Hi Don and Everyone.. Thanks for your comments. Don, Bill Hoffman DID live for awhile in Conneticut. He lived in Whittier, CA. He lived in San Franciso. Someone told me that he would up after retirement at ROSS, a retirement community near Walnut Creek, CA. I'm sure he must have 'passed' by now but I don't know. What I am VERY curious about is what happened to the hundreds and hundreds of O-scale trolleys and Interurbans he produced so detailed ?? They have to exist SOMEWHERE. But, I have never heard a word about them. Strange, huh ?
Rather than 1/4" scale, 2-rail... Bill built his cars to 17/64" to the foot. Makes them a wee bit bigger! And Leon, you're right, the cars drew their power from the overhead wire as per the prototype with the rails as common. The power at the club trolley wire was a maximum of 18 volts, DC.
As a matter of fact, if any of you TRACTION buffs are interested.. I'll tell you the story of one of the largest O-scale traction layouts ever built in the United States. It took up a good chunk out of a nearly 10000 square foot space !
I have ALL the information on it in my Archives. Photos, track diagram, everything !
BUT, it takes TIME to put everything in order. SO-- please let me know if you would like to find out more about the Oakland Antioch & Eastern-- the name of the giant O-scale traction layout of the Eastbay Model Engineers Society in Emeryville, CA.
(1940--1984)... I'd love to tell you the story--but is there THAT much interest on OGR ?
Cheers.
KRK
