05-10-2013, 09:38 AM
Here's a Horizon with the improvements I've made to date:
These include underframe/trucks weathered and painted, long shank Kadees, the battery box painted platinum mist, 3-stripe continued onto corner post with Micro Scale decals, diaphragms (IHP used to make cast metal versions, but Train Station Products makes the same thing in plastic), and markers on ends colored with metallic red enamel. The cars in Phase III stripes had step covers that were in place when the doors were closed, which haven't been added here yet. I have some on order. Phase IV paint scheme, however, involved Amtrak installing new doors with smaller windows and doing away with the step covers. I'm not sure if Walthers ever did these cars in Phase IV paint, but you'd have to change the doors to make them correct.
Here's an equivalent Walthers Amfleet with similar changes:
Underframe painted and weathered, wheels painted rail brown or dark gray, 3-stripes continued onto corner posts, diaphrams, HEP cable covers on ends painted white and blue, markers touched up with metallic red enamel. I don't know if the new version Amfleets are going to be so much of an improvement that I'll get any; I still have some old, old Soho brass Amfleets that could quite possibly do just as well. But in 1996 I was traveling and found a hobby shop that was selling a huge stash of Walthers 1980s Amfleets at a very good price, so I have what is almost certainly a lifetime supply of these.
These include underframe/trucks weathered and painted, long shank Kadees, the battery box painted platinum mist, 3-stripe continued onto corner post with Micro Scale decals, diaphragms (IHP used to make cast metal versions, but Train Station Products makes the same thing in plastic), and markers on ends colored with metallic red enamel. The cars in Phase III stripes had step covers that were in place when the doors were closed, which haven't been added here yet. I have some on order. Phase IV paint scheme, however, involved Amtrak installing new doors with smaller windows and doing away with the step covers. I'm not sure if Walthers ever did these cars in Phase IV paint, but you'd have to change the doors to make them correct.
Here's an equivalent Walthers Amfleet with similar changes:
Underframe painted and weathered, wheels painted rail brown or dark gray, 3-stripes continued onto corner posts, diaphrams, HEP cable covers on ends painted white and blue, markers touched up with metallic red enamel. I don't know if the new version Amfleets are going to be so much of an improvement that I'll get any; I still have some old, old Soho brass Amfleets that could quite possibly do just as well. But in 1996 I was traveling and found a hobby shop that was selling a huge stash of Walthers 1980s Amfleets at a very good price, so I have what is almost certainly a lifetime supply of these.