Progress on my Suydam interurban car rebuild

[marknewton]

Some time ago I posted some photos in the "Other Gauges and Scales" forum of an old Suydam brass interurban car I had started work on: http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,3896.msg59811.html#msg59811

 

I've made a bit of progress since then. The car now has a new North West Short Line Stanton power truck/motor bogie, replacing the antediluvian spring drive originally fitted. I've replaced the Baldwin MCB trucks with Standard C80Ps, and fitted an Aclass PS16J pantograph in place of the trolleypoles. The next addition will be a snowplough to replace the original cowcatcher/pilot. I'll be using a cut-down Details West "weedcutter" for that racy Midwest look!

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Nick_Burman]

Mark,

 

Keep up on the good work. A question... in what era will your line be in? Anything close to WWII and you'll run her always with the baggage compartment trailing, to represent an OMO car.

 

 

Cheers NB

[keitaro]

Looking great. Maybe when you have finished it up you can bring for show and tell with a few beers!

[marknewton]

Nick, the era is post WW2, but before 1953, so I can run freight cars with K brakes and some early covered hoppers. I take your point about OMO cars running with the baggage compartment trailing, but that was not always the practice on the Midwestern interurbans I'm inspired by. The Illinois Terminal in particular ran their cars the "right" way around right up until the end of passenger service in the late 1950s. And to be honest, I just prefer the look of an interurban car running that way. 

 

I've made a mock-up of the snowplough mounting and radial coupler to establish clearances and what-have-you, here's what the car looks like tonight:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.