Buddies CAN RUN on "Streets" D-16 Curves

I have found that Atlas Industrial Rail trollies will fit the O-16 curves if the limiting screws are removed. The Lionel Birneys and the Superstreets cars/ trucks, the Kline Porter and Plymouths will all make those curves. The MTH Railking trollies with two trucks like the PCC and larger two truck trolly can make the curves but the smaller two axel birney like trolley will not because the axel spacing interfere for some reason.
Those are what I have experience with on these.

I agree with silver Lake: the Atlas is easy to modify to make D-16s.  It may not be happey going around a curve, and slow a lot, but it will do it.  Most two-truck trolleys and even the bag can be modified by opening up the angle the trucks swivel to where they will too (the Bang is more work) - but why you would want to is another question.

Lee,

I'm not interested in the Bang; but I think that a RMT Buddy would look right at home street running.

 

Bob:

 

Are you running an MTH PCC trolley, the brill Trolley (like with the bump and go) or some other trolley on that D-21 EZ Streets?

 

I am surprised if it is a PCC going through those curves, but if it works it works.

 

My suggestion:  at $50, the Buddy is a nice unit.  If it works, great.  If not, you can run it elsewhere on the layout.  Can't beat that deal from Ben.  I got one because I like the RMT Buddies. 

 

Smallest curves I have are O-42, but I have been contemplating putting some EZ Street track down to run - you guessed it - a trolley.  But I was only thinking my Peter Witt Trolley (Williams) would work on the D-21 EZ Streets.

 

Thanks.

 

I should have been clearer on the Bang: while I agree it makes little sense to run it on 'Streets, it actually is very easy to get to run on it and it does well.  

 

I have an RMT boddy and it will run through D-21 curves - slows a lot but gets through.  Here is a very brief video of it going through D-21, sorry it is so short.

 

Here it is on the other side of the street, on D-16.  It manages to get through one 30 deg section but a 40 degree curve (its not quite a whole piece, I trimmed them to fit) flummoxes it.  It de-rails slightly as you can see.  As you might say, "Some disassembly required," but it sure looks like a little extension of the angles the trucks could turn would fix this.  

 

Of course, it's going to need a lot of clearance.  I can't run this around my entire downtown loop even if I fixed the trucks to turn more: it would not play nice with parked traffic along the street farther downtown. 

 

John,

It is the RK PCC car. According to the book it is designed for 027 operation.

I gave a Buddy to my Grandson; maybe I'll borrow it tomorrow and give it a try.

 

Lee,

Thanks for your videos and comments. The RK trolley trucks have quite a bit of play in them. I just took a video of my RK PCC going through the D-16 curves. you can hear the squeaks on the curves; but hey the IRT in Manhattan is famous for the squeals.

 

The man in the back of the trolley spills his coffee every morning!

 

That is cool!   I like the 'Streets arrangement, too.

A couple of things that I am able to run on D-16 curves in Super Streets are the MTH PCC trolley with SEPTA on it(it's a smaller version of a trolley from about five or six years ago) and K-Line Plymouth switcher set.

I have the K-Line UPS van as well and it runs great on 16 inch curves.

The hand cars work fine but don't use with a trailer on D-16 curves, the trailers might work better on D-21 curves.

 

Lee Fritz

Bob:

 

Thank you.  I am going to use D-21 on mine, so thins expands my options.  Yes, the guy in the back of the PCC will have whiplash.  No need to go on any amusement rides after that!

 

Really nice layout - the whole thing.

 

Let us know what happens with your Buddy test.  I think Lee has an example, but I would be curious to see what happens on yours.

 

Thanks again.

Thanks Lee; I have a long way to go with the scenery etc

Lee, I also tried the "K" Plymouth switcher, it runs and looks great. I am going to use it or the Porter to pull some of those 4 wheel ore cars. The ore cars will be converted to haul passengers on a train excursion which will originate out of Craig Park. Craig Park will be behind the burger stand. Hard to imagine but there will be a Ferris wheel, chair ride and pony ride just across the tracks from Belle's Burgers.

 

John,

I ordered a Buddy. When I put my Grandson's Buddy on my D-16 curve it was very close to being on the track. As Lee Willis suggested a slight modification to the truck turning radius is in order. I'll post back when I have made some progress.

I just made a minor modification to my new Buddy and it does run on the D-16 curves!

 

I removed the 4 screws to separate the body from the chassis; being careful not to pull the wiring. There is a quick disconnect plug that enables the body to become completely separated. Then the E clips holding the trucks must be removed. Gather a little slack in the wire so the truck can be positioned to slide the truck stop out of the slot. Again being careful not to stretch any wires I removed the 4 screws that hold the truck to the truck bolster. The screws nearest the coupler are longer because they also fasten the coupler to the truck. Once the screws are out, the bolster and side frame assembly can be slid up and off the truck. You will see the bottom of the truck stop where you can untwist the tabs and then pull it out the top. Reassemble everything in reverse being careful to engage the wires in the slot of the bolster.

 

At this point I ran the chassis through the curves and it was great. There was a problem on one side of the D-16 Wye; but I think that it is caused by the plastic guard rail just before the frog. It lifts one side of the truck up. I am thinking about removing that piece.

 

I then put the cab on and ran it again. You may hear some popping or cracking noises. That is the base of the coupler pushing up against the back of the molded step on the end of the car. It looks like the clearance is shy about an 1/8 of an inch. I was going to shave the step; but since this will be a one car operation, I think that I will remove the couplers and install fixed couplers on the body for pure cosmetic reasons.

 

I run my MTH PCC, BEEP's and BEEF's on mine. Messing around one day I put a Weaver Alco C630 on Streets......it ran nice on the straights and even part of the turn until the length of the loco exceeded the diameter of the curve......but there was enough truck movement to make it!! 

Good mod, and thanks for the pictures of where and how. 

Just walked in from a trip......here is my 'TEST' SS layout......

The MTH PCC is running on the layout.....note the Weaver Alco off to the side!!