RHJ Rail Heritage

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Heritage Park Replica Cars - Car 15097, Mount Resplendent

RHJ Rail built replica Heritage Park cars as they were at the Park some 20+ years ago. This collection included five passenger cars (the two MF&M, the ex-CN open observation car, the colonist car and one other), and four freight cars. Two locomotives were painted and numbered to match the two at the Park but these were somewhat smaller versions as models of the USRA design used at the park were not available.

The prototype open observation car was originally built as a sleeper but was rebuilt as an open observation car for use in the Canadian Rockies. Experience had shown that with steam power, passengers needed a place to escape the smoke and exhaust, particularly from coal-fired locomotives in tunnels, and so an interior compartment was left intact but the two ends were open and passengers could enjoy an unobstructive view of the scenery.

The car above, formerly the Mount Resplendent and now 15097, was among the first replica cars built. It was based on a Rivarossi coach. Window openings were carefully cut in the car sides being careful to leave the centre posts in place where needed. Spacing was adjusted to have larger openings at each end where the windows used to be to match the prototype.. Brass wire railings were cut to size and installed as shown above. A complete interior was built and passengers and one crew member were painted and added.

The ends of the car were cut out to provide more open space and a platform at each end. Railings from Athearm observation cars were added. A certain park employee was usually standing at the rear of the car and he is represented in the model, white shirt and all.

The roof presented a special challenge as the original was nowhere what the car was rebuilt to. For the model, the existing roof was removed and a new low, rounded profile one was fashioned out of wood. It started out as a piece of two-by-four and was carefully cut to width and length. The rounded effect was achieved by judicious filing and sanding. Grooves were cut in the sides and ends to fit the car accurately so the roof matched the car dimensions exactly. Finishing sanding was done to achieve the desired profile.

The entire car was painted before assembly and coated with several coats of clear coat spray and lettered to match the prototype, with the car body in CN green and the roof in black. The prototype car had six-wheel trucks when it went into service but when it was acquired by Heritage Park, four-wheel trucks were installed to accommodate smaller radius curves. The model has four-wheel Central Valley trucks.

This car is often run at the end of replica trains on the Arrow Park subdivision of RHJ Rail.

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