I am looking to buy Undecorated fleet bi-level cars for my passenger service for my layout and came across three companies:
Con-Cor
http://www.con-cor.com/NSuperPage2.html
Wheels of Time
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/805-11300
Kato makes Metra commuter cars, but not undecorated.
Which manufacturer have the closest looking commuter car that resemble the metra cars? N scale only please.
thank you.
See the below link. I don’t know how close the Burlington cars are to the modern Metra cars, but it may be a stop. Also, Union Station Products will work with you on custom sides (at least I have seen them do that in the past)…
http://unionstationproducts.com/
I don’t have much knowledge of Chicago commuter operations, but just recall seeing these sides on their website in the past.
The Chicago commuter lines have both the smooth-side and corrugated cars. The cars tend to be run on the lines where they originated - smooth-side on the former C&NW lines, the corrugated on the former Burlington and Milwaukee Road lines. They are still using the original equipment, which has held up quite well over the years; they’ve been repainted, of course. I had the opportunity to ride the Burlington-line Metra trains recently, and they ride just as smoothly as they have always done. Personally, I like the corrugated cars more than the smooth-sided, but that’s probably because i grew up watching the Burlington’s trains roar down that 3-track western main line. [:D]
One thing to keep in mind: The Metra runs all their trains with the locomotive on the out-bound end of the train. That way, the passengers don’t have to walk past the locomotive to get to their train in the main terminal.
It is my understanding that since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the requirement of ditch lights, Metra has been replacing the original bi-level equipment with new cars. The new cars are all corrugated stainless steel. I can’t remember the last time I saw a smooth-side commuter car on the Chicago commuter lines near me.
I overheard a conversation once in which someone said that the old bi-level cab cars - the cars that have a cab for the train crew - cannot be fitted with ditch lights. So these old cars now have their cabs locked up, and that only the newer cars that were built with ditch lights are on the point.
IIRC, the Con-Cor commuter cars mentioned by Mr.LMD represent later production (I want to say very late 1950s - 1960s), while the Wheels of Time cars represent earlier cars (mid to late 1950s), some of which were used on intercity passenger trains.
Mr.LMD, you might want to look at this website. Notes on the Bi-levels can be found here
[quote user=“AltonFan”]
gmcrail:
The Chicago commuter lines have both the smooth-side and corrugated cars. The cars tend to be run on the lines where they originated - smooth-side on the former C&NW lines, the corrugated on the former Burlington and Milwaukee Road lines. They are still using the original equipment, which has held up quite well over the years; they’ve been repainted, of course. I had the opportunity to ride the Burlington-line Metra trains recently, and they ride just as smoothly as they have always done. Personally, I like the corrugated cars more than the smooth-sided, but that’s probably because i grew up watching the Burlington’s trains roar down that 3-track western main line.
It is my understanding that since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the requirement of ditch lights, Metra has been replacing the original bi-level equipment with new cars. The new cars are all corrugated stainless steel. I can’t remember the last time I saw a smooth-side commuter car on the Chicago commuter lines near me.
I overheard a conversation once in which someone said that the old bi-level cab cars - the cars that have a cab for the train crew - cannot be fitted with ditch lights. So these old cars now have their cabs locked up, and that only the newer cars that were built with ditch lights are on the point.
IIRC, the Con-Cor commuter cars mentioned by Mr.LMD represent later production (I want to saw very late 1950s - 1960s), while the Wheels of Time cars represent earlier cars (mid to late 1950s), some of which were used on intercity passenger trains.
Mr.LMD, you might want to look at
Check out Island Model Works, they make several types of HO Chi-town Commuter Cars and decals. Sorry no link old browser.
The Con-Cor and the Wheels of Time bi-level cars are different in size and color. Does anyone know which one is to scale and which one is closer to actual color?
I can’t speak to the color issue, except to say that, IIRC, C&NW prototype colors did change over time. What’s more color perception can be effected by the age of the prototype’s paint job, time and place of the prototype paint job, the quality of the photographs referenced, as well as the lighting used when the model was photographed.
As for size, check the links in my earlier post. The Con-Cor and Wheels of Time cars are based on two different prototypes, built about ten years apart.
which one is more recent?
The Con-Cor cars represent the later production, while the Wheels of Time cars represent the earlier. Check out the links I posted earlier go into a bit more detail.
I did. I was just making sure.