RAILforum: Poll: Demand for Dome Car Kit.

This is topic Poll: Demand for Dome Car Kit. in forum Model Railroading at RAILforum.

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Posted by Challenger (Member # 1298) on :

Hello Everyone,

I am getting ready to scratch build a model of the Milwaukee Road's 85 foot Full Dome "Superdome" car.

A picture of this car can be found at http://trainweb.org/DOMEmain/picMILW58p.jpg

Since I require several cars for the endeavor, I intend on making tooling so I can make several copies out of casting resin. This has the benifent of making available a kit for a very difficult to get car that is presenly only avialable in Brass, or as a car side only kit. I am submitting this poll to you so that I may determin what demand if any there is for a kit of this car. This will in turn allow me to determin wheather or not to go through the hassles of producing a kit for the mass market.

I plan on selling the kit with what I consider the full delux package. The kit will have full interior, your choice of two different interior lighting wiring styles, and passengers. I also plan on selling this kit decorated in a broad range of prototype roadnames. A limited number of ready to roll cars will be available made from repaired deffective casts that I will assemble myself to ensure upmost in quality.

Here is a list of prototype roadnames that this car kit can be made for.

Milwaukee Road 1953 Hiawatha Scheme (Orange and Maroon

Milwaukee Road 1957 Scheme (Union Pacific Colors

Amtrak (Phase I - III)

Canadian National

VIA

Chessie Steam Special

Chicago & Northwestern

North Carolina Deparment of Transportation. (Amtrak Like Paint scheme)

Holland America (McKinley Exploror

Napa Valley Wine Train

The Projected price for this kit is approxamatly $35-45 dollars with the assembled versions being about $60. Keep in mind that The only ways to presently aquire this car is to aquire one in brass or to pay $40.00 just for the sides.

I anticipate the kit if I go through with it to be available by next summer.

Now that you have read this far, if you could please leave a response so that I may accuratly gauge demand for this car.

Sincerely

James.

Posted by Russ Bellinis (Member # 2377) on :

How much difference is there between that car and the Santa Fe "Big Dome."

Posted by Challenger (Member # 1298) on :

The differences Between Milwaukee Road's "Superdome" Cars and Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe's "Big Dome" Cars are many. For starters I draw your attention to the ends of the dome. On the "Superdome" they are more contoured and blended in to the end of the car. On the "Big Dome" the domes have a more pronounced start and end and stick up more from the top of the car than the "Superdome"

This can be seen in the following two pictures.

MILW Dome

ATSF Dome

Also the Milwaukee Road cars are made by Pullman Standard, and the ATSF cars are made by Budd. That leads to very signifigant differences of constrution.

There is presently a model of the ATSF car avialable. It is made by Bachmann and I find the car as manufactured to be very substandard compared to what we expect from today's manufacturors.

I am thinking about after doing the "Superdome" kit of doing the ATSF and GN full dome cars as well.

Glad I could make this clarification.

James

Posted by Jim (Member # 65) on :

What scale?

Posted by Southwest Chief (Member # 1227) on :

It would be nice to see this model, esspecially with an interior. I like full domes a lot, and there are not too many quality ones out there. I'd love a better version of the Santa Fe Big Dome than the Bachmann one.

I like the idea of decorated kits. Helps those who aren't the best painters/decalers.

Avaliable by next summer! That's pretty quick considering how long I've been waiting for the Train Station Products Hi-Level lounge. Been waiting about four years now for it, with no signs of any progress.

Hope you are successful with this endeavor.

Posted by Challenger (Member # 1298) on :

Hi guys,

Russ brought up a good point. The Scale would be in HO.

As for SWC's remarks, I was thinking of doing the Santa Fe car after I did the Milwakee car.

Glad I could clear things up.

James

Posted by MILWFAN (Member # 2434) on :

A Milwaukee Road Full dome? Never sell!
Just kidding Challanger. Put me down for atleat one, maby two.

Posted by CG96 (Member # 1408) on :

It all looks quite interesting, Challenger. I'd be a bit more inclined to get one or more of the domes in CNW colors. IHC has a CNW dome as a part of their CNW streamliner set, but no CNW train ener had a dome like the one in the set. A Super dome in pullman yellow & green? Sweet.

Ready To Answer All Bells and get underway,

CG96

Posted by Challenger (Member # 1298) on :

On the CNW Superdome.

THey got it for their business fleet in the late 70s. It was the only Dome Car CNW ever owned.

James