since I´m a fan of the SP/RI Golden State in it´s stunning red and silver 1948-1954 livery and since my budget is too small to afford a prototypical brass set by Challenger Imports, I thought about the following idea to create a non prototypical “low budget version” of that train with a 11 car consist featuring the following cars:
RPO (Santa Fe Super Chief (first unplated version))
Sleeper Lounge Observation (Santa Fe Super Chief (first unplated version))
I chose the Santa Fe cars for the RPO, Baggage Dormitory and Observation because these cars are already painted silver and “Santa Fe” in the letterboard can be easily scratched off, which makes them very suitable for painting into the Golden State scheme, which will be basically done by applying red color on everything above the lower border of the windowband. And since the new unlettered Budd coaches, diners and sleepers are also painted silver (except the black trucks which I will need to paint silver) the procedure will be the same and I will only need to use one single color for the repainting job. And on the observation I would replase the round Super Chief drumhead with a rectangular Golden State drumhead by Tomar Industries. The new 18 inch radius ability of Walthers new Mainline Budd passenger cars is also very welcomed by me since I won´t need to cut off any underbody details anymore to make the cars run through my 20 inch curves. Only with the Baggage Dormitory and the Observation I will have to do so, which is really no big deal for me. Of course such a Golden State wouldn´t be prototypical looking, but I think it´s a good compromise because I´m trying to do it as close as possible by choosing these cars. Once finished it should look very similar
That looks like it works for you, so that’s what’s really important. Most of us don’t have the money for much in the way of brass. So it’s either do something close enough to suit our tastes or sit on the sidelines and mope about it. Since the hobby is about doing things, the choice is easy for most of us.
Of course, about the time you’re finished, someone will announce a RTR plastic version at somewhat reasonable cost…but that’s what you really wanted anyway, right?[;)]
Exactly, the most important thing about model railroading is that it works for you and that you are happy with it the way it is. Well, to be honest I´m very sure nobody will come up with a RTR version of that train since it´s by far not as popular as other streamliners, expecially given the fact that it never featured any fancy dome cars or other signature cars and that the red-sliver paint scheme only lasted for a short time and also that the prototype was never a matching consist but mostly a missmatched mix of corrugated and smooth side cars + sometimes even heavyweight cars (headend cars). And after putting so much effort in repainting and decaling the cars I would certainly not sell it just because of a RTR version. I take pride in my work and have no problems with something not being 100% prototyoical.
I know where you are coming from. Have you thought about using Athearn BB passenger cars?
I modified eight of them for my NYC streamlined consist. Nearly all started with Santa Fe lettering so it was easy to change that. I removed the skirts, added under-body details and painted the roofs black on most of the cars.
The total cost was much lower than a similar consist of Walthers cars and they look better on my 22-inch curves than the larger cars.
The train is powered with an ABA consist of two Walthers E-8As and an E-7B. Both A-units are powered and equipped with Soundtraxx decoders and speakers. The B-unit is a dummy but will eventually have its own sound decoder and speakers.
your project sounds interesting and also very cost-saving. But I´m really not a fan of those Athearn cars. But it´s not the shorter length which is the problem. It´s more the fact that they come without interiors. And I love to have RTR interiors since I´m so tired of building them by myself. And the Walthers interiors look really nice. Plus as far as I know there is no Baggage Dormitory available from Athearn, but this car is essential for the Golden State. And I think that nothing else on the HO market comes closer to the Golden States Observations than the Walthers Super Chief Observations. But one good thing is that the Athearn cars are skirted, because the Golden State mostly was skirted and the Walthers Budd cars are not.
Wow, you plan having all 3 E Units equipped with sound? Isn´t that very loud hearing noise from 3 E Units at the same time?
ConCor does the Golden State paint scheme on their 72’ streamlined cars, but again, no interiors and not the correct cars - but great for layouts with tight curves.