I have been seriously modeling the New Haven Railroad for over 40 years. The excitement of the E&B Valley Osgood Bradly, then the 8600 stainless steel coaches and county cars made the possibility of making New Haven passenger trains for a high school / collage student a possibility. Brass cars were way out of my price range. E&B Valley (later Eastern Car Works) also made a series of Pullman Standard smooth side lightweight passenger cars, a 4-4-2, 6-6-4, coach diner and obs. Why am I rambling on about this? I came a cross four of these cars I built years ago, but do not plan on keeping. I dawned on me I have a bunch of Concord Jct and NKP Company brass car sides. I also have a stash of Train Starion Products 41-BNO trucks that work great on these cars.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSE-8JjstKGUwxZ_bH57z6vPQUlZhu2H9pmeDpYcyRNbtwR3n_bh748eBu_NIlhlaR0U1dHdlQipq6CGrm4cjg_MH8A4O_EDtQRChkbMkUz3NeWShWiHI30nHh2eQtk14OqPe7-oIbo3807EshIkAZ4vBwxFNtS2YIDMEKvu9lpbpbfFb35E1imSraLW6/w300-h400/20230908_170623_resized.jpg) |
Here is the underframe. I added .030 thick styrene strips to each side to compensate for the thinner brass sides from the original plastic. The floor drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws for trucks and couplers.
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FH6jZV-4iIfIr4JpYGRIJ1fWh3076lffyg2dwwuVgd5I8vv8PfFl8OpkRdve039J_C1s7L9gDEjDxH9O5xZHyKWO1AvG0SAkGjCpqBwp5Vszd6BsUuA7JSUNvkLkq4AtibqZtHqM7c48ETc9Fp8T0RpLATYLYeSG7yqfhmWNB-lWpDlHJA53sgHdm1TQ/w400-h300/20230910_123145_resized.jpg) |
Here is the roof before I added the .030 styrene to the taps on the side. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcgfzt6UG5Zmv3jL6A5tXmuYPplFeg8gHliGpBfZ8rB3GRbogYtu499BjAB2bgj8ImWOwoGmgGi2pnf2TeopGG1f3ig-sM46g3Nu5fDBrzjJcyquieYtEgy_sRJ8o4jvfhYs3fvGj5UedTNN1_E9Tv1Zp3-o96MITMAUqXWYCM1gEFgDS7cSxqwijTLUK/w400-h300/20230910_123040_resized.jpg) |
When adding the .030 strips, make sure to lave a blank area for the vestibule window. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOIFohkPaZ_Gh5AUXlPh92sshTaoBQ_fhrm7lfkVRAW5pTY0nzOkdxeVId9qM_DeI41Pq3fKh7eX1b7fgMU-TpZqPY1w99CKBOF83ITIhay_FGoKtPfvobnAGNTrYFe_UgGF5TAEnJcFJXwZw0UtecStLMgeY_5JcaqBQzeGoipOgLw1IXRxhjM4xz6YB/w300-h400/20230910_123021_resized.jpg) |
Here is the roof with the styrene
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRpLDpL83Wa0vMk9VOfcyBYIJxTWrFU12lSaP0_YwFY9uyePprf2gvCjZ2LMb3iZpZ8dWVTHD-RJXbdM8Nrjr_hFM1fW0Uy6jfclRm_z-hBlBVQ226Cm3QJuwDgEa1ncq18TeIa-zkNA7fJFc9naL81Q3X7jXWL4-AjudgNN4GHphDdpTGwoADh56-a2m/w300-h400/20230908_172206_resized.jpg) | I glued one end to each side making sure to maintain a 90 degree angle. |
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9pQU-5ta2s_i1rJVAbUDn6x2pnvy1zoQAEeL4L50foP6viVexUew7Z9eDad4xvYukHTxcABfQH3g-pSo5jG2dSKnjlC73aZsYg28injcVvGhGbxccoM7lvLxFrbAwLa2C7SFCWhwavGdvzSZhaGLk7gL5rdQNWWGGsJGatXOsP_JQSrDRyleU3nJqQC5/s320/20230912_122604_resized.jpg) |
Here I am clamping the two sides to the floor. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_-hn7nZaTWEDcsqj4TRIMdGq23l9Z8DUDrcNG_Kq5yirVo_V_bN8OY0EhQ6Fmhh_SSDAAqkRI9phxf1T4LhLuDr1t71WNcIhTiIUCu9px6SntF_GJTPd2g2qch_IjqzOyqshn_UgweaIE8l_b60drZ8fURNwakmx4zJ3bK28KMcLqtWIrFULIBR_8qm_/w400-h300/20230908_193419_resized.jpg) |
Here are two cars with the roofs temporally added. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTooqQse7HUB11AsDlm2vf1VDMKoeRoZjxBSHmPYVX4cOFNyI53xUljhuCwpXjxYfbYmOArYvX8ObnvQUdKJkNKNXuPx5JlI8klrMXAI0GlxNKgz9CpcZzCcBR3mn8-yjp0_LMhmgI-sgkuZwg3t--FpjBZdx6nS4z09ZTARJkSB4ydEpyJ9nCMw3APAAa/w300-h400/20230913_090800_resized.jpg) |
Here are the diaphragms I use for the cars, I would recommend the ones molded in black. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_grAQvioPwENJni0RbMB3DVZ9qZ5k50Jl8MfgfI-M7W5Yohn9us6Hfap7wsir5A5AR8-jeYNtUFrw71aUKcr79WEeXKaTMixBClknaHORB14r8dgoAiwafETNjwzIzGSIUlLAIxNkKa7Ofh_5HaS2RQyakMe6G8rRUWB01GnYlUCRuybxrCGWzRQScXzf/w300-h400/20230913_085524_resized.jpg) |
Here are the partially built diaphragms. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAJ2eU-HewWdtrN69f93-JgLO3JwBJFf5qeu87-m34Pctop15ywTq1F1LNUKrvlB9-FpylsdrVnQzYuDcV7HQHYB71zTvq7muM2kCa96ylsWjhndbGjzzitVPMPwo_nL4HTa6d9o1jqbjrkly75md8fGCWDUom_ptMchW9LPpJVcyzGAJmNjID8Uxs7yy/w300-h400/20230913_090727_resized.jpg) |
Here are the TSP truck kit. |
Here is Allens Point. It is one of the very few cars that got the
revered logo, a black NH on a red field.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SMIIvFaHU4H6eXqWFzXssH5YE9pNxciI3A2rNXrv4THTZ3lbQkELMLLlHkc6ope4aIOUaPuXZ39NoSLX5CHbk2aUM05MAf_ayT5ZtM137qZ2PJBS27iHRiifhZU3qipARLUbVNxg-W4NUdL8A0S0vKnlOl1ix_gliuXvNYztHY-uxQqiNYlQrSMusKeu/w400-h170/20230913_102750_resized.jpg) |
Here are three cars. I built two per what I just wrote up, the third I did a while ago using a TSP core kit. |
This was a fun way to clean up stuff that is sitting around the train room, not going out and buying Walthers PS cars saved a lot of money (and time). These may no be sate of the art cars form Rapido or Walthers, but the look good on the layout and I am not waiting for somebody to bring them out in HO scale. If you don't have or can not find the brass sides, Union Starion Products makes the sides in styrene.