Walthers 85' Horizon coaches

[Talltim]

I'm interested in a rake of these in MBTA livery, but being out of production they command a reasonable price. However having had a look at some pics they look very basic, especially the trucks, although the proportions look right. I've tried searching online to see what people think but not had much luck.

Does anyone have any of these (in any paint scheme) and could comment on the quality of them, good points and bad?

[Supaned]

I have a few of these in various commuter schemes (though none in MBTA). I can't comment on the overall accuracy of the bodywork , but certainly for Amtrak Horizon cars the doors and traps are incorrect - the Amtrak cars have barn-door type split doors and manual traps in the stepwells due to varying platform heights , whereas commuter cars (strictly speaking these are known as Comet cars) have powered sliding doors as the model represents.

 

The trucks/bogies are frankly awful - lots of friction due to the very basic design where the axle sits in a metal channel in the frame , held in place by a metal strip , with no bearings. I'm not sure if the Bachmann Amfleet trucks are any better , if I was looking to improve the Horizon car , the first thing to change would be the trucks.

 

The cab-cars also have very basic detailing at the driving cab ends in terms of horns etc.

 

Hope this is of use.

[Glorious NSE]

I used to have an MBTA set and as said, extremely basic - however they did look the part for shape/size/length, and the windows weren't awful. You might think of them along the lines of a bluebox loco...

[Talltim]

It's easier to detail than correct shape. You've basically confirmed my thoughts, the trucks sound the most work to sort. Trouble is, the price they go for nowadays is equivalent to top of the range stuff

[Glorious NSE]

Yep - i'd quite like some Amtrak ones to do a modern midwest 'corridor' train (Horizons being much more common than Amfleets in the midwest) - I don't think they will suffer from the truck issue (Amtrak's have different trucks) but even so the prices they are going for are OTT for the items.

 

Kinda hoping that Walthers follows up on their new Amfleets with new Horizons, but I think I could be waiting a while...

[HeavyDuty]

Rumor has it that Walthers is considering updating these cars - we can hope, as Martyn pointed out they are extremely common in my part of the country.

[JWB]

Frank Cicero had an article in the May 1995 RMC on detailing the comet commuter versions of these cars. I don't know what the current price is, and I loaded up on them when they were a drug on the market -- in the late 90s, I traveled enough on work assignments back east that I could find them at distress prices in hobby shops and now have more than a lifetime supply. IHP and Island Model Works have done the later versions of comet cars, too, and these might be a better bet if the prices on the Walthers cars have gone off the meter. Here are some Walthers cars I've done, in various stages of completion, based on the Frank Cicero article. I assume you can order this issue from Carstens; the underbody info is very worthwhile.

The CDOT cab car needs to have its right front window blanked like the MNCR car.

Adding horns and so forth based on photos is also a good first step, as is adding the decals from the kits.

 

[JWB]

Every once in a while there's a post that reminds me of fun projects I've let slide to the back burner. This is one -- I really love commuter stuff, having grown up in DL&W-EL territory first, then PRR-B&O in Maryland, now living in LA, which since 1992 has its own commuter rail. Here are two "finished" Walthers coaches non-CCU, with underbody detail and paint per the Frank Cicero article, diaphrams (different ones per each agency), decals added, and body mounted Kadees.

The NJT car also has now-out of production correct IHP trucks, but Frank Cicero has also pointed out how you can add 33 inch wheels to the Walthers trucks. I know Chris Gilbert and Nick Palette have seen the value of US style commuter operation on small shelf layouts.

Edited April 18, 2013 by JWB

[Talltim]

I've read varying reports on the running qualities of the IHP trucks too. Any comment?

 

Looks like I need to track down that Frank Cicero article!

[Supaned]

Tim , if you struggle to find the back issue with that article , I have a copy. PM me with your email and I could scan it for you,

[JWB]

Neither has especially good rolling qualities, but the other side of the coin is you aren't going to run very many of them, and you'll presumably have a heavy Athearn or Atlas type loco handling the train, so I don't think it's actually an issue.

[Talltim]

A useful view of a truck

http://photos.greatrails.net/showpic/?photo=200904182340524506.jpg&order=byrail&page=214&key=MBTA