New Tinplate Prototype

It's a pushme pullyou!

 

I'm in the process of designing and gathering parts to build a standard gauge railbus. Think mine will just go in one directon though.

 

 

McCoy used to make a Standard Gauge railbus called the Wapid Wabbit. They are pretty scarce these days, but cool if you can find one.  

Oh, you mean this one?

 

 

 

Definitely one of the silliest/coolest things in tinplate.

 

Bruce, I don't know the O Gauge universe that well, but there must be somebody making vintage-type railbuses.  One of the brass manufacturers maybe?  Not vintage tinplate, I guess...

 

 

The rail buses pictured..I had no idea anyone ever made one. I have a Mack stake bed rail truck in G which would also be neat in Standard Gauge...Thanks for the photos..I love that logo on the side of the body

Here is a couple that I have in Standard Gauge. They were made by a good friend of mine in PA.

 

 This one is based off an old Lionel body.

 

This used a Dorfan car for the bones.

 

He does really good work.

 

ARNO

Wow..the front end of the brown rail bus looks really impressive. Those are some real examples of craftsmanship....! Antique car \ rail hybrids are in a class by themselves. My own eccentric side was the impetus to restore \ mount a 1927 Dodge Brothers aooga horn on the fender of my Wrangler...it does get the attention it deserves when needed..What the___is that?!

If I remember correctly, Papa modified a Schylling Marx Truck to run on O gauge track.

Nice, Arno.  

 

There seems to be one pretty common design of these things in which the coach is like a club or combination car, with the baggage door at front and some coach seating - but then having an observation deck at the back.  Like Arno's green one.  I like that design.  

 

These are a couple of pictures I've been keeping around for inspiration, they are actually G scale, a couple variations:

 

 

 

 

Increases the complexity of the project, splicing combination and observation cars...

... and then maybe the front end off something diecast like this:

 

 

 

 

probably do-able, but whether it's within my skill level is another question.

 

 

More ideas based on original working models:

 

http://justacarguy.blogspot.co...road-inspectors.html

Unbelievably cool..IRM just acquired a Milwaukee Road rail sedan from Mid Continent. I can only imagine how cool a standard gauge model would be.

 

Oh, boy...HO, Brass O, Std. Gauge, G,  S?, N?, Z?...do they all have railbuses,and we in three rail are still crumpled in the snow on the corner holding up our cup of

matches and begging all the passersby?  (well, I am not...I have a brass Mack railbus

and a brass Sykes railbus, both possibly imported by Ken Kidder, and converted to

three rail by myself)

 

Any chance of some pictures?  Would love to see these...

 

 

 

This is a great post guy's! I have always loved a rail bus.

Here's the Precision Scale O gauge version.

 

 

I truly appreciate the Railbus/Geese pictured by the forum members.

I plan a future build using a Big Hauler combine and various parts & pieces that I've set aside.

Right now, I have a 1:24 Delton Track Inspection Truck.

 

 

Now that's different - the baggage compartment is in the rear - makes sense in a bus sort of way, but not the usual rail practice.  Nice model.  Thanks for posting it!

 

 

another favorite

That was the last variation I was expecting to see. I have a poster that Michelin created of this that was transferred to a tin sign. I never expected to see a model of it.

Who made this?

This variation would be cool for Superstreets...to my mind Bachmann is missing the boat in not producing a rail bus as they would be at home along the right of way as well as on the street. A sort of interurban hybrid.

I believe this one might be JEP?

Oh, that is the coolest!  I love it.

Originally Posted by Jim O'C:

that is actually La Rapide. How are the castings? being entirely made of Mazac they are prone to swelling and crumbling, that one however looks pretty solid. Does it run? Congratulations on a scarce piece.

Roland

Sorry, Roland, it is not mine. Photo is saved from an online auction several years ago.

Oh geez, I wish now I hadn't looked at this thread again. After seeing all the pictures and discussions on building a tinplate railbus, I realized I have a junker Lionel 608 observation that I might could fit a modified Marx motor into.....

 

 

That's all I need, another project!  LOL

Jim, thanks for the pics of the red and blue Michelins.  I have been leaning toward the idea of having the driver's cab separate from the rest of the railbus, but all the pictures I'd ever seen had the more bus-like arrangement with the driver in the front of the bus.  This gives me a precedent.  Like somebody said, anything you want to do on your layout, there is probably a prototype for it somewhere!

 

I'm looking at an Ives 184 and 186; bashing just enough off the back of the club car to take the observation deck parts from the 186; and squaring off the front of the car enough to use the cab and front fenders from the diecast AT&T truck for the driver's cab.  Pony truck under the cab and power truck under the back of the 184, like the Wabbitt.  Probably some surprises along the way.  Need to get the project bench cleared off.