11-18-2016, 12:08 PM
Hey guys,
Not much done, but I DID customize this Metroliner. #820 was the test car for the Amtrak "Billboard" front. While it would eventually become "standard" on the "Phase II" painted cars, #820 wore this billboard a few years prior to the widespread adoption of the Phase II paint scheme.
It was shaping up to be a difficult project until I found a spare Phase II cab I could repaint. I also discovered that the Tru-Color paint and thinner cleanly removes the Walthers lettering while leaving the paint intact. While this was a pleasant surprise for cleanly removing the Amtrak striping from the cab sides, this could have melted the Billboard face! I ended up using Polly Scale Reefer White instead. Fortunately, my masking held and I put on a clean coat of paint!
Once the end was repainted, I just swapped the ends on a regular PC coach. It only has 4 "pins" and a lighting harness holding it in, so it was relatively easy to swap the faces of the car.
It definitely adds some color to these cars. The more I study them, the more I realize few even had Amtrak patches. Most literally ran blank with no markings at all after the end of the Penn Central era.
Forgive the poor cell phone pictures. I have a few other repaint/alterations of a few other models on the way too.
![[Image: 20161117_224751_001.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202016/20161117_224751_001.jpg)
![[Image: 20161117_224716.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202016/20161117_224716.jpg)
Not much done, but I DID customize this Metroliner. #820 was the test car for the Amtrak "Billboard" front. While it would eventually become "standard" on the "Phase II" painted cars, #820 wore this billboard a few years prior to the widespread adoption of the Phase II paint scheme.
It was shaping up to be a difficult project until I found a spare Phase II cab I could repaint. I also discovered that the Tru-Color paint and thinner cleanly removes the Walthers lettering while leaving the paint intact. While this was a pleasant surprise for cleanly removing the Amtrak striping from the cab sides, this could have melted the Billboard face! I ended up using Polly Scale Reefer White instead. Fortunately, my masking held and I put on a clean coat of paint!
Once the end was repainted, I just swapped the ends on a regular PC coach. It only has 4 "pins" and a lighting harness holding it in, so it was relatively easy to swap the faces of the car.
It definitely adds some color to these cars. The more I study them, the more I realize few even had Amtrak patches. Most literally ran blank with no markings at all after the end of the Penn Central era.
Forgive the poor cell phone pictures. I have a few other repaint/alterations of a few other models on the way too.
![[Image: 20161117_224751_001.jpg]](http://s543.photobucket.com/user/CAB_IV/media/Model%20Trains%202016/20161117_224751_001.jpg.html)
![[Image: 20161117_224716.jpg]](http://s543.photobucket.com/user/CAB_IV/media/Model%20Trains%202016/20161117_224716.jpg.html)
Modeling New Jersey Under the Wire 1978-1979.
![[Image: logosmall.png]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202013/logosmall.png)
![[Image: More%2BMountains.JPG]](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCPhqhiCmbQ/WC_D_4ZbA3I/AAAAAAAACZM/h4ZkUpga_aAbqkqNG5FJrBJt--A8KePVgCLcB/s1600/More%2BMountains.JPG)
![[Image: now%2Bwith%2Btrees.JPG]](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sT_TlDMW9jI/WC_tqHoRHAI/AAAAAAAACZc/aQ-1Zj6XRmcNNLgoBxUmlP-PtAFO2ze4QCLcB/s1600/now%2Bwith%2Btrees.JPG)
![[Image: dsc01438u2stu.jpg]](http://abload.de/image.php?img=dsc01438u2stu.jpg)
![[Image: 50ea6e6f-1a89-4af8-971f-fb896ca87f2d_zpsdztjzbjo.jpg]](http://s36.photobucket.com/user/mogul91/media/50ea6e6f-1a89-4af8-971f-fb896ca87f2d_zpsdztjzbjo.jpg.html)
