# My 'O' Scale trolleys



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

These are a few of my scratch built 'O' scale trolleys, I've built these in the early 70's, this first scratch built car a Prototype ran in Portland Ore up to the 1950's were known as Interurbans as they ran from city to city linking the then far apart cities they ran freight as well as passenger trains. the 2nd car is a kit built model known as a Boston 5 trolley actually was my first trolley model. 
The brass locomotive was the 2nd model kit I built a real challenge, the green car is biased on a Seattle interurban, and some of my then small layout, the trolley barn track was a six month long project in itself along with the overhead wire construction.
So far I have no room for a layout but look forward to build a layout hang some overhead and let the fun begin. Karl


----------



## alex1485 (Feb 13, 2009)

you don't need the IMG Tags...


----------



## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

Wow! Those are wonderful models- and so much more fascinating, on account of being scratchbuilt! I know what an interurban is, since I still have my Suydam brass HO North Shore car I got as a kid(the local Pacific Electric was just a little before my time.)

Thanks, for sharing pictures of your beautiful work.


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

Thank you Toyroy, living in the Portland Ore area and seeing the new MAX light rail expansion and all the new overhead wires going up I just wish I had room to build my layout, to me the building of the overhead was the best part of traction modeling, and the building of the towns and the other things that make up a model railroad also was fun, but working overhead now that's fun, growing up in NYC I think had a big influence on my loving traction, the subways and elevated systems were to my friends and I a great big play ground, riding those cars on Saturdays all over the city for thirty cents was great and looking out the RFW was the best but now fewer and fewer trains now have the RFW, which is just a shame, takes the fun away from riding the subways and elevated's for the kids of today, playing motorman was every kids fun and something I still miss. Karl


----------



## Minreg (Jan 1, 1970)

Seen these a while back. 
Im bumpin them up.
Nice work.


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

Thank you Minreg, 'o' scale trolleys are almost the real thing, even the occasional spark from the overhead wire seems more lethal in this scale the best part on this scale is the overhead special work...:dude: Karl


----------



## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

I just found out about this really nice hometown(L.A.) streetcar, running on real tracks in the street:

[IMG-LEFT]http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/509/Trolley-c.jpg[/IMG-LEFT]





























It uses PCC trucks, and runs on batteries which are inductively recharged at the terminals. It runs about four blocks, between Farmer's Market and The Grove shopping mall. Looks like a great subject for a model!


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

Wow, that is a real beauty, Oregon has an open double Decker trolley as well from Blackpool but that uses a generator trailer to supply the electric to run in downtown Portland, but it's not as decorated as this one, thanks for the photo. Karl


----------



## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

Here's another local treasure, this one running in San Pedro between the cruise ship terminal and Cabrillo marina:

[IMG-LEFT]http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/509/501-a.jpg[/IMG-LEFT]


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

Great shot, and to think at one time there were hundreds of these great trolleys...what a loss that no more of these fine cars are running today in revenue service. Karl


----------



## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

Well, the re-created 500 in the picture is, anyway.


----------



## Jerzferno (Aug 19, 2007)

That is some great craftsmanship Starduster!! Very nice,


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

Thanks everyone, trolleys have been my favorite mode of transportation , it's the cleanest mode of transit that and subways and the elevated trains like Chicago and NYC have
which I rode in the 1960's. 
But today's LRV's and subways while very efficient still doesn't capture the romance of the old equipment such as the above photos show, I remember riding the old BMT gate cars with open gates on each end of the car and in the summer some of the cars had removable window sections replaced with gates where one could enjoy the cool summer breezes as the train rolled above the streets, those were the days. Karl


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

To anyone here is interested in subway or elevated or trolley or transit modeling in general should become a member of this fine group and it's it's free and the board has plenty of knowledgeable people some retired motormen from the NYC subway system, and the owner moderator has one of the finest operating layout of the old 3rd Ave EL and trolley system in O scale, it a great way to learn from others and see what's going on with traction. Karl

PS , here's a link to the website


http://www.wtv-zone.com/NYCityModelTransitSystem/NYCityModelTransit/

Here's a link to an O scale trolley layout.


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

These photos on this web site have all been upgraded to digital for better exposures truly a work of art. Karl


----------

