Walthers HO Scale Metroliners

[MP85 803]

CPQ-GRAY-11FR-25_SMTP_via_LDAP_04-30-2014_13-51-55.pdf

Attached is a photograph from the mid 1970's of a Northbound Metroliner going over Pelham Bay with all cars painted in the phase I scheme. This was taken from Co-op City during a period when some of the Metroliners ran through to New Haven.

[Backshophoss]

Nice shot,thanks for sharing,believe that was eveing Metroliner that overnighted at New Haven for the
early am run to DC.

[cnj1524]

Upgrade parts for metroliner,,http://modelmemories.com/ventpic.htm

[tmurray]

Upgrade parts for metroliner,,http://modelmemories.com/ventpic.htm

Too bad it's not the correct length

[cnj1524]

That's why it SAYS PRE PRODUCTION

[tmurray]

That's why it SAYS PRE PRODUCTION

Yes, I read that. There's no note stating that it's going to be corrected. If it is, there also no note stating that one might have to relocate the Bell roof antenna either. Do you work for Model Memories? If so, that would be wonderful news that the part is being corrected and means I'll actually order them.

[MP85 803]

I sent an email to Model Memories with several photographs and diagrams that showed that their product was too short (looks to be at least 10 scale ft.) as well as the wrong number of openings facing the front and rear. This is the response I received:


"Thanks for the email and information. As you probably know, things change for a variety of reasons. We are not experts on every variation in prototype design. Apparently, over time, the vents did change. We designed our vents based on photos that had grill openings as we built them. The pre-production and final design did not change, the photos accurately represent the product."

Don Silberbauer
Model Memories, LLC

[ApproachMedium]

When they put the roof vent on, didnt some of the stuff under the car go up there? So wouldnt you need to remove some under car components?

[tmurray]

When they put the roof vent on, didnt some of the stuff under the car go up there? So wouldnt you need to remove some under car components?

Yes, it did indeed.

The response from Model Memories is unfortunate and will, obviously, result in lost sales. Don's products have been very good in the past.

[cnj1524]

Is the Parlor Car letters A Decal or is it Etched in??

[green_elite_cab]

Lets be fair, a rebuilt metroliner is no walk in the park. The roof hump is just one of your worries.

You'll also have to fill in the side air intakes (only the very early PC rebuilds retained these, and they did not have this kind of roof hump), and modify the underframe and repaint it black.

Also, in the photos, the piece isn't THAT short. The real problem is that he mounted the thing too far back. If you move it forward, it fills in a little more properly.

[tmurray]

Lets be fair, a rebuilt metroliner is no walk in the park. The roof hump is just one of your worries.

You'll also have to fill in the side air intakes (only the very early PC rebuilds retained these, and they did not have this kind of roof hump), and modify the underframe and repaint it black.

Also, in the photos, the piece isn't THAT short. The real problem is that he mounted the thing too far back. If you move it forward, it fills in a little more properly.

He didn't. That's the unfortunate part, as it sits very close the the pantograph. It should be long enough to cover the Bell antenna (about 8 feet longer as a previous poster has noted) and the angles on it are also very visibly incorrect. The positioning in the prototype photo I posted shows how it should sit. There were only two styles of roof blisters, the first one residing on the four prototypes, but it was the same length as the later "official one."

What appears to have been done was to condense it as to not disturb the cast-on antenna. It seems strange, as the very market that would want such a thing has offered to assist in getting it right but the manufacturer has refused.

Yup, the intakes need to be plated over and the underbody needs work; but this would've been a huge help. At least we can thank Walthers for getting the cars and paint correct.

Metroliner.jpg (288.24 KiB) Viewed 4201 times

[MACTRAXX]

TM and Everyone:

Good information - along with pictures - of Walther's Metroliner cars...

Both of the pictures show the 1979 rebuild variation basically - the Amtrak color scheme used on those cars was Scotchlite reflectorization...

The PRR original color scheme was simply Scotchlite PRR heralds and the red "pinstripe" - The only thing that PC did was place their PC herald
which was black graphic print on either a thin piece of plastic that was glued in place or a white piece of Scotchlite which was placed in some
cases right over the original PRR Keystones...Amtrak used the same two backgrounds early on before a group of cars got the Phase One color
scheme - with the equal parts red/white/blue front ends...

There were four cars originally rebuilt with the roof bulge - which was for air intakes and dynamic brake resistor grids to be relocated from
underneath - and car #820 would get the Scotchlite "Amtrak" across the front that would be standard on the 1979 rebuilds...

Another feature of note that the 1979 rebuilds added were larger marker lights - at one point there was a rule that MU equipment with the
tiny original marker lights would use a dim headlight at the rear during Conrail days...

Another thought: Does anyone have any of Bachmann's late 70s era HO Metroliners to compare with the Walthers cars?
Are they as accurate as the Walthers cars look to be?

MACTRAXX

[tmurray]

I've got both of the previous Bachmann ones, the 70's run and the mid-late 80's ones.
The 70's run has the truck centers spaced too far apart. It was fixed on the later run with the pancake motor.
Comparatively, their detail is crude. The windows aren't great, but the dimensions overall are okay on the coach (the one body style they did).