# knotts berry farm railcars



## lasupport (Jun 10, 2012)

I figured this is the best place to post this request. I have a itch to model the Knotts berry farm train and calico mine train in southern california.

Im not too worried about "prototypically correct" stuff. But if any one has clear pictures of the passenger cars painted green i would appreciate it. I plan on getting a Bachmann C-19 and am in the process of collecting LGB coaches. I have ordered the D&RGW passenger car decals with car names. 

For the Calico train i plan on using a lgb porter like the "ruby" and using LGB 2 axle open gondolas for the calico cars. also clear pictures of the calico train cars would be nice too.

I can find pics of the locomotives online for everything but no one seems to like to take pictures of the cars.

in the past i have purchased rolling stock that required no modifications mostly because i have no modeling skill. But thats gonna change lol. What basic tools would you start off with? im guessing an airbrush kit, exacto knives and fine brushes would be a start. Anything else? thanks


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

You are mixing apples and oranges, scale wise. The Bachmann C-19 is 1:20.3. LGB coaches are 1:22.5/24/?. The LGB Coaches are compressed, shorter, fewer windows. My 1:20.3 engines look big, to me, pulling LGB, Delton, and USA NG cars. But it is all about what looks good to you. AristoCraft had a line of 1:24 engines and cars. Their 2-8-0 engine at a scale of 1:24 might be a better match scale wise. Chuck


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Bachmann's Lil Big Hauler saddletanker can also be a good candidate for the Calico mine ride train.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Like chuck said, you are looking at apples and oranges with regards to scale. You definitely need to get the Bachmann C19 at 1/20.3 scale AND for your coaches, you need to get the AMS Jackson & Sharp. Here are a couple of photos of my LGB coach (1/22.5) in comparison to my AMS J&S coach (1/20.3).



















The AMS J&S coach is an exact replica of the Knott's coaches. The Bachmann C19 will look beautiful with the AMS coaches. I have three of these coaches pulled by an Accucraft C19, #346. ALL are 1/20.3 scale Fn3.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Weather permitting, I'll try to take some pictures of a 1:20.3 engine (Accucraft C-19) with LGB coaches and Accucraft coaches, like Gary showed. Here in northern Virginia we are expecting rain tomorrow and Wednesday.


Chuck

PS AristoCraft has 2 versions of the C-16 in their data base. These would be better suited for pulling your LGB coaches, size wise.

Aristo C-16 engines


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

My Accucraft C19, #346 pulling two AMS J&S coaches. Taken on the Fairplex layout in June 2010.


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## lasupport (Jun 10, 2012)

Thank you all very much for this very helpful info. looks like i have to save a bit more for those accucraft cars.


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## lasupport (Jun 10, 2012)

Love the Lil Big Hauler saddletanker idea! even the lil hauler gondola may work for the calico cars!!


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## lasupport (Jun 10, 2012)

this is what i was thinking for the calico cars. http://www.ebay.com/itm/221177432994?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By lasupport on 14 Jan 2013 06:22 PM 
Thank you all very much for this very helpful info. looks like i have to save a bit more for those accucraft cars. Well....The AMS J&S coaches may look nice, and may be the right scale for the C-19, but they are not good for representing the cars at Knotts. 

Knott's passenger cars are all former San Juan cars (OK except RGS business car Edna). Meaning they have enclosed vestibules. The parlor car Durango has one open vestibule and one enclosed vestibule. The AMS cars are all open vestibule cars. So they are not well suited for Knotts. Unless someone has made an enclosed vestibule conversion kit...which I'm not aware of.

What you really need are the early brass car sets issued by Accucraft for the San Juan. Although only the coach and parlor cars will work since that's all that Knotts has. But even then you'll be missing the Knotts combine car. This unique car which was made from former Parlor car Chama.

Ironically your LGB choice wasn't too far off. They made D&RGW enclosed vestibule coaches in the late 1980s-early 1990s. I use these for my San Juan trainset. I painted the LGB cars green but kept the letterboard so it still says Denver & Rio Grande Western. But they are not 1:20.3 scale like the Bachmann C-19. They will look small in comparison. But maybe you can live with that.

Here's what my LGB cars look like (note the enclosed vestibules on the coach and one end of the parlor car). Also that's an Accucraft 1:20.3 C-16 pulling the train. Small loco in 1:20.3 but still looks big with the 1:22.5 LGB cars:


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## lasupport (Jun 10, 2012)

San Juan, your train also looks awesome. Im not looking for dead on Knotts. But what you have there Jan looks good enough for me. So those are LGB cars with a bachmann c-19?


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

It is an Accucraft C-16. Smaller than. C-19. Chuck


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

LA


Here are some more pictures of Accucraft J&S coaches, LGB coaches, an LGB Mogul I do not have a Delton/Aristocraft 2-8-0, the LGB is probably comparable in size. The Accucraft C-19 is an Accurate scale model (1:20.3) and should be very similar in size to the Bachmann C-19 (also 1:20.3).

LGB train in foreground, Accucraft train in background. Note that both car roofs are above the the top of their respective tenders. This is how it looks in most pictures.










Difference in height of cars.

LGB Accucraft











LGB cars with C-19













Accucraft coaches with LGB Mogul.








the

To my eyes the Mogul looks fine pulling the Accucraft coaches, but the C-19 just looks to big pulling the LGB coaches. I have books with pictures of small engines pulling large passenger cars, but not the opposite.



















Since you already have some LGB coaches, my suggestion would be to to with a smaller engine, such as an LGB Mogul, or an AristoCraft 2-8-0. These will better match the LGB cars, scale wise. The 2-8-0 is a reasonably accurate engine at 1:24. The LGB passenger cars and Mogul are of questionable scale. Their American NG freight cars scale out at 1:24. My guess is that in some dimensions the coaches will be closer to that scale as well. But as has been mentioned earlier, the length is compressed, so that can not be used do determine the approximate scale. But it is your railroad and if what ever you decide looks good to you, THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS.

Chuck


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

No one has mentioned Aristos 2-8-0 C-16, its 1/24ish scale means its a much closer match to the Bachmann or LGB coaches. Plus its a whole lot more affordable than the Bmann C-19 or the way expensive Accu version. 

The Aristo C-16 may take a little more detective work to find a shop that has one but its worth considering.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

V, I think that if you read my earlier posts in this thread, that I mentioned the AristoCraft 2-8-0 (C-16) more than once (three posts in this thread). All you have to do is go up one post. An earlier one included a link to Aristo's web site for the C-16. Chuck


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## Ted Yarbrough (Jan 2, 2008)

I have two of the Aristo C-16. They go great with LGB/Bachmann rolling stock. They are 1/24 scale. Aristo has them currently on sale from the factory (only two versions in stock). Be sure to get the latest one as they have been lowered from earlier Delton/Aristo versions and have a better 'Narrow Gauge' look to them.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry Chuck your right. guess I wasn't paying enough attention.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Accepted! Chuck


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