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I was on the Coast Starlight and I noticed a Kid's Car--I was wondering if this is just on some rare superliners..or this is a kind of car...like on the Pac. Surfliner that says "COACH/CAFE" I have been starting to model railroad and I have never seen "COACH/KIDS CAR" before..And it was strange when I saw it. Also the Parlor car..Are these available as normal trains or specialty more?
Anton
JONATHON Member # 2899
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I've seen these on the starlight before, Amtrak will invite the parents down there when the magition gets there!
------------------ JONATHON D. ORTIZ
Fumes5 Member # 1437
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Hi all.
I am also a modeler of most amtrak longhaul trains. The Kiddie car is a Superliner II remodeld on the lower level to resemble a playroom rather than seating. These cars are exclusivly found on the starlight. On my model of the current Starlate er light the kiddie car is just a Superliner II coach. I also ran into the problem of the parlour car on the Starlight currently i substitute it with a second Lounge/cafe or AutoTrain style Lounge (converted diner) I am in the process of converting a Lounge cafe to resemble a Parlour cau but I stil have a ton of work left to do. Any Other questions i can help w/ just holler
-Fumes
PS: if any of you are in the SF area stop by the GSMRM to see me running my amtraks. our website is gsmrm.org
JONATHON Member # 2899
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I'm doing the same thing, but I dont know how to make a lounge into aParlour car
------------------ JONATHON D. ORTIZ
pismobum Member # 2628
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To "model" a kiddie car, just take a standard SII coach and change the number - they were originally 34104, 34108, 34110, 34112, 34115 - third digit changed to a '5' - they still are just decaled 'coach'. They just removed the downstairs seating to make a playroom. Parlors are 39970 and 39972-75 (also just 5 of them). You either need a model of an ATSF hi-level lounge, or you can use 2 sightseeer lounges since that's prototypical whenever a parlor is unavailable (but the sightseer's never have 'pacific parlor' decals).
Starlight consist is always baggage, sleepers, parlor, diner, lounge, coaches. Kiddie car is always the 2nd coach behing the lounge.
CoastStarlight99 Member # 2734
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Yah, its very hard to model the Pacific Parlor Car, and the Kid Coach car--I do relize its just a coach car with the "senior/disabilities" section turned into a little playground......How do I change the # on the car? And for the parloe car...They dont sell those Parlor cars though..Fumes5, how do you model it?
Anton
Fumes5 Member # 1437
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CoastStarlight,
THe decals are simple, either use some rubbing alcohal and a Q-Tip and jut rub it off being careful not to scrape off the paint, or try to match the color of the car w/ testors paint and just paint over and replace, it is not vital that they be an exact match because the real ones are just coverd in silver foil. for my parlor car i started with a COn-Cor *junk* lounge car and coach that i didnt nead and blanked out some of the roof of the lounge car top. I then proceeded to blank out the windows on the coach that corrisponded. I test fit the two parts and painted and decaled into the phase III parlour car scheme. The reason for using the concor car instead of a walthers car was because the top is removeable insted of the floor. I am not finished yet, but I belive that a company offers a Santa Fe Hi-Level lounge car or diner and that may be ann eaiser place to start. check www.walthers.com for more info. The other soultion that i know of is to look into to brass, I know a guy at the club has a brass starligth with the Parlour car in it, but I don't know how feasible that is for you. If u like I can post pictures when i am done. I may send you the car, i dont like they way it is turning out and am contemplating starting over, if i do decide to start over i'll let u know
vincen47 Member # 2201
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I put some info on Coaststalight's topic in the Model Railroading forum.
Hope it helps.
Southwest Chief Member # 1227
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I model the Santa Fe Hi-Level El Capitan in Ho scale. Finding a good lounge is impossible without reverting to over priced brass.
Train Station Products have released both coach styles, and the diner. These cars are outstanding. They plan to release a lounge, but I've been waiting for five years now! I don't know what their problem is. They should know that the Hi-Level lounge would be a top seller for both Santa Fe modelers as well as Amtrak. Because the Hi-Level lounge is now the current Pacific Parlour Car. The decals are out there (Microscale), all we need is the car.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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I enjoy reading the posts on this topic, but actually, this string should probably be put in the "Model railroading" forum. I too am a modeler, but since I moved to Florida, no houses have basements in which to build a layout, so I may have to add an addition to my house in the next couple years to make a "train room."
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