Howdy.
I just put in an order for a set of ER Model Importers N scale Talgo Coaches.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/262-7251
I thought it would be a great addition to my passenger service.
Does anyone have an opinion on these coaches? Are they easy to convert to Kadees or the like?
They’re on sale, so it doesn’t really matter to me at the moment if they aren’t the best cars. Anything can be tweaked.
Hi;
You can only change the couplers on the two ends, the intermediate coach to coach coupling arrangement is very different, just like the real thing.
E-R went bankrupt 2 years ago or so, no warrenty support.
The units are supposed to be articulated, so that isn’t a concern. I’d like to ditch the Rapidos.
No warranty support? Is there something I should be worried about with the models that I would need to use the warranty?
Please forgive me if I sound ignorant… [D)]
Are these like subway cars, powered units at the ends? Or are they like regular passenger cars and a locomotive needs to be added? If so, what type of motive power would go with them?
Thanks.
These cars take locomotives. I believe the Amtrak set modeled by ER had one or two F40PHs in Phase III scheme. The Cascades sets currently used by Amtrak (fundamentally the same cars but changed cosmetically in shape and color scheme) use matching F-59s at both ends (push-pull). The only other locos I can think of to pull Talgos are European (mostly, but not exclusively, in the Spanish railways).
You can google your way to some decent pictures of the Talgo set with the F40s.
Juan
That’s exactly right.
The only thing that I would add, is that the F59PHI commonly use transition cars behind each locomotive. The F40PHs are usually coupled directly to the Talgo set; while the F59PHIs flow right into the cars through the transition car. Makes for a very aesthetically pleasing train!
F40PH on Head: 
F59PHI on Head: 
Transitions: 
Thanks for your replies and great info. I didn’t realize those talgo coaches were that short compared to the locos. I wonder if ER Models will make or has made the transition cars.
Well, if they are made, they will not be made by ER Models. ER Models is no longer in business.
Bachmann got some of their tooling…But I don’t know if anyone will be producing the Talgo coaches anymore…
The ‘transition’ cars are part of the cosmetic change. I think they are the same type cars seen at the ends of other Talgo sets, but with fins added for purely aesthetic reasons.
Juan
As far as “finned” models coming out, I doubt it, as the Cascades trainsets are the only Talgo sets that use the fins. The model’ s manufacturer, Spain’s Electrotren, makes all the other variants (sleeper sets, etc), but none of those have such a radical change in bodywork.
On the other hand, I would not be surprised if some comes out with parts to modify existing Talgo cars.
Juan