Looking into a trolley setup


Clang

Clang

New Member
I've always been interested in model trains but I don't have room for a model train layout. I do have space for an 8 foot shelf. I’m looking into building a trolley/street scene. I don’t know the technology, I’m coming here to learn about it.

My searches so far show that Trolleys to be a small niche area and I’m trying to determine what is available. I’m trying to figure out which scale to use, finding a trolley car (there isn’t a much of a variety), store front/scene construction, audio, and stuff I don't know yet.

I have an S-scale American Flyer oval set from my youth - in a box (preserving it).
 
Depending on how much you want to spend, there's a pretty good selection in HO. The Bowser PCC is probably the best plastic model in HO. There's also the Bachmann Peter Witt car and the Bachmann Birney. All are out of production at the moment, but there are plenty on e-bay. There are also cheaper models from Bachmann, as well as Brass models which run a little more but are prototypically accurate. Did you plan on using overhead wire or just running on the track? There's a pretty good traction site here with the basics: http://www.trolleyville.com/trolleyville.shtml
 
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Thank you for the information. I plan on finding a trolley/streetcar then build a street scene for it. I was favoring O-scale but I think HO has more options. I hadn't thought about overhead wiring, it is something to consider. I like the look of the Bachmann Birney and the brass trolleys on Ebay. The trolleyville site has a lot of information to look through.

Is sound built into the trolley car or is it a universal standalone system?
 
What are your goals for the layout? Do you want to run the trolley and simulate some kind of operation? Or are you essentially looking to build a highly detailed diorama that has a streetcar as a moving element? O scale would let you build some incredible detail, but with only 8 feet (roughly 400 scale feet) you’re only going to have enough room for a single small street scene. HO would still be small, but it’s double the space of O scale. (8 times when you count L x W x H, but since a shelf layout is linear, just count it as double.
 
Clang said:
Thank you for the information. I plan on finding a trolley/streetcar then build a street scene for it. I was favoring O-scale but I think HO has more options. I hadn't thought about overhead wiring, it is something to consider. I like the look of the Bachmann Birney and the brass trolleys on Ebay. The trolleyville site has a lot of information to look through.

Is sound built into the trolley car or is it a universal standalone system?
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I have one trolley with sound in it, It's the Bowser New Orleans streetcar seen here: https://www.bowser-trains.com/history/streetcarnohistory.html

It's nice but I found it really wasn't necessary for my enjoyment. I remember PCC cars running in Pittsburgh when I was a kid, and I mostly remember hearing the wheels on the rails and a bell every now & then. YMMV :)

If you're open to suggestion I'd suggest a dog bone type of layout if you can fit the two loops in. Overhead wire isn't necessary, these models will run on the rail, or can be set up for wire easily.
 
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Here are a couple of my brass models. A Pacific Electric RPO car and a Sacramento Northern Combine:

RE Box Motor.JPG


SN Berry Car.JPG
 
This is a perfect example of what I meant about a super detailed O scale layout. As I mentioned it’s essentially a diorama. The trolley just runs in circles so not much “operation” to be done. But you could spend years building this and putting in details and miniature scenes.

 
bob said:
This is a perfect example of what I meant about a super detailed O scale layout. As I mentioned it’s essentially a diorama. The trolley just runs in circles so not much “operation” to be done. But you could spend years building this and putting in details and miniature scenes.

Click to expand...
The scenery is great. I'll be looking into store fronts to keep the shelf size reasonable.
 
bob said:
What are your goals for the layout? Do you want to run the trolley and simulate some kind of operation? Or are you essentially looking to build a highly detailed diorama that has a streetcar as a moving element? O scale would let you build some incredible detail, but with only 8 feet (roughly 400 scale feet) you’re only going to have enough room for a single small street scene. HO would still be small, but it’s double the space of O scale. (8 times when you count L x W x H, but since a shelf layout is linear, just count it as double.
Click to expand...
My plan is to make a diorama of a street scene and have a trolley travel back and forth making stops and noises along the way. My grand plan is bigger than my skills & knowledge so I'll have to make it happen in stages. First up is to decide on HO or O-scale to determine the depth of the shelf (store front depth + side walk + street width), if I go HO I might be able to have two trolley tracks.
 
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