Search Railroad Sites For:

N-scale Varnish Passenger Car User's Guide

ALASKA RAILROAD
Click here to visit Fred Klein's excellent N-scale Passenger Car website  
The following are cars that can be accurately modeled currently in N-scale using available car sides, kits and R-T-R models.  The list below are recommendations only, based on the best information that I have on-hand.  If you know of additions or corrections that need to be made, or know of suitable decals for lettering these cars, please email me by Clicking Here.

Below is a list of links for the manufacturers featured on this page:

American Limited Models	Kato USA	M&R Models	Wheels of Time

SERIES	CAR TYPE	Maker - ITEM #	NOTES
100 - 102	LW power car	Kato R-T-R 1	STAND-INš
200 - 204	LW coach	Kato R-T-R	ex-UP
400	LW dining car	Kato R-T-R	ex-UP
500 - 502	LW dome - coach	Kato R-T-R	ex-UP
600 - 602	ACF bi-level suburban coach	W.O.T.	ex-SP
711, 712	Budd RDC2	Kato R-T-R	711 ex-NY&NH&H; 712 ex-NYC
4806, 4815	LW dining car	Kato R-T-R	ex-UP
5004	LW lunch counter - cafe - lounge	M&R 60-141	ex-UP
5404, 5408, 5413, 5420, 5424	LW leg - rest coach	Kato R-T-R	ex-UP
6306, 6310, 6325	LW baggage - express	Kato R-T-R 1	STAND-INš
7000 - 7005 2	Budd dome - 46-seat leg-rest coach	Kato R-T-R	former California Zephyr cars
7004 (1ST), 7008, 7013, 7014	LW dome - coach	Kato R-T-R	ex-UP

Abbreviations:

	A.C.F. - American Car and Foundry	DBR - double bedroom	obs. - observation
	BE - blunt end	DR - drawing room	P.S. - Pullman - Standard
	Comp - compartment	Dup - duplex	Sect - section
	Dorm - dormitory	HW - heavyweight	SR - single room

Note 1:  Head-end power cars 100 - 102 were rebuilt from baggage - express cars in the 6300 - series, which were acquired from the U.P. in 1971.  While there is no appropriate model or car sides available for modeling these cars if a modeler would not mind the compromise they could use a Kato LW baggage - express in its place.  The detail is correct for the model, although the length is 12 feet short.  To make the model appear more accurate, consider using the six-wheel trucks from a Bachmann Budd Big Dome car (some experimentation may be necessary to see if indeed these trucks can be fitted to the Kato car).  Additional detailing would be necessary to represent the H.E.P. cars.

Note 2:  Budd dome - coaches 7000 - 7005 were acquired by the ARR for use while the earlier ex-UP dome - coaches were sent through a rebuilding program to upgrade them to H.E.P.  7000 (later R# 7021) was ex-D&RGW 1106 Silver Colt, 7001 (later R# 7022) was ex-D&RGW 1107 Silver Mustang, 7002 (later R# 7033 was ex-D&RGW 1108 Silver Pony, 7003 (later R# 7034) was ex-AMTK 9456/nee-CB&Q 4722 Silver Stirrup, 7004 (2ND) (later R# 7031) was ex-AMTK 9450/nee-CB&Q 4716 Silver Bridle, and 7005 (later R# 7032) was ex-AMTK 9451/nee-CB&Q 4717 Silver Lodge.  While on the ARR these cars carried a blue letterboard with yellow "ALASKA" lettering.  These cars were sold once the H.E.P. program had been completed and additional smooth sided Budd dome cars were acquired.  (Note: While the ex-Rio Grande cars were sold to Amtrak in 1983, they never received Amtrak numbers and were instead sold to the ARR.  None of these cars carried their names while on the ARR, and some had the name plates removed during this time.)

Free Web Hosting Since 1996. Join & Become Part of the TrainWeb's Railroad Community.