Dan D. Sparks

Niles Project ~ Trolley Poles

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Give a man a fish and you have fed him for a day. But give a man a pole, he's a trolley fan for life!

Identifying, preparing and adding trolley poles to #107

Looking at historical photos reveal that the Niles cars were equipped with Form 1 trolley poles that were common with 1895 - 1920 era streetcars. They have that "folded back" look to them.

The HT-P3b poles by Miniatures by Eric fit that bill just fine. I bought mine through Custom Traxx. That 32 bucks per pair price tag knocked me for a loop. But they are precision instruments and Eric does an outstanding job with these. I'm building my cars to perform and I can rely on these poles to do just that. For #105 though, I will be rebuilding the Suydam poles, which makes for a less expensive alternative. So stay tuned for that post later.

Trolley poles are constantly flexing so paint doesn't do too well with that. The best solution for that is Blacken-It. Blacken-It is a metal oxidizer. The blackened brass will still conduct electricity and won't flake off. But...

... Remove the steel springs first! The Blacken-It corroded my springs clear through! But it did a mighty fine job of blackening the rest of the pole assembly. So remove the springs, soak the poles in Blacken-It, and then replace the springs.Then you'll have a fine looking and fine working trolley pole.

That is the beauty of these blogs- you can learn from my mistakes, Yes sir! Learn from my mistakes!

Dandy

Module Spotlight ~ Trolley Crossing Guard Jct.

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Getting fancy with the 1' x 4' module. SCTCs Module 972. The Trolley Crossing Guard Junction Module.

The Southern California Traction Clubs module 972. Built in 1997 it was the 2nd module built that year.

There was a need to transition from the center street running of module 971 to a private right-of-way. So this module does just that with a highway intersection as well as a steam road crossing.

The divided highway matches up with module 971. It terminates at the highway that crosses the module at an angle. The tracks of a steam road also cross here and a small elevated interlocker helps guard the junction. The diverted highway freed up some space on the rest of the module for some scenery. In this case a siding and a substation.

With the junction being a prominent feature on this module, the SCTC members decided to have some fun with it.

Remember those old movies where if a car breaks down, inevitably it stops on railroad tracks? Then there would be the sound of a train whistle~ Its happened to the best of them...

Harold Lloyd...

Buster Keaton...

... and of course, the Keystone Kops.

And we know the outcome. Their vehicles were no match for the locomotives that rendered them to a state of less than Blue Book value.

Now in the real world, if a streetcar was to stall because of dewiring, the last place you would want it to come to a stop is across some steam road tracks. A streetcar wouldn't fare much better than the Keystone Kops Kruzer against a speeding locomotive. This was a very real danger to some traction companies. So they devised Trolley Crossing Guards.

Here is a traction line junction with a steam road in Toronto with trolley crossing guards in the overhead. Should the streetcars pole dewire at this spot, the shoe would catch in that wire mesh covering the contact wire. That wire mesh is energized and would power the car far enough to clear the crossing and out of danger.

So the builders of this module thought that that would be a pretty nifty feature to model. And it does get noticed by the public who often ask about it.

Pete DeBeers Mt. Lowe car speeds through the junction without fear of being smashed to smithereens should it dewire under that trolley crossing guard.

A fully detailed and lit substation rounds out a fun 4 square feet of model railroading. Yes sir! A fun 4 square feet of model railroading!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Window Shades

2012-01-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

Super Detailing Continued. Adding Window Shades to #107

Styrene? Brass? Nah, just simple card stock. Index card in this case. The windows are in groups of twos and threes, so that's how I grouped the shades. Cut them size and painted them Floquil Freight Car Brown for its nice reddish brown color.

Glued 'em in place with good 'ol Micro Kristal Kleer and we got it made-in-the-shade. Yes sir! Made-in-the-shade!

Dandy

2012 State of the Layout Address

2012-01-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Folks! 2012 is going to be a gang busters year I just know it! Yes sir! A gang busters year! I have some new projects ready to start as well as finishing up old projects, as I resolve this year to be my most productive year yet! So bring it on!

State of the Layout:

This is how things stand at this moment, January 1st 2012:

SD&SE Ry #107 Niles Car. During this holiday season I added the finishing details. This car is 98% DONE! I'll post more about that in the coming weeks.

SDERy Birney #103 has been making regular runs on the Southern California Traction Clubs layout. The car with its BullAnt mechanism performs beautifully even through rough, intricate trackage. The car was declared 100% finished until Fred Gurzeler presented me with some beautiful, delicately built fenders for the underbody that I have yet to install. This car will be an important representative of 4 wheeled equipment when I start fine tuning the track and stringing overhead on my layout, hopefully soon this year. Yes sir! Hopefully soon this year!

SD&SE Ry #105 Niles Car is listing to one side! That's not good. Leaning like that causes the trolley pole to be off center and so has to reach over to the overhead. Which means the shoe is contacting the overhead at an angle. Which means dewirements are frequent. I can't figure out why its listing but I do know how to fix it thanks again the invaluable Fred Gurzeler. He gave me some hardware that replaces the tiny Hollywood foundry screws that attach the trucks to the body. The listing isn't the fault of the Hollywood Foundry equipment but this swapping of hardware will probably fix the problem. When that's done, the car is ready for super-detailing.

Point Loma RR #109 / #402: I've been referring to this car as #109, but the prototype was later repainted and renumbered to #402. The paint scheme of #402 is the one I'm modeling so this car will be referred to as #402 from here on out. Progress has stalled on this car because this car requires some custom printed decals since the lettering and striping include silver. I don't have the funds for that right now and so concentrated funds on getting #105 and #107 done. They will represent big interurbans when I'm fine tuning the track and stringing overhead on my layout.

The Layout is in a state all right. A state of chaos! The layout has suffered. From the destruction of its overhead by rambunctious kittens, to dust, to over a decade of storage, and the trial and errors of learning how to build a traction layout. So it was stripped down to just the track and streets and is ready to be rebuilt stronger, better. A canopy (what I was originally been referring to in this blog as a valence) designed to look like a streetcar deck roof, has been built to keep dust off the layout and to house the layouts lighting. It features faux stained glass clerestory windows and a brass conductors bell. I recently covered the wooden roof with a waterproof paper mache to simulate canvas covering. Sides will be installed to insulate the layout from the inhospitable world of dirt and varmints and anything else that could cause damage and grief!

Then and only then can I start stringing the overhead again. This time tailored to a sample of each type of rolling stock that's going to be running on this layout. Which brings me to my next project...

San Diego Electric Railway Class 5, 400 series car. This project will be built from a 1970s brass import by Pacific Traction and feature the new Diablo mechanism from Hollywood Foundry.

Dandy Blog. As you can see, this blog is sporting a new 1920s look to it and features an art deco portrait of the man himself, ol' Sparky along with one of the 400 series cars. The new "Module Spotlight" feature has been met with happy comments and so will continue. Bloggin' along. Yes sir! Bloggin' along.

So that's where it all stands. As you can see I got my work cut out for me. One more car to go and then I can concentrate on getting the layout running. Yes sir! Concentrate on getting the layout running!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Signs of Destiny

2011-12-19T00:00:00.001-08:00

Super Detailing Continued: Adding Dash Signs to the Niles Cars

A SCTC club member showed me a car that he had bought on which the dash signs were decaled right onto the front of the car. To me, that is what it looked like. Because it conformed with the curve of the front of the car, the sign looked painted on . But dash signs are flat. I prefer the 3d look of separate signs. So that's what I'm going to do. And its easy enough to do.

K+S Engineering offers a bag of Shim Brass of assorted sizes. Some of these are really thin. Much thinner than what can be achieved with plastic. And yet still be nice and rigid.

The brass is thin enough to be cut with an X-acto. I cut the brass to match the size of the decals that where made and printed at the same time as the rest of the cars decals.

Decals adhere to glossy paint best. So the decals were printed on clear decal paper and the brass painted the background color. White in this case. I used Floquil Antique White. Its cream color isn't as stark as Reefer White would be. So that the paint doesn't flake off, the brass has to be prepared before painting. I used the exact same technique as I did to prepare the brass models for painting. After the paint dried for a day, I gave it a coat of Floquil Gloss and another day to dry. Now the decals can be applied.

The dash signs are glued in place with good ol' Micro Kristal Kleer. Now these cars look like they got somewhere to go. Yes sir! Somewhere to go!

Dandy

Module Spotlight ~ Burma-Shave

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

The first module to be featured here is a simple 1' x 4' module. SCTCs Module 971. Better known as the Burma-Shave module.

In the beginning there were doubters. Yes sir! Doubters! Doubters and naysayers that claimed that modules with overhead or catenary wouldn't work. And rightly so. The tight tension of the overhead would be compromised when the modules were disassembled. And that could result in wires and poles becoming bent as everything is pulled towards the center of each module. So a quick proof of concept had to be built to see if modules featuring overhead wires could be built and maintained. Assembled and disassembled time and time again.

That's where the 1' x 4' modules comes in. Mainline modular model railroading has been around for decades now and developed the standard 2' x 4' module. But why waist time and expense on scenery when the concept might not work. So the first traction modules were 1' x 4'. Plenty of room for operational track, streets, poles, overhead, and even some scenic features.

SCTC Module #971 (built 1997 it was the 1st module built that year) wasn't the first module built, but its about as basic as modules get. A straight, double track mainline. Centered line poles. Private right-of-way between a divided highway. Its a good, hard working, reliable, proof-of-concept module.

Despite its small size, it does feature some areas of interest. Here, the Caterpillar shows up just in time because Mac just broke his shovel. Don't ask me what Sam is doing! Though I think he used to have a jackhammer. These modules do take a beating. Maintenance is constant. But the real feature of this module are these:

Anybody old enough to remember the old Burma-Shave signs on the side of the highways?

Click Pics to see the Rhymes

Click the pic to see the rhyme. In reality though, these signs are so small they are beyond the limits of detail. Visitors can't read them, so we have to tell them what they say. But they are a conversation piece. A lot of folk remember the old Burma-Shave signs.

Next month I'm featuring another 1' x 4' that gets a little fancier with the scenery. That's right. It is possible to do more with the 1x4. Yes sir! More with the 1x4!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ The Cheap Seats. And the Expensive Ones Too.

2011-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here come the paying passengers! Filling #107 with folks.

Funny that Preiser folks are pricey. Pricey Preiser. But truth is, Preiser offers some outstanding figures. Best on the market if you ask me. So I really like using them in my modeling. But averaging over $3 per folk and rising, and each Niles car requiring around 25 figures each, well I'm going to place them strategically.

The Preiser site has cool photos of models modeling for the figure modeler modeling figures. (as an interresting side note, Germans make a distinction between human "models" and miniature "modelles"). Check it out.

Not only are Preiser figures well done, they are also available in era specific costume. So I picked up their 1900 era figures for the 1908 vintage Niles trolleys. Here is #12136 Seated Persons (above, with parasols removed),

#12137 Seated Persons, (I don't know what I'm going to do with that cat.).

#12190 Seated Passengers, (my favorite. I think these are very nicely done).

#10351 Seated Industrial Workers. (The working class ride the trolley too).

#12191 Railway Personnel.(remove the shovels and we got our trolley crew).

Woodland Scenics (#A1908 Sixteen Passengers) on the other hand, aren't quite as sophisticated as Preisers, but they are full of character and somewhat "generic" enough that they can fit many eras. Considering that the closest we ever get to HO models is about a scale block away, Woodland Scenic folks will work just fine. Especially at a third of the cost of Preisers, Woodland Scenics figures average about $1.25 per folk.

So here is the plan. The Niles cars are "California Cars" which means they have a glassed in center section and open air sections on the ends. So...

The pricey Preicer figures will adorn the open end sections where they are more easily seen and appreciated, and the Woodland Scenic characters will ride in the enclosed center section behind the glass windows. The figures are glued in with good ol' Micro Kristal Kleer because of its rubbery characteristics. If a figure is accidentally bumped, its less likely to snap off.

Some of the seats couldn't be filled because of mountings for the motor and shell. But I did manage to fit 24 figures in there! 25 if you count the double figure of a man with a child on his lap.

This is where the bulkhead of the shell attaches to the floor. So only the seat backs are present.

Figures add so much to model. Look how much life is in that populated car! You'd think the line was turning a profit. Yes sir! Turning a profit!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Folks!

Dandy

Module Spotlight ~ New Series!

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

A new series that will feature an in depth look at each module of the Southern California Traction Clubs (SCTC) HO scale modular layout.

My reasons for this are twofold. First, the SCTC modular layout is always a favorite at the train shows. So I thought I would share it with yous guys who don't live in our displaying area. Secondly, I'm an itchin' to build some modules for the SCTC layout. So I'm studying the intricacies of the clubs modules that mine would fit in with. So I might as well share that information with you guys.

The Southern California Traction Club

One of the outstanding features of the SCTC modular layout is that all the modules are designed to blend seamlessly from one module to the next. Some modular clubs claim that they never set up their layout the same way twice. Which is fine for variety. But what happens is that they end up with a mix and match look. Such as an authentic SoCal citrus packing scene situated next to a module featuring Dracula's castle with dragons. The SCTC on the other hand sets up their modules the same way every time. It is in essence a portable permanent layout. The modules are set up in a rectangle shape. Each side of the rectangle is "zoned". That is, we basically have the City side, Suburban side, Industrial side, and Country side of the layout. The individual modules are detailed according to what side they are situated in. And it is these modules that I thought I would showcase here.

The SCTC layout is themed as Anytown USA set about mid 20th century. And despite the layouts custom look, practically all of the models are built from kits with occasional kitbashing where needed. Very little in the way of scratch building. I don't know if its a club policy to use only commercially available kits (I'm sure its not, its more about practicality), but it goes a long way with promoting the hobby. When visitors see the level of authenticity achieved with just store bought models, well the hobby feels more accessible to them and they leave fired up about building their own layouts at home.

The track and overhead on the other hand are a different matter. They are very custom built. The track less so than the overhead. But the truth is, Traction Modeling is not for the entry level modeler. The beginner needs to cut his teeth and be comfortable with two rail railroading before adding the additional pain-in-the-aspirations of building and maintaining overhead. Fortunately, with the rise of the internet we have many resources available to aid us in building traction layouts. Websites such as Trolleyville, web groups such as HO Traction Modeling, HO Electric Traction Modeling, and Interurbans. Various blogs such as this one and organizations such as East Penn Traction Club, and of course, The Southern California Traction Club are each doing their part to advance this fascinating facet of the hobby.

So if you ever wondered what goes into building traction modules then stay tuned as I examine, analyze, and discuss each module and then hopefully build some of my own modules. Yes sir! Build some of my own traction modules!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Strategic Seating

2011-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Arranging seats around the motor so its not so conspicuous.

Additional seats are fabricated using the original seats as reference:

From Right to Left (above), the narrow brass bar stock is used for the seats and the wide bar stock for the base. The bar stock is measured, marked and cut. The wide bar stock is notched so that the tabs can be folded up as the seats legs. The wide center tab is ground off with a moto-tool. The narrow stock is bent matching the angle of the original seat backs. Then the seats and base are soldered together. Take care with soldering the seat assemblies to the floor. My seats are a tad too close to the sides and scrape when the body and floor come together.

Installed and painted. Some seats are right over the motor mounts. So seats were fabricated and then soldered to flat bar stock thick enough to get the seats to their proper height. Holes are drilled to accommodate the mounting screws for the motor. So what you see here is a sandwich of floor, mounting plate, insulation, motor tab, and then seats, all screwed together.

See? The motor is already disappearing into the background. If you look closely, the front seats of the center section (behind the figure) are seat backs only. You can see holes on the floor in front of them where the tabs on the bulkheads attach to the floor when the body and floor come together. Right where the seats are.

Alright, the seats are in and ready for paying passengers. Yes sir! Paying passengers!

Dandy
.

Niles Project ~ Gates

2011-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Passenger gates make for a nifty little detail to add to these models.

These gates in the doorways are included on all the San Diego Niles cars, so my models shall be so equipped. And why not? They are easy enough to add because...

...Cal Scale offers "Tailgates" for passenger cars that should fit the bill here just fine. They are available in brass (left) of plastic (right). I bought both to see which I preferred but forgot to add the brass gates during the soldering of brass details stage of construction. Soldering after the fact will ruin the paint on the cars. So #105, #107, and #109 will get the plastic gates. #110 will get the brass gates since it hasn't been painted yet.

Even though the plastic gates are black, I painted them with Floquil Engine Black paint anyway. Black plastic always looks like black plastic. Floquil paints are dead flat and kill the shine beautifully. A little bit of weathering chalks will help bring out the detail again.

A tad bit over sized, the Cal Scale gates achieve the desired effect anyway. The gates are glued in with good 'ol Micro Kristal Kleer.
The Passengers have found there seats and Conductor Carl has closed the gates. Were ready to roll. Yes Sir! Were ready to roll!

Dandy

5 Years and Still Going Strong!

2011-09-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

Well... for the most part.

Welp! I've been making regular updates to this blog for 5 years now. And what do I have to show for it? Three superdetailed trolley models and $23.67 of ad revenue in an untouchable account. Hmmm... this must be one of them "labor of love" type of things.

This year was actually shaping up to be the most productive year for my modeling as well as blog posts. But this darned economy finally caught up to me and all but put a stop to my traction empire building. Seems that things like modeling have to take a back seat to making a living. Silly world we live in.

Surprisingly, its not so much the lack of funds that is the problem (though it is a big part) so much as it is the time factor. I don't have the time to model like I did when I was gainfully employed full time. I'm busier now than ever before. Go figure that one!

Now for what your really here for.... the stats!:
This blog entertained 3787 visitors these past 12 months. That works out to an average of 10.38 visitors per day.
The #1 page visited is my April Fools day photo trickery : My Old San Diego Trolley Layout. Followed by the much more useful post: Painting Brass Models. The Birney Project page rounds out the top three posts read.
And as I already mentioned, ad revenue is only $23.67. I wasn't expecting to get rich doing this, but I was hoping for some extra modeling funds. But 23 bucks in 5 years... I might do away with the ads.

All right fellas, I have a streetcar model a year addiction to feed. So I got to hit the pavement and make some dough. Yes Sir! Gots to hit that pavement!

Dandy

San Diego 1912

2011-08-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

San Diego 1912, by David Lyman. Mixed traditional media.

Yes Sir!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Gurzelin'

2011-08-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

Installing a Hollywood Foundry Gurzeler on Niles #105.

The Gurzeler is the second mechanism that I'm trying out on these Niles cars. #107 got the half floor which has worked out just fine. And now #105 will get the Gurzeler. Each mechanism has it advantages.

This is the city. Los Angeles, California. I belong to a club here. The Southern California Traction Club. I'm a traction modeler.
Sunday, 2011, a club member who goes by the name, interestingly enough, of Fred Gurzeler, approaches me. Fred, a man of a few words, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small object. Its an etched plate. He hands it to me explaining that its a mounting plate for mounting the Gurzeler mechanism to Suydam PE 414 cars. No mention of where it came from, or what those mysterious markings mean. Just a well manufactured mounting plate. That's how Fred operates. Who am I to argue or ask questions? Its exactly what I need. Thanks Fred. I owe you one.

Exhibit A.
The mysterious Gurzeler mounting plate.

While soldering the mounting plate to the floor, I managed to unsolder one of the seats. And maybe some underbody details. No matter! Easily fixed.

I wasn't able to get the opening for the belt exactly centered because the plate has to fit between the interior bulkheads that the floor screws into. Even if I did, it later proved to be a problem. The opening needs to more towards one end or the other so that the motor is centered inside the car because the flywheel protruded into the interior bulkhead base. (Edit: Turns out that if I had ordered the Gurzeler Motor Package, I wouldn't have had this problem! DDS 10-11)

The Gurzeler is a simple yet brilliant design. The motor is mounted in place with double sided tape which also acts as a sound barrier. The belt (not an O ring, but an actual belt made to withstand the tension) replaces the noisy gear tower and also pulls down on the motor, helping to keep it in place.

Under floor view. I chose silicone tubes to transfer the power to the LowBoy trucks. Seems to me silicon tubes would be the easiest to replace should they fail after a while.

With no giant motors under the floor and those silicone drive shafts, these cars should be able to negotiate some crazy radius curves now!

This all went together easy-peasy (except for the off-centering of the motor. See below). The motor and silicone drive shafts are nice and level. I added a Miniatronics 2 pin Micro Mini Connector socket by soldering the leads to the motor and gluing the socket to the top of the motor. The other plug will connect to the decoder. This makes for a convenient way to separate the floor from the body for maintenance.

(Edit: Turns out that if I had ordered the Gurzeler Motor Package, I wouldn't have had this problem! DS 10-11) I had to cut a notch in the base of the bulkhead so that the flywheel on the motor will clear when attaching the floor to the model. For the folks who don't have their own mysterious Fred Gurzeler and have to fabricate their own mounting plate at home, the openings for the belt drive and screws need to be closer to the end of the mounting plate. We could all use a mysterious Fred Gurzeler in our lives, couldn't we? Yes sir! We could all use a mysterious Fred Gurzeler in our lives.

Its in there! The motor does sit slightly above window level. But models are very seldom viewed from this angle. All motors would be visible from regular viewing angles. So that's where populating the model comes in. Putting folks in the seats will take the attention away from the motor as was done with Birney #301. The only thing guests will notice about the motor after that is the smooth quiet operation of the model around the layout. Now if I could just get to building that layout. Yes sir! If I could just get to building that layout!!!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Motorin'

2011-06-27T00:34:00.000-07:00

Installing a Hollywood Foundry Half Floor Motor Mount and Level Shifting Gearbox on Niles #107.

Right out of the box the mechanism is a pretty good fit. This is going to work just fine.

The immediate problem that presents itself is that the mounting holes don't line up with anything to screw into. The second problem (that I wish I had taken a picture of) is that the gearbox is too low. The drive shaft to the truck is on an angle. And while that would still probably work, it seems to me a level drive shaft would be the most efficient and problem free.

Both issues are easily remedied in one fell swoop by soldering a length of 1/16" x 1/4" brass bar stock to the frame.

Fortunately I have the good folks at the Southern California Traction Club (and their drill press) to help me drill and tap the holes for the screws. The motor also came with a silicone mounting pad to absorb the noise. I cut it to size and placed it between the new brass bar and the half floor mount as seen in the photo above.

Between the new brass mounting pads and the silicone pads, they lifted the motor to just the right position for the drive shaft to the new LowBoy Trucks to be perfectly level. And the motor is still below window level. All thats left now is to transfer the sideframes from the old truck to the new truck and wire the motor to the decoder. Then this car will be ready for a spin around the test track. Yes sir! All ready for a spin around the test track!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ New Mechanisms for the Old Girls.

2011-06-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like Hollywood Foundry has two mechanisms that will potentially fit the old Suydam Niles cars. The Half Floor Gearbox or the Gurzeler, both used in conjunction with the BullAnt LoBoy Trucks.

Both mechanisms have their advantages and disadvantages of course, but really, the disadvantages are very minor. So either mechanism should work just fine for these models. Therefore I have ordered one of each to try them both out.

Also worthy of note, I'm very impressed with the Hollywood Foundry's new Diablo mechanism. The Diablo could be used with these cars, but not without some major modification to the interior bulkheads that separate the enclosed center and the open ends. If your okay with hacking away at these bulkheads then the Diablo might be a good choice. But I'm not so much, so I won't (But I am excited by the possibility of using the Diablo to remotor my Pacific Traction, San Diego 400 series, class 5 cars in the very near future!).

According to my calculations, the 10 Series Half Floor Gearbox with a 1024 Motor will fit below window level of the car, maintaining that realistic see-through look (unlike Birney 301 which has a big ol' motor blocking the windows). The only downside is that the gearbox is a little noisy. I only say that because we are spoiled these days. The Gurzeler is very quiet and the Diablo is practically silent. The Half Floor Gearbox is noisy only in comparison to these. But really, its not all that bad!

The Gurzeler (also with a 1024 motor for consistency) will sit slightly above the bottom of the windows, but not by much. But instead of a gearbox, the Gurzeler uses a belt drive (with a real belt, not an O ring!). Therefore, as I mentioned before, this mechanism is very quiet.

#105 will be fitted with the Gurzeler and #107 with the Half Floor. After living with these for a while, I will decide which mechanisms to use for #109 and #110.

All the cars will be fitted with Hollywood Foundry's LoBoy Trucks. From what I understand, Geoff Baxter (of Hollywood Foundry fame) designed these trucks to directly replace the old Suydam trucks that had a bad habit of splitting their plastic gears, rendering them all but useless. Kudos to Mr. Baxter for this. Because of his efforts, these 40 year old Suydam cars can be built into fine models that can finally perform every bit as good as they look. Cheers to Mr. Baxter. Yes sir! Cheers Mr. Baxter!

Dandy

Pacific Electric Red Cars Weekend

2011-05-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

This Fathers Day weekend! June 18 & 19th at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California.

Two of my Niles cars (#105 & #107) will be on the Southern California Traction Clubs layout in the OERM's Town Hall. So stop by and say "howdy".

From the OERM website:

Join Dad for ride into the past on the Big Red Cars of the Pacific Electric. Although we operate selected PE cars throughout the year, this is the weekend when we have the largest group of them out to ride and photograph. Once again this year we'll also have the Southern California Traction Club on hand with their giant HO Scale model trolley layout.

On Sunday we'll also have a family barbeque from Noon-2 pm. Admission to the grounds is free, regular prices apply for train ride tickets ($12 adults, $8 children 5-11).

I'll be there all weekend and you should too. Yes sir! You should be there too!

Dandy

To Trolley Pole Reverse Or Not To Trolley Pole Reverse.

2011-05-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

That is the question.

Exploring the two methods of wiring a trolley. The "cool" method or the more practical method.

The question we get the most when the Southern California Traction Club displays its modules is "are the trolleys getting their power from the wires?". Not only are the guests pleased when we inform them that indeed they are, but we will also do a little demonstration of "Trolley Pole Reverse" that guests take a delight in. It doesn't take long for a trolley to come by. So I'll put my finger lightly under the overhead wire so that as the car comes by, the pole will disengage the wire and the car will roll to a stop. I'll stow that pole under the hold down hook and explain that "one pole is wired to one pole of the motor, and the other pole is wired to the other pole of the motor". Lifting the opposite pole to the wire, the car jumps to life and continues on its way ~ in the opposite direction. Guests are thoroughly impressed.

But lately we at the club have been discussing reliability. As all model railroaders know, the toughest electrical continuity to maintain is the contact between rail and wheel. The slightest obstruction will cause a stall. Stalls are no fun. With traction modeling not only is that problem made double with the tiny contact between the trolley shoe and overhead wire but triple so with the just as critical contact between the stowed pole and the hold down hook.

When a car stalls, its usually the tiny connection between the trolley shoe and overhead that's been compromised. A gentle tap of the overhead is usually enough to reengage to shoe to the wire. If that doesn't work then its probably the wheels, nudging the car forward a tad should fix that. If that doesn't work then a wiggle to the front pole might invigorate that contact. If that doesn't work... well, you get the idea. It gets a little frustrating. So eliminating weak spots like these just makes things run a little smoother. But eliminating the contact between the rails and overhead isn't feasible. But that connection between pole and hold down hook can be addressed.

With Trolley Pole Reverse, one trolley pole is wired to one pole of the motor while the other trolley pole is wired to the other pole of the motor. Whichever pole is in contact with the overhead will supply the positive charge to the motor. The other pole is in contact with the hold down hook completing the circuit by providing ground. This method requires good spring tension to press the pole up against the hold down hook and a clean connection between the pole and hold down hook. A little contact cleaner fluid is helpful here as well.

Though I've never heard it called this, I'm calling this method "Trolley Pole Forward", as opposed to Trolley Pole Reverse. This method eliminates the contact between the pole and hold down hook, providing a bit more reliable operation. This is particularly useful in a DCC environment where a car can be reversed without reversing the polarity of the rails and overhead. We simply tell the decoder to run the car the other way.

I think it all comes down to preference. On a point to point operation, Trolley Pole Reverse might work best. For a "roundy roundy" operation, Trolley Pole Forward might be preferred. On a DC layout, I think Reverse could be the way to go. On a DCC layout, Forward could be it. I don't know. But I think once my layout gets rolling, time will tell which I prefer. Yes sir! Time will tell!

Dandy

Real Men of Genius ~ Mr. Miniature Train Modeler

2011-05-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all of us model railroaders. We have finally have been recognized for our true genius:

MR. MINIATURE TRAIN MODELER

Bud Light Presents Real Men of Genius
(Real Men of Genius)

Today we salute you, Mr. Miniature Train Modeler.
(Mr. Miniature Train Modeler)
Yours is a perfect magical world wedged neatly between your furnace and your hot water heater
(Keep on dreaming)
Your mini town has a mini ice cream store complete with a mini soda jerk guaranteeing there will always be at least two jerks in your mini world.
(You'll never be alone)
Woo-woo, all aboard? First stop, Nutsville.
(Chug-chug, woo-woo)
So crack open an ice cold Bud Light, Master of your mini world, you're koo-koo about choo-choo's and that's fine by us.
(Mr. Miniature Train Modeler)

Kind of makes it all worth while, doesn't it? This Bud is for you. Yes sir! This Buds for you!

Cheers
Dandy

Niles Project ~ Brainz

2011-05-09T00:34:00.001-07:00

The TCS M4 Decoder

The TCS M1 decoder is doing an outstanding job on the Birney car. So naturally I would use it with the Niles. But I have all those interior lights whose total milliamps exceed the limits of the interior lighting function of the M1. So...

It was determined that with the M4 (four function) decoder, the interior lights can be split between two functions. That way, the total milliamps of half the lights are within the limits of one of the functions. And the total milliamps of the other half are within the second function. So the M4 is what I ordered. And the M4 is what I got. I named it "Abby someone... Abby Normal".

So come on up to the lab and see what's on the slab. Then we'll install its braaaaainz. Yes sir! Install its brrraaaainz!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Running Cost Tally

2011-05-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

Model Railroading can get expensive. I'm going to try to keep a running tally of how much it costs me to rebuild these Niles cars. But don't blame me if I don't follow through with this. I mean, how do I factor in the use of Butane used for soldering? Or the use of tools (including Photoshop for designing decals)? And labor isn’t being factored in at all. etc.

Suydam PE 414 & 1300 Niles Cars Rebuild Cost Tally

	#105 SD&SE combine	#107 SD&SE	#109 Point Loma RR	#110 Sightseeing
Original Car Purchase 1	$250.00	$250,00	$250.00	$250.00
Precision Scale Co. Incandescent Headlamp For Interurban Cars #31004	n/a	$3.50	$3.50	n/a
Misc. Brass	$0.66
Paint	$5.77	$5.77	$5.77
1 pk Clear Inkjet Decal Film 8 1/2 X 11 2.	$0.42	$0.42
TCS M4 Decoder	$41.80	$41.80	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$298.65	$301.49	$259.27	$250.00

Notes:

1. Today's (2009) going rate for these cars (some were purchased for more, some were purchased for less, but they averaged out to today's going rate).

2.$2.50 ÷ 6 cars= $0.42

Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Yes sir! Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Ka-ching!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Resistification

2011-05-02T00:34:00.000-07:00

Because LED's are diodes and don't behave like a resistor, a current limiting resistor is needed to prevent the current from exceeding the operating limits of the LED's.

Determining the size of resistor to use was simple enough. John McWhirter and I soldered the 4 LED's together in series. Then we attached a best guess resistor in series with them. Then we gave the circuit "the juice". 15 volts DC. We then carefully considered the results. If the lights were too bright for what I wanted, we would then replace the resistor with a" stronger" one. If the lights were too dim, then we replaced the resistor with a "lighter" one.

Actually, it was easier than I'm letting on because John has built a box with an array of resistors in it. A rotary switch switches from one resistor to another. So all we had to do really was connect our LED assembly to it and with a simple flip of the switch, find the the setting that gave me the illumination I was looking for.

Eventually we determined that a 1000 Ohm resistor (brown, black, red, gold bands) provided the right amount of juice to the 4 LED's to achieve reasonable illumination for the interior compartments of the trolley.

For the one headlight, we determined that a 15000 Ohm resistor works best (brown, green, orange, gold bands).

My next objective was to determine the most unobtrusive location to mount the resistors. I can't mount the resistors on the circuit board because they would interfere with the ability of the circuit boards to slip between the bulkheads and the ceiling. It would also be nice if the resistors weren't someplace visible through the windows. So this is where I got clever...

I need a jumper from the blue wire (lighting positive common) bus on the bottom of the circuit board to the LED leads on top of the circuit board. So why not have the resistor fill that bill? The leads to the resistors were bent so that one lead solders on top and the other lead solders on the bottom with the resistor itself on the front edge of the circuit board. Works for me. Yes sir! Works for me just fine!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Interior Lighting Wiring Schematic

2011-04-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

This is going to take a little planing.

Things are getting a little complicated:

The decoder can't light 8 interior LEDs because of milliamp limitations. So the LEDs are going to be split between two functions of the decoder. Four LEDs on the purple wire, and four LEDs on the green wire.
The LEDs have to be oriented correctly. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LEDs have a positive and negative side to them.
The LEDs require resistors.
The blue wire of the decoder is the common positive lead to all the interior lights and to both headlights.
In attempt to keep things neat and tidy and serviceable, circuit board is being used as a mount for the interior lights, a bus for the headlights, and as a soldering pad for the decoder wires.

So after a lot of trail and error, I drew this schematic to help make things crystal clear:

Okay, so here is where we left off...

This shows the top and bottom of one of the two circuit boards (as it sits in the car). On the top, the copper cladding has been cut vertically to electrically isolate the LEDs so that they can be wired in series. On the bottom, the copper cladding has been cut horizontally. The top strip will be the bus for the blue wire, the bottom strip will be the bus for either the white or yellow headlights wire. The vertical cut provides a soldering pad for either the purple or green wire.

So that's the plan man. Time to put the plan into action. Yes sir! Put this plan to action!

Dandy

Ring A Ding Ding! A Slice of Girder Rail!

2011-04-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

After clenching my fists and stamping my feet in a hissy fit over missing out on an authentic San Diego Electric Railway trolley gong, it turns out it went to a better home after all.

The San Diego Electric Railway Association has as its headquarters the historic 1882 California Southern Railway (ATSF) National City Depot. They have been there like, forevar, so there is really no excuse for me not ever visiting. So what did I do? I finally paid them a visit.

They have quite of a collection of SDERy artifacts there. I was geeking out over an authentic SDERy conductors bell while mentioning the SDERy gong I saw on eBay when the docent there said "I think we got that." He proceeded to pull the gong out from behind an exibit. Sure enough, there it was!

Well I tell you one thing, I am so glad I didn't end up with it. Its huge! And weighs a ton! I would not have been able to display it as intended. I made my peace and gave the bell a ring (nice and loud!). I can not be any happier than to have it displayed at the museum where it truly belongs. So things worked out just fine after all.

Better yet, I didn't leave empty handed. I was able to purchase another (and more reasonably sized) piece of SDERy artifactory. An authentic, well worn slice of SDERy girder rail (girder rail is rail used for tracks in paved streets). All is well with the world. I am satisfied. Yes sir! Satisfied!

Dandy

Niles Project ~ Illuminatification

2011-04-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

Installing interior lighting, LED's this time, and in their prototypically correct locations of all places.

The September 1908 edition of the Electric Traction Weeklys article on the new Niles Cars for San Diego (graciously forwarded to me by Bill Bolton) included an interior shot of these cars. Looking at this photo, I was able to ascertain the locations of the lights in the car (despite the fact that all of the lights weren't shown). Which got me to thinkin' (which could be dangerous) what would it take to light the car prototypically? Would the car look any different/better if it was lit prototypically? Would it be worth the time and effort to light the car prototypically? And why doesn't my spell check like the word "prototypically"? Well, there is only one way to find out. And that is to light the car prototypically (spellcheck be damned!).

This photo was shot in the enclosed section of the California style Niles Cars, probably standing in the doorway of one of the two bulkheads looking towards the second bulkhead. Visible are three lights (or 6 if were counting bulbs). The car is symmetrical so its safe to assume the forth light is just out of frame above.

The lights are evenly spaced so, if I continue the spacing into the open end sections of the car, we have a total of 8 interior lights. Seems reasonable enough. As long as the decoder can handle lighting that many lights. Since the lights would be lit more on the dim side, it should.

I've seen traction models with their lights mounted on a strip of circuit board. That seems like a really good idea to me, so that's the route I'm going to take. But because the Niles cars have those bulkheads inside, I'm going to have to split the circuit board into two sections. The bulkheads don't reach all the way into the deck (or clerestory) section, so the circuit boards are able to slip over the top of the bulkheads. But the bulkheads definitely limit the length of the circuit boards.

LED's are the way to go. They require less voltage, they don't burn as hot, and last a lot longer, than incandescent bulbs do. But as you can imagine, jamming 8 Christmas LED's into these cars would be ridiculous. So instead, I'm opting for the tiny SMD (Surface Mount Diodes)LEDs (warm white). John McWhirter recommended purchasing the SMD LED's from TrainAidsA. They specialize in electronics for model railroading. I have found them to be very helpful.

The circuit board is cut to size. Then holes are drilled for the LED lights and also where the base of the trolley poles pass through the roof. The holes for the lights are filed square to match the size of the LED's. Then the copper clad is notched with a saw to separate the positive and negative sides of each LED. The opposite side the circuit board is notched length wise to act as a bus for the headlights (see photo below).

Here are the circuit boards with the LEDs installed. This is actually my second attempt, I had the polarity of the LEDs reversed last time! The round holes are for the trolley pole base to pass through, so these boards have a front end and a back end. The pole holes denote the front end of the circuit board. The white wires are soldered towards the front end, the black wires towards the back end. The back ends of the circuits boards will butt against each other in the center of the car:

This test fit revealed the circuit boards fit quite snug between the ceiling and the bulkheads. I don't think any adhesive will be needed to keep them in place.

Next, I have to determine how bright the lights should be. This will determine the size of resistors required. Then we'll have this car illuminating quite nicely. Yes sir! Illuminating quite nicely!

Dandy

My Old San Diego Trolley Layout

2011-04-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

You might think I'm trying to fool you but, believe it or not, before your ol' pal Dan D Sparks was modeling the old San Diego Electric, I used to have a layout featuring the "new" San Diego Trolley!

I came across some old photos of the old layout, so I thought I would share them with you. So here is the nickle tour:

The layout was built in a 12x12 foot bedroom in my apartment. Originally the layout started as a 2'x4' module that grew to take over my entire bedroom!

1. This is the scene that greeted you when you walked through the door. I absolutely fell in love with MTS Imports models of the Siemens/DuWag SD-100 LRVs when I saw one in my local hobby shop. So I saved up my nickles and dimes and purchased it. Which was no small feat at $300 a copy (that was a lot of money in the late 80s)! Eventually I was only able to collect 3 of the models.
2. Transit Center and Clock Tower built from Plastruct parts. The background was painted directly on the wall. Something I regretted when it was time to move out.

3. Visitors really loved peeking inside the American Plaza Station, it made for a nice scene.
After the layout was dismantled, I traded in the LRV models for some San Diego 4oo series class 5 trolleys from Pacific Traction. And that's how I got started modeling the old SDERy. MTS imports is apparently importing some more of the LRV Trolley models. I wonder how much they will cost this time around!

I have some more pictures of the layout somewhere. Maybe I'll post some more pix at the beginning of next April also. Yes sir! The beginning of next April also!

Dandy