I’m starting work on detailing the interior of a gas-electric trailer (GN). I have the impression that some form of walkover seat would have been installed. Don’t KNOW, just suspect.
That said, I bought some very nice Grandt seats to use. My recollection of walkover seats is like this one:
where the back is “straight” and just flips over. The Grandt ones have a curved back, though. I VAGUELY recall walkover seats where the back both flipped, and turned over–so that the back could then be curved. And more comfy.
I did do a search on Bing and Google for those seats, and all the ones I found were straight-backed. Perhaps a link?
Here’s the Grandt seats:
That’s flash on the seat back, up towards the top. The seat itself doesn’t look very walkoverish. But the ends/sides sure do. I did see a photo of a seat where the back did flip around “up in the air”, but it was still a straight back.
I figure I can either cut the back off or “straighten” it. But there’s an awful lot of seats.
I’m just kind of hoping to avoid that bit of fun. (Suck it up, Mr. Modeler!!!)
Thought I’d add that I made a fixture out of Evergreen, and am using it when I bend the seat backs. I’m going to be using 31 of the Grandt seats, so having a fixture makes it easier to make them all match.
I’m especially looking forward to having some of the seat backs “flipped over”.
Some of the coaches that the “Friends of 261” use on fantrips have seats that are connected to the floor on a central post, and can rotate 180 degrees as a unit. I believe these are former PRR cars used on “clockers”.
Those are way too modern for my little trailer car. But they are neat items. I’ve finished modifying my seats and glued them together. “Someday”, they’re gonna get painted up like those up above, in the photo. Should look pretty neat, installed.
This was a fascinating thread to read through. I have alweays heard these types of seats called “trolley” seats. I had no idea they were ever used in regular service passenger cars.
Come visit us up here in the Mid Atlantic, and take a ride on the Strasburg, and you can experiance riding on, and flipping a walk-over seat yourself.
Most coaches into the 1930’s had some form of walk-over seat, many had them much later as well. The walk-over seat served two important functions - cars did not have to be turned, and groups of riders could create facing seating to converse.
The fleet of cars at Strasburg are mostly from around 1900 and virtually all have walk-over seats.
Flipped those Strasburg seats a million times myself. Introduced someone new to the concept not too long ago when we took my GF’s nephew, his wife, and their kids to Strasburg and I flipped a seat so we could all face each other (riding backwards doesn’t bother me, even at speed on Amtrak). They were amazed you could do that. But I will say that is the first and last time I will set foot on the property when it’s a Thomas day - you only get half the ride!
Less than double the distance, you can also hit up the WK&S - alas no steam at this time but the equipment is vintage your layout era (and mine) and on a foemer Reading branch. Ticket office and other structures are actual Reading structures moved to the lcoation. And an interesting HO model railroad club in a passenger car out back. Actually - a big loop trip - besides Strasburg and WK&S, there is also Allentown and Auburn and the Colebrookdale in a similar radius. Probably not possible to ride all 4 in one day - and Strasburg is the only one with steam all the time, for now.
