Pantographs or Trolley Pole

Put a small dab of clear silicone caulk on each insulator and glue the pantographs onto the roof.

I like that....and if you change your mind, pull the caulk off and you'll nevber know they were there.

That looks great Steve.

Go with the trolley pole. Those pantographs do not look right on the car.

I think it would look best with a pair of trolley poles, one on each end.

A Pair of trolley poles  would look nice, and its prototypical (at least in photos of the trolleys around here ).

I think the pantographs look very good and Southern Pacific lines had pantographs as far as I know.

I'd go with the trolley pole. But, it looks like an Observation, so, would it even have a pole or pantographs?

Rusty

Steve, put another observation railing on the other end... as you know that's a reversible operation on these CMT cars.  Then the streetcar looks two-ended like it should. 

This is the trolley pole I have put on several standard gauge refits, it's metal, not plastic. Spring-loaded.

I just put one on, mounted in the center, it can be swivelled either way. That's prototypical too.

david

If you are going to operate it as a trolley, mount one pole on each end.  If you are going to operate it as a train, install pantographs on each end.

Bob Nelson

navy.seal posted:

If you are going to operate it as a trolley, mount one pole on each end.  If you are going to operate it as a train, install pantographs on each end.

Bob Nelson

I ordered a couple of the  Bachman G gauge pantographs that David referenced above. I'll see how I like them when they arrive.

Steve

Here's a test fit of the Bachmann trolley poles. I will shorten them a bit, but I like them. They are a bit pricey but very nicely made.

Steve

I vote for trolley poles for aesthetic value.

The pantographs give the look of a Caribbean or Latin American trolley.

navy.seal posted:

If you are going to operate it as a trolley, mount one pole on each end.  If you are going to operate it as a train, install pantographs on each end.

Bob Nelson

And, as common practice would have it, run with the trailing device in the operating position.

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Here's a test fit of the Bachmann trolley poles. I will shorten them a bit, but I like them. They are a bit pricey but very nicely made.

Steve

They're too pricey for me to be using two per trolley.  I still say one mounted in the middle and allowed to pivot is prototypical, it was common on early trolleys and the operator got out and turned the pole around when the trolley was to head back in the opposite direction. From the wiki article on trolley poles:

"On systems with double-ended tram cars capable of running in both directions, the trolley pole must always be pulled behind the car and not pushed, or "dewiring" is very likely, which can cause damage to the overhead wires. At terminus points, the conductor must turn the trolley pole around to face the correct direction, pulling it off the wire either with a rope or a pole and walking it around to the other end..."

You can make a hook in one of the roof's end holes, to hold the pole down when necessary, you won't need to shorten it.

The Bachman ones are all metal and well made, they seem very appropriate for tinplate use.

david

Still have a few things to do, but I did get some run time on it a few weeks ago. Here's a very short video.

https://youtu.be/emtVIN7POH0

Very nice Steve!  I'm presuming that's one of Ira Keeler's McCoy motor trucks?

d

hojack posted:

Very nice Steve!  I'm presuming that's one of Ira Keeler's McCoy motor trucks?

d

David, Yes that is a Keeler motor. It runs extremely well but draws so little current the lights don't work. May try some 6V bulbs.

Steve