mwb posted:colorado hirailer posted:I have long wanted a three rail below floor power truck, with adjustable wheelbase, and interchangeable sideframes, needed for an assortment of gas electrics, railbuses, and even geared locomotives. That ain't rocket science....somebody tool this up!
However, I see no reason why one could not buy Magic Carpet drives, replace the wheelsets, and build your own power trucks into existing trucks. One may have to modify the truck framing, but that should not deter one from proceeding. Years ago I put a LWS drive into an Archbar truck for use in a doodlebug that I bashed out of a old combine. If you are going to wait around for some company to do it for you, you might as well sell off your trains and take up philately
Conversion of a Magic Carpet drive seems like a possibility--if the axles used in them are the same size as the 3R wheelsets NWSL can provide.
Sideframes for these two railcars shouldn't be too much of a problem--The City Liner has shrouded trucks so the lack of sideframes isn't a problem, and the LINT DMU already has reasonably detailed sideframes as part of its dummy wheelsets, they could be cut off and mounted on a simple bracket attached to the converted motor truck.
I briefly thought about the drive units 3rd Rail used in their RDC's and Electroliners, but I figured they were one-off assemblies or customized to the extent that building any outside of production for a regular 3rd Rail project would be cost-prohibitive (i.e. in excess of $100 each).
Probably the best time to ask about that possibility would be the next time 3rd Rail produces a powered unit with underfloor motor trucks, since at some point their supplier will be set up to build them and the possibility would then exist that they could produce a few extras for resale for hobbyist projects like this. You'd likely have to ask about this once production of the actual product they're going in is greenlighted, and be willing to reserve them in much the same fashion as 3rd Rail's regular product.
---PCJ
