Suggestions wanted on detail piece for Skytop Observation

What “detail piece” are you specifically referring to? The tail end light? ….it appears the HO car has the housing with hinge as the detail, and the Lionel car does not. Before making suggestions, let’s verify this is the area you wish to enhance…..

Pat

The K-Line has that detail.  Though not sure where you would ever find that piece?

It would be easy enough to 3D print it with several of the talented members of this forum who do 3D printing.

Pat, yes the bezel that surrounds the lens. I did also look at a brass hatch that would need to be modified and painted, but it still would be a larger diameter than the lens already on the car.
As to prototype pictures, it does appear that on the Orange and Maroon color scheme, the bezel is chrome or stainless. Not sure if the Yellow and Gray scheme stayed with the same or was painted Red as the HO model.

Johnathan has the right approach here for this,…..a 3D printed part that simply overlays the lens would be the simplest & most elegant solution……not to mention non-invasive. If you go that route, you can get a Molotov chrome paint pen and make the part chrome, if that’s the desired intent……a couple dots of cement, and you’re set….

Pat

This may be of interest to you, but indeed the bezel was painted red on the post 1955 MILW scheme for these cars.  Interesting article on Skytop lounges that shows the images.  Admittedly a little odd, but an interesting read nonetheless that has some good historical information.

https://upsettingbroca.blogspo...ytop-lounge-car.html

Johnathon, thanks for that article!  Well that now points to painting it red.

I agree that the missing bezel (?) is not cool.  I don't understand why that wasn't added.  IMHO, the bezel on the Kline is nicer than the one on the HO version.  I'm all for historical correctness, but it is my railroad!

Bruce, I can’t imagine just how many parts you may have needed to 3d print for your scale model!

Well, I decided to go the shiny route for this project. Attached are pictures of going the route of modifying a “finish washer”. After scratching and misshaping a few Nickel Brass ones, I tried the Aluminum version. The aluminum was soft enough to allow me to use an Xacto knife to scrape away material and a 1/4” drill tap to keep the inside diameter rounded, the result was as shown on the right on the second picture. The finished product on the car are the next ones.

This really makes this car look a lot better even though it’s not prototypical for this paint scheme.

Thanks to everyone’s input!

Great solution.  I've used my share of Ace Hardware detail parts in the past with success as well. 

@BRicch posted:

Well, I decided to go the shiny route for this project. Attached are pictures of going the route of modifying a “finish washer”. After scratching and misshaping a few Nickel Brass ones, I tried the Aluminum version. The aluminum was soft enough to allow me to use an Xacto knife to scrape away material and a 1/4” drill tap to keep the inside diameter rounded, the result was as shown on the right on the second picture. The finished product on the car are the next ones.

This really makes this car look a lot better even though it’s not prototypical for this paint scheme.

Thanks to everyone’s input!

Definitely an improvement!  Nice Job.

Thanks for the thread and photos. I, too, have a Skytop lounge that will benefit from the finish washer/bezel solution.

The modified finish washer may also be the solution for adding a second headlight to the NP North Coast Limited F units in the paint shop.

As an aside, the 18" aluminum Skytop Observation Lionel did a number of years ago does have the bezel, with hinge. This is a lousy picture of a picture (don't feel like digging my car out at this late hour), but you get the idea. What is the Lionel Skytop pictured by the OP - one of the 21" jobs?

@breezinup posted:

As an aside, the 18" aluminum Skytop Observation Lionel did a number of years ago does have the bezel, with hinge. This is a lousy picture of a picture (don't feel like digging my car out at this late hour), but you get the idea. What is the Lionel Skytop pictured by the OP - one of the 21" jobs?

I have both the 15" K-Line and 18" K-Line (by Lionel).  I had not noticed that on the latter the area below the trim piece is painted silver.  You can compare to the pictures in my earlier reply.  Gotta get out the paint brush.

BTW for those looking at this the aluminum "band" fits over the trim piece which fits over the red lens.

@BRicch posted:

Pictured is the tail end of a Lionel Skytop Observation car.

and been

Just wondering, what is the product number on your car?  What year was it sold by Lionel?  Thanks!

Hi, the set is the 18” four car set, 6-20030. The set was from the 2015 catalog 2.

@BRicch posted:

Hi, the set is the 18” four car set, 6-20030.

Thanks!

3D print generic cover needs actual dimensions of opening and outside cover diameters.

Alan, though my car is now sporting its new bezel, for anyone else that have this set and would want to make the addition, the diameter of the lens on the car is 1/4”. Hope that helps.

@AlanRail posted:

3D print generic cover needs actual dimensions of opening and outside cover diameters.

K-Line dimensions as follows

ID for lens 0.286

OD for opening in Aluminum "Band" piece 0.380

The Band is notched for both the hinge 0.150 height and the rounded latch.  Extreme width 0.422 of opening in band (installed).

See how those match-up to your sketch.  I did not disassemble just "eyeballed" using caliper.