Speaking of Passenger Service

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I've made some progress on the Walthers dummy E60CP that I got partially assembled at a swap meet.

I added an extra set of Walthers pantographs I had on hand, because the ones in the kit had been damaged. I also made up as many of the damaged or missing detail parts as I could, and did a little paint touchup. The next step for now will probably be adding couplers and putting it as a motor-storage scenery item, as I don't think the pantographs are really operable.

Ah cool. I think you can use Athearn U-boat/F45 trucks and drive components to make it work (my NJT E60CH and Amtrak E60MA both started as dummies). I think the F45 motor cradle weight from Proto Power west can also do the trick. I don't remember it costing to much to get these drive components.

As for the pantographs, I agree, they're pretty miserable. My hope is that the Metroliner pantographs will be available for separate sale somehow from Walthers, and we can use those Faively pans to replace these. Same for the Stemman pantographs for all those Arrows.

It seems like most other existing Faively pantographs are pretty bad, even on some of the brass engines (except my E44s). The European versions look OK, but they're to short for American locomotives.

I wonder how hard it would be to make a proper one? It would probably be easier than those Stemman pantographs, because the stabilizer bar is slightly more accessible, and it at least appears easier to make. Probably the pantograph shoes would be difficult, but if we're talking about these American GK/Walthers locomotives, we could just re-use those shoes.

I've been pulling out Walthers Amfleets and Amtrak Horizon cars. Most of my Amfleets are 1980s models that I found on sale at a hobby shop and loaded up. The Walthers cars don't have the continuation of the tri-stripe onto the corner posts past the doors. I've fixed this on my Phase III Amfleets:

However, while I've tweaked my Phase III Horizons, I haven't fixed the stripes on the corner posts yet:

Its weird how the Amtrak stripes and the outside-framed trucks make these look so different from the Comet II they are based off of. I've got a bunch of the older Walthers Amfleets myself. I wish I could replace them with the new ones when they come out, but I'm saving my budget for those new Metroliners.