I have a pair of HO scale wind turbines that I bought years and years ago. I think they were Walthers kits. The problem is, I’d like a few more, but can’t find them or anything similar anywhere. Has anybody ever run across these? Thanks in advance, and here’s a picture of what I’m talking about.
My question is, why would anyone want to model these things? I recently drove though a windfarm of those in northwestern Indiana, and it can best be described as an eyesore that stretches to the horizon. Being in the midst of all these giant tall spinning contraptions that tower over you was really pretty creepy.
Chief:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-1338
[:D]
(Sure, the design was different, but it’s the same concept, right?)
The design as per the above mentioned may be different but then again, some wind farms could have a few different ones as well in their farms. As well to this–make sure the things are anchored, lest you knock them over, or little furry ones, or a gust of wind----[swg]
From Faller:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/272-232251
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/272-130381
From Kibri:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/405-8532
/stefan
Thanks, Gromitt! Those are close enough to what I’m looking for. [:D]
Having just seen one moving (oversize load) on a convoy of highway haulers I could see one making a nice load for five 89-foot TTX flats. My wife was stunned by the size!
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Chuck,
You’ll have to compress the scale if you want to load them on TTX flats. Here is a list of specifications on windmill generators. The shortest blades are 102’ long!
| model | capacity | blade length |
†hub ht† | total ht | area swept by blades |
rpm range | max blade ‡tip speed‡ |
rated wind §speed§ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE 1.5s | 1.5 MW | 35.25 m (116 ft) |
64.7 m (212 ft) |
99.95 m (328 ft) |
3,904 m2 (0.96 acre) |
11.1-22.2 | 183 mph | 12 m/s (27 mph) |
| GE 1.5sl | 1.5 MW | 38.5 m (126 ft) |
80 m (262 ft) |
118.5 m (389 ft) |
4,657 m2 (1.15 acre) |
10.1-20.4 | 184 mph | 11.8 m/s (26 mph) |
Don.
Woops! Forgot the sixth 89-footer - the empty under the tips of the blades carried by the two adjacent flats…
Plus a heavy-duty flat for the generator/hub assembly. It came by sightly later, on a 34-wheeler.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi i just bought 2. I checked tons of sites and found one that sold the more realistic ones.I payed $20 including the shipping to canada for each.I also do realistic power poles if interested.Hand made with wood.let me know if interested in the turbines or poles as well.
From another forum:
“If pigs could fly…it would cost a lot more to insure wind turbines.”
these are toy models of wind turbines.I payed $20 for each.they arent real turbines just Ho toys.
[:-^]
Well they are a pretty good model, BUT, it sure distorts any distance compression you are trying to acquire.
They are so tall they just become the center of attention where ever they are put. (IMHO)
Johnboy out…
One idea would be to print pictures of them at various smaller sizes, cut them out and incorporate them into a backdrop.
I think Johnboys post is probably the best idea, and that is is to have photographs or representations of these windmachines in the distance, and no upright models on the layout. The Windfarms in Tehachapi, CA are a good example, as most of these wind machines are at the tops of ridges away from tracks, ect., where they will catch the most wind.
If I was modeling the modern era, I’d probably model a Windfarm industry (like the one in Mohave, CA) where windmachines are unloaded. You’d have an interesting load you can model for your flatcars, plus a destination for that load. You wouldn’t have to complete the model of the windmachine, and could build a interesting yard with windmachine parts, a crane to unload the shipped parts from flatcars left on a siding, trucks to take the load to the site and the other items you always find at a industry such as this.
You might want to look online to get some ideas for this.
regards,
Jeff B
BNSF is one of the sponsors of the News Hour on PBS; in their “ad” at the beginning of the show, there is a quick shot of a train transporting wind turbine blades. It’s one of those look quick or it’s gone deals
The boss and I took a trip to the Grand Canyon last October and took the train, Grand Canyon Railway, from Williams, Az., to the park. On the way I saw portions of a windmill on trucks along the highway and took a couple pictures from our seats in the dome car. You can get an idea of the scale of these things from the trucks/cars in the photos.
If you have a valence or an upper deck just model the towers and forget about the blades. then put a old washing machine motor under the layout to make a whirring noise.
Wouldn’t it be exciting to operate on a layout with Sargent couplers, Caboose switchstands and rotating wind tower blades?
Ah… nice old thread…