Brass Car Sides
Brass Sides - Great Northern "Empire Builder"

#1390-1395 "View" Series Full Dome Lounge; CB&Q #1395
Walthers Part # 173-27, p. 140 Walthers 2012 HO Scale Reference
HO scale, $31.75, currently in stock at Walthers

 
Photo-etched brass sides for streamlined passenger cars. Window openings and grab iron holes are etched through, with additional etched details on the surface. Undecorated kit requires Bachmann Full-Dome (#160-13000 series. sold separately) for an overlay conversion. Comes with instructions.
 
In 1951, the Great Northern Railway re-equipped its premier train, the "Empire Builder" with all new cars from ACF and P-S. In 1955, three Budd Vista Dome coaches replaced the three 48-seat coaches, and one Budd "View" series Great Dome Lounge was added to each trainset. These full-dome lounge cars seated 75 Pullman passengers upstairs in a combination of 57 forward facing seats and a 18-seat lounge at the rear. The central part of the lower level (not taken up by the two substantial equipment compartments) was devoted to a 34-seat lounge. Unlike the dome coaches, these cars were both named and numbered, as follows: GN 1390 Glacier View, 1391 Ocean View, 1392 Mountain View, 1393 Lake View, 1394 Prairie View, and CB&Q 1395 River View. All six cars appeared in "Big Sky Blue" after 1967, and at least one in an experimental BN green and white scheme. All were purchased by Amtrak; three were reworked for Amtrak's Autotrain operation, and one as a glass-end inspection car.