have the observation car that could be a Skytop Lounge. Or I just may leave them and run them behind my USA Big Boy. How's yours coming along?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Well, sounded like Mark Dashaw was going to 3-D print it for me, but have heard nothing since. I never found a MTH corrugated observation car in UP colors to cut up some to use. Sorta tied up in the restoration of my 63 1/2 Galaxie right now. Should be out of the paint shop next week. Then get all the trim/etc back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Like I posted on another topic. The frame is made of flat stock, for the flat glass to fit on. Then add the curved parts once you have the angled framework done out of plastic or brass. Should make it a little 'easier' to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted September 15, 2017 Author Share Posted September 15, 2017 Well now a new development may make this doable. That is just might 3D print the whole car out in 1:29 scale but first I need to relocate about 90 miles northwest, setup shop, buy a bigger 3D printer and then have a go at it Easy way to make the back half is to 3D print it in clear plastic then mask off the windows and paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/3d-printing-a-milwaukee-skytop-lounge-car#lastReply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrown7713 Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Chuck, what a project. Can't wait to see you start on it, I will follow the posts. Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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