Quality Streetcar models in Nscale

[lock4244]

Rapido recently sent an email announcing a "modern" street car in HO  https://rapidotrains.com/ho-scale/transit/ttc-canadian-light-rail-vehicle.html

Mybe they may do it in N someday.

Lol, thanks for the belly laugh!

[Dwight in Toronto]

I'm thinking this thread qualifies for "Best Of" status.  The modifications for DCC, lighting and details make this a fantastic model.

Ron
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I agree, but it should really be split from the original topic into a build thread.  Some time ago I ask the mods to do that some time ago (even pointed to from which specific post the split should  be done, but nothing happened.

Peteski
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I’m still hopeful that my upgrade of the old Bachmann PCC has the chance of achieving ‘RW Best Of’ distinction.  I realize that the eligibility review committee has an abundance of worthy contenders under scrutiny.  Plus, it’s only been 2 1/2 years.  Fingers crossed! 

[johnb]

Randgust, I would repower it with a Tomix tm-tr04

[randgust]

I've had several of those Tomytec drives over the years.  The original TM04 had end-axle pickup, the TR04 has those interior plates that don't work quite as well but short wheelbase trucks.   The motors on those are not the same quality as Kato, and both the Kato and Tomytec 'stock' are way too fast for what I want to do.   One-truck drive is fine.

I've got quite a collection of tiny gearheads of various reductions, as long as you live with one-truck drive.   The other kicker here is my 'micro-module' has Kato 4.5" radius curves, so performance through those curves is key.  I've tested the Kato 11-105, is 'close enough' on wheelbase and the Bachmann truck sideframes will transplant OK.  And I've already got several of those chassis in stock.

No particular rush, but my next Ttrak module will have the trolley interface as a separate micro-module, I've already laid the track and tested it with both chassis.   

Our little town had quite the streetcar system, with single truck and double-truck 'town' cars, double-truck interurbans, and cross-county interurbans all sharing a downtown station for transfers under single ownership.   The Model Power/Bachmann bodies are 'close enough' if I can get better performance.  The loop behind the main PRR station is the reason for wandering way 'off course' again.

Update on the Model Power Brill carbody paint - Alcohol as a stripper wouldn't touch it.   So far the DOT3 brake fluid is doing it, no plastic damage noted.   That 'downtown' scheme is just criminally lame.  Late update:  2 weeks later, DOT3 succeeded in getting all the paint off the Model Power shell, no plastic damage.  Underneath all that glop, it's really not a bad little casting.  I widened the windows by removing every other purlin as my little local Brill actually had rather wide windows.

[randgust]

Final testing with the Kato 11-108 chassis under the Model Power 4-wheeler body is complete, wow is that a winner.   Dead silent, no stalling, easy to control to low speed with the Blue Snail Z controller.   And you can see through the windows.   This is one of the best and easiest conversions I've done in a while.

I'm putting a micro gearhead on the Kato 11-105 chassis to drive the two-truck Bachmann Brill, we'll see how that goes.  I had this gearhead in my Shay, it was too fast for that but should be about right for the streetcar.  Stock motor is way too fast.  And again, with weight under the roof, see through the windows.

[bbunge]

Final testing with the Kato 11-108 chassis under the Model Power 4-wheeler body is complete, wow is that a winner.   Dead silent, no stalling, easy to control to low speed with the Blue Snail Z controller.   And you can see through the windows.   This is one of the best and easiest conversions I've done in a while.

I'm putting a micro gearhead on the Kato 11-105 chassis to drive the two-truck Bachmann Brill, we'll see how that goes.  I had this gearhead in my Shay, it was too fast for that but should be about right for the streetcar.  Stock motor is way too fast.  And again, with weight under the roof, see through the windows.

I've used this adapter for a couple of two truck Brill cars and a Kato 11-105 chassis. 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3505538

With a bit of tuning the Kato's do ok for speed, but your gearhead is the way to go.

A few years ago I chopped up a Model Power car to better resemble a single truck "puddle jumper" Brownell built car of my young (Kansas City Public Service 472) and put a Toma chassis in it.  A bit noisy, but by far the most prototypical trolley speed car I have.  It can move so slow at shows, some viewers don't even notice it it moving. 



I use the Bachmann shells and they are "good enough" but also way, way oversize.  Just compare the B-mann Brill body to their Peter Witt and then guess which car was larger in real life.  The Model Power is also oversize.  One day I need to CAD up the Brownell car.

Interurban Models offers a number of shells that might be of interest.  One of the wood interurban cars might fit your scene.

https://interurban-models.myshopify.com/

Bob

[randgust]

For a small town, my community and area had a relatively diverse electric population.

The in-town streetcar and interurban had a lifetime roster of 57 cars including 4-wheeler wood Brills, two open 4-wheel cars, a collection of 8-wheel Brills.   The Interurban line to Jamestown, NY had 13 cars including wood interurbans, a center-entrance Kuhlman, freight express, some really pretty St. Louis car interurbans, and a steel car in 1924.   It connected to the legendary Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern in New York State that lasted up until 1947 with some really classic steel interurbans, freight motors, and closed out with a GE70-tonner freight shortline.  I've already modelled that 70-tonner.   So lots of modeling potential.   I'm just doing a tiny streetcar loop representing the trolley connection to the PRR station, and the trolley rail is still in the street today.

The tiny gearhead in the Kato 11-105 chassis was a ripping success in slow speed control and smooth performance.   The Bachmann Brill bodies are plenty close for the 1920's era I'm shooting for.

No record as to how this stuff was painted, lots of B&W photos, but one colorized postcard has been found; looks like Tuscan red body, dark gray roof, gold striping and lettering.

The JW&NW was a class act interurban, and I found a COLOR film from 1940 shot at an NRHS convention; JWNW starts at 1:15 and goes from the NYC connection at Westfield, NY, down by Chautauqua lake, into Jamestown, and back up to Westfield again on the NYC.   You really have to appreciate how WEEDY your typical interurban line got and how fast they ran it.

[randgust]

I had an OMG moment at Altoona when I met Bbunge in person and got to see his trolley museum Ntrak module.

Aurdino running a loop, running cars independently, more trolley models in N than I've ever seen, and soldered brass overhead everywhere.

Seriously, seriously good.   Earned my OMG of the show.

[sirenwerks]

AZL announced it will be releasing a Z scale PCC. I’m kinda thinking about doing a small project layout with that.