BlueComet400 posted:navy.seal posted:riki posted:As far as I know. Jim does not do metal Tinplate.
If Jim doesn't do tinplate, how would you classify the ten Olympian Hiawatha cars, which Jim custom built and sold to me? I would call them Modern Era Standard Gauge (MESG} tinplate.
Bob Nelson
Isn't mass-production one of the criteria for tinplate trains? Either way, Bob, that is one beautiful train. It blows away the detail of my JAD Hiawatha!
John
John,
You are right! The sides of the Waterman-built cars are detailed. In fact, they are "spot-on" having been patterned on the original Olympian Hiawatha drawings. However, the roofs and ends were not patterned after the original drawings as the same parts were used on all ten cars even when there were significant differences. For example, the diner car, which should have had several vents installed over the kitchen has none. In fact, the roof casting used on all 10 cars is the same, though it was cut-down in length for the shorter RPO and dormitory cars. That said, unless you are a "rivet-counter" and I'm not, it's unlikely you would notice these prototypical errors.
BOTTOM LINE: IMHO, Jim Waterman did a super job in the fabrication of my 10 Olympian Hiawatha cars and I would recommend him to anyone wanting "customized" Standard Gauge cars built by a true craftsman!
Bob Nelson
