K line speeders? Anyone have one?

Dad got me a 2628-1 PRR Speeder a few years ago. Runs great, no issues.

The figures could come loose, so you will have use hot glue to put them back in the seats.

Andrew

I picked up the Circus ones and they run WAY to slow....  Needs a little more speed.

Jim

I have the RMT speeder, which is the exact clone of the K-Line.  However, since I run command, it needed some work.

I started with this.

After some body work to make room for the electronics, a paint job, new more realistically sized figures, and lighting mods, I ended up with this.  This one runs TMCC, has front and rear markers, front and rear directional headlights, and a remote controlled strobe.  It scoots down the track plenty fast.  Remember, those guys don't have any seat belts, I wouldn't want them to get hurt!

thanks everyone for your responses.

Gunrunnerjohn...that speeder looks superb. 

Does the original speeder come with a rooflight and headlight or did you add one?

The original had a headlight and a beacon.  The markers on the front were not-functional, and there was no lighting on the back.  The original is as pictures above, it's the yellow one.

The magnet below the seat you see is used for the PGM/RUN switch, it's a reed switch at the rear of the roof.  You just set the magnet on it and then it's in PGM mode.  That allowed me not to have a switch sticking out somewhere.

Tip of the hat John to a clever solution.

Pete

How do you take one of these apart?

John, this is a very nice conversion. Looks superb.

The K-Line speeders were quite oversize and I quit using mine at all.  Actually K-Line offered the exact same body with a wider gauge for use on #1 or G gauge track.  Still think they look a bit large for that application.

I guess that no one can actually build an operating, scale sized speeder car in "0" gauge.  The motor and mechanism would really have to be small.

Paul Fischer

That's the problem with a true "scale" speeder.  It wouldn't make it over any switches, as the span on the collectors would only be about an inch and a half! I have a few "novelty" pieces that I run at shows, as long as they're appreciated, they don't have to be scale, at least for me.  Mine are toys.

Thanks for the nice comments, it's a unique piece at least.. 

Big Jim, you take the screws out of the bottom, and the motor assembly falls out.

Excellent work on the conversion. 

My hometown is Fairmont, MN   - home of Railway Motors which built the speeders.

In the interests of full disclosure, Harry Henning III did the body work and painting, then I installed all the lighting, TMCC, etc.