Flush-fit passenger car windows

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I purchased 3 Walthers Budd cars (2 52-seat coaches and a dorm car) from my LHS last week and when opened, sadly the diaphragms, grab irons, and windows were missing (as was the printed parts list). Walthers reported the cars were out of production and no replacement parts were available.

The grabs and railings do not bother me as I have plenty of those, and I know I can buy diaphragms but I am at a loss as to how to make flush fitting windows.Before I take these back to the LHS, I wanted to explore how I could make the windows.

I thought about tracing the window outline on to clear styrene and then cutting the part out and gluing it to a second sheet.

2

No matter how you do it, making flush windows will be time consuming.

On buildings, I some times use Micro-Glaze. It is a white liquid paste material that dries clear. You apply it with a toothpick and spread it around on the window frame. You have to use quite a bit on the toothpick as you have to make a film with it that fills the window frame and acts like a window. When it dries clear it looks like glass. It is not very sturdy and will not take rough handling. It also looks like old glass that shows a rippling effect. But it will be flush or centered in the window frame.

3

WHAAAT?! That really cooks my grits. My apologies for overreacting, but Walthers has sold loads of those cars and for them to no longer have replacement parts available is pretty sorry. I was a bit frustrated when I needed replacement windows for a P1K RDC.

Anyway, check out this thread by DCFixer. I’m taking the same route with my a couple of AHM streamliners that I’m metalizing and detailing.

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/182165.aspx?PageIndex=1 [8D]

4

If it were me, I’d have the LHS solve the problem or refund upon returning.

Then, I would look for the cars elsewhere.

5

Maybe you can get other Walthers passenger car window strips and cut them apart into pieces. I would think that a lot of times, window sizes repeat car-to-car.

Ed

6

Thanks for the tips. One of the links sent me to American Model Builders and their Laser Kit line had the windows for the coach. Still looking for a dorm window set.

Thanks again. And please send warm weather. It was only 63 today and my Hydrocal is slow to take a set…