About 60 years after the rather inglorious demise of the streetcar in America´s cities, in which National City Lines, owned by GMC, Standard Oil and National Tyre played a doubtful role, is the streetcar gain conquering the city streets.
I am surprised to see that neither the industry nor the hobby magazines have picked up the issue - yet! Modeling the modern streetcar systems of Seattle, Portland, San Diego - you name it - is actually quite easy, as there is plenty of stuff around to do that!
Here are some pointers towards trains & track:
Streetcars
There are a number of different types available in HO scale, which are quite similar to the INEKON (formerly Tatra) cars used in Seattle and Portland, or those Siemens DUEWAG cars of San Diego.
Toronto, Ontario in Canadaland bought up all the castoffs from American cities when they dumped their streetcars, they have a vibrant track system and are now slowly looking to replace some older cars, not bad thinking in this day .
There have been a number articles in MR about traction layouts
Another info source is the Seashore Trolley Muesum in Kennebunkport, ME. They have a large collection of trollys, interurbans and busses, many of them restored and operational
Streetcar modelling is very niche, and when you consider that MR (for the most part) focuses on mainstream topics, it is no surprise that there are not that many articles about it.
Having wrote that, you could probably still find some sort of community for this, especially if you look for general transit modellers and enthisiasts. Since niche models generally don’t make it into mainstream model production, you also tend to find more transit related things from the DIY circles, specialty kit makers, and 3D printing sites.
Although transit modelling is not what people ususally think of when discussing model trains, I think it is a great choice for someone who wants a simple, small urban layout. Streetcars and tram models are much shorter than most of the usual prototypes, have smaller turn radii, and can still use your choice of contol system (DC, DCC, …).
I remember at a train show seeing a small urban layout (about the size of a ping-pong table), and it just had 2 CLRVs rolling through a couple routes in the streets. It turns out that there are a good amount of pics of CLRV models in the internet. So, even for a very unique prototype model, there are people making it work. I guess this hobby really is what you make of it.
The LION will probably post in this thread soon, and his subway modelling focus is pretty unique and somewhat niche.
As tatans said, Toronto has a huge street car system. The ‘Red Rockets’ as they are affectionately known are famous.
The sleek new articulated cars are made in Thunder Bay, Ontario. One of their neat features is that they lower themselves to the ground at stops to make boarding easier.
I have an older Bachmann Red Rocket which I would love to incorporate into my layout but I haven’t figured out how to make a loop fit into the plan.
Washinton, DC to reinstall trolley service, (no kidding)
Just for some insight as to the bad management that plagues many of our cities such as Flint Michigan attached is a link to a story of Washington. DC’s attempt to reinstall trolley service.
Take a look at this extraordinary well made HO scale streetcar layout built by a Dutch transit fan.
How about building your own downtown district with a streetcar line running in the streets? Certainly different from the usual rural setting of our layouts.
New Orleans and San Francisco still run old cars on one line, (Garden District and Market St) at least they did the last time I was there in the last 10 years.
Baltimore used 5’ 4 1/2" for track width. Several other cities had track gauges different than rail.
Having been born and raised in the city of Chicago, since 42’, I can say I’ve experienced many rides in the cities street car system, even can relate some horror stories on the use of them…mainly due to vehicle accidents involving a streetcar. One in question was an all wood Brill and a vehicle run into it, causing the streetcar to catch fire and all the passengers could not get out…they had horizontal steel bars accross the windows to prevent people from hanging out the window’s. The door opening mechanisms were jammed, so doors could not be opened…I need not say any more…It happened a half a block from My house. In a city the size of Chicago and all the vehicle traffic, they decided it was to dangerous to continue that kind of public trans.
I do recall when riding on those old Brills and They were noisy, if anything…they were running on brick streets.
First off, from a modeling standpoint, I like street cars, and plan to include some sort of trolley loop in my layout as I rebuild it. I model 1954…the last days of the original systems in most American cities. And I grew and still live near Baltimore, a city with a colorful street car history and great street car museum.
When I was a little shaver, I would ride the cars of the Shaker Rapid, part of the envisioned “planned community” of O.P. and M.J. Van Sweringen who became famous in the 1920s for buying up railroads for fun and profit.
Part of their remaining legacy lives today in Cleveland, Ohio’s, Terminal Tower and RTA “Light Rail” system.
So… when I found one of these Bowser PCC gems at a closeout price I just had to have one.
Here’s little 53 in the company of her bigger brothers!
Sometimes when I have visitors, they can see a sixteen-car Twentieth Century Limited breeze by doin’ 80 per, then this little guy will come puttering along, bell clanging, right behind! Makes for a lot of smiles [:D]
Unfortunately, my city area doesn’t include enough room for a street car system but it’s fun to watch this yellow “dinky” traverse the layout on the “high iron”.
