An Eastern Car Works Passenger Car

[nkp_174]

Sitting in front of me is an ECW 4-4-2 Sleeper kit. Also sitting in front of me is pg 6 of The Official Pullman-Standard Library Vol 2 New York Central.

The 4 Bedroom 4 Compartment 2 Drawing Room cars were built by Pullman for the 20th Century & Broadway Limiteds of 1938. The Pennsy added a few more in 1939. The were the Imperial series cars (names such as Imperial Court and Imperial Palace). While the NYC started off with more 4-4-2s than any other sleepers, they never reordered any beyond the first 14 of 1938. The were Lot 6540 and plan 4069 (A & C were PRR, B was NYC).

I knew in advance that the trucks are wrong on these models (the 1938 cars were equipped with the extremely distinctive Triple Bolster trucks...subsequent cars were of designs which all looked distinctive). But, I was curious as to the quality of the rest of the car. I'll share photos soon, but I guess that I'll use the following rule: An AHM era Rivarossi 4-6-4 will be pulling her, so she doesn't need to either be as accurate or as detailed as my South Park cars. I'll probably give her a basic interior more for fun than for showing others...I'll probably replace the "glass" she came with...maybe light her...and possibly attempt to built some correct trucks from scratch. The correct trucks were on the pilot 4-4-2 for Walther's new train (but they have the wrong trucks on the 4-4-2 currently on their website).

I assembled one of trucks just for fun...it rails fairly well...and I was pleased that it actually has 36" wheels (Rivarossi's cars had freight car wheels). Champs makes the correct decals for the '38 Century and I have a set on order. I think I'll nab a few more of these kits for service behind my J-3a. When I get a nicer J-3a, I'll build my highly accurate cars.

It is worth noting, that ECW offers a coach kit...as if it were part of the Century (coaches were too low class for both the Century and the Broadway in their primes...Pullmans only). Oddly, it isn't close to either of the only pre-war lightweight coach designs which the Central obtained from Pullman. One design had stainless steel fluting over Cor-10 steel (a nasty, rust inducing mistake) and the only smoothside coaches were the 2600 series (growing up, my dad restored and sold the real 2600). Equally as puzzling is that ECW doesn't offer a Cascade...the extremely common 10-5 sleepers...I saw one today, there is a C&O Cascade in Latonia, KY...the owner is both a good guy and an O-scaler.

When I get around to building her (after my decals arrive and I buy the correct paints...and wrap up a couple other projects), I'll post some construction pics here.

Both the 4-4-2 and 6-6-4 are reasonable for premier trains on a few different railroads...but the other cars (coach aside) are specific to the Century. The kit looks like an easy built (10min worth of filing & assembly), and the procedure is definitely to paint (and possibly letter) before assembly. For those whom care about it, they are 100% made in the USA.