Hi everybody.
I'm looking to introduce a small passenger/workers commuter service on the layout.
Any ideas it's got to be two rail and a railcar set would be nice.
Roo
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I'd like to help out finding stuff whenever I can. I'm really not exactly sure what you're describing?
So I looked it up!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railcar :
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western Railway, used the term Railmotor. If it is able to pull a full train, it is rather called a motor coach or a motor car.[1]
In its simplest form it may be little more than a motorised version of a railway handcar, sometimes called a speeder.
The term is sometimes also used as an alternative name for the small types of multiple unit which consist of more than one coach. The term is used more generally now in Ireland to refer to any diesel multiple unit (DMU), or in some cases electric multiple unit (EMU).
In North America the term “railcar” has a much broader meaning, and the term is used to refer to any kind of railway carriage, including unpowered goods wagons.[
So I don't think MTH makes any in 2 rail?
http://mthtrains.com/search/street%20car
Are you maybe thinking along the lines of a doodlebug?
there are European sets in 2 rail from MTH
http://mthtrains.com/search/european?f[0]=field_product_classification%3A7038
So what era? Modern? In America? (Amtrak, NJT, Metro, etc.)
Just general pass car set for a private RR?
I model early 60's, 1962 to be exact but I am not a precision modeller, I am just a dreamer that models a Railroad how the owner likes it and at the least expense, though my wife will never agree with that, so to get back to the subject of a double ended railcar or one of those Budd RDC's what options have I got.
There is a brass doodlebug on ebay at the moment and it is probably a beautiful model but to spend over a 1000/1500 Australian bucks is a bit staggering for my modest budget if I can't get something I want I might have to fall back on a passenger car from Atlas and run a Atlas SW in front, but that is the last resort at the moment there is no panic creeping in.
So can anyone help me with advice or something it would be much appreciated. Thanks so far for your replies. Roo.
To the group, has anyone 2-Railed a K-Line self propelled passenger car? South Shore, Reading, PE,etc. Either 15" or 18". Might be an option for Roo. If it will run on a dedicated independent track, you could make a hard to see center rail similar to what Ron Howard is doing (thread is posted in a Forum group somewhere). That may be heresy, but it is an option. John in Lansing, ILL
Hi John. Your up early or going to bed late!
Where it will be running is all over the layout so 2-rail is a must, to hard to add a third rail anywhere. Thanks.
Roo.
Hi Roo, one of my customers has one running on his layout. It is a modified MTH. Andy Romano from trainutz.com. You can contact him about battery power conversion. Have fun. Don
Roo posted:Hi everybody.
I'm looking to introduce a small passenger/workers commuter service on the layout.
Any ideas it's got to be two rail and a railcar set would be nice.
Roo
Take a pair of passenger cars and put a pair of NWSL magic carpet drives in the lead truck of one, and off you go.
Don. I know Andy well I had a scrapyard named after him years ago I still have the crane on the layout! I will contact him. Marty I have two sets of #9346-4 along with #8199-4 wheel set to match the drives but no time to modify anything at the moment. Roo.
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Don't you love it when a plan comes together!!
Just having fun running my trains. Don
Roo posted:I have two sets of #9346-4 along with #8199-4 wheel set to match the drives but no time to modify anything at the moment. Roo.
No idea what those part numbers refer to - I know it's terribly remiss of me, but I have not bothered to memorize catalogs....
Time? It's relative and like a river flowing by - just step out on the shore and take a few steps back and you will find you have plenty of time available.
mwb posted:Roo posted:Hi everybody.
I'm looking to introduce a small passenger/workers commuter service on the layout.
Any ideas it's got to be two rail and a railcar set would be nice.
Roo
Take a pair of passenger cars and put a pair of NWSL magic carpet drives in the lead truck of one, and off you go.
Good idea! I have a set of MTH MP-54's, one car of the four is a combine so as to be motorized out of view. In all my time on and near the Main Line I never saw a combine. If the Magic Carpet is sufficiently robust, making a 3-car set would be great.
Roo, Getting passenger service set up on a budget with smaller radius curves could be handled quite nicely with the Atlas 60' Trainman passenger cars and one of your SW-8 engines.
Just got some from Norm's 0 scale to drag behind an MTH small steamer. Sweet.
On another note a couple of years ago I picked up a MTH 2 railed Rail King Doodle bug and trailer. Still carries the antique lobster claws yet and it rides high but it is a smooth runner. No idea how the conversion was done but it is a nice runner. My tightest curve is 60" so no idea how tight it will go.
Andy's converted MTH RDC looks nice. I have several of the SS3rd rail RDCs but they look out of place with the wide overhang on my 60" branch lines.
All said, the 60' Atlas factory 2 rail Trainman cars with a small locomotive look best on smaller curves IMO.
They would easily stand up to your 0-5-0 switcher.
I find the smaller the car and consist the bigger the layout seems.
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Marty.
I have the carpet drives in front of me they have 40" wheels. Have you ever tried to look through a NWSL catalog I gave up years ago easier to ring or email P&D hobby shop and talk to Pat. When your 16,000 miles away it's not a problem, there are ways of getting what you want.
Tom.
I am going to talk to the "Committee" (the whole two of us) tomorrow and discuss the possibility of an Lackawanna passenger car pulled by a Lackawanna SW I have a couple.
I bought two more Brand new 2-Rail Atlas switchers off ebay just recently so I have a spare loco or two.
I like Andy's RDC's I will send him an email.
Keep the ideas coming and thanks for the support so far it's been great and I appreciate it I only talk to people about USA O scale on the internet it's all smaller gauges where I live. Roo.
I've not given up on this the RDC will have to wait till early next year. To get things going I have took the advice from Tom and bought one Atlas passenger car today (arrive in about 12 days) which I will shove behind an Atlas SW that will give us something to work into the operating plan till I have more time.
Thanks for all the replies and if anyone comes up with something (like a cheap 2-rail RDC) please let me know. Roo.
Neville,
One of my projects is to convert a MTH Railmotor to scale. I sold the trucks and electronics and bought the proper St. Louis trucks from Q-car to power my car. The Scale size Q car trucks are much smaller than the trucks that come stock from MTH.
Roo, what kind of tariff or import restrictions do modelers in Aussyland experience when receiving gifts or purchases form overseas?
I can answer that, Tom.
Gifts and purchases from overseas aren't subject to tax until the value of them reaches A$1000.00
Cheers
Thanks Max,
Only for clarification to help understand the mechanics. If someone wanted an A-B-A set with all powered units at $700 apiece and ordered each unit a month apart would that fit the rules or is the tariff cumulative over a period of time?
No. It's per invoice, Tom. Back in the day when I used to buy lots of decoders, we would only separate the invoices by a day.
Hi Tom.
I buy something from the USA almost every fortnight and pay nothing in duty or tax and as Max said as long as it is under A$1000 per parcel.
In the last month I have bought two Atlas Locomotives in two completely different transactions off eBay both were around A$500.
The shipping is the killer nowadays one thing to remember I don't buy anything real expensive like Brass locomotives all my equipment is Plastic except a couple of ancient All Nation switchers and one brass 44 tonner I am not a collector I'm an operator and all my buying is around what will make the railroad more successful and enjoyable the Layout comes first and that's where most of my modelling time goes which also includes setting up and operating once a week every Friday for the whole day. I also have a complete workshop with all wood working and engineering machines and if I did not have the layout I would be making all kinds of things but nowadays the machines apart from the two lathes are covered up gathering dust while I work on the layout I do use the lathes a lot for making bushes and other items for converting cars to 2-rail I have an excess of machines because a good friend of mine gave me all his equipment from his workshop when he downsized. I might have a wonderful workshop (when it's clean) but I don't have a lot of money I'm happy and grateful that I'm healthy apart from the occasional bad dream, I also have a large supporting family four kids and nine grandkids. Roo.
