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I bought 2 of the OK Engines Slumbercoaches without skirts for the purpose of Amtrak phase 3 custom painting.  They are still  at the painters but will be back soon for final assembly and such.   I was hesitant to post this on the 3rail scale forum due to retaining non scale couplers etc, but since these are scale length and custom paint, extrusions etc, placed the topic here.

Any one else have these that can share pics and or tips on these nice looking aluminum cars?20190714_105448

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Last edited by VistaDomeScott
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I like these OK shells a lot.  Mine are not as nice as yours because I have tight curves so have always kept to the 15"-16" shorty cars.  Wiseman has underbody kits and ScaleCity sells the roof vents.  I have mostly gone with translucent windows because I figured I could do the interiors later, not that I ever have. They used to come in a variety of fluting and also they would custom punch the windows

Bruce Clouette posted:

I like these OK shells a lot.  Mine are not as nice as yours because I have tight curves so have always kept to the 15"-16" shorty cars.  Wiseman has underbody kits and ScaleCity sells the roof vents.  I have mostly gone with translucent windows because I figured I could do the interiors later, not that I ever have. They used to come in a variety of fluting and also they would custom punch the windows

Thanks! Wiseman have a website?

Scale City I have bought from before for detail parts, end gates, etc.

Bruce Clouette posted:

I like these OK shells a lot.  Mine are not as nice as yours because I have tight curves so have always kept to the 15"-16" shorty cars.  Wiseman has underbody kits and ScaleCity sells the roof vents.  I have mostly gone with translucent windows because I figured I could do the interiors later, not that I ever have. They used to come in a variety of fluting and also they would custom punch the windows

Can you fit those cars with Lionel frames, trucks, and vestibules?

The ones I got came with Masonite floors.  I don't think the standard Lionel floor will work.   However,  you can use Lionel or MTH coupler trucks pretty easily, or if you body-mount the couplers, any type of streamline era trucks.  Since I was trying to model the early Amtrak era, I didn't worry about consistency.  Some of my cars had skirts, most not, which is what you see in early Amtrak photos.  The Lionel vestibule fits the OK shells, but I added a thin strip of styrene around the perimeter.

Progress on the cars by OK Engines is moving along. Initially I bought only 2 Slumbercoaches but have added 3 more shells, 2 Amtrak, 1 CVSR. Painting by Cristine Braden, trucks by Atlas O now installed.  Still need to apply windows and either interiors or darkened tinted window glass, car ends, doors. The car in the distance to the left in the pic is K-Line.  Trucks will be painted black. One CVSR cafe car by OK Engines and Christine's painting, will be getting trucks tonight.  20200108_14464520200108_14465620200108_14475420200108_14482020200108_144814

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Last edited by VistaDomeScott
bob2 posted:

Intriguing extrusion.  Does it have a prototype?

Bob2, yes, both cars were actual Amtrak cars. OK Engines got the windows stamped very accurately on the CVSR cafe car, but not exact on the Amtrak Lounge/ Dorm.  Both Amtrak cars were attempts to duplicate prototypes, Placement of the AMTRAK on the blind areas of the window band is incorrect on one side.  Amtrak placed the word mid way between the two closest windows.   The all caps AMTRAK is unusual to the car and I liked it, adds to the Amtrak mix of things. Here's a link to see the prototypes:



http://rrpicturearchives.net/s...ture.aspx?id=3175101 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...ture.aspx?id=4827565

Last edited by VistaDomeScott
Screenshot_20200109-015732_PhotosPingman posted:

Nice project, Scott.  What will you use for the car ends?

Also, any chance you can photograph the car ends straight on and pair it with a photo of other extruded aluminum shells for comparison?  A side by side photo would be optimal showing the interior of the extrusions.

 

Carl,  I have been using traditional Lionel car ends that fit ok although not the ultimate choice.  I would like to swap these out later.  The sheet metal ends OK sends are useless. Here is a pic of the phase III Slumbercoaches from OK with the Lionel ends. The car to the left is a Lionel 21" car, an former CSX repainted in Amtrak phase III.

Here are comparison pics with a K-Line aluminum 21" dining car with phase IV paint by Christine. 20200109_02344920200109_02332220200109_023304

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This is the CVSR (Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad) car #8704 "Furnace Run," one of the cafe-concession cars in CVSR's growing fleet. This extrusion got accurately stamped windows by OK Engines,  and a nice paint job by Christine!  I still need to add the small service door for loading supplies.  If you've been on CVSR you may have bought a beer or food on this car.20200109_01333120200109_01331520200109_013305here's a link to see pic of the real #8704:

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...ture.aspx?id=3220132

 

 

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Last edited by VistaDomeScott

Scott, thanks for the comparison photos.  You've inspired me to take the same types of photos of the Clark Benson 21" extruded aluminum cars I've owned for 30+ years and have done nothing with; i.e., take some side-by-side photos comparing the CB extrusions with the LIONEL.  This photo comparison will be done as a separate thread and request suggestions on what can be done with these NOS extrusions that lack trucks, couplers, and interiors, but are otherwise complete.

Thanks, again, for the for the photos and explanation.

Here are photos of MAC Shops Budd cars. The same body extrusions used in all MAC Shops kits, including the RDC, which did not have purlins (the two lengthwise ribs on the roof).  

The duplex-roomette sleeper seen below,  models the first of eleven such cars delivered to the B&O in 1954, all were named for birds.  I was aboard the Bobolink on its first day of service with the National Limited at the Jersey City Terminal in the spring of 1954. It was assigned for drop-off to Louisville KY. 

The coach/dinette RDC-2 (one of two such units) was built to order by Budd in 1956 for Washington DC - Pittsburgh PA service. 

The MAC Shops B&O dome sleeper was a special run of only a few kits. It models the three 'fast back' Budd dome sleepers originally built in 1948 for C&O's "Chessie" which was cancelled. The dome has more taper at the rear than in the front, like  mid-40's automobile styling.  B&O purchased them to upgrade their "Capitol Limited." Names in B&O service were Moonlight Dome, Starlight Dome and Sunlight Dome. 

S. Islander 

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  • 112: B&O Class S-21 - 16 duplex roomette 4 dbl BR sleeper "Bobolink"
  • 137: B&O Clss DC-4 "Speed Liner" 24 seat coach / 24 seat diner factory modified RDC-2.
  • DOME23: B&O Class S-25 - 5 roomette / 3 drawing room / 1 bedroom Srata Dome sleeper. Special, limited MAC Shops run kit.

Here are a few representative photos of my Clark Benson aluminum cars that I purchased in the late '80s or thereabouts.  Basically, these are scale length (~21" except for the baggage car which is ~18"), LIONEL extrusions, using LIONEL car ends, but with a Masonite (?) "frame" and clear film "window" inserts--no trucks or couplers supplied.

First, a photo of the basic extrusion:

Balls, Benson 026

 

This is one of three vista domes with the cast lead dome frame:

Balls, Benson 033

The baggage car box says it's 70' but it measures 18":Balls, Benson 024

This is the "collection" in their original boxes and handwritten labels (by Clark himself?):

Balls, Benson 012

As I said, I'll start a thread showing these Clark Benson cars in more detail, including direct comparisons to LIONEL's PW "wide channel" aluminum cars.

In the meantime, thanks to Scott, S. Islander, and Bob2 for the info and photos.

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Last edited by Pingman

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