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The Interchange: The Reading Modeler Forum
Modeling the Reading: General Discussion
Reading MU cars, Paint and other things
This board is the place where questions and information specific to MODELING the Reading Company, its equipment and operations can be shared - questions like "What was the window arrangement of AF Tower in Alburtis?" and "What color paint do YOU use to paint the Reading's cream-and-brown buildings?" We also want to hear about YOUR Reading modeling projects!

TOPIC: Reading MU cars, Paint and other things

Reading MU cars, Paint and other things 10 years 2 weeks ago #3040

  • LNE-401
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Butch, Precision Scale has a listing for a power truck in 33" wheels (HO 31930-2) and 36" wheels (HO 31930-1). They are listed as powered with an adjustable wheelbase of 7'0" minimum to 9'3" maximum. This listing came from my January 2012 booklet and priced at $67.75, plus shipping. Bill.
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Reading MU cars, Paint and other things 10 years 2 weeks ago #3041

t1nut wrote:
they are not powered. I was going to use the Northwest shortlines midget,because they had one with a 8ft. wheel base. but they are not made anymore. there were 2 RPO MU's Reading converted them to straight combines in 1956.

You should be able to get away with a NWSL Stanton drive. They develop enough speed to a get pretty close to the prototype's top speed. The main problem is that they are $80-$90 a piece.

LNE-401 wrote:
Butch, Precision Scale has a listing for a power truck in 33" wheels (HO 31930-2) and 36" wheels (HO 31930-1). They are listed as powered with an adjustable wheelbase of 7'0" minimum to 9'3" maximum. This listing came from my January 2012 booklet and priced at $67.75, plus shipping. Bill.

I've never seen one of these drives. the 33" ones might be useful for my other MU projects. How fast do they move? Do you have any experience with them?
Christian Brown

Electric Modeler
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Reading MU cars, Paint and other things 10 years 2 weeks ago #3042

You can also power them with Tenshodo SPUD trucks. That's what my brass NJCB powered car came equipped with. NWSL used to sell them years ago. The SPUDs are still available in several wheelbase and wheel diameter combinations. However you have to get them from a dealer in England. motorbogies.com
It's not really a big deal as he stocks them and will mail them to you.
The SPUD is completely self contained and your side frames are easily mounted with the bracket provided. The SPUDs are powerful enough for their size. I measured 1.0 oz of pull on a brass MU car. That's enough to pull the two unpowered cars in the set, which of course is not prototypical. One trailer car is a piece of cake, but then my layout has no gradients.
I converted my SPUD to DCC which was pretty easy.
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Reading MU cars, Paint and other things 10 years 2 weeks ago #3047

  • t1nut
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I might look into getting the Precision Craft.
Butch Curll
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Reading MU cars, Paint and other things 9 years 9 months ago #3318

  • Gary L
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Hi guys, I'm back.

I was the General Supervisor - Passenger for the Reading during the early '70s. Getting cars refurbished was one of my responsibilities.

The Spring 2013 issue of Classic Trains has some excellent color pictures of Reading MUs. Page 44 has a picture of a three car train at Melrose Park. The green was DULUX Pullman Green. It was almost brown when it was new. The age and amount of road dirt would turn it to an Olive Drab. The roof was aluminum or a flat silver when new. The picture shows the lead car with an almost grey color. This would have been about a year old and the result of road dirt and carbon dust off of the pantograph. The second car is much brighter. Probably only a few months old. The third car is almost a grimy black from the accumulation of road dirt and carbon dust.

The sides of the cars were washed at least once a month but still accumulated a dull finish from road dirt. The roof was never washed because the buss line that ran along the roof was energized to 11000 VAC.

Interior of the Green cars was two tone grey. Lighter on the ceiling above the luggage rack. A little darker on the walls. The seats were a dark blue naugahide. The floor a dark grey. Window curtains were dark blue on the inside and white on the outside.
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Reading MU cars, Paint and other things 9 years 9 months ago #3320

Gary, this is great information from a firsthand source.
Did you have any experience with the modernized "Blimp" cars such as on the Wall Street and others? Specifically I am trying to replicate the body green that was used on these two tone cars.

Color photos, and examination of the 1189 Dining car at Strasburg indicate that this green was a much different shade than the Pullman green on the MU cars and the older coaches.
The dark green seems to have no brown in it and perhaps a touch of blue.
Are you familiar with it?
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The Interchange: The Reading Modeler Forum
Modeling the Reading: General Discussion
Reading MU cars, Paint and other things
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