# An AMS Observation Car modification



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

First, let me say that this is not based on any actual Parlour Car of the D&RGW as they all had closed vestibules on the front end but I wanted something that represented the end or "observation" car for my passenger train. To this end, I chose an AMS coach to modify. I was only looking to modify the back end by adding a fancy railing, a lighted drumhead and some marker lights. I was able to procure the railing from Great American Locomotion. The marker lights from Accucraft and the drumhead from ebay and I'm not sure who manufactured it! The railing went on pretty easilly and then I had an accident and snapped the styrene at the base (it got bumped my me trying to get something out of the interior through the doorway rather than taking the time to unscrew all of the screws and take it apart correctly. Hard lesson learned.) Unfortunately, this made a couple of the posts bend slightly and I wasn't going to start all over again! I'll just have to live with it.

The windows in back really show off the interior which was an unanticipated developement! By that I mean that you can see everything....including the tabs that are screwed together to hold the sides, the wiring that goes to the lighting and the non-detailed plastic windows that really don't look a bit realistic from the inside out! Even though I thought I was through with the car, it would now seem that I may have to give it a shot at detailing an interior for the car! If I'm going to do that then I will turn this "Observation Car" into a "Chair Car" which is the closest actual "specialty" car to my model! In either case, I have an RPO to build so it will have to go on the back burner. Still, even with the rough edges and the unfinished interior, I think it came out okay. The pictures point out a lot of detail that the ordinary eye doesn't see when it's on the track. The car does what I want it to do which is provide a unique car that can be the end of my passenger train and that is essentially what I want.

The camera was not using a flash so all of the dust and fingerprints really show up in the picture. In real life the windows look clear.










The one drawback to styrene railing is it's fragility. The railing is actually straight but the angle of the shot makes it look crooked. The base on the corner _is_ bent however (note to self: _don't _take shortcuts!!)










Here you can see that the new windows really expose all of the interior details!


----------



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

I was able to find out that the drumhead was manufactured by Tomar Ind. The design is for the "San Juan" train but it is very well done. Accucraft has one for the "San Juan" train as well and I have it somewhere but I just can't find it!!


----------



## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve, This guy is on the "Evil Bay" he may have one or can get one or make one or guide you to one!!! Regal


G ACL Drumhead for Aristo-craft Bachmann Passsenger Car - eBay (item 400138720365 end time Nov-20-10 12:05:07 PST)


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve

Not trying to be picky, but in the middle picture looking at the railing gates. They look to be opposite one another; the one in the foreground has the finials with the curve pointing out: while the one in the background has them pointing in. It's like one of them is upside-down to the other.


----------



## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Kudos Steve on a great looking job! You might want to try "frosting" the rear windows with a fancy Victorian design. Just a thought.


----------



## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Looks really good Steve, nice touch to finish that car. 

Chris


----------



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Ohhhh _crud!!_ You're right! (_That's_ why it looked "off" to me....) I have two more gates so I guess I could do some more surgery (*sigh) I must be going senile... Frosting the windows with a neat decal...hmmm! I may just do that! Thanks!! (Now to call Stan...)


----------



## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice!
I've been looking for a fancy metal set of rails with no luck.
I knew about GAL's, but was hesitant about the fragility of styrene.
Maybe some fancy pull down shades, about half way down would, as if the sun was setting behind the train, would look nice.
jb


----------



## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Steve you could add either some slatted shades, or draped curtains for the rear windows to reduce the view therough them?


----------



## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Great job and nice pics!


----------



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

I think I'll check with my references (CRRM #25: Narrow Gauge Varnish) about what the D&RGW used with _Chair Car_ (Yes, there really _was_ a specialty coach called that!) and see what they did. If curtains were used, that would definitely hide a multitude of "unsightly" details! Thanks for the suggestions! As to the fragility of styrene, the railing is actually rather robust! It comes in one large rear section and two gates that have to be glued together. There is also two pieces that attach to the car body to which the gate is supposed to "latch" to. The whole thing is not as robust as a Bachmann or LGB railing but it's somewhere in the same ballpark. It definitely beats trying to fashion one out of wire and solder (but only because I don't have the talent to do it!)


----------



## Big Tracks (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve, 

This car is beautiful..do you have photos of the build to share? Interested to see how you did the window trim. You beat AMS for the next car. Did the drum head come from Accucraft? 

Richard


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve, 

A beautiful job. I find cutting windows in the ends is a real pain, but yours looks great!

The one drawback to styrene railing is it's fragility. The railing is actually straight but the angle of the shot makes it look crooked. The base on the corner is bent however (note to self: don't take shortcuts!!) 

Yes, I found that too when I helped Alan at G.A.L. to make them. The legs were designed to fit the two outer holes (after you remove the brass end rails) and then in two new holes to be drilled in the platform. 
This is a pic from my construction notes showing where the holes were drilled (small blue cricles with red arrows.) [Email me if you want a copy.] The green circles are the original holes that need opening up for the legs of the railings. I blanked the center holes with a piece of styrene (inset pic). I also cut off the original bosses on the platform with that Exacto chisel, but realised afterwards I could have left the end ones on. The ones on the holes I didn't use got re-used on the new railings. The original hole that I didn't need got an nbw glued into it.














Here you can see that the new windows really expose all of the interior details! 

Yep - maybe etching would help I once covered a bathroom wondow with an etched glass design I found on the internet - I searched for 'etched glass windows'. I printed it out on a clear label and then cut it to size (after 6 attempts to print it the size I wanted!) Here's a couple of designs that I found: 























If you could persude a printer to just print the black lines on that first design it might hide some of the interior?


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Steve,
Very cool dude Very cool

Looks great.


----------



## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

That's exactly what I had in mind!


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

this is not based on any actual Parlour Car of the D&RGW as they all had closed vestibules on the front end 

Steve, 

I was thinking about that, and remembered B-3 "Nomad", which has a closed vestibule on one end and an observation platform on the other. (Was that what you meant?) Someone asked about doing the sides for it, and G.A.L. offered to cut parts if anyone wanted one. There were no takers, but the car would be an obvious conversion possibility. 

Alan at G.A.L. would be happy to cut the parts to make a closed vestibule at one end, if you'd like to go that route. He already did a complete end, with windows like yours, for his business car project.


----------



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the design! I'm going to try to duplicate it onto a decal sheet. I'm not really interested in a closed vestibule end as none of my other cars have a closed vestibule so I think I'll pass this time on the GAL offer. I am going to make this car into _"Chair Car" _eventually. The drum head is from Tomar Ind. (whoever that is) and is slightly smaller than the Accucraft one that can be ordered separately. I liked it because it was a "San Juan" drumhead! The windows were cut out with a dremel tool and file. The moulding around the windows was made with extra parts leftover from my Rio Grande UK kits.


----------

