New Passenger Cars and Proto-freelancing

First of all, sorry for being absent for do long, not real good reason.  I have been building models and doing stuff to make a expansion on the layout that has not been worked on at all.  I just finished writing a review for NHRHTA Speedwitch publication  on the just released New Haven County cars made by Rapido.  They are typical of the previous released of the NH stainless steel cars already released by Rapido, excellent cars.

Now I model the Norwich and Worcester in 1958, and I wanted the baggage lounge parlors for the East Wind.  This is where proto freelancing comes in, I keep the traffic levels and trains from the early 1950's and use it for the late 1950's.  When the real East Wind stopped running in August of 1955, it was typically a 4 or 5 car consist including a heavyweight diner, with the B&M and the NH each supplying a heavyweight car to the pool.  The B&M supplied the Mountaineer, this car can be modeled with either the an old set of concord Jct brass car sides or a relatively new kit from Bethlehem Car Works.  The New supplied on of there standard heavyweight diners, either painted silver gray or silver gray with a green window band.  There are no models out that come close and it is a major kitbash.  I am hoping that BCW will release a NH standard diner, as they have already done the first class NH diner used on the Merchants Limited.  Neither of those car were ever painted silver gray.  The NH did use grill cars in the early 1950's, but again, not stainless steel grill cars around either.  I could use a full NH stainless diner, but that is not what I ended up doing.

I picked up an old school Walthers diner some one had built at a train show..  This is the old stamped metal sides, cast ends and wood floor.  The roof is plastic, and the rivet detail is great, making it one of the "newer" metal kits. Th instruction say is is good for the NH and the NYC, but I can't find any drawings or photos of a similar car on the NH.  I painted it a silver color and used correct black lettering to finish it up.  The interior is a 3d printed one I pickup off of eBay.  I numbered it 5249, one above the last NH heavyweight diner.  It makes a great stand it for short money.

There is a my signature passenger train for my railroad, the East Wind, with the signature cars on it. 

I hope to be better at posting as I continue to work on various projects.  There are lots of passenger cars yet to be built, maybe even a freight car or too!