Looking at some ready made N scale catenary that is European I found quite a bit in different lengths ranging from 80 mm to over 200 mm. I dug out my double track masts and placed them at about 130 mm on the tracks. 100_0357-2 by John Moore posted Jul 24, 2020 at 12:45 PM 100_0358-3 by John Moore posted Jul 24, 2020 at 12:45 PM To my eye that appears to close and I am thinking about placing them at 230-240 mm or about 9 inches apart. Maybe further if I can find the ready made wire in those lengths. Doing more research I found that 300 mm would be right for US straight ways and that works out to near 13 inches. Here I have set the masts to about 13 inches and I like it better 100_0359-5 by John Moore posted Jul 24, 2020 at 1:20 PM Of course the mast would be closer together on curves.
Received my Tomix pantagraphs severely overpacked in a huge box with two tiny boxes lost in the packing and with a slight mod to the car roof have them mounted. Now they look like electrics. 100_0360-6 by John Moore posted Jul 24, 2020 at 4:49 PM
Looked at my mm rule and found that the 300 mm rule was too big and bulky so came up with using a long strip of styrene that I transferred the marking that I will use to set the catenary mast at. Now have the strip marked at 60 mm for the curves up to 300 for the straight sections. The advantage is that I can bend this around the curves plus it get around some trackside stuff. 100_0365-4 by John Moore posted Jul 25, 2020 at 6:00 PM As you can see I will be just shy of 13 inch spacing for the straights.
That is one nice looking electroliner. Think I need to make a board, something similar for display, the embankment is good. CAE car arrives in York on Monday. bit more progress on the 607 car. Sandy
The Cream City (Milwaukee) Special. Tomar used to make tailsigns for some electric interurban name trains. I need the Liberty Bell Limited and several from the Milwaukee area like the Land O Lakes Limited, Badger Limited, Prairie State etc. I am even lacking some Milwaukee Road names I want like the Olympian. The Tomar signs are getting harder to find... Randy
Thanks Sandy. The little display I made was really simple, foam and plaster, I wanted a scenic feature and that became the Central Valley bridge. My layout is a mess ! I think all of the ideas in my head are too much for the space I have, I keep changing my mind as to what I want to focus on. I do want to build a nice display of a long street scene but I cannot decide which scene I want to use, a North Shore scene or a Milwaukee electric scene, a city scene or a residential scene? Naturally I will buy a couple of the CA&E cars and certainly the 607 derrick. It's actually a pretty good time to be an N Scale traction modeler ! BTW, If you want to use any of my photo's on your Shapeways store by all means feel free ! Randy
For the electrics I am using Kato 11-105 mechanism which already has the truck side frames as part of the truck casting. The kit came with different side frames as separate parts to be used on a Bandai mechanism which were gray painted. Unfortunately right now the Bandai mechanisms are in scarse supply and the Kato mechanism was designed as a drop in for these cars.
CNSM Derrick car 607 Truck mounting is a bit of an issue on this one, I have put 2 pilot holes at truck centres, the front truck could be mounted on a piece of 1mm [40thou] styrene ? the rear truck screwed into the base? Any other suggestions. Other 2 images are general views of finished car, also cannot think of a way to incorporate the hook.
I have these Kato ones coming from Italy to mount on the black steeple cabs. S-l500 by John Moore posted Jul 27, 2020 at 3:42 PM Should be a nice contrast.
Add bolsters to accept micro trains truck pins. Im thinking powering it could be possible. https://www.plazajapan.com/4957265140087/
Seeing the pictures of the derrick car have me thinking that I need a line repair and inspection car. Thinking along the lines of a self propelled car with a cab at either end and a platform in the middle. So thinking about something that can go on a Kato power chassis. it could tow this car or a shorter version about 34 to 36 foot long. Bridge and Building Crew Rack and material car by John Moore posted May 31, 2006 at 6:03 PM
John, Just do what the real interurbans did and repurpose an old passenger car. Put a platform on the top , paint in an MOW scheme and your good. Maybe Sandy will make some other utility cars for trolleys, maybe the North Shore 604 line car ? Randy
Well I have several Bandai cars in storage and need to see if I have enough parts to do a cab at either end and build a platform in the middle. Mount everything on a Kato 11-105 chassis and stick a pantagraph on it since I have some extra from my last order. And I want compact and that would give me about a 30 foot car with it able to tow the other car pictured earlier.
Well not too long from idea to model. Two cab sections of Bandai cab units. The glass insert also serves as the base to mount the mechanism so I can only trim it down to the top of the mechanism. You can see the mechanism behind the car with the mechanism and a window glass insert sitting on top of it. 100_0366-1 by John Moore posted Jul 27, 2020 at 10:11 PM
The 604 car was possibly the next North shore car. That little power unit looks like the motor will fit in the cab. Sandy
CA&E 451 -460 cars are ready to go. Gave the car a coat of primer and a couple of pics. The hole for the under frame is 84.8mm x 15.6mm. The roof needs a light sand to finish before painting. It is here http://shpws.me/SbbT and http://shpws.me/SbbU
Working on the line car I decided to back up and take another route. Still with a cab at both ends. I have extra roofs from Bandai kits that I saved and I chose the one in the foreground. One end will be the work platform and the other will have the pantagraph. And what good is a line car when power is down so chose a roof that reflects a diesel on board for aux power if needed to propel the car. 100_0367-1 by John Moore posted Jul 28, 2020 at 3:10 PM