G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Discussion related to modeling any and all of the Disney Railroads, as well as general railroad modeling.
Post Reply
mrh044
Passenger
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 8:24 pm

G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by mrh044 »

My first post to this site - I want to thank those who have contributed as I learned a lot from here!! I am working on my rendition of the Disneyland Railroad equipment in G Scale, starting with the Lilly Belle parlor car.

Image01_Interior Lighting by Michael Haworth, on Flickr

Image00_Both Sides by Michael Haworth, on Flickr
mrh044
Passenger
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 8:24 pm

Re: G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by mrh044 »

mrh044
Passenger
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 8:24 pm

Re: G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by mrh044 »

The G Scale representation of the Disneyland Railroad Lilly Belle started out with an LGB #3080 passenger coach car. Two windows were cut out of both ends of the car, as well as an extra window added to each side of the coach. After the windows were framed, each corner had a piece of plastic “L” strip cut and fit which would later become the green and gold decorative trim pieces on the corners of the parlor car. On the side of the car that faces the “perimeter” of Disneyland, two center windows were removed and plastic strips added to replicate the car body siding. Finally, a strip of plastic trim was glued to the top edge of the car and the placards for the Lilly Belle name were created from styrene.

Image00_Before LGB 3080 by Michael Haworth, on Flickr
mrh044
Passenger
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 8:24 pm

Re: G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by mrh044 »

Rustoleum gloss Burgundy and Dark Hunter Green were used to paint the Lilly Belle. The bright red trim pieces were painted with craft store True Red paint and then gloss coated after the decals were applied. Stan Cedarleaf created the decals after measurements were provided of the car. The rear platform and drumhead were built out of styrene sheet and strips. The round circles in the handrail were cut from plastic tubing in order to replicate the prototype. Chains are stretched across the steps to prohibit access by eager fans.

The interior was furnished with quarter scale doll house furniture. In order to hide the electronics that run along the floor of the car, and the bridge rectifier and capacitor, a false floor and table were created to conceal the electronics. The curtains were made by cutting out the curtain pattern on red corrugated paper. On the ends and “perimeter” side of the car, red and white stripes were added to the top of the window to replicate the prototype. The paper was layered so that the corrugated paper curtain effect would be seen on both sides of the windows. Once the electronics and windows were in place, the interior details were added.

LED lighting and lanterns were added to the car. In order to convert the DC track power (2-24V) to the correct polarity for the LEDs, a bridge rectifier and capacitor were added between the track power and the LEDs. (200V/4A RS403L Bridge Rectifier, 50V 1000microF capacitor, 1.2kohm resistors) In addition, a custom sound system that plays the Mainstreet Station Arrival/Departure recording, and the entire Grand Circle Tour recording were added to the car. This sound card is made by Adafruit and contains a 16MB memory to be able to play the entire 15 minute recording with room to spare. The sound card is powered by a 5.5 Volt source, so a voltage regulator circuit was added between the bridge rectifier and the sound card. The Mainstreet Station Arrival/Departure recording is triggered by a momentary push button located under the rear platform. The Grand Circle Tour recording is activated by an On/Off switch and will play in a continuous loop. The sound card has numerous ways that you can trigger a sound file (up to 10 different triggers), and you can also have multiple sound files that can play in loops, at random, or by multiple triggers.

The roof of the car has a strip of glass where the stained glass on the prototype was replicated by using thinned water-based paints and dabbing on multiple layers of color. Once the LED lighting harness was installed in the roof, the power supply to the harness connects to the body of the car via a quick disconnect so that the roof can be removed to view the detailed interior.
jbponzi
Brakeman
Posts: 157
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:45 pm
Location: Packerland U.S.A.

Re: G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by jbponzi »

A beautiful build.

Justin
Justin
User avatar
Locoboy5150
4000 post Engineer
Posts: 4495
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 1:17 am
Location: San Jose, California
Contact:

Re: G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by Locoboy5150 »

Wow, stand back and take a bow - fantastic work! :D
"Hello folks. Welcome aboard the Disneyland Railroad."

- Thurl Ravenscroft 1914-2005 -

Locoboy5150@hotmail.com
User avatar
CP173
1000 post Engineer
Posts: 1993
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2004 2:06 am
Contact:

Re: G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by CP173 »

Excellent work! Your attention to detail is remarkable. You made some mods that I probably should have done on the SF&D combines I built.

I noticed that you didn't give the doors arch tops. I contemplated that, but it was going to require major modifications and would be hard to see when the roof was on. Was that your thinking?
mrh044
Passenger
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 8:24 pm

Re: G Scale Build: LGB Lilly Belle Parlor Car

Post by mrh044 »

CP173 wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 12:25 pm Excellent work! Your attention to detail is remarkable. You made some mods that I probably should have done on the SF&D combines I built.

I noticed that you didn't give the doors arch tops. I contemplated that, but it was going to require major modifications and would be hard to see when the roof was on. Was that your thinking?
Thank you!

And yes, I absolutely had the same thought as you did. I wanted to get these cars to be 'close' and give the feel of the real thing, even though they are not a 100% match of the prototype.
Post Reply