Quality Streetcar models in Nscale

[MetroRedLine]

A little more thread drift, mostly out of curiosity...

With DCC and JMRI, is it possible to program your streetcar to slow down, pause, and accelerate to simulate frequent stops?  That's always been my beef with transit models...  Easy to fly around the loop downtown, but no practical way to show them actually "operating" while you're running your other trains.

Oh absolutely yes. Sensors already exist on the market for things like signaling and grade crossings, certainly they can be used to determine trolley positioning.

[johnb]

hate to say it, but you need to roll your own

[johnb]

The Bachmann Peter Witt is very nice with good speed control.

The Bachmann Jackson Sharp Open-Sided Excursion Car could be made into a street car, though unpowered.

Showcase Miniatures produces an N Pacific Electric "The Hollywood Car" Kit that works off a Kato powered chassis.
https://www.showcaseminiatures.net/n_scale/n_scale_locomotives/5010.html

as a PE modeler, I would never have that "Hollywood Car"

I need to finish my Miniatures By Eric Hollywood Car

[MetroRedLine]

as a PE modeler, I would never have that "Hollywood Car"

I need to finish my Miniatures By Eric Hollywood Car

That Hollywood Car might be good if you're doing a model of Disney's California Adventure! 

[Iain]

(Attachment Link)

I like trolleys. Tomix drive under an interurban models shell.

https://interurbanmodels.blogspot.com/

Randy

ergh, facebook.  i have facebook.com dns blocked

[Ed Kapuscinski]

ergh, facebook.  i have facebook.com dns blocked

Are you looking for an award?

[Iain]

Are you looking for an award?

i'm a millenial, so yes

[peteski]

i'm a millenial, so yes

Millennial not on FB?!  Impressive!   

[johnb]

ergh, facebook.  i have facebook.com dns blocked

blogspot.com is on google nameservers and is owned by Google

[Dwight in Toronto]

Many years ago, I picked up one of those Bachmann PCC streetcars - the Toronto Transit Commission livery was irresistible.  The darn thing had maybe 90 minutes total running time over the course of two weeks, and the gears went for a $#!¥. 

It was the final straw for me re: Bachmann products … not one penny of mine has rolled their way ever since.

It was entirely coincidental that, while searching for something else, I stumbled upon the shell from that POS Bachmann PCC mentioned in my earlier thread:




I still find the looks of it appealing, and I kinda need a new project.  The original frame, motor, trucks etc are nowhere to be found, so I think I’m going to order a Tomytec TM-TR04 chassis from Plaza Japan (and will probably add a couple other items while I’m at it).  I’m pleasantly surprised at how affordable these little items are, but having never ordered from there before, things like shipping fees, transit time, cost of duty etc should be interesting.

I’m just a little bit confused - some Tomy frames say “powered”, some say “motorized”, and others say “powered & motorized” … ?

[thomasjmdavis]

It was entirely coincidental that, while searching for something else, I stumbled upon the shell from that POS Bachmann PCC mentioned in my earlier thread:


I still find the looks of it appealing, and I kinda need a new project.  The original frame, motor, trucks etc are nowhere to be found, so I think I’m going to order a Tomytec TM-TR04 chassis from Plaza Japan (and will probably add a couple other items while I’m at it).  I’m pleasantly surprised at how affordable these little items are, but having never ordered from there before, things like shipping fees, transit time, cost of duty etc should be interesting.

I’m just a little bit confused - some Tomy frames say “powered”, some say “motorized”, and others say “powered & motorized” … ?

I took the easy route a few years ago, when Bachmann did a second run.  I had better luck with my original Bachmann PCC- mine lasted several years (not running very often) before the gears cracked.  When Bachmann did a more recent run, I picked up an new one in a heavily discounted roadname (Kansas City, IIRC), and swapped shells.  So far, so good, as far as the newer drive is concerned, although I am not optimistic about wedging in DCC.

On the Tomy frames and various descriptions- I think you are just seeing varieties of Google translations.  But do check the photos or drawings and specs of the chassis you are ordering.

[johnb]

It was entirely coincidental that, while searching for something else, I stumbled upon the shell from that POS Bachmann PCC mentioned in my earlier thread:




I still find the looks of it appealing, and I kinda need a new project.  The original frame, motor, trucks etc are nowhere to be found, so I think I’m going to order a Tomytec TM-TR04 chassis from Plaza Japan (and will probably add a couple other items while I’m at it).  I’m pleasantly surprised at how affordable these little items are, but having never ordered from there before, things like shipping fees, transit time, cost of duty etc should be interesting.

I’m just a little bit confused - some Tomy frames say “powered”, some say “motorized”, and others say “powered & motorized” … ?

This will help out a lot

[BuddyBorders]

Oh absolutely yes. Sensors already exist on the market for things like signaling and grade crossings, certainly they can be used to determine trolley positioning.

It is possible to do it without fancy electronics. The video shows a unique system of using track trigger sections to power other sections. But they also are doing live overhead wire too.

/>
I just thought it brilliant in its simplicity.

-Buddy

[bbunge]

I still find the looks of it appealing, and I kinda need a new project.  The original frame, motor, trucks etc are nowhere to be found, so I think I’m going to order a Tomytec TM-TR04 chassis from Plaza Japan (and will probably add a couple other items while I’m at it).  I’m pleasantly surprised at how affordable these little items are, but having never ordered from there before, things like shipping fees, transit time, cost of duty etc should be interesting.

I’m just a little bit confused - some Tomy frames say “powered”, some say “motorized”, and others say “powered & motorized” … ?

I've ordered many things from Plaza Japan and always had a great experience.  With shipping fees, the price can just about double so I try to combine orders.  Sometimes they will arrive quickly, clearly shipped air.  Sometimes it takes a month or so. I suspect they are just picking what is cheapest.  At least in the States, I've never had to pay any sort of duty.  Plaza Japan often (always?) sends a little gift in the package, usually a small foam/rubber toy more centered around their animi business.  Some day I need to gather these up and use them in a gondola load.  Be sure to look at the Japanese newspaper they use for packing material.

TR04 chassis can be quite nice.  I get significantly better slow speed operation out of them by, well, stripping them to the core and rebuilding them from the get go.  I took a clue from @u18b amazing thread on the EP-2 rebuilds, so I take the drive train apart including the trucks.  I use a wooden tooth pick to burnish gear shaft openings and bushing surfaces. I also try to burnish any contact surface.  I do apply a tiny bit of Microtrain "grease-em" at these places.  I also add as much weight as possible to improve pick up. 

Here I've used a TR04 in Cincinnati & Lake Erie "Red Devil" #119.  This has a LokPilot Nano installed in it. 



Bob

[Dwight in Toronto]

Bob - thanks for the encouragement.  I placed the order two days ago, so we’ll see what transpires.

Along with the Tomytec chassis, I also ordered a very small Kato two-axle powered/driven chassis (as used in their Pocket Line locomotives, model #11-108), and a beautiful little articulated tram set - a Kato “Hiroshima Railway Type 1001 Greenmover Lex ‘Hiroshima Bus (Hiroden Bus)’ N scale”, model #14-804-5.  Yeah, that’s a bit of a mouthful, but it’s a wonderful little model to round out an order that’s coming from so far away.

I have no idea what I’m going to do with the tiny Kato chassis, but it was so small/compact and ‘ready to run’, that I couldn’t resist!