Quality Streetcar models in Nscale

[Dwight in Toronto]

Hey guys - it was a bit of a fluke that I ended up undertaking an entire build within the confines of someone else’s post. 

My first comment was a derogatory put-down of the Bachmann product, which in my long ago infuriating experience was anything BUT a quality streetcar model!  And then it was pure coincidence that I stumbled on the streetcar shell.  Looking it over made me go “hmmm”, and since I was itching to start a new project, well, things just sorta snowballed from there.

I would very much prefer that my build progression be spun off as its own topic, if someone might care to do so.  Perhaps give it the title “Rejuvenating An N Scale PCC Streetcar”, or some such?

In the meantime, I’ve got some new challenges to tackle with that model, so I’m off to the workbench!

[Dwight in Toronto]

Quick question for the group (well, for the 2 both of you who are still following along) …

… those destination boards above the front window on a PCC - were they illuminated? 
I’m struggling to recall if the destination boards on Toronto Transit cars were lit up or not. 

Anyone?

[CNR5529]

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Picture from Marty Bernard collection
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129679309@N05/16618343131

Hope this helps!

[Dwight in Toronto]

Perfect - thanks for that.  This is the first time I’m noticing those indirect lamps on the front of the car.  I wonder why they bothered with such a thing?

[Sokramiketes]

To light the walking path in front of the car. 

[CNR5529]

To light the walking path in front of the car. 

That makes sense. My first thought was to light up ad space... 

[R L Smith]

The "eyebrow" light covers on Muni's ex-NJT and ex-SEPTA PCCs are much smaller than those on the Toronto cars, and I believe they are indeed use for illuminating the walkway path as noted. However, the photo of the Toronto car certainly makes one wonder if advertising was behind the use of the larger covers.

I'll have to look back at some of my old documents - can't remember if the lifeguard tripping would automatically deploy track brakes and sanders or not (as in, triggering the emergency brake application).

Ron

[bbunge]

I recently acquired this IHP PCC shell and figured I'll post a photo of it alongside a Bachmann shell so one can get a sense of how Bachmann worked to fit their design around the mech.  IMHO, given the lack of N-scale North American traction, I'll give them credit for trying!



This IHP shell is a doubled ended PCC.  While the shell is a Red Arrow car, the plan is to turn this one into Illinois Terminal #450.

[Dwight in Toronto]

Interesting - while that IHC shell certainly has sharper detail, to my eye, the Bachmann version more closely captures the look of the Toronto Transit Commission cars.

[nickelplate759]

@bbunge How's the overall print quality of the IHP shell?

[bbunge]

@bbunge How's the overall print quality of the IHP shell?

At first glance, it looks good.  Detail is nice.  There are line marks as you might expect at the roof ends that will need to be worked on.  I haven't put knife to it yet or tried to drill into it.  For my project, not a perfect match for IT 450, but with a few minor changes, it will be good enough.

Bob

[Simon D.]

Asked a friend who lived in Toronto as a kid. The green lights are ‘calling on’ lights to indicate if the car is full or not. He thinks that when the light was green, space was available.

[Dwight in Toronto]

Simon - many thanks.  I suppose that’s plausible.  The Toronto Transit historical site I checked called them ‘advance lights’, and said that they enabled passengers waiting at a car stop to glance down the road to see if & when a trolley was within sight. 

A bit more progress.  I made a thin, flat styrene platform that creates a small space in the roof cavity, just above the front window, and affixed a bright white 0603 LED to it.  This can be seen, lit up on the right side of the pic:




The plan is that this little LED does double-duty by not only illuminating  the small green ‘advance lamp’ on the front of the roof, but I’m also hoping that it might be able to backlight the destination board that resides above the front window.  I’m still not sure on the latter, since I don’t know if I have decal lettering small enough to make a sign board.

The above pic also shows that the red taillights in the rear are lit up.  After spending a bit of time on the LokProgrammer, I managed to get the taillights to glow twice as bright when the streetcar stops, so as to simulate brake lights.  As soon as it starts moving again, they dim by roughly 50% to serve as rear markers.  It’s pretty cool, if I do say so myself!

Still to do  - see if I can fabricate the small roof light, cobble together the front ‘people catcher’, put on car number decals, and experiment with an illuminated destination board.

[nickelplate759]

...
The plan is that this little LED does double-duty by not only illuminating  the small green ‘advance lamp’ on the front of the roof, but I’m also hoping that it might be able to backlight the destination board that resides above the front window.  I’m still not sure on the latter, since I don’t know if I have decal lettering small enough to make a sign board.
...

Here's an idea - since the destination board is black with white letters - print it on a laser-printer as a single decal, with "white" (or clear) letters on a black background.  Should be able to do the entire destination board as a single decal.  Make it a little oversize and trim to fit after application.

[screeh]

The most recent email from Hobby Search includes a couple of Birney-esgue shells in 1/150 plus etched detail upgrades and mechanisms.

Steel side: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/m/10855616
Wood side https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/m/10706767

See the item descriptions for links to detail frets and mechs (the latter appear to be out of stock for now)

The manufacturer - N Goya (Imaging Labo Hamamatsu) - is one I'd not heard of before.