Hi from England [:)], has anyone done a HO scale model or kit of the San Diego red metro tram cars. I would like to get a couple or would I need to kitbash and if so, any suggestions from what models. I gather they were made in Germany, would a European tram be a good starting point
The MTS tram cars were made by Siemens/Duewag. The original ones were made in Germany, but the current generation of San Diego trolleys were built at the Siemens facility in Sacramento, in northern California.
http://www.trainweb.org/mccann/travel.htm
These links will give you more San Diego trolley information that you might find useful. An European prototype tram would probably be the best starting point, as there really aren’t many modern American light rail vehicles being modeled by US manufacturers.
The original SDT vehicles are Siemens-Duewag U-2 cars, virtually off-the-shelf, and almost identical to the Calgary and Edmonton cars (the MTS cars were piggybacked onto the order). They had no air conditioners, etc. Once the second line (La Mesa) was developed, MTS ordered air conditioned cars due to the hotter temperatures inland. These cars have rooftop add-on units.
I would think that any model of a U-2 car would do well for the first generation MTS vehicles, probably with little or no modification.
Hopes this helps.
Thanks drephpe, any ideas who makes a model of these cars?
The U2’s are out of stock, hard to find brass pieces that were imported from MTS about 10(?) years ago.
I just spoke with them. They can find some 2nd hand pieces. Painted for the SD trolley runs about $1,000 USD per car. Unpainted $600-800. (If you want to be prototypical, you need 2-3 cars.)