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The-Stealth-Ninja — The Zephyr
Published: 2006-02-08 08:15:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 727; Favourites: 16; Downloads: 31
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Well, I bragged about them to a few people, and now here they are. Part of them anyway. This is the observation car from my new set of California Zephyr passenger cars I am putting together. Had I been alive in the late 60s, I probably could have almost gotten away with saying this was a photo of the real thing, leaving say, Denver, or Salt Lake City. I'm sure though those with a discerning eye can tell these are models.
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Comments: 31
Looks good. I'm pretty sure these observation cars were a fantastic view during the night and they offered during the night a great view from the inside too.
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It certainly gets the point across!
Nice work!
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Is that Silver Sky, Silver Horizon or Silver Crescent? Neat shot ... I'm gonna try it soon.
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Oh gosh, I really don't remember which, I own all three so it really could have been any of them.
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Yeah? I model the C.Z. also ... Here's a pic of my train running last January:
[link]
I line my cars up by the accommodation descriptions in a few 50's timetables I have. What's on the other end of your train? CB&Q, WP or Rio Grande? A few friends of mine are bugging me to get a set of Alco PA's ... but I like the F's better. How do you line up your cars?
* JB *
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That's a nice train you have.
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>That's a nice train you have.
Thank you.
>I line my train up with the consists on the box normally.
A little nit, the 6-5 sleepers were ordered in 1952, Feb I think. So 1952-53 would be more accurate.
In looking at various video and film clips, there were exceptions in how the train was blocked. Recall how the Diner follows the Dome Buffet? In one clip, these two cars were reversed, with the table section of the Diner leading, and the Dome Buffet running Dorm-first, too. My guess is when No. 18's consist was being assembled in Oakland, the diner went belly up. Only solution was to pull the Dome Buffet/Diner off the recently arrived No. 17., and add the cars to 18's consist without turning.
>I have a set of locomotives for all three railroads. I have a Genesis ABB set of WP F3s,
Nice. The WP is so tied with the C.Z., a set of WP F's is on the want list. I don't suppose you have a model of Clio Viaduct for the train to sit on? lol
>an ABBA set of Genesis Rio Grande F3s (in the black and yellow stripes),
Early livery. All powered?
>and an AA set of BLI Burlington E8s.
I want an A-B set of fluted CB&Q E5's to represent the Q in my HO empire. Current plan is to back date a pair of Proto E6's, then kitbash a little.
>I really wanted an ABA set of PCM Alco PAs but they were just too expensive and hard to find.
If you're local to Springfield, MA ... there's a HUGE model train show at the end of January. BLI has a booth there. I bought a D&RGW 10&6 for $40 there last year. Missed on an Overland painted brass model of UP's D&RGW Heritage unit for $590. Still kicking myself over that one,
>Ideally I'd like to put together a complete train for each railroad,
My train is a mix, just like the real op. I have 25 cars at present. In my pool are all of the 1st run CB&Q, all but three D&RGW and just four WP. If I can score an A-B-A set of F9's ... then I'll be able to run No. 17 and No. 18, c. 1955. The modular club I belong to has double track mains ... and assembles a *large* layout at the Springfield show. How cool will it be seeing Zephyrs meet on the Code 100?
>because they are getting expensive now as they become harder to find.
Oh yeah. Ever watch the auctions for Dome Obs, Diners or Baggage cars on eBay? The prices are so high, I've contemplating selling some my cars, lol!
* JB *
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You're very welcome. I never knew that little bit about the diner and buffet-lounge, are you saying that the diner sometimes ran ahead of the buffet-lounge? I love my WP units, I only wish Athearn released an FP7. Also, would you happen to know if there are any models I could use to simulate one of the steam generator cars that the WP used? Sadly I don't have a model of the viaduct, I don't have a layout. I run off of a box of Bachmann EZ track. Yes all of my F units are powered, both D&RGW and WP. The reason I decided on the E8s wasn't so much out of choice, but rather the choices available. I wanted Burlinkgon E units because I was tired of using Fs on all three of the trains (I own a total of 12 Genesis F units between WP, D&RGW, and AT&SF). Most anything I saw that was not a Proto 2000 E8 was too expensive because it was brass and even the Prito 2000 locos ddnt show up much on Ebay. I came across the BLI ones by accident on the Factory Direct Trains website and they were on clearance, so I snapped them up. I'm glad I did, they are excellent runners and look beautiful. Unfortunately, I'm not near the Springfield area, I live in Southern California, but do attend about 4 model railroad shows/swap meets that happen here every year. I've never seen a set of the PCM Alco PAs at a show but I saw one on Ebay for DCC that was running $739 for 3 units. I myself have 19 cars in my pool including the black roofed Silver Rapids (I'm still trying to find a decently priced silver roofed version), I would so love to be able to run my train on a large layout like you though. I've thought about selling a couple of my cars too, since I do have all 3 observation cars, but I just couldn't do it, the observations are my favorites. I have however bought extras of a couple cars to sell, and that ended up nice.
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>I never knew that little bit about the diner and buffet-lounge, are you saying that the diner sometimes ran ahead of the buffet-lounge?
Yes, in the film clip I viewed. Another clip showed a train with *two* Dome Obs! The other was running pointy end forward just behind the baggage car in the "CZ-22" slot. When the call came to assemble the train, some cars were bad ordered, and substitutions or deletions had to be made. Also, the C.Z.'s patronage varied by the season.
Sometime in the mid 1950's, the rule prohibiting breaking the consist at intermediate stations was lifted. After this time, foreign road sleepers began appearing. They would be carried in one of two places: just behind the baggage car, or ahead of the "CZ-10" car, aka the Dome Obs. The pool C.Z. cars had pass-through cabling for a P.A. system. Putting the foreign cars at an end of the consist minimized the interruption.
The strangest C.Z. consist: road power pulling 12 UP passenger cars ahead of 9 C.Z. cars.
>I only wish Athearn released an FP7.
I'd like to see an FL-9. The GG-1 and HHP-8's I have can draw power from their pantographs. Wonder if I can make an FL-9's 3rd rail shoes work?
>... to simulate one of the steam generator cars that the WP used?
Looks like a heavyweight coach, just shorter. The trucks look funky, too.
>Yes all of my F units are powered, both D&RGW and WP.
Nice.
>I own a total of 12 Genesis F units between WP, D&RGW, and AT&SF).
Ever consisted the whole stack? A friend of mine has a pair of TrainMasters he says "will pull down a building". I want to have a tug of war against my A-B-B-B-A F9's ...
>I came across the BLI ones ... they are excellent runners and look beautiful.
I don't have any BLI locomotives. Good to hear they're solid performers.
>Unfortunately, I'm not near the Springfield area, I live in Southern California,
Ooops ... that's a bit of a hike ... if you left now ... ?
>I myself have 19 cars in my pool including the black roofed Silver Rapids (I'm still trying to find a decently priced silver roofed version),
Cool.
> I would so love to be able to run my train on a large layout like you though.
When your at the shows, are there any modular clubs? If they built to the NMRA spec, they should be a good place to run your C.Z.
>I do have all 3 observation cars, but I just couldn't do it, the observations are my favorites.
Cool. I'd like a third, with WP reporting marks.
>I have however bought extras of a couple cars to sell, and that ended up nice.
I tried offering my four WP cars on the HO Yard Sale Yahoo Group some time back, but didn't get a response. Sooo they're populating a box (for the trainset that goes to shows) or a yard track (the trainset tied up on my layout).
* JB *
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I posted a photo not too long ago of some of my head end power in my gallery, if you want to take a look.
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Neat photo, and I like the contrast between the lights shining from the windows and the darkness outside. Really does look like a train sitting in the station at night!
I'm not of the modelling persuasion so I have an indiscerning eye. For the sake of =onewordphoto 's MODEL challenge I would have preferred a photo in which the train is more clearly recognizable as a model. But for the sake of the photo it's really cool that you made it look like a real train.
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I am picky about my model trains, as I like them to look as real as possible. I can see you do to. This certainly would meet any high standard.
Note to self: take pics of model trains... they are an art form, too.
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You have no idea, I'm so picky about my trains now that I buy my own. If it isnt prototypically correct, I probably wont buy it, unless I can use it for my freelance railroad. I mean, these California Zephyr cars are $70 each, the best without going brass (and in some cases, better than some of the brass models I've seen). I'm even about about to buy an A-B-B-A set of Western Pacific F3s to head off the cars at about $100 a unit. I love my Athearn F7s, but they just don't cut it for prototypically correct. I'll have to put some more of my trains through photoshoots so I can show stuff off.
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Some time ago I purchased two Highliner F unit shells for about $50 each, supposedly the most accurate model of the famous units. (These are the shells on the new Athearn F units.) Nobody told me they were a maze of instructions and detail parts. Of course, you could throw the old Athearns against the wall and they still run.
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Did you ever finish detailing them? Or did you throw them against the wall?
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They have gone the route of so many of my other model trains... sitting in the box on a self in the basement.
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I know that feeling, so many projects... but no workbench or a layout to play with them on.
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Not to mention the time. Why don't I ever work on my model trains? Oh yeah, I'm on the Internet again.
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Yeah, I know that one too. >_<
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Love this shot! Im adding it to my favorites. 3751 is at union station tomorrow btw.........
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What? Really? Any specific times? Damn, I hate having to work.
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They are supposed to leave anywere from 3pm on until the night. The crew is playing the hurry up and wait game with Amtrak. My pics should be up for you to see now.
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Haha, it isn't cheating, it's still a train, big or small.
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Thank you very much indeed.
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