NS full dome Delaware to be manufactured......We have liftoff!!!

Thanks for spearheading this one - I guess it's time to get my order in! 

How is this one different than the MTH Premier version Delaware?  More scale features?

Ron045 posted:

How is this one different than the MTH Premier version Delaware?  More scale features?

None of the MTH passenger cars are scale length. The Sunset/3rd Rail/Golden Gate Depot products, especially their passenger equipment, are ALL scale length.

Only Lionel is coming out with a Conrail #55 full dome for the Conrail OCS set.

Is the Lionel Conrail #55 going to be scale length or shortened to probably 70 feet?

VGN64,

I replied to your initial post months ago. Still want one. Sooooooooooooooo..........

I'm officially placing my order again. I would like (1) in 3 rail please. Thank you.

Mark A Zeigler

There will be nothing like this on the market.  It is being built from brass, so the dome will be extremely accurately rendered in thickness of materials and size of the structural supports.  It will also be scale length at a little over 21" as Hot Water mentions. 

I was hoping to get an Amtrak one, but it is likely out of my price range at the moment.  For those that can afford it, I doubt this opportunity will come along again anytime soon.

Here are some photos of one of the Great Domes when it was operating on the Arizona Eastern.

AZ Eastern's operator SLRG was in the process of painting this into Illinois Central Colors in 2011.

From the Lionel catalog, Conrail #55 full dome for the OCS set is 21" long so it's scale length. Lionel has currently dropped the 18" length for premium sets due to MTH dominance in that area. 

MTH already made one: and yes it is scale. 

@T1Titan_ZachF posted:

MTH already made one: and yes it is scale. 

Unfortunately that is not scale length.  MTH's is an 18" car.  A scale length one would be 21". 

If I'm a little slow responding a dear friend suddenly died yesterday.  I'm in shock and trying to do some things to help the family.

MTH made 60' and 70' full domes while the car is closer to 80'.  The Sunset car will be a brass wrap which plastic can't match. The dome window frames will be thin more prototypical vs plastic that looks very bulky.

Ken

Well Atlas O's are plastic and I don't think they are that bulky... from the 2' rule

The "NS" on the real dome looked a little low.  However, that is the the only plce i can see they can paint the owners name without getting into the car flutting.

I put my reservation in today!

I have no interest in buying this specific Norfolk Southern car but I like double decker cars, in general & while trying to learn more about these cars, online, came across a page on Wikipedia that seemed to suggest that the “Big Dome” used on the ATSF & this Norfolk Southern car, had fluted sides while the “Great Dome” from Great Northern & now, Amtrak, have smooth sides. I understand that this specific car from Golden Gate Depot is supposed to made out of brass but are there going to be road-specific details, specific to the fluted / non-fluted sides?

These are just my opinion,

Naveen Rajan

naveenrajan posted:

I have no interest in buying this specific Norfolk Southern car but I like double decker cars, in general & while trying to learn more about these cars, online, came across a page on Wikipedia that seemed to suggest that the “Big Dome” used on the ATSF & this Norfolk Southern car, had fluted sides while the “Great Dome” from Great Northern & now, Amtrak, have smooth sides. I understand that this specific car from Golden Gate Depot is supposed to made out of brass but are there going to be road-specific details, specific to the fluted / non-fluted sides?

These are just my opinion,

Naveen Rajan

Directly from the GGD website in the description of the Great Dome/Big Dome cars...

"Yes, we know the fluting is different for each of these, so that's why they will be made in brass."

A friend at NS had Altoona ship me a 5" x 6" piece of steel painted with NS Tuscan Red.   It is in Scott's hands now to be taken to China to match the paint of the NS Deleware.

I do not understand the thinking of using an actual chip color for use on a model. It never comes off looking right. Because most of SSM models are all now done with true color paint. I can just here the complaints when the models arrive ans 4000 people chime in. LOL

Bob

Seems the best chance of "getting it right" to me?

Terry Danks posted:

Seems the best chance of "getting it right" to me?

It always seems to be the best, but in reality it isn't. The prototype is very glossy, the model will not be that way.  Now if I wanted to gloss it up a little,it  is going to get 2 3  shades darker.

So now your chip wasn't the best choice.   Model paint is ground finer for the pigments verses real paint.

I have painted 100's of model and this is what happens with real paint.

Bob

Rather than debate an issue regarding what will be a fabulous model, allow me to explain the process. 

China does not use the same paint formulas the US does.  We prefer an actual sample of the real color painted on a smooth surface and then it is color matched using Chinese paint formulations.  Yes, we do use Tru-Color paints when actual samples are not available as they have proven to be some of the closest off the shelf paints we have found.  The other project we were lucky to get the correct sample for was the NH FL9.  It is the right color for the Phase II FL9. 

In other cases I have provided samples off of old Floquil mix charts.  That included the color for the CBQ "grayback" units and the early lighter yellow for the ATSF FT. 

Regardless, samples are matched to what is provided to the factory and that includes the Tru-Color paints as well.

While I don't have one of these on order, I have reviewed the final painting diagrams and they will be a spectactular project you will be sure to enjoy.

Looks like there's some production sample pictures on the GGD website... 

http://www.goldengatedepot.com/reservation.html

*Photos from the GGD website

But what about the Amtrak model that I have a reservation for? Oh again like the santa fe set, not too many people ordered it?

The Amtrak model is being done as well.  I reviewed painting diagrams for all of the variations about a month ago.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

But what about the Amtrak model that I have a reservation for? Oh again like the santa fe set, not too many people ordered it?

Scott mentioned that there were like 6 people who reserved the Amtrak model when he sent out the e-mail about changing the paint scheme on the Amtrak car to the old livery.

These are just my opinion,

Thanks,

Naveen

Well Mr. UPS brought mine and here are some photos out of the box for you guys - a huge thank you to Scott Mann and VGN64!

It's about the best we are gonna get for the and Business train. My biggest complaint would be that we don't have any other NS cars to go with her!

Lots of Nice interior detail on this one. 

At least the execs are going in style on the full length dome car!  Looks awesome!

Mine are scheduled to arrive Friday.  For those that committed to me for one of the NS Delaware cars please contact me ASAP as I have people waiting for those that aren't picked up.  I can't wait to be my NS Delaware and my GN set!!!

Hi VGN64,

PM has been sent in response to my request from July 2017. Please let me know how to proceed with purchase.

Thank you.

Mark

Again I can't thank you enough VGN64 for making this happen!

Down the road here is some food for thought - the current NS OCS has 2 dining cars - the #18 New Orleans (formerly General William Mahone) and the #19 Kentucky. Both of these are former N&W dining cars and match what GGD produced for the Powhatan Arrow sets. Additionally the Coach #26 New York is formerly a Conrail OCS car like the dome and prior to that I believe was a Santa Fe coach.  Also some of the sleepers are former Union Pacific 4-4-2 sleepers I believe. It would be terrific to have an accurate model of the NS 23 Buena Vista Theater Car but that would be hard to do by adding on to an existing run. 

I hope Scott will continue to allow a car added here and there so that a select few of us can build up a beautiful GGD NS Office Car Special Train.

Looks like a piece of art. Very nice and hope you can convince Scott to produce the remainder of your train. If he has the tooling most of your persuasion is already done for you!!

Found these Golden Gate Amtrak Full Dome pics on 2RS Forum.  Wish I had gotten an Amtrak too.

Here is My Amtrak Version compared to the MTH version:

GGD Version

GGD Version Front, MTH Rear

As one can see the MTH dome seems to be Squat like a postwar Lionel F unit

However, Kudos to MTH for better hiding their lighting system

The GGD Diaphrams are unique in it's one plastic piece sliding into the Bulkhead end with a piece of metal acting as a spring on top.

Unfortunately my Superdome has some issues and I have already contacted GGD for an RA.

The Upper Right Roller Bearing has popped out and is sliding back and forth on the axle.

One other item, In the box, GGD did supply Armatures with the thumbtack to use on those electromagnetic couplers PLUS simulated  air and steam lines for the ends as well.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Here is My Amtrak Version compared to the MTH version:

As one can see the MTH dome seems to be Squat like a postwar Lionel F unit

 

Seems the MTH version has taller car sides requiring the dome area to be shorter in height.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

But what about the Amtrak model that I have a reservation for? Oh again like the santa fe set, not too many people ordered it?

Scott mentioned that there were like 6 people who reserved the Amtrak model when he sent out the e-mail about changing
the paint scheme on the Amtrak car to the old livery.

These are just my opinion,

Thanks,

Naveen

Whooo Hooo!  I must be on a roll with these Amtrak cars!

• First the ex SF El-Cap with less than 20 sets made in Two Production runs for Amtrak
• NOw less than 10 Superdomes made for Amtrak!

I wonder what the production number was for the Slumbercoach?

This does seem a little "low class" for GGD.

Well Gunrunner, it is a bit low that people can see bare naked electronics!