Rate the 3-R streetcars--best to worst

Once upon a time, there were plenty of very realistic kits one could buy. I built a Ashland Car Works kit long ago of a NSL MD motor powered by Q car trucks and it was great as well as detailing a Bowser which turned out surprisingly good. Labelle may or may not be around who had a variety of wood kits. Heavier interurbans like the Indiana or Illinois Terminal also provided curb side service on their routes..same for the NSL, etc on city and township streets so their use would certainly be "realistic."

The MTH PCC wheels were problematic to me as most PCC's were low riding..they always looked like the equivalent of high water pants. The worst was perhaps the Lionel bump and go as far as operating consistency. The Western Hobbycaft looks the most suited for 3 rail.

The issue for me was that if I went into a O interurban or solely streetcar mode, two rail is the way to go as far as suppliers etc. The West Penn Club has a lot of links to them. You can certainly pack in more action with this type of modeling due to the tight radius of curves. If you don't want to go the Superstreets route street tracks are not that difficult to do....good luck.

Its not only the wheels which look like train wheels but the skirting looks too deep. The body just sits too high, a common complaint with PCC models. This may be driven by the height of the mechanism.

The one advantage of two rail traction modeling are the powered trucks that have the motors mounted to the trucks allowing a lower riding car body as well as interior detailing.....and more like the prototype. This one happens to be by Q Car.

Here is the East ( Not West) Penn link

http://eastpenn.org/links.html