@up148 posted:This is an O scale brass #50 UP Turbine that i just received and although I've collected UP brass since the 70's, in all scales, this is the only one in existence in O scale. It was built by two Japanese craftsmen in 2012, for a local Japanese club. The paint, brass sheet relief, brass details and see thru screens is right up there with the best of the OMI Turbines....in fact your would swear it was built by Ajin or Samhongsa. The only give-a-way is the thinkness of the brass sheet used and the under floor drive.
It has "magic carpet" type drives, but built by the model builders and is much more sophisticated and robust. It leaves the interior completely open to add a model of the turbine prime mover, which I hope to do.
The drive is impressive , and follows philosophically the prototypical "electric" (turbine or otherwise) traction motor nestled down on the axles arrangement.
Oddly, the only current traction motor-style "O" model arrangement of which I am aware is on certain moderately-priced Lionel, RMT and former entry-level K-Line diesel equipment, rendering it more "accurate" than the pricier vertical or driveshaft-type can motor architectures.
Beautiful loco.
