I had no idea that something like this existed, but Faller of Germany has developed a revolutionary system for automating vehicles in HO scale. It’s the first time I’ve seen the trains take a back seat to the vehicles on a layout. My German is a little rusty, so if anyone out there can translate some of the finer points, feel free. It’s a shame they have no models of US prototypes.
As I understand it, Nelson, the Faller system uses a steel wire imbedded in the road surface, and the vehicles are battery-powered. The vehicles are steered by a tiny magnet between the front wheels, which follows the imbedded wire. You don’t have any control over the vehicles once placed on the layout, but if set up properly, the system can be a very effective scenic attraction. I’ve seen it used on a module of a local modular train club. The guy had the traffic going both ways, looping back on the other lane out of sight. Worked pretty well.
If I remember right, it’s a magnet system that goes under the layout and the cars have little magnets under their noses that pull them along. That HUGE German layout that everybody bashes all the time has it installed. (Wunderland or something like that??) They show it on their web site.
I read somewhere else that the speed can be controlled by embedding additional magnets, but the trucks do make jack-rabbit starts and stops. This would also make grade crossing accidents a very real danger, unless there’s a way to make the vehicles recognize the signal activation.
I wunder ([:D]) how hard it would be to take the drive system out of the Faller cars and put it in a Malibu car?
I’m surprised more American modellers haven’t picked up on the Faller Car System. The HO scale stuff has been around since at least the late 90s, in the last 4 years or so they have started introducing N scale vehicles as well (busses and trucks only in N). Both the HO and N Car System is available through Walthers in the US. I have seen several exhibition orientated British 4mm scale (OO) and European HO / HOm layouts in the UK using the system to good effect.
To date Faller have only produced modern European vehicles, although fitting the plastic chassis in a US style car or truck body can’t be too difficult (I have seen examples of British modellers subsituting 30s or 50s era British truck bodies for example). The vehicles are quite expensive for what you get - probably not helped by the current Euro exchange rates.
I am installing the system on my German themed N scale layout. The system works by installing a soft iron guide wire in the pavement, which the vehicles follow by having a magnet attached to a steering arm under the front wheels. Vehicles are self powered by a small rechargeable battery on board, there is a 3 pin charger socket and an on/off switch located underneath. All vehicles are fitted with a reed switch under one side so can be stopped remotely by strategically placed electro-magnets under the pavement.
Faller sell manual and electronic “turnout” kits for the guide wire system, so vehicles don’t have to follow the same route all the time, as well as kits for bus stops, grade crossings and intermodal ramps.
I find that the speed of all the vehicles I have come acoss is a little too fast for my liking, and will probably try and find room for some sort of voltage regulator circuit as a speed controller, if I do it right this will also cure the jack-rabbit start syndrome!
The Faller car system has been around for a number of years.
I’ve often wondered why Faller hasn’t introduced U.S models car, truck and bus models. This system does add an extra dimension of realism to a layout. Would be neat to have a “Faller equipped” GMC transit bus, a few cars, or even a UPS truck running through a town while the railroad goes on about its business.
Just about every Volkswagen ever made is available, naturally.
Volkswagen Beetle w/Oval Rear Window
Volkswagen T1 B Camper w/Telescoping Roof
It might be possible to retrofit some Malibu bodies on these chassis, as long as the wheelbase is the same.
Jim, what is available in N scale? Can they make them that small?
In N scale they don’t do a huge range yet: a couple of different busses, two semis and a smaller rigid truck with a “box” type body in several paint schemes. Apart from one of the buses its all 1990s European - the other bus is 1970s era West German.
I have both buses and one of the semis. The semi runs best. The 70s era bus comes in the start set with the “wall wart” charger and is really the wrong era for my ultra modern layout. I am thinking of replacing the body with something more appropriate, so I have had a good look at what this would entail.
Surprisingly I don’t think that length of wheelbase is the main problem - it would be relatively simple to shorten or lengthen the chassis. The problem with a bus chassis is that busess generally are quite low to the ground - it would be difficult to fit it into a truck because trucks tend to be much higher off the ground and quite open. I guess I’m either going to go smaller and try a van (eg: Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter) which would be a challenge [:D] or find another more modern bus body.
For anyone thinking of converting one of the cars or trucks in HO I guess the key is you need to have a look at a donor chassis alongside some possible bodyshells. As far as I’m aware the smallest vehicles they do in HO are a Porsche Cayenne (thats an SUV), a Mercedes Jeep and a late 70s era VW estate car. There may be others or new ones, and there are several trucks and buses which would be easier to convert.
At the big train show in Springfield MA last January, one of the HO modular layout displays had a Faller Car system on it. As I recall, it even had a reversing loop with detection so busses would make a U-turn at a terminal and pass back on the route. Very impressive, but expensive. It’s been in Walthers for years with a cost of around $100 per vehicle. Much better than the Model Motoring slot car set I had in the 60s. [swg]
DING DING DING DING WHOO WHOO WHOO WHOO DING DING DING DING WHOO WHOO WHOO WHOO That’s bells and whistles for those of you who may have missed it!!! Somebody wants sound! Somebody else wants smoke! Next week somebody is going to want to be able to walk passengers from the coach to the observation car! Then somebody is going to want those passengers to disembark from the train at stations! Then somebody is going to want the fireman and engineer to climb down from the cab with an oil can in hand and lubricated the side rods - unless, of course, the loco has automatic oilers! DING DING DING DING WHOO WHOO WHOO WHOO DING DING DING DING WHOO WHOO WHOO WHOO That’s bells and whistles for those of you who may have missed it!!!
Okay… [:-^]
Try switching to decaf.
And your precise objection to that is? [?]
$100 per vehicle will make many of us say “Ouch!”. With German engineering’s reputation for quality, it’s likely justifiable. Hopefully as time progresses, the technology to produce these Faller type of systems will become cheaper.
I wonder now if perhaps Faller is hesitiant to produce North American vehicles because of the potential “sticker shock” many of us here may react with.[8)]
I feel so stupid just likeing to see the trains run!!!
[wow][:O] What was THAT about??
Didn’t they make people and cattle that would enter and exit cars in S scale about 50 years ago? Don’t know if any of em went DING DING or WHOO WHOO?[:-^]
For that kind of money, I’d expect the vehicles to be capable of gradual starts and stops, not the toy-like performance in the video. It wouldn’t be hard for Faller to modify the circuit so it ramps the motor voltage up and down like DCC does.
The cars are nice, but look at the lighting towards the end[wow]
Ah,yes…those are bright! Hard to beat LEDs for vehicle lights in any small scale.[;)]
Looking at the Walthers Catalog,
They offer a starter set with a 1997 Ford Explorer.
So there is at least one US prototype. I didn’t see any other types mentioned though. Though we can definatly make use of the various VWs.
As for making the system automated. My dad says by removing the negative battery feed. and then placing the negative feed into a contact on the bottom of the car. And then hooking up a negative polarity to embedded steel wire in the system. You could probably generate movement of the vehicle by means of Induction. And then since your feeding the negative pole through the steel wire, it can be broken up into blocks and voltage regulated for added control.
I don’t have the time or money at the moment to experiment wit this at this time though.
On top of building me a new model railroad, writing two novels. and doing some actual honest to goodness railroading. Im also designing a house that I hope that I will get to build in the near future.
James