Travel Club

First off sorry for the long delay, I have been spending time doing home projects and yard work and have taken a bit of a break from modeling.  I have jumped back in and completed the Pullman Travel Club. This car is an 8 section / Restaurant car and in the late 1950's was in Pullman Pool service. During the 1950's these cars were regulars on the New Haven, B&M, and MEC during the summer.  They were used on the Bar Harbor Express and the Night White Mountains. 

This is from the April 1957 NH Consist Book.

This is from the April 1955 NH Consist Book

The two pages above come from the Kratville Pullman
Car Catalogue.

I wanted to build one of these cars as it needed for one of the trains that will run on the layout, The Bar Harbor Express and it is a neat looking car with the Kitchen widows and the end windows. This is one of those all in one cars that Pullman created during the depression to help railroads cut costs. One car has sections, light food service, lounges seats and solarium style end windows, reducing the need for a full diner and/or lounge car. 

After reviewing the available plastic models, I choose to kitbash the car out of a Walther's solarium and a 10-1-2. Everything from the vestibule to end of 8 sections is straight from the 10-1-2. The balance of the care is pieced forgather from the solarium, left over parts from the 10-1-2 and some New England Rail Services windows. To plan it out I made photo copies of the sides and cut them up to plan it out. 

This is the kitchen side

This is the aisle side

After the car is planned, the cutting begins.  For someone new to kitbashing, this is the most nerve racking part of a build. The thought of cutting up expansive models that could be total ruined is not pleasant.  The good news is that if you watch eBay or go to local train shows you maybe able to pick up these models very inexpensively.

I will cover the balance of the build in my next posting.  The good news is I finished the car already so there will be no long delay.