Can anyone recommend an appropriate interior for an Athearn heavyweight diner? My oldest Walthers catalogue is from 1988, and there aren’t ant listed specifically for Athearn. As the detail parts for blue-box rolling stock are fading away quickly, I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction before it’s too late. Thanks in advance. Gregg
For the interior of the car, you can always, in a worst case scenario, build your own from styrene. As for putting the kit together, I believe that most manufactures keep records of the instructions for building things (I know this is true for discontinued LEGO sets.)
Greg,
Here’s an inexpensive option that I’ve used. The only tools you’ll need here are a pair of cutters and a file.
Take an IHC one piece dining car interior and cut off both vestibule end sections. It will actually fit. You may have to do some additional trimming to make sure that the dining tables line up properly with the windows. I’ve done this before with the streamlined car and it works.
Here’s the part number: 348-20173 Premier Series - Heavyweight Passenger Car Interiors – Diner
Price is $4.98. Walthers is out of stock, but some LHS’s may have them in stock.
Thanks guys! Antonio, I did check with Walthers before I posted my SOS, and I was hoping the IHC unit could be adapted. I also noticed that it was not in stock, and that there was no projected date when it might become available. But hey, I enjoy a quest, so I guess I’ll do some surfing. Hopefully I can find a source on-line.
Palace Car Company makes an interior kit to fit the Athearn Diner. By adding an interior be sure to add weight. I fill the box in the centre of the floor with lead bird shot. Plug the hole in the bottom of the box and then fill it with the bird shot. A styrene floor glued in will secure the shot. Then install the interior.
Cliff, Thanks for the tip! I checked out the Palace web site, and I don’t see an interior listed for an Athearn heavyweight diner, but at this point, I may not have the luxury of being particular.
Yeah, there’s one for a lightweight car. But, Palace is 15-25 bucks. The IHC< for a little modification is a third to a sixth that, Even the unassembled kit versions
If the IHC site is not helpful, call them directly. The last time I was looking for interiors, the site said to call for availability which often means you’re out of luck. When I called, they were in stock and were sent right out to me.
Thanks, George. I phoned IHC this morning. They are completely out of the interiors for the heavyweight diners, but they’re sending me one for a streamliner. Hopefully, anyone who examines the finished car closely will have eyesight as poor as mine. At this point the passengers are getting pretty hungry, and they just want tables and chairs and a kitchen to provide their meals.