The latest project is a "What If" train. The train is a BN version of the "Empire Builder" if Amtrak hadn't happened. The train has a BN SDP-40, F-7b, Baggage, Coach, Dome Coach, Diner, Full Dome Lounge, 6-5-2 Pullman and 10-6 Pullman. The Dome Coach and the 10-6 Pullman are Budd cars from the Burlington. In real life the Empire Builder would have been discontinued by BN around 1975 or so. The train has Athearn power and Walthers cars
Interesting idea, actually. But BN Passenger service IRL was discontinued in 1971, a year after merger actually. But I like this What If idea.
Didn't BN paint some of their passenger cars in the green/white BN paint color? I didn't follow Walthers cars closely but Walthers could certainly offer some in BN green couldn't they?
For the early part of their passenger year, they did. But most cars stayed in GN Empire Builder Orange or Big Sky Blue, CB&Q Stainless, and Northern Pacific Two-Tone Green. Hence why they call this the rainbow fleet.
I have videos of Rainbow trains from around the Twin Cities (not taken by me). Neat seeing the various livery but also seems sad at the same time. What always surprised me was how filthy the trains and especially the locos looked just prior to the BN merger and the Rainbow years that followed with BN and early Amtrak.....simply shameful.
In doing research on L&N passenger trains, I noticed this same thing just before and during the early Amtrak era. Filthy trains, bizarre combinations of early/modern cars, various road names. Looking on the bright side it does open up a lot of prototypically correct possibilities for what you can put in a consist. You can run just about anything and be correct!
What If All the cars except the baggage are on the property as are the locomotives. I used Walthers BN Green cars except tor the dome coach which is a Con-Cor Budd Dome with an interior added and new metal trucks. Quite a bit of BN Passenger equipment did get painted in the year BN ran passenger trains. The former CB&Q stainless steel cars had a name panel added on each side of the car where the BN name was painted on smooth side cars.
The train is long done. Just haven't taken any photos of it. Gonna have to buy a new digital camera. Both of mine are film cameras and I can't find film
As much as I loved my 35mm SLR, I had to retire it ten years ago. My favorite film was K64 and that went away. I had no interest in finding a substitute and in the long run, digital is much cheaper. Plus faster to get the images. So..... But I need a new digital these days, as 4MP is just not good enough.
Boxcab go to keh.com, you'll find a ton of good used digital cameras at some very good prices. Nikon D200 for about $250 for example, a 10mp camera that I use a lot. Have two of them in fact. Plenty of good used inventory, a great place to do business with. Rick H.
