Peter Witt Streetcar Questions

I think your transformer idea should work fine. I have seen one of these and I bet if you kept the legs as long as possible they wouldn't show too much cutting through the window. Hope the both of you enjoy it!

Try not to use a voltage above 12 or so unless you want to run at TGV speeds.

As far as #3, if you cut below the belt line and then glue them to the seats. I would use S scale 1/64 scale people; it seems that 1/48 people are too large for O scale seats! "It looks to me like the amputations will show through the low windows", not really; well, unless you really stare at the car at eye level. Not to mention, real people come in all sizes.

The "San Francisco" paint scheme on the Williams Peter Witt is actually Milan, Italy:

https://www.streetcar.org/stre...an-yellow-and-white/

If you're so inclined, you could ask  http://www.customtraxx.com/ if they have anything in stock.   

At one point, Walthers offered generic O scale trolley decals with things like "Please Have Fare Ready" and the like, but I haven't seen them in decades...  :/

Hope this helps.

Mitch

Thanks for that link.  I searched for decals and couldn't find any in O scale.  Most everything is for HO.

I did notice that the shape of the original is quite different than the model.  The front is flat on the model and there is some sort of awning above the drivers window.  The windows are different. The space where the letter "F" and the destination is very small as well.  I suppose a decal could go at the top of the window as well.

John

@Craftech posted:

Thanks for that link.  I searched for decals and couldn't find any in O scale.  Most everything is for HO.

I did notice that the shape of the original is quite different than the model.  The front is flat on the model and there is some sort of awning above the drivers window.  The windows are different. The space where the letter "F" and the destination is very small as well.  I suppose a decal could go at the top of the window as well.

Yep!  The prototype that Bachmann/Williams used was a Baltimore car built by Brill which was the immediate predecessor to the PCC car.

It only ran in Baltimore, as far as I know, but WBB, as is the wont of toy train manufacturers, painted the car in various other city paint schemes.   

As for decals, drop CustomTraxx a line.  If they don't have any O scale decals, they may know someone who does! 

Mitch

Thanks,

Much appreciated

Baltimore streetcar museum has a photo of it.

6119

John

Not quite true. The old Dallas Railway & Terminal had some Peter Witt streetcars. Theirs were different from the Baltimore cars: the Dallas cars had their second set of doors on the rear end and not on the sides.

@Mister_Lee posted:

Not quite true. The old Dallas Railway & Terminal had some Peter Witt streetcars. Theirs were different from the Baltimore cars: the Dallas cars had their second set of doors on the rear end and not on the sides.

(looks up)

Nice enough car, but not built like the Baltimore cars... 

Mitch

I put Bachmann Waist-Up Seated passengers in mine and a few MTH passengers.  The Bachmann figures actually have half legs complete with knees so you don't notice that they are missing the lower part of their legs.

I run mine using Lionel PW transformers.  Since it has a PC board, it wouldn't hurt to have a quick acting fuse or breaker if you are using a PW transformer.

I got the Los Angeles version last August but did not get to run it until last month when my track was finished.  It is very wobbly running on Ross track at about six volts it flys.

Only ran for about two hours total over about a month before it died.  Planning to return it to Bachmann for repair when I get back home. I have a ZW-L transformer and also have TVS’s connected so I know that that is not a reason for the board to die so it must have just been defective.

I don’t think it will be a good runner in the long term unless I just got a lemon.  It was reported that they are prone to have the zinc rot but mine was OK.

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

(looks up)

Nice enough car, but not built like the Baltimore cars... 

Mitch

What happened to your photo Mitch?

John

@Craftech posted:

What happened to your photo Mitch?

H'm!  I guess the link doesn't work for y'all.  Well, try this:

http://www.mata.org/images/October2014Newsletter.pdf

on page 4. 

@WaynePa posted:

I got the Los Angeles version last August but did not get to run it until last month when my track was finished.  It is very wobbly running on Ross track at about six volts it flys.

Only ran for about two hours total over about a month before it died.  Planning to return it to Bachmann for repair when I get back home. I have a ZW-L transformer and also have TVS’s connected so I know that that is not a reason for the board to die so it must have just been defective.

I don’t think it will be a good runner in the long term unless I just got a lemon.  It was reported that they are prone to have the zinc rot but mine was OK.

I found they're not very good for continuous running under show conditions, as the pickup rollers overheat and melt the plastic supports. 

Overall, a good idea with some flaws in implementation.

Mitch

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

I found they're not very good for continuous running under show conditions, as the pickup rollers overheat and melt the plastic supports.

Mitch

Even with oiling the rollers?

John

I have the PTC version and it sits in the car barn most of the time with my Atlas and Industrial Rail Cars. I believe that the Williams Peter Witt was originally planed by Jerry Williams sine it is modeled after a Baltimore prototype and it was convenient for Jerry to go to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.

Here is some info on decal paper....so you can make your own on your computer...I usually set my printer on a darker setting to give the decal's a deeper color.  Some HO cars I did for a Senior Center Model Railroad in Holyoke MA.

@BobbyD posted:

I think your transformer idea should work fine. I have seen one of these and I bet if you kept the legs as long as possible they wouldn't show too much cutting through the window. Hope the both of you enjoy it!

Most of my passengers have had amputations.   Even though I’m a doctor, and I cut off things on people, I kind of feel sorry those little people. After all, there’s eventually a stop for them, and then what are they going to do?

Alan

@gene maag posted:

Here is some info on decal paper....so you can make your own on your computer...I usually set my printer on a darker setting to give the decal's a deeper color.  Some HO cars I did for a Senior Center Model Railroad in Holyoke MA.

I may try that gene.  Thanks.  Any issue with them if they get a little water on them?

John

@WaynePa posted:

I got the Los Angeles version last August but did not get to run it until last month when my track was finished.  It is very wobbly running on Ross track at about six volts it flys.

Only ran for about two hours total over about a month before it died.  Planning to return it to Bachmann for repair when I get back home. I have a ZW-L transformer and also have TVS’s connected so I know that that is not a reason for the board to die so it must have just been defective.

I don’t think it will be a good runner in the long term unless I just got a lemon.  It was reported that they are prone to have the zinc rot but mine was OK.

I remember pre-ordering a Cleveland transit unit before they first came out. It ran so very poorly on my Gargraves track and Ross Custom turnouts. If fact it wouldn't run much at all without derailing. I parted ways with it as the frustration factor was too high. Have not purchased a Bachmann loco since. Not that I need any more at the present time, anyhow. But I do love that little Williams 44 tonner I just got.

Jim K

@Bogart posted:

I remember pre-ordering a Cleveland transit unit before they first came out. It ran so very poorly on my Gargraves track and Ross Custom turnouts. If fact it wouldn't run much at all without derailing. I parted ways with it as the frustration factor was too high. Have not purchased a Bachmann loco since. Not that I need any more at the present time, anyhow. But I do love that little Williams 44 tonner I just got.

Jim K

Were the two rubber tires seated? Gargraves and Ross track are no less level than tubular O track. The one I've seen run, the entire layout is Gargraves,  runs without a wobble.

@BobbyD posted:

Were the two rubber tires seated? Gargraves and Ross track are no less level than tubular O track. The one I've seen run, the entire layout is Gargraves,  runs without a wobble.

Before I give it to my grandson, how does it run on Fastrack.  That's what he has.

Thanks,

John

@BobbyD posted:

Were the two rubber tires seated? Gargraves and Ross track are no less level than tubular O track. The one I've seen run, the entire layout is Gargraves,  runs without a wobble.

The traction tires were fine. When the car ran it was without a wobble. It just derailed at about every Ross turn out and even stalled when going around a 42" turn. Thanks but no thanks. Not sure but perhaps at least one of the wheelsets was/were out of tolerance. Anyhow, ancient history. I'm sure yours will run just fine...... but check it first if you can. 

Jim K

@Craftech posted:

Before I give it to my grandson, how does it run on Fastrack.  That's what he has.

Thanks,

John

Ran flawless on his layout with O96 Ross switches and Gargraves track.

@Bogart posted:

The traction tires were fine. When the car ran it was without a wobble. It just derailed at about every Ross turn out and even stalled when going around a 42" turn. Thanks but no thanks. Not sure but perhaps at least one of the wheelsets was/were out of tolerance. Anyhow, ancient history. I'm sure yours will run just fine...... but check it first if you can. 

Jim K

Sorry to hear that you had all those difficulties