Business cars

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I would like to model in HO scale the two cars in the below photo. These cars were D&H 100 and 101, 72’ I believe. Any possible sources for these cars? I suspect the former Guilford modified them sometime ago.

I want to finish them in the dark blue livery as used by the Pan Am Railway. Thanks.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=147489

Rich

2

First thing is to research the origin of the cars. Then you can find out if anyone ever made them. If not you can consider a close car in length and roof line and consder one of the brass car side offerings that match or is close to the window arrangement.

3

From what I have found so far, they are 72’ cars and I was told Con Cor modeled them but the few Con Cor I have found so not seem to be close.

Still have a lot of looking to do.

I have asked at a D&H forums also.

I do not live to far from the Pan Am Railway home base so I might take a ride out that way.

I will spend some time looking at brass ones.

Rich

4

From the picture they look to be full length cars. The open platform car is a heavily modified heavyweight car as you tell from the roofline. It is higher because the sides of the clerestory have been filled in. Obviously the windows are modern too. The diner ahead is a lightweight car, but probably has been converted from some form of passenger car since it has a vestibule at the far end. The side door into the galley would have been added as part of the conversion, and quite likely some or all the windows will have been re-arranged and resized.

Best bet is to be like the prototype and do a similar major kitbash. Maybe some of the windows removed from the lightweight car can be used for the heavyweight tail-end car.

John

5

Thanks all.

I have found a Pan Am Railway (former Guilford) forum that should prove helpful.

Rich

6

It appears the rear car is an old heavyweight from maybe the 1910-20 era that was rebuilt to resemble a streamlined car. (It appears to have three-axle trucks, rather than the two-axle trucks of a true streamliner.) Rebuiling cars like that wasn’t uncommon after WW2. I suppose you could start with a Walthers heavyweight observation car, remove all the rivets, and put on a new roof as a start. Not sure how much window modification you’d need to do, I guess that would depend on how precise you would want to be.