Skip to main content

After a week away on "vacation" and taking a day of "just running trains" yesterday, I got back in my workshop today and took up my "third generation" tractor trailer project.  Generations 1 and 2 had numerous limitations due to their use of stock 'Streets chassis and motors, most noteably they did not smoothly a real low speeds and some signs of having only marginal power.  This first gen-three tractor has both rear axles powered by a nice big can motor with a flywheel.  Electrical pickup is through all ten wheels and five center pickups.  As you can see, things are still beta rigged with tape and such as I work on weight distribution, pivot points, etc.  The mass you see sitting right behind the motor is 30 pennies put there for weight and traction.  I'm still experimenting with how much and where weight works best.  But it's looking like a tractor trailer now and it runs better than any previous 18-wheeler. 

3-G tractor trailer 1 01-20-13

In the video below you can hear some wheel chatter in the curve - I'll talk about that at the end.  After the turn I slow it down along mainstreet.  It will go slower but this is about as slow as I will ever run it.  As you can see it runs very steadily at a an appropriately slow speed that an 18 wheeler would take doing through a downtown line this. Stock 'Streets vehicles won't.

I think a good test of the design, weight distribution, and pivot points of a tractor trailer is if and how it can back up.  Here is the answer.

More: Initially, I am building two "third gen" tractor trailers, this one which is true-to-prototype by being powered by the tractor's duel rear axles, and one I expect to run much better: only one of the tractor's rear axles will be powered, but then one of the two at the rear of the tractor will be powered too (it will use two slightly smaller motors, one for each powered axle).  I have not started that yet.  I plan to finish this one completely first - it runs well and will, when done, look like a very good model.  The wheel chatter is due to its spinning its wheels in curves - none of the four powered wheels has a traction tire and this puppy gets marginal traction even with considerable weight over the powered axles.  I plan to coat the wheel face (but not flanges) of all four powered wheels with Frogsnot (yes, it will kill electrical conductivity of these wheels a lot, but there are six other wheels that also pick up power so there will be plenty of electrical contact.

Attachments

Images (1)
  • 3-G tractor trailer 1 01-20-13: Looking like an eighteen wheeler now
Videos (2)
Go slow down mainstreet please
Can You back up, please
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I actually am not sure what semi-truck it is.  I've had the cab around my workshop for some time.  I think I will use it on this tractor but I also have a '53 Mack cab that will fit, too, and a Freightliner cab over I was thinking of using, too.  However, this looks really good, I think.

 

The trailer body is an unmodified New Ray trailer box from the ubiquitous offerings of 18 wheelers for about $20 complete. 

Originally Posted by NelsonW:

That look awesome! Next it will be time to go back and light them it is not hard to do just takes time for the first one. After that they become rather quick to do. If the trailer is plastic it is very simple to do.

bus

cars2

Nelson,

Where and how do you start on these. Is there info online for this? And also, where do you purchase the parts to do these vehicles? Thanks in advance.

Lee:  I've enjoyed following your work with superstreets and now your new modifications.  Nice job!  I wondered if you had seen some of the videos of that huge HO layout in Germany called "Miniatur Wunderland"?  i realize that this is a very professional and, I'm sure, very expensive system that they have going there.  But I've noticed that they have some moving vehicles on the layout that operate on complicated roads but without any slots or tracks in the streets.  I wonder how they do that.  The vehicles also have lights on while running but I understand that that is accomplished using batteries in the vehicles. 

 

I'd just like to find out how they power, steer and control those vehicles on their display. 

 

Paul Fischer

Lee, Am I correct in assuming the tractor pivots between the front wheels and the rear double axil power truck? (at the bolt head behind the cab) And does the rear double axil truck on the back end of the trailer also pivot on the trailer? I would guess that would be necessary to avoid binding on the tight Super Street curves.

 

Just wondering. Thanks, Paul Goodness

Originally Posted by paul goodness:

Lee, Am I correct in assuming the tractor pivots between the front wheels and the rear double axil power truck? (at the bolt head behind the cab) And does the rear double axil truck on the back end of the trailer also pivot on the trailer? I would guess that would be necessary to avoid binding on the tight Super Street curves.

 

Just wondering. Thanks, Paul Goodness

Yes.  I poisted a .pdf report with diagrams about a year ago that had illustrations about why that is necessary.  Only way an 18 wheeler will go around the tight corners. 

I promised to identify where I got the very nice 1:48 cab for this tractor if I could.  I bought this yesterday as soon as I saw it, from MB Klein (modeltrainstuff.com).  This diecast cab is put on a variety of truck bodies (mostly plastic) but I usually see it on this wrecker style.  I think it was $18.  The company on the box is "Realtoy."

Wrecker with big Rig cab and sleeper

Attachments

Images (1)
  • Wrecker with big Rig cab and sleeper

Lee, thanks and great work.  I think that a lot of us have wanted truck traffic on our layout in addition to trains, and you are showing us the possiblities.  I can currently run two O and one On30 train simultaneously (with two other trains staged and ready to go), it would be very cool to add the action of a highway and have some 18 wheelers running at the same time. 

 

Now I have to figure out where I can add a highway to the layout!  

I really can't understand why someone - and I would much prefer to see Lionel do it, doesn't bring out a "Cargostreets" or some such name - a line that is nothing but big trucks.  I imagine a 'Streets with 18 wheelers, 14 wheelers, 10 wheelers, etc. even down to just big single box trucks, maybe cross country buses (the truck equivalent of passenger trains), too.  

 

The possibilities and market would be big, I think, and very close to home: run on a track like locos, different wheel combinations just like in locos, different types (Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliners, Mack , White, IH, Ford, GMC) just as there are ALCo, Baldwin, EMD, etc.  You could even make nifty operating accessories (log loader, cattle truck loader, etc.  I can't imagine it would not make a ton of money - so many people would buy them (me included - I'm only making mine b ecause not one will sell me some). 

Lee,

 

I would also like to see someone bring out a system as you described "Cargostreets".  Thinking back, my son had quite a setup of Tyco US-1 Trucking.  We did not set them up with HO trains but looking at what they offered for vehicles, track, and operating accessories it pretty much illustrates what we would like to see in O.  Here's a link that shows what was available.

 

http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/tycous1trucking/

 

Larry

 

 

Seemed to be a fairly good system.  Basically a slot car track.  Vehicles had guides front and rear to allow backing up.  Semi trailers also had guides and pivoting axle sets to follow around the curves.  Vehicles were driven by the tires.  Electrical pickups rode on the embedded rails and were the touchy part of keeping a vehicle operating smoothly. 

I have a fair amount of Tyco US-1 Trucking items. My kids loved them when they were young. They are VERY reliable and run flawlessly. They run on standard 'HO' track but have 6 volt motors. They also have two guide pins, front and back, and two sets of pick up shoes......making them stall free and speed correct!!! This is kinda what I'd do in O scale using the 1/32 scale SCX track and components.

Originally Posted by Lee Willis:
Originally Posted by paul goodness:

Lee, Am I correct in assuming the tractor pivots between the front wheels and the rear double axil power truck? (at the bolt head behind the cab) And does the rear double axil truck on the back end of the trailer also pivot on the trailer? I would guess that would be necessary to avoid binding on the tight Super Street curves.

 

Just wondering. Thanks, Paul Goodness

Yes.  I poisted a .pdf report with diagrams about a year ago that had illustrations about why that is necessary.  Only way an 18 wheeler will go around the tight corners. 

Lee your work is outstanding and provides us with another fasinating aspect of RR.  Would it be possible to repost the .pdf report on the 18 wheeler mods?.  Also what are you using for motive power?  Please keep your updates coming - can't get enough of seeing your creations.  Thanks for sharing with us.

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×