GEC's Layout Progress

[Green_Elite_Cab]

In Passenger train related news, I've made some more progress and some new projects have shown up.

Amtrak 3400 Series "Le Pub" cafeteria lounge cars

I've built the first of two of these cars that I have as Core kits and car sides. They were made by Laser Horizons. I had to adjust some things, but for the most part these sides are correct. The real trouble was assembling the core. As it turns out, the floors and roof are slightly shorter than the laser horizon sides. I ended up trying to put the ends onto the sides, and then glue in the floor. This worked for the most part, but it does look like part of the model isn't 100% square. For now though, it looks OK, and so i'm not going to try and break it apart.


I'm very excited about this particular passenger car, since these were very noticeable on trains such as the Broadway Limited, Montrealer, and the Florida trains. Reportedly, these cars were always a "party", with people enjoying drinks and music all the way through the night as the train made its way north from Washington DC to Montreal.

I'm hoping to add an accurate interior, if I can get some more photos. I have the interior floor plan, but I suspect some walls might be "open", such as the "Buffet" area.

Brand New GP40FH-2s

I have acquired two "fresh" GP40FH-2 shells. These are distinctive NJ Transit Locomotives, and you might remember one of my more involved contest threads in which I attempted to clone one. The resin I used to cast that GP40FH-2 has not been cooperative, and it looks like it still wants to warp a little, with only the screws I installed holding it in acceptable levels. These two new GP40FH-2s appear to be cast in a better type of resin, and I'm hoping these won't warp.

My hope is to get these running by next Year to replace my ALP44s and U34CHs in commuter service at my Train club. Both of those locomotives probably need new wheels because they have been run so much! Not to mention, the GP40FH-2 is probably visually more interesting than either the ALP44 or the U34CH.

Its also nice to get a fresh start on these engines, since the clone GP40FH-2 has all the flaws of the original.

The FL9 gets the (beginnings) of a train

I put the paint job of my FL9 up for a vote, and a New Haven scheme was chosen. I plan to paint it that way, and put the original New Haven numbers on it. That said, Metro North conveniently had these renumbered from their "5000" series Conrail numbers into the "2000" series. Though Metro North 2017 isn't the same FL9 and New Haven 2017, They were both painted the same.

Though the Metro North era FL9s had markers lights and MU plugs and no skirts, I figure this is a good case of "close enough", and it lets me model the FL9s as they were, while allowing me some flexibility to run some slightly more modern commuter trains with Metro North and CDOT cars.

Speaking of CDOT, I have acquired a red striped Metro North/CDOT Comet II coach. I was also pursuing a matching Cab car, but it got away from me! There was a photo of an FL9 and a two car commuter train with this equipment, so I figured it was perfect, a real "pike sized" passenger train.

The CDOT cars a probaby a little more appropriate for the FL9, since these are typically assigned to former New haven trains (though they can end up elsewhere if needed). That said, NH painted Metro North FL9s could also be found pulling the "blue Striped" Metro North cars, also offered by walthers but difficult to find.

I strongly suspect that Walthers will do an enhanced run of the Comet commuter cars, but as long as I don't pay to much for these Out-of-Production models, I'll probably beat the $70-$80 price tag walthers is sure to stamp on these models.