CB&Q Solarium Observation

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I stumbled across an ad for a Bethlehem Car Works heavyweight observation car kit that looked very similar to pictures I had seen of CB&Q prototypes with a two-window solarium section at the rear. It seemed perfect for my Exposition Flyer consist. After doing some research, I found these cars were modeled after a class used on CB&Q name trains like the Aristocrat and Black Hawk in the 20s and 30s. By the late 40s period that I model, they had been transferred to the Pennsylvania Railroad. I decided to use some modeler’s license as the CB&Q still had similar looking DL-3 lounges operating in the 40s. I was also curious to try out a BCW kit.

The kit is a combination of resin sides and ends with a former Branchline heavyweight core and roof. There is a complete set of underbody details and Branchline trucks. A collection of other resin and plastic detail parts is included. I used a combination of these and 3rd-party details to better match the Burlington cars of the 1940’s.




The kit went together easily, with the resin sides fitting perfectly into the Branchline core. I found the instructions for positioning the underbody details to be a bit unclear. This is possibly because these cars were modified over their service lives. I deviated from the supplied as-built drawings of the underbody to better match photos of CB&Q cars. Also following photos from the 1940s, I used a different style end gate across the rear door. The kit includes drumhead decals for the Aristocrat and Exposition Flyer, but by my era the Burlington was only using red rear marker lights with no drumhead on the Expo.


BCW includes parts for a rooftop conduit or radio antenna that adds an interesting bit of detail. Photos showed a few different styles of antennas on the CB&Q lounges. Some appeared to be a rigid conduit similar to the kit parts and others were made of wire strung over rooftop stanchions. Absent a definitive shot of a car on the Expo, I decided to use the supplied conduit parts.





I painted the sides Pullman green and the roof and underbody flat black. I used the supplied Pullman decals.


I wanted this car to stand out. As a final touch, I mounted an old set of Walthers marker lights and a red Mars signal light from Evans Designs. The Mars light is self-contained and battery powered. It includes a red LED wired to an on/off button and small circuit board to produce the flashing effect. I was impressed with the flashing effect. It was just as good as if I had wired a DCC decoder into the car. The pair of AAA batteries is visible through the car windows. I painted the enclosure black to hide it as much as possible. I installed the power button in the front vestibule where it is concealed when coupled to another car. 

Building this kit was time well spent and I was rewarded with a unique car to conclude my 1940’s Exposition Flyer.




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