BNSF business in Cajon

Here's a shot of a BNSF business train in Cajon pass last year in the midst of the triple-tracking at the summit.  Sorry, I don't have any details about the train, just the project. 

Construction technology 100 years ago said "tunnel through".  Nowdays, instead of multiple bores, they just cut the top off the mountain.  The tunnel had a thin concrete liner, but once the mountain was removed from around it, the concrete started crumbling whenever a train rolled through, so they cut off the top half of the liner.  The photo was taken by Warren Smith.

Another reason they are

Another reason they are cutting back some of the mountains where tunnels went through is because Southern California has had so many earth quakes in the past 60 years that many of the tunnels are shifting and cracking and they have found in many cases it's cheaper to tear down the mountain than rebuild or enlarge these Tunnels especially when the tunnel is very short through a smaller mountain and the fact they are re-routing and adding to the number of tracks through the Sierras. My fathers company has a number of contracts to build new and widen older railroad right-of-way. My father said they want to put the super fast comutter trains running up and down the coast and they have to run on some new kind of round top rails with concave wheels on the trains. Has anybody ever heard of this kind of track? It's new to me!!

BNSF business cars on the Peavine line in Arizona

There are some photos of BNSF business cars on the Peavine line (Phoenix sub) in Arizona on Aeromoe's Guide to Railfanning the BNSF Peavine. Just scroll down a bit.

modeling a daylit tunnel

It would beat the track maintenance headache within the tunnel.  If anyone's truly interested, I'll scounge up a few more photos.  

edit:  Started a separate thread showing tunnel daylighting:    

  https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/daylighting-a-tunnel-12185716

Pictures of BNSF cars in 2007

Can't help you with your questions, but I took some pictures of a BNSF business train in Seattle back in 2007.  You can see more of the pictures here.

http://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh230/pwkrueger/2007%20BNSF%20business%20train/

I've seen the BNSF business train a number of times in So Cal.

I've never seen it with either a big dome or high level cars before.  I had thought that all of Santa Fe's big domes and El Capitan high level cars had been turned over to Amtrak.  Learn something new everyday I guess.

Possibly Great Northern cars?

Didn't Great Northern (and Milwaukee) have "Great Dome" cars as well?

They might be Great Northern cars, then?

Did the Great Northern have high level coaches too?  Those high level cars do look a bit different from El Capitan equipment, but I'm not sure what the difference is.

Not high level

Those don't appear to be high level - they may have 2 floors but the doors between the cars appears to be on the first level.  On the El Capitan/Superliner equipment they're on the second level.

I took the train from

I took the train from Baltimore MD to NY City last year and we rode in a car that looked just like the one in your photo and when you enter the car from the Dinner car there was a stair way that spiraled up to the left and you end up maybe 4 feet higher than we started and you can sit anywhere un-occupied and look out the Dome windows you can also Eat dinner there or have drinks. Also as you enter the car on the right of the spiral stairway is a door that's says "No entry unless with porter Baggage stowage " We had two bags in there and there was a set of 3 steps down then turn left and down 3 more steps and walk into a cor-adore with what looked like 10 rooms and our bags were in the 3rd room. I don't know if this is the same type car but it does look like it.

Dan

Thanks Jeff.

I knew there was something about those cars that didn't look right for an El Capitan car, but I just couldn't remember what it was.  Does anyone know the background on those cars?

The two Full domes are from

Thanks Josh

I didn't know that GN had big domes until reading this thread, I just presumed it was a Santa Fe big dome.  I was pretty sure that the high level chair cars I was looking at weren't originally Santa Fe or Amtrak.  I had forgotten about the S.P. cars used on the S.F. Peninsula in commuter service behind the Trainmasters even though I lived a few blocks from the tracks on in Belmont and later moved to San Carlos while I was in high school.

BNSF xATSF Full dome

The xATSF full dome that is now BNSF #31 existed in the Santa Fe biz car fleet for years up until being relettered & renumbered for the BNSF. The threater/full dome car that was xBN was originally GN from what I read.

Dave

Great Dome Theater Car

Check out page 150 of the current Walthers catalog. TrainStation Products offers two kits. First one for the smooth side BN Glacier View and the second for the fluted BNSF version. Parts 732-860 and 861 respectively. I haven't seen either kit or assembled car, but since I live in Milwaukee I would be happy to bop over to Walthers and have them pull them for me to look at and send my impressions of them to you. I have contemplated the kits myself. I'm guessing you'd end buying the Walthers car as well. I may be wrong, but believe the kits were intended to use the Bachman car as a core. If the sides fit I think the Walthers car would be the choice. The Kato car by the way almost certainly used the CB&Q business car  Burlington as it's prototype also named Burlington Northern briefly before all BN business cars were named into river series ala NP. I'm still amazed that Kato never produced as a Q car with all the other goofy schemes they have produced.  Good Luck on the project keep us posted. - Bill

SKYKOMISH RIVER

Riss - Check out the website for Ozark Mountain Railcar. They own former BNSF business car Stevens Pass. It was Skykomish RIver on the GN and on the BN and BNSF fleet it was known as Stevens Pass. Sleeping Cars were "pass" series. Lots of good pictures for detailing. I also forgot to mention I would look at shim brass for your letterboards. Shim stainless is also out there somewhere although it might look funny against the painted plastic. If you need to apply fluting to a smooth side car I would look at at applying overlays of photo eched sides or the fluted parts of them. I believe Athabasca in Canada and others have car sides with P/S and Budd fluting.- Bill

BNSF Glacier View

Here's Al Krug's photos of a BNSF business train, with theatre dome car "Glacier View" and a power car.

http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/biztrain/biztrain.htm

For stainless, you can use film.

Model car modelers have a film that they use for chrome trim.  It is a very thin foil with glue on the back side and can be burnished on similar to dry transfer decals.  It is available in a variety of metal types.  Off hand I remember chrome and stainless, I think there might be nickel as well, and it seems there are a few other types that are gone from my memory right now.  MicroMark carries them and so do most general purpose hobby shops.

I saw this product at a Hobby

I saw this product at a Hobby shop a couple weeks ago and they had Brass, Chrome, Stainless, New Metal (Steel), and Copper and they were on 5" X 8" sheets and I have no real Idea how much it costs I think it was $8.50 for 4 pieces but I really don't know for sure.

Dan

Bare-Metal

It's called Bare Metal foil and it's been around at least since the 60's. The closest I can desribe it is self adhesive gum wrapper foil. They have a good website at bare-metal.com with uses and instructions.

There's Alclad II paints too.

Thanks Josh that's a product

Thanks Josh that's a product I have never paid attention to, I have seen it in the aircraft paints section at hobby shops or I have seen the bottles and never looked to see what they are.

Dan

Alclad ll Paints

  If you can get your hands on the July 2003 Model Railroader there's a good article on Alclad and another on standards for operating passenger cars in general. I would also recommend their website and user's websites. Our modeler friends in the airline and jet fighters department have done more experimentation in reproducing polished metal surfaces.

Long awaited updates!

Well as it has been awhile since I last posted. Things have come around a bit! So far ive replaced my 2 undec. cars with 2 santa fe cars. I was able to hunt down the diner from the walthers super chief set, and the coach went on sale at walthers also. So far the "Santa fe" has been removed and BNSF across the top is in place. Starting this week, I will be cutting the small number boards, the herald boards and hopefully get the name boards stretched out. Im going to be using .10 styrene for all this. I figured is a tad bit thicker then whats on there, but not overly thick. The name boards are going to be a little more detailed, I found in my junk some very thin styrene sheet, trim the ends and marry them to .10 piece of styrene. That way there shouldnt be any sag when glued on. Finally, thanks to my lovely wife and son, aquired an older Lambert Brass Santa Fe full dome shell. Im figuring out the truck issues to make it look right, and will need a donor car for the interior and window glazing. I did find some minor discrepencies in the ELS decals, mostly font and size issues which have been addressed for all future sets. And found out the hard way about drilling holes into the walthers cars can be a pain, where the dimples have been located, it is so close to the ends and around doors that you may end up with some bowing or the drill bit tracking wrong. So, By using a trusty needle, will be drilling the holes close to the dimples, but enough onto the body as to not cause issue! Soon, will be the 2 sleepers of which im going to use my walthers cars as the platform to cut costs and if I can get some good pics of the TSP theater car kit, may add that to the mix later on! Im still crossed on attempting to open up the rear platform on the Miss. River, It looks pretty good as is, and it dont bother me if every nut, bolt, washer isnt modeled, but the car can be easily recognizable! The Snoqualmie Pass project will be in full effect this spring, and I cant waity for that! So in ending my monologue, I should have a small set almost completed ( 4 cars ) for the 2 upcoming shows here in No. Illinois and hopefully I can get some pics up! Thanks for the ideas guys, and keep on modeling!