I'm in the middle of writing volume two of my 'Streets books, on modifying, bashing, and scratch building cars, buses, tractor trailers, etc: every project I cover I actually build while writing the book, taking pictures as I go. I did this project yesterday and today and thought I would share it. It turned out to be a jewel. Photos and video below.
I know Lionel makes a nice Birney trolley: I have one. However, this Corgi 1:50 is: a) much more of a detailed model - just beautiful and jewel-like in its detail, looking at lot less "toy," b) a bit smaller than the Lionel, which I like, including being about 1/4 inch lower (important clearing my 'Streets tunnel portals). Most important it has a shorter wheelbase, since it rides on the WBB panel van chassis, and this means it sort of shrugs off D-16 'Streets curves as no big deal rather than treated them as a bother that should cause it to slow noticeably. I also love the fact that I can see clear through both sets of windows to the other side of the street as it passes.
The WBB panel van chassis the trolley sits on has had its motor upgrade to a larger motor (Lionel part #710069100 - the motor in the Hall Class locos like Hogwarts Express): double the power and a flywheel to make it run smoother. Exactly analogous to dropping a big block V8 in a car that had a small block in it. It is faster, can carry more weight, and climb better, yes, but the real reason to do this conversion is that with the larger, lower RPM motor, and a flywheel, it will run very slowly, as a trolley should through downtown.
This is actually two projects in the boo, both quite straightforward. Putting the bigger motor in the plastic panel van chassis is perhaps the easiest project in the book. To convert the trolley I just removed the wheels and cut a rectangle out of the bottom of the trolley: I didn't even take it apart. The chassis then just fits into that hole and screws in. That took less than an hour. Interestingly, I had to add 18 cents worth of weight (eighteen pennies) to the trolley to get enough traction for it to run well.
It's small enough it does not overwhelm other traffic like the Williams Peter Witt or a scale PCC does, yet is has a presence. I love it.
It will run a lot - probably ever day - I think it will be a near permanent fixture downtown. It will cruise at about half this speed but this is about what I will run it at.
