Up today are a couple cars that have been very slowly working though the paint shop for a couple years.

The baggage car is modified Zuhr. A postwar product, this one a prior owner had modified somewhat but never finished. The car as manufactured had a side skirt on it in particular that had been removed (as was done on many prototype cars). I worked out basic frame details, the doors are Zuhr I believe, and the trucks are Kemtron.

The diner has more of a story. This came to me about 2/3 done from Bill Gilbert. It is a shortened Scale-Craft car but a more nicely done conversion than the one seen with it in the second photo. It has been seen on this site previously and was modified by Pierre Bourassa. Pierre’s car looks more freelanced with those end doors and has more of a feel of a car that has had one end chopped off.

Bill on the other hand wanted to make his model imitate the design of a heavyweight car that had been rebuilt for use with streamlined cars. With the model was a clipped out photo of an Erie-Lackawanna diner. He shortened the sides more wisely, leaving one more window, and really gets much of the look of that prototype car. He also added the frame details off a HO model, a very successful conversion.

Both of the new cars are in my streamliner scheme and look great on the layout. The diner in particular exceeded expectations and looks so much better than the green diner in fact that I am tempted to re-letter it for another road and sell it! It might look better on 6 wheel trucks, and in all cases the cars operate well on my curves and are enjoyed.

UPDATE: The Pullman green diner is now on 6 wheel trucks. I had to modify the frame to do it, but worth the effort, it does look better.