Looking for web pages here on O gauge? And what the heck why not Live diesel?
Yep, there is or was, I dont know there current status, but the company is Wada Works
http://users.erols.com/diesel/wada/gp9specs.html
The model is a live gas powered GP 9, the glow motor turns a generator which powers electric motors in the wheels, neat!
great… live diesel[:)][:)]. open price page… [:O][:O].
I have seen a photo of a Budd railcar with petrol weed eater motor driving a generator, but apparently it doesn’t run long before overheating and sounds like a swarm of misquotes coming for you.
Here it is… Tod Hetherington’s petrol-electric Budd on the Sandstone & Termite Railway (australia).
I don’t know of one that’s manufactured but you could build one…with an actual mini diesel engine! Yep, they do make them. I’ll check in my paperwork to get the manufacturer of the engine for you. These are the size that would fit in an R/C car or something like that.
underworld
[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
Hornby (from the UK) came out with an O gauge live steamer recently. I thought I had info on them saved, but I can’t seem to find it.
Saw the price too. If I had 6,000 grand I would pick one up and then donate to the sceince musuem as a tax write off…
I’ve seen the Wada locomotives, as well as a few other “live diesel” locos in the past. They are neat, but they all suffer from what Glen described as a “swarm of mosquitos” sound. The acoustical physics don’t scale down well. I suppose one could try adapting the technology used in resonating whistles to try to tune the exhaust to something a bit more throaty, but that’s beyond my realm of expertise.
In a nutshell, these locomotives consisted of a model helicopter engine coupled to a model airplane starter motor. The helicopter engine would be started, either by powering the starter motor, or by a zip cord. The starter motor then served as a generator supplying voltage to a throttle circuit, which fed power to the motors on the wheels.
They are certainly neat, but noisy, and sound nothing like a diesel. Alas, I think that’s one area where a battery and a digital sound system will always win out over scaled-down mechanics.
Later,
K
Check back in the mag, I have seen advertisements for G trains using proper deisel engines to generate power. They were pricey but I can’t remember the manufacturer. I’ll have a look when I get home tonight.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]