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Does anybody know how close to scale Lionel wind turbines are?

 

And, also - I know K-Line use to sell them individually instead of in a three pack.

 

I am looking to buy just one (provided they are close to scale in appearance) if anybody can recommend a source.

Lionel Wind Turbines

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  • Lionel Wind Turbines
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Wind turbines come in all sizes.  The largest are, as stated, too big for your basement.  The smallest have blades no bigger than a normal person is tall, so are much smaller.  The Lionel one, at scale, would be a rather modest capacity, around 100- 150 kW.  It would slot in between the two wind turbines offered by this company (I know little about them they just came up first when I googled 150 kW wind turbine).  Note the larger looks almost exactly like the Lionel one. 

 

http://www.powerworks.com/250kw_wind_turbine.aspx

 

The wind turbines that most people notice on top of mountain ranges have individual blades with lengths of 130 feet and more. So the Lionel verson is way undersize. Here is a pic of a train load of blades that was posted on the mid week photo thread yesterday.

 

 

UP%25205694%2520Wind%2520Power%2520EB%2520Berea-14

Very impressive, to say the least! One plant that makes the blades is located in Dansville, NY, on the site of the old Foster-Wheeler plant. Do a Google map search,and you might find an overhead shot with blades loaded on flatcars.

 

All that being said, the turbines do fit well in the background of a layout. And their ratation speed is realistic. The following shot is of the Lehigh Valley Hi Railers wind farm module on display in Reading this past fall.

A0195241

 

Chris

LVHR

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Most people see wind turbines at a distance and have no idea how big they are. A bunch are located on a mountaintop nearby. A few are accessible. Gazing up from the base, a person feels like an ant.

 

Each blade is about the length of a Big Boy (132 feet). The mast is much higher. It's as though some 135' turntables are placed end to end vertically and the roundhouse (also vertical) soars above them.

 

There are small wind turbines, as Lee Willis posted, but larger ones built to scale dominate a layout. That doesn't look right because people are used to seeing them way in the distance.

 

In a wide-angle photo, a Big Boy at the base of a big wind turbine would look small, too.

 

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