Emerald Night Coach interiors... What should each class be?

[Carefree_Dude]

Im trying to get a bunch of emerald night coaches. I hope to eventually get 10. I currently only have 5; one first class, two second class, two third class.

Here are my questions:

1) Should first class be at the beginning or the end of the train? At first you'd think beginning, but that is the noisiest and smokiest part.

2) First class is obviously the luxurious car. But what about the other two? I saw one person had the idea of packing second class full of wooden benches. What would third class be though?

3) Finally, how do I end this train? It doesn't look right with the end coach opening into nothing. Would a caboose of sorts be appropriate? Would it follow the same colors as the other coaches? While looking up Flying dutchman photos, i saw what looked to be the equivilant of the santa fe observation car.

4)this kinda goes back to question one: If the train should end with an observation car, does this pretty much show that first class should be at the end, and connected to the observation car?

5 Lastly, I always thought it looked weird that there was an opening in the coaches directly to the engine tender. Is this normal, or should there be a "Lead" car?

[Pet-Lego]

When I was researching this topic I found that third and second class were actually old 1st (or only) class coaches.

When a new more luxurious coach was build the old one became second class and so on.

It started with open coaches with wooden benches, so no glass in windows and most likely not many exterior walls either.

If you have that many coaches I'd go for 1st class luxurious plush seats, tables the works.

second class wooden seats with some small tables and third class all wooden benches (I'd say with glass in the windows but you can check how it looks without)

For order I've come to the conclusion that 1st class is either first or last for convenient locating, I'd go with last on steam trains because of the mentioned noise

and the smoke/smell from the engine. So 3rd, 2nd then 1st class. Observation cars usually at the back so there's also a nice view behind the train maybe with a nice deck.

There's also an option for a 'bar' coach positioned between 2nd and 1st class.

About the last question, there are tenders with tunnels in them so the train operators could switch out and access the train to take a nap without stopping the train

on long express lines. So the first wasn't completely closed off on the engine/tender side.

[peterab]

1) Should first class be at the beginning or the end of the train? At first you'd think beginning, but that is the noisiest and smokiest part.

2) First class is obviously the luxurious car. But what about the other two? I saw one person had the idea of packing second class full of wooden benches. What would third class be though?

3) Finally, how do I end this train? It doesn't look right with the end coach opening into nothing. Would a caboose of sorts be appropriate? Would it follow the same colors as the other coaches? While looking up Flying dutchman photos, i saw what looked to be the equivilant of the santa fe observation car.

4)this kinda goes back to question one: If the train should end with an observation car, does this pretty much show that first class should be at the end, and connected to the observation car?

5 Lastly, I always thought it looked weird that there was an opening in the coaches directly to the engine tender. Is this normal, or should there be a "Lead" car?

I'm assuming you want to build a European train to go with the UK/European looks of the EN.

1) In Europe where express trains often crossed multiple countries, the wagons were positioned to allow the train to be easily split for multiple destinations, so first class could be anywhere in the train an maybe even in multiple places. I'm not sure about the UK.

2) The difference between the classes was space and comfort, some early railways even had fourth class.

3)/4) Normally the coaches had doors at their ends, which may have been propped open if they had a complete seal between them. Most European express trains would have had a baggage car, about the same length as a regular coach or slightly shorter, though it may also have had end doors. Most named express trains would have had all their cars in similar colour schemes, but may have also used extra odd coloured cars at times. Cabooses (Cabeese?) tend to be American so they probably don't fit if you want your train to look European. I'm not sure about observation cars in the steam era, the only European ones I know of are later dome cars, and royal train cars. There were open ended Prussian cars with 'observation' platforms, but these were 2nd & 3rd class, the thinking being 1st class would be less windy if the platform was enclosed so there was an air lock around the entrance.

5) It looks wrong because it wouldn't be open, it would have a door there. Even in the example of the tender tunnel there would have been a locked door to stop passengers wandering into the engine. There may also have been one against the baggage car.

[AndyC]

I think it quite often depends on which direction you're travelling in. If you think about the logistics of turning a steam train around it's often much easier to simply detach the engine, turn it, then relocate it at the other end and can be done while passengers of disembarking/boarding the train.

[Catanas]

Maybe you could add one of these on the end as I do feel the carriages have a slight pullman air about them. I'd actually like to see a lego version on the end of a long EN train :D

Few more interior and exterior shots here http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/news450.htm

Edited October 21, 2010 by Catanas

[escortmad79]

Paignton & Dartmouth steam railway also have a Pullman Devon Belle observation car (The sister car to the one above).

I've seen the observation car at the rear of the train & also looking onto the train on this railway:

[Carefree_Dude]

i see. I'm going to attempt to build one of those observation cars to end my emerald night with.

[gondortoast]

i see. I'm going to attempt to build one of those observation cars to end my emerald night with.

Hi,

alternatively, you could have a try at bui;ding a pullman brake coach. these were at the ends of trains too, and were used for luggage, it would also require ALOT less modding to create.

linky

hopefully that offers something to the melting pot of ideas

toast.

[Carefree_Dude]

Hi,

alternatively, you could have a try at bui;ding a pullman brake coach. these were at the ends of trains too, and were used for luggage, it would also require ALOT less modding to create.

linky

hopefully that offers something to the melting pot of ideas

toast.

I could always do both. That kitchen coach looks pretty appealing as well. I had intended on building the observation car from scratch rather than modifying an existing coach. I plan on doing the slant in the back window the same way the imperial flagship has slants in its windows.

[gondortoast]

I could always do both. That kitchen coach looks pretty appealing as well. I had intended on building the observation car from scratch rather than modifying an existing coach. I plan on doing the slant in the back window the same way the imperial flagship has slants in its windows.

Heck why not!

It's always to have a nice variety in rolling stock. I myself am working on a train moc at the moment and im going to make several different types of GWR inspired rolling stock!

Have you thought about making them 7 studs wide?

[Carefree_Dude]

Heck why not!

It's always to have a nice variety in rolling stock. I myself am working on a train moc at the moment and im going to make several different types of GWR inspired rolling stock!

Have you thought about making them 7 studs wide?

I thought about doing a 8 wide, but decided against it because of extra cost involved, as well as not being able to have nearly as long a train. I also haven't decided if the train would look better pulled by the regular emerald night, or my special red one (black wheels, no smoke guards)

[gondortoast]

Depends on how you feel when you see them all together I suppose.

look HERE and take a look at coopers 7 wide carriage, its a lot longer than the usual six wide, but think of all the lovely lavish details you could put in them, (especially being as they are pullman coaches )