I’ve got some Old O-Scale track, and i’m looking at potentially using some old Lionel stuff for a camera slide. Are there any insignificant/Extremely common things that run smooth that would be okay for being heavily modified? I specifically need an engine and car.
I know Menards has O-Scale stuff (Specifically Railcars) that are $20/ea if that helps a bit I don’t know about locomotives though..
new or used doesn’t matter either
As GabeTehGameh mentioned, Menards has O railcars–though they’re closer to $25 or more. Flatcars are a bargain at $25 for a two-pack! Menards also sells a nice EMD FP7 with digital sound and all the bells and horns for, last I checked, around $250 with track, power, and a caboose.
If you would prefer some vintage, Lionel MPC/early modern era with a can motor would be your best solution for smooth-running. I’ve got an SD18 that runs well and a Atlantic that’s pretty good too. Most of the Postwar stuff is too belligerent for any smooth operation, in my experience.
A number of Williams items are also pretty good; about a year or so ago I bought an early-2000s Dash 8 with dual can motors and a horn–and plenty of cosmetical but not operational issues–for something like $80. Also–if you haven’t used O before, please remember to use an AC power supply.
Thanks for the pointers. I’m also able to rebuild entire engines if need be. I did that with an athearn blue box loco at one point.
I’d put in a plea for a purpose-built camera platform drive, not something bought at the equivalent of a rummage sale.
The drive needs to be extremely smooth in service, and in addition have very smooth starting, stopping, and longitudinal speed transition. In the olden days that would involve a cordless motor, a substantial final-drive reduction ratio, and probably at least one substantial flywheel; it might also involve a reasonable amount of ‘keep-alive’ or possibly dead-rail enablement and control.
Presumably the camera will be resiliently mounted and have the usual x-y ‘shake and vibration’ compensation, so the actual ‘ride’ of the camera vehicle is less of a concern.
No disagreement on any of this, but now cruise control circuitry can overcome a lot of this.
I have a brass Weaver M1a Mountain that was a decent but power-hungry runner out of the box. It had a 3 pole Mabuchi 550 can motor on something like a 50:1 drive ratio. I replaced that motor with a 5-pole Mabuchi 555, which was a drop-in install. It was a night and day difference-both smoother and about half the current for a given speed.
To top it off, though, I put an ERR Cruise Commander in it. The Cruise Commander uses high frequency PWM combined with back EMF to measure motor speed(and hold it constant). When it’s running, the only sounds it makes, aside from track noises, are some very soft clinking from the valve gear(which I needed to play with a bit to get running smoothly). Of course I also added sound and a fan driven smoke unit, but if all of that were turned off it will run great.
It was even quieter running off my bench PSU, which is almost perfectly smooth DC.
I measured starting speed in command control at .9smph, and the 100 speed steps that the Cruise Commander give a very smooth transition up to the top speed.
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Check eBay, train shows and resale shops. You should be able to find Lionel motors and frames at better prices than buying new for what you have in mind. Simple flatcars and gondolas can be had for 5 bucks or less. Just keep in mind that postwar Lionel motors can be considerably noisier than their modern pitman counterparts. So junk locos with viable DC motors from Lionel and MTH might be a quieter option.
I often would put my Sony DSLR on a G Scale flatcar and have an AristoCraft 0-4-0 pull it parallel to the layout for tracking shots.
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Start locally. Many hobby shops sell used items. I realize that not everyone has a hobby shop near them, but if you do, it’s the best place to start.
It’s not exactly the right time of year, but look for model train shows near you when it gets closer to fall.
Check out local clubs. Our local club, the Milwaukee Lionel Railroad Club, sells beginner “starter sets” for around $100. Plus there are lots of members who might have items to sell.