Williams Peter Wit street cars

I have one and do like it.  Unfortunately, though new in the box, the trucks had disintegrated due to zinc pest.  Replacements were obtained and it runs and looks great.

The circuitry for the motor and lighting is in a board mounted to the frame, but suspended in the ceiling.  I think it would be tough to fit it into the corgi car, but might be possible with a lot of work.  I never really looked into it.

Is this what you are trying to do which was discussed before: https://ogrforum.com/...-street-car-question

Bill

I've had two. The first one was a real winner. it ran beautifully and looked great.

Unfortunately, just like SantaFe158, my car had the trucks crumble from zinc rot. There was a thread going where several reported zinc rot issues with their cars. I posted on Bachmann's forum where the thread was promptly locked and/or deleted.....hmmmm.....

Thankfully, Ken at Trainworld stepped up to help. I bought it new from York last fall from Trainworld and paid cash. I had no receipt so Bachmann wouldn't look at it. I asked Ken if it was possible for him to email me a receipt for the car earlier this spring. Not only did he send me a receipt but he also sent me a whole new trolley!  Thanks again Ken!

The new one runs just as well and hopefully will not fall apart (literally)!

Well, the Corgi shell is  1 7/8 wide x 10 5/8/ long if the chassis were trimmed it might fit...

Marty

I have a Williams Peter Witt streetcar in Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) livery. It looks great. Mine hasn't fallen apart due to zinc pest, yet. I wish there was a volume adjustment pot like other Williams trains. That bell will wake up everyone in your house! My main complaint is with regard to the pickup rollers. They have these tiny little small diameter rollers that get snagged in almost every switch on my layout. They just kind of slam into things without moving upward. The small diameter precludes them from rolling up over obstructions. This causes violent and frequent derailments unfortunately. Then, once derailed, when a short occurs, those tiny little wires to the wee little rollers get burnt crisp in an instant. So, it just sits on a shelf now because of the frustration it causes.

GregR posted:

I have a Williams Peter Witt streetcar in Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) livery. It looks great. Mine hasn't fallen apart due to zinc pest, yet. I wish there was a volume adjustment pot like other Williams trains. That bell will wake up everyone in your house! My main complaint is with regard to the pickup rollers. They have these tiny little small diameter rollers that get snagged in almost every switch on my layout. They just kind of slam into things without moving upward. The small diameter precludes them from rolling up over obstructions. This causes violent and frequent derailments unfortunately. Then, once derailed, when a short occurs, those tiny little wires to the wee little rollers get burnt crisp in an instant. So, it just sits on a shelf now because of the frustration it causes.

I believe mine suffered a similar issue and I forgot until now that it's awaiting replacement of the truck internals with those of the old crumbled trucks.  I ran mine on my unattended public Christmas display to give the Lionel trolley that's been used for years a rest.  Arrived to find it derailed and the trucks slightly melted, so the pickups are no longer usable.  I have the replacement parts on hand since I saved the guts of the original trucks, but I haven't had a chance to replace them yet.

GregR posted:

 My main complaint is with regard to the pickup rollers. They have these tiny little small diameter rollers that get snagged in almost every switch on my layout. They just kind of slam into things without moving upward. The small diameter precludes them from rolling up over obstructions. This causes violent and frequent derailments unfortunately. 

Remove (cut off) the front-most roller to prevent this from occurring. Three rollers are more than enough. I run mine over MARX crossovers without issue now.

Interesting to read the roller snag issue.

I've been using only Ross switches and crossovers on my layout for years. I've never had a single issue with the Peter Witt trolley on the switches. The car has also run on National Capital Tracker (When I was a member) layouts which uses about every brand/model of track and switches one could ever find. Never a problem there either.

SJC posted:...

Thankfully, Ken at Trainworld stepped up to help. I bought it new from York last fall from Trainworld and paid cash. I had no receipt so Bachmann wouldn't look at it. I asked Ken if it was possible for him to email me a receipt for the car earlier this spring. Not only did he send me a receipt but he also sent me a whole new trolley!  Thanks again Ken!

Ken at Trainworld is a stand-up guy in every respect. I love his enthusiasm for the hobby, and have purchased a good amount of product from the folks at Trainworld over a good many years (in multiple scales, but primarily Large Scale, O, and On30). On some occasions I have received items as quickly as one or two days after placing my order. Can't ask for better than that for online orders.

SJC posted:

Interesting to read the roller snag issue.

I've been using only Ross switches and crossovers on my layout for years. I've never had a single issue with the Peter Witt trolley on the switches. The car has also run on National Capital Tracker (When I was a member) layouts which uses about every brand/model of track and switches one could ever find. Never a problem there either.

My layout is postwar Super O track. I'm guessing You didn't try that system, or the Marx trackage that caused the same problem for another poster. I have no doubt I would have been fine on Fastrack or other contemporary track systems. 

GregR posted:

SJC posted:

Interesting to read the roller snag issue.

I've been using only Ross switches and crossovers on my layout for years. I've never had a single issue with the Peter Witt trolley on the switches. The car has also run on National Capital Tracker (When I was a member) layouts which uses about every brand/model of track and switches one could ever find. Never a problem there either.

My layout is postwar Super O track. I'm guessing You didn't try that system, or the Marx trackage that caused the same problem for another poster. I have no doubt I would have been fine on Fastrack or other contemporary track systems. 

Mine was running on fastrack when it derailed and shorted.  I believe it occurred on one of the grade crossing sections.  Unfortunately I wasn't present when it happened, so I don't know the exact details of what happened.  Obviously a grade crossing track shouldn't really affect the rollers as they're still on top of the rail, but who knows.  In the future I'd also run it on slightly larger curves than the O-36 loop I had it on.  When it did run, it ran and looked great.

Nice operating cars but would not buy one in the mail. Zinc pest is a big issue. Examine the trucks in-person.

Between the zinc rot, the rollers, and the very specific body type (single ended, PW configuration), is it time for WBB to upgrade and re-release this model?   To keep the unusual electronics arrangement they need to use a similarly sized and styled body, which narrows the field; I'd like to see an OB Electromobile (Scranton, Altoona, Queensboro Bridge, New Bedford), but I am a little biased...