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From: "Joseph A DOT Braun" joebraun AT optonline DOT net
Date: Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:00:32 -0400
Subject: Stillwell coaches
"Stillwell_draftgear_5686EM.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1000x669 (24bit)

[I'm looking for some photos of the Stillwell's...underbody. Paul Hillman]



Paul, I have a fleet of the NWSL Stillwells (arched and modernized) that I
painted a while back. They have been in storage and I have them on the 2010
list of items to be readied for usage on my railroad. I do not know about
your F&C Stillwells, but among the deficiencies of the NWSL cars is
excessive airspace between the rails and the car bottoms. I have likewise
been unable to locate any really decent shots of the Stillwell underbodies
-- until I took extensive photos myself (plus measurements) of a derelict
Stillwell sitting outside the Erie Susquehanna depot.



Besides adding some tanks and the like to fill in overt details, I
discovered what I had only read about in one technical piece: that there
were twin, longitudinal I-beams that traversed the center of the Stillwells.
These were each 6.5" wide, 8 3/8" high, and rested 19" from one beam's
outside to the outside of the other beam. More importantly, the bottom of
these I-beams were approximately 1" below the bottoms of the car sides,
meaning that if one added an approximation of these to the model Stillwells,
one would be cutting visually and significantly into the visual "airspace".
[see photos 5686-88 and 5691]



On the prototype Stillwell, there is also a massive side plate on both sides
of the draftgear. Modelling some approximation of this will remove an
unprototypical bit of visual see-through airspace under the trucks and the
steps. Any Kadee draftgear box is just too small to stand alone. [see photos
5708 & 5771]



I plan to add both the draftgrear and the I-beams when I start outshopping
the painted Stillwells. The other issue for me is to close-couple these
cars. When you see a string of these Stillwells behind a PA or a K-5 or an
RS-3, the deficiencies of the cars disappear and you simply have a neat bit
of Erie history rolling down the tracks.



For your own experimentation, let me also give me what worked for me as a
paint mix: 3 parts Pullman Green and one part ATSF Mineral Brown. Now that
was acrylic ProColor, which I think is defunct now or maybe taken over.
Floquil has those colors available by name. The Stillwells as I remember
them had an olive and a brown tinge to them, especially in the sunlight, and
for me and my lighting, this mix really worked.



The Erie/DL&W Color Guide to Frt and Pass Equip (Larry DY and Mike DV) has a
good breakdown of the Stillwells on Pp. 14-21. In short, some of the
diaphragmed ones had no AC and were glorifed suburbans. #s 2650-2664 were
your official "thru-line" Stillwells with not only the diaphragms and
vestibule doors but also AC, larger lounges, and more interior storage in
overhead racks. I rode in them occasionally. While they did not have
reclining seats, the seats were big and comfy with nice cloth upholstery.
The seats were longer that the ones on the regular commuter Stillwells and
so, unlike the commuter seats, they did not comform at all to the window
placement. So you could have a nice soft seat and one of the wide window
frames in your line of sight.



Stay in touch with your modelling efforts.



Joe Braun





































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