Inspired by a photo in Garden Rail magazine, and by this car at Clark’s Trading Post:

From Clark’s Trading Post RR Days 2008

I’ve whipped together a pair of light passenger cars for the railway.

The basis is the Hartland Locomotive Works ore tipper:

I kept the frames but discarded the tipper and replaced it with bench seats. A set of small Bachmann steel wheels and wooden dumb buffers complete the transformation to narrow gauge. Red paint with black trim makes it fit in with the passenger fleet. Now I need a set of 1:20.3 passengers to hang on for dear life.

They debuted on the RR at the Fall Steamup in October:

I need to get some properly-sized passengers, but otherwise I’m happy with them. The look good with Konrad and his IP Engineering coaches.

Last week we headed out to Nashville, IN for Iain and Amber’s wedding. It was a great trip, a nice wedding, and an excuse for Ericka and I to do some of the unusual traveling we enjoy. We took the Amtrak Regional Service BOS to DC, which provided the opportunity for this photo:

From Notes from Mosquito Hill

Then we transferred to the Capitol Limited to Chicago, then rented a car for the drive to Indy. It was the long way around, but the only way to travel. Even with all the time invested, I found it much more enjoyable than the (2) 90 minute flights involved in returning home. (Not only is USeless Airways charging for ANY bag you check, but they’re even demanding cash for the drink cart onboard. A pox on their houses, and Yay! for JetBlue. Anyway. . .)

While in Nashville before the wedding, Ericka, Anita and I took the opportunity to do some letterboxing in Brown County State Park. What a nice park! It did, however, provide this bit of silliness:

From Notes from Mosquito Hill

That’s not an optical illusion, it really looks like that.

Iain and Amber should be happily honeymooning in Hawaii by now, and Anita may have some more shots of the trip.