MDC/Roundhouse Palace Cars question

A strong indication of the identity of the cars is found on the info in the kit. The supplied dry transfers include the names "Ben Avon", "Ben Lomond", and "Brazito", and the RRs: ATSF, Rock Island, UP, and Tonopah & Tidewater. The kit instructions mention that the information used to make the models came from the 1906 Car Builders Dictionary and from Arthur Dubin's "Some Classic Trains".

"Brazito" was a 7 Compartment - 2 Drawing Room sleeper built by Pullman to plan 1845 on 9/25/1902 in lot 2926. There is a good broadside builders photo of the car on page 232 of "Some Classic Trains", the caption of which indicates it was one of a group of 20 cars, 10 of which were assigned to the ATSF for use on the California Limited and other top trains, and 10 to the Rock Island for the Golden State. There is a floor plan of this car on the MDC instruction sheet, which was apparently copied from figure 169 in the

1906 Car Builder's Dictionary. The dictionary also includes the photo of the car used by Dubin (fig. 130) and two interior photos of "Brazito", of the corridor (fig. 128) and of a section (fig. 129) captioned as on "Brazito" but obviously of another car.

The "Ben Avon" and "Ben Lomond" were 10 Section - Observation - Lounge cars built by the Pullman Car Works (Calumet Shops) to plan 1434B in lot 2483. "Ben Avon" was built on 11/27/1899, and "Ben Lomond" on 11/14/1899. Other names in the series were "Ben Alder", "Ben Arthur", "Ben Doran", "Ben Hope", and "Ben Nevis" (I think all are Scottish mountains, and one of the earliest uses of a series name by Pullman). "Some Classic Trains" has a 3/4 photo of "Ben Avon" across pages 232-233, and confirms the car was used by the Santa Fe on its limiteds.

I have had less luck specifically identifying the combination Buffet-Smoker-RPO or the Diner. In spite of MDC's claim that the data came from the 1906 Dictionary, it appears the arch window style of the MDC cars was already becoming dated in 1906, as most of the cars shown have square topped windows. None of the illustrated combines or diners have arched windows. Same in the ATSF section of "Some Classic Trains", and none in the CRI&P section. There is a pix on pg. 176 in the UP Overland Limited article of combination Buffet #711, which has the same window arrangement at the MDC car, but the MDC car has 5 5' wide arched windows on the right side, while the #711 (front to back) a 4' arched window, a 5', and then 3 more 4'. This may have been a simplification by the MDC die maker. "The Trains We Rode Vol I" by Beebe and Clegg has a long section on the ATSF California Limited, including several turn-of-the-century interior photos, but none help ID the other two cars. The T&T article in "Railroads of Nevada & Eastern California Vol II" by Myrick has 1 pix of a T&T derailment showing a car of the same arch and oval window ilk, but it does not specifically match any of the MDC cars.

Hope this helps you. If you find out any more about the combine and diner, please let me know (remove the "nospam"). Gary Q

I bought my kits about 8 years ag, one of each. This was before MDC reworked the mold. The roofs were pathetic.

You mentioned that MDC included a floor plan for the sleeper. Interestingly enough each one of my kits include instructions for the observation car only. So much for quality control. ;-/

Jeff

Your comment aroused my interest. I have two sets of the cars, one obtained back when they were initially released, and a second set of train show bargains I couldn't pass up. One of the "newer" cars has a generic instructions sheet (marked "Rev. 12/84") with an exploded view of the obs overprinted "typical", which may be what you have, and would explain why all your kits have the same plans. The earlier kits have unique instruction sheets. These do have an interior floorplan for each of the cars, but all have the same text. If it would help you, I can scan these and send you jpg's. Gary Q

Interestingly

Gary,

I would really appreciate it if you could scan and send them.

Thanks,

Jeff