Sunday, March 23, 2025

Surfliner Variations And California-Style Scenery

The Kato Surfliner sets provide only a couple of variations on Surfliner trains. Among other things, there's currently at least one Capitol-San Joaquin Califormia car running in consists down south in the northern California paint. I hope Kato makes this -- or in fact, other cars in that scheme -- available. Also, while Kato provides both a Superliner coach in Amtrak Phase Vi paint and one in Surfliner paint in its complete 8-item set, which are both prototypical, in recent years there have also been two Superliner Sightseer Lounges in Phase VI paint running as substitute cafe cars in Surfliner consists. Generally, the prototype Surfliner sets do not have both a Phase VI Superliner coach and a Superliner coach in Surfliner paint in the same set.

So far, I have just the Kato 4-item set, and while I've installed corridor lights in the SC-44, I have yet to install the 11-211 lighting kits in the coach, cab car, and business class car in that set. However, I have put together a Surfliner consist with both a Superliner Sightseer Lounge and Superliner coach in Phase VI. This gives 5 cars total, which is just 1 car short of the 6-car consist that sometimes runs on the prototype. This is probably perfectly adequate for a small layout like mine.

The Surfliner SC-44s that replaced the F59PHIs that went to Chicago Metra have been less than reliable, and Amtrak P42s and 8-32BWHs often substitute, sometimes with a loco on each end to replace the cab car.

You can also see that I'm starting to play around with more California style scenery on the inside corner Module 10. The new ground cover so far is JTT 0595603 Golden Grassland sheets, which I find at least acceptable for semi-arid California areas. I'm also starting to play around with some oil field details. I got these as 3D prints from eBay, but I also have an N Walthers pumpjack. Here is an example of California oil field scenery:

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