Models for Allentown [4] Back to the Old Times

Winona "Windsplitter"

The last group of N scale models for the Allentown meet are three classic Interurban cars, a combine representative of the mid 1920 steel car era, and two older wooden cars. All three models are derived from HO 3D models.

The steel car is a St.Louis Car Co combine built for the Fort Wayne & Lima and the Indiana Service Corp, later Indiana Railroad. I am particularly attached to this model for two reasons, first because the late Paul Mayer asked me to make this car and gave me many photos and documents, and second because it was the first model I have drawn only from photos.

Indiana Service Co/Indiana RR steel combine

Winona "Windsplitter"

Now I know that I could build every car even if only photos and no plans ara available. I will present the car in two versions, the early two manned version with the baggage compartment in front (in production, red with green roof) , and the later one man version turned front to back with a folding passenger door (already finished, in Indiana Railroad traction orange with green roof). The car is powered with the extra long Tomytec TM-TR05 drive and has Commonwealth truck frames.

The two wood cars are the famous big Winona "Windsplitter" and a C&LE arched roof box motor, based on C&LE car 622. The fine wooden grooves are a challenge, because they are going to the limits of 3D printing, and sometimes beyond. Both cars have Tomytec drives with bigger 5.6 mm (36") wheels and a 14 mm wheelbase, all trucks powered. The Box Motor has a truck mounted Micro-Trains Coupler in the rear and can safely pull (and push) several freight cars even through the sharpest curves with 103 mm radius.

C&LE Box Motor

Rear Micro-Trains coupler on the Box Motor

Models for Allentown [3] The tale of the three Siemens

Making Interurban cars in N scale is not so difficult. If the 3D drawing is well made, you only have to make some adjustments, deleting or thickening some details too small to print, like rivets or small handrails. And you have to adapt the inner shape of the car body to the Tomytec drive of your choice.If all is well engineered, you will recieve your 3D printed car body from Shapeways and it will directly snap over the drive and stay in place. The paint job is a little tricky, but otherwise it's done.

Modern LRV are not of the same shape, they are articulated, they are in fact 2 or 3 cars permanently coupled together. And if none of the Tomytec articulated drives fits, you have to build something on your own.

As N scale model I chosen the Siemens S70. Because I had already made the car in HO, and because its one of the most build in the USA. And because it is running as multiple unit: I wanted to make three Siemens S70.

I will not talk here about the headache I had, just to say you that is was not simple. But the 3 cars are now in the assembling line. A first beta car was build and painted before for a well known trolley connoisseur from California.

The main hurdles are the building of an articulated frame, with two modified Tomytec TM-TR01 drives as A and B units, and a custom build C unit made from laser cut styrene parts. The car with 2 motors and all wheels capting current is powerful. A three car Multiple Unit is just tremendous.

But you need fine and calm fingers, for making the folded paper bellows, for soldering the fine wires connecting A, C and B unit, for masking and painting, for all

Two cars will recieve the red paint scheme of the San Diego MTS, with N scale decals made by Custom Traxx. One car will recieve an all white paint scheme, in order to be decorated later - after the meet - as an Utah Trax from Salt Lake City.

Models for Allentown [2] some more Devils, and then an Eldorado

Liberty Bell Limited

Among the models that I bring up to the Allentown Trolley Meet are two more versions of the "Red Devils". When the Cincinnati & Lake Erie closed, the Lehigh Valley Transit bought several units and rebuild them for their "Liberty Bell Limited" service.

The swing entrance doors on the right side were reinstalled, and an identical left side door was build. The cars recieved a second trolley pole in front, the pilot was sheeted and 3rd rail shoes were installed on wooden beams on the ABC trucks. The headlight was raised up to the roof, the dash lights removed and the horns were placed on the left front corner. The cars recieved a striking cream livery with red striping.

Three Devils

CRANDIC Devil

So currently I have three "Devils", but there is a fourth to come. The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (Crandic) bought also six "Devils" when the C&LE closed. First they run nearly unaltered, but later some of them recieved  rounded "front spoiler" in replacement of the pilot and the trolley pole was mounted on a higher pole base. The folding doors remained in service. The cars were painted yellow and dark red/brown.

This 3D printed is still in production at Shapeways and will hopefully be delivered before the Meet. Technically, the models are identical to the C&LE cars, they are powered by the same Tomytec TM-TR04 drives

Electromobile to "Eldorado"

Another car for the Trolley show is the "Electromobile" built by Osgood-Bradley for the Altoona & Logan Valley Line in 1929. This were very modern bidirectional cars, close to the Brill "Master Units". Identical cars were delivered to Scranton. In Altoona, the were called "Eldorado Cars", because they often served on the Eldorado line.

The car is powered by a modified Tomytec TM-TR01 drive. Due to the very low ceiling of the car, the upper plastic plate wich holds the contac strips is removed. Otherwise the drive is unaltered. Purists see that the "Electromobile" runs currently on (Tomytec) Brill trucks, because I haven't yet finished the Osgood-Bradley truck frames in N scale. I think that is for the moment a pardonnable sin... I will also bring an HO model of this car to the Allentown Meet.

Electromobile, side view

Models for Allentown [1] C&LE Red Devil

The East Penn Traction Club sponsors the largest trolley model in the USA. The meet 2017 will be held at Allentown Fairgrounds, May 18-20. I will be present at this exhibition with many models, mostly N scale models, easy to transport in aircraft luggage. Here a review of the models in preparation for the show:

The first model is the famous Cincinnati and Lake Erie "Red Devil" Highspeed Interurban Car in two versions: First as delivered with a swing front door, and a second car with a folding door. The swing doors, enabled for high level platforms, were replaced after the plans for a Cincinnati Subway has definetely failed. Then driver operated folding doors were installed.

The N scale one piece body is 89 mm long, including the pilot. The is powered by a Tomytec TM-TR04 drive. This drive has the prototypically small wheels (4.1 mm, about 26 "), but the wheelbase (9.2 mm, about 4 '10") is a little bit too short. You have to make some compromises ... Fortunately this is not too visible, once the ABC truck frames applied.

The car can go around the smallest available N scale curves with 103mm radius.