Santa Fe window tinting??

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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Here is another question for all of you Santa Fe fans. I am attempting to model the 1957-1958 Super Chief. My question is about the window tinting. Were the windows clear, or did they have a blueish green tint to them? Thank you for your help. Michael

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Here’s the long and short version. Typically, the Santa Fe didn’t tint the windows on their lowlevel passenger cars. There is one exception to this and that is the 2816 Series Budd 48 seat chair car had tinted windows. All windows were clear. The only car on the Super to have tinted windows was the 500 serie Pleasure dome and only the dome windows were tinted blue. All of the Santa Fe’s Hi-level cars had tinted windows. Also, all of the ATSF’s full domes had the dome window’s tinted. The ATSF used a blue tint.

Charlie

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Thank you Charlie. That certainly answered my question. I was wondering if you also knew some of the interior details about the dome and diners used on the Super Chief. What interior colors were used as far as walls, carpet, chairs, etc. And finally, what color were the window shades?

Thanks for the information. I am trying to detail a G scale car. What seemed small in HO is now quite large and the interior needs color!! Michael

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You beat me to it, you dog!!![:D]

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I SEEM TO REMEMBER a ‘polarized’ window glass - sort of a slightly greenish cast when standing outside. Problem with ‘inside’ looking out, is ones eyes adjust and compensate.

ACF built most of the coach cars I rode. Pullman built mostly for the Chief’s (Sleepers). Budd built the 'high-levels.

I never rode ATSF heavyweights.

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ACF never built any chair cars (coaches) for the Santa Fe. Santa Fe’s chair car orders were spilt between Budd and Pullman. With one chair car built by STLCC and one PCF car

Budd

3070-52 seat chair car-experimental

3072-3250-52 seat chair cars

2816-2860-48 seat chair cars

700 series-Hi-level chair cars

PSCM

3176-3178-50 seat divided chair car

2861-2910-44 seat chair car

2911-? 44 seat chair car

PCF

1100-56 seat chair car/Pendullum

STLC

3071-52 seat chair car-experimental

If you had tinted windows, then you were riding a Budd 48 seat chair car.

MRHW, Santa Fe’s standard colors in the post war years were light tan/creme walls, turquoise ceiling. Carpeting would have been PSCM’s standard green fern pattern. The Turquoise room had muted dark wood paneling on the walls. Dont forget the Turquoise medalion for the Turquoise room. Colors for the furniture were varying shades of blue.

Charlie

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Thank you!!! The information on the interior was just what I was looking for. I attached pictures of the car I am working on. It came in the mail yesterday and I am still waiting for the dome. I also put an HO car in front to give you a feel for the size difference. Thanks again, Michael

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Does anyone know what was the color of the window shades?? You can clearly see that most cars had blinds/ window coverings of some sort in black and white photos, but does any one know what color they were in real life?

Also, off topic, can someone tell me about the interior of a Super Cheif diner. I can’t seem to find any prototype pictures. I am curious about the dining area. I wan’t to know about the chair color all the way down to the china used. Any links to some prototype information would be appreciated. Thanks, Michael

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The blinds were a metalic Gray with the bottom of the shade aluminum in color. Blinds should be a light rose color. For diner interiors, Turquoise ceiling, light tan walls, dark green carpeting, chairs were a blue green color white table cloths, tables were a dark tan color. Silver silverware on the table with a yellow rose in a silver vase by the window.

Charlie

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Thank you so much Charlie for your invaluable information!! Here is one more question that comes to mind. Did Santa Fe put white headrests on the seats in the diner. It seems to me in the pictures that there is something draped over the top of the chairs in the diner. The only thing that I can come up with is that it is a headrest on the chair. Can you tell me about this??

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The vast majority of my experiences of dining on the Santa Fe is in Lunch counter diners but, they also 4 tables with chairs and I don’t recall white cloth covers on the chairs.

Charlie