Motorizing Corgi PCC Street Car, Question

Jake,

It saddened me that you do not list a email address in your profile. Oh Well, Merry Christmas anyway.

I converted one using a Bowser power chassis years ago and it's built like a tank.  Bowser no longer offers them but you can still find them. 

There are so few options for Hi=Rail.  Bowser would be the best way to go...

Marty

What happened to all the Bowser O traction stuff?

Dominic Mazoch posted:

What happened to all the Bowser O traction stuff?

Discontinued several years ago.  Only what's left is available.

This is more complicated than just fitting the Bachmann chassis into the Peter Witt.  The Peter Witt has a circuit board that is concealed by the roof and sits over the interior. Details are on a RMC review.  This circuit board is tied into the motors, headlights and speaker.

Thanks guys, I'll see if I can't scout out a Bowser chassis.  

I realize the Bachmann chassis wouldn't be an easy job to make work, but I suppose it's a backup option

Question: outside of the mth proto 1 version, why does not someone produce one with new electronics? I could several. 

There are least two different version of the Peter Witt Trolleys. Hope these pictures help. I can get you measurements on Monday, if not before. I can also cut you a Masonite template if that is of any use.   

Measurements would be great!  Thanks.  Either way I would imagine a lot of cutting would be required

GHB (http://www.ghbintl.com/) offers (or offered-check for availability) power trucks for the Corgi PCC, including one type for 3-rail, As i recall the 3-rail version does not offer reverse, appropriate for the real thing, PITA on a model.

rex desilets posted:

GHB (http://www.ghbintl.com/) offers (or offered-check for availability) power trucks for the Corgi PCC, including one type for 3-rail, As i recall the 3-rail version does not offer reverse, appropriate for the real thing, PITA on a model.

The original poster already mentioned that he tried these in his original post, and that they didn't hold up to heavy use.

That is correct.  I tried the GHB trucks in mine, and while they ran OK, I don't think they were designed for the amount of use I was putting them through.  I was skeptical when I originally installed them as to whether or not they'd hold up to frequent running for long periods of time.  They looked well designed, but the motors were quite small.

Hi AUBV.   Love that photo. Talk about a "neverwazz".  If the Los Angeles Railway had acquired the Pacific Electric's Glendale-Burbank Line and ordered more of the ill fated M series cars instead of PCCs there could have been  a Witt train like yours in LATL markings entering the tunnel to the Subway Terminal. Of course the LARY was narrow gauge and the Pacific Electric was standard gauge, but this is a mere detail.

On the other hand, the PE "Hollywood" type cars that ran on Glendale-Burbank somewhat resembled the Witt cars shown in your photo, But they were never painted National City Lines'  "fruit salad" colors.

lewrail

lewrail posted:

Hi AUBV.   Love that photo. Talk about a "neverwazz".  If the Los Angeles Railway had acquired the Pacific Electric's Glendale-Burbank Line and ordered more of the ill fated M series cars instead of PCCs there could have been  a Witt train like yours in LATL markings entering the tunnel to the Subway Terminal. Of course the LARY was narrow gauge and the Pacific Electric was standard gauge, but this is a mere detail.

On the other hand, the PE "Hollywood" type cars that ran on Glendale-Burbank somewhat resembled the Witt cars shown in your photo, But they were never painted National City Lines'  "fruit salad" colors.

lewrail

 

 

Is this color scheme more to your liking?

Are those Toronto Witts?  I've only got one and here it is.

Hit the wrong button as usual.  Here's the St. Louis Witt with the wrong colors for the United Railways.

wb47 posted:

Question: outside of the mth proto 1 version, why does not someone produce one with new electronics? I could several. 

MTH has done their PCC cars with PS2 and PS3.

MTH PCC Car Production

Stuart

The peter Witt's look pretty difficult to modify. Too bad that bachmann chose such a unique car body to emulate. Hopefully they will release a regular double ended car at some point that will be easier to hack up for scratch building. How about the atlas industrial rail trolleys?  They are out of production but you can still find them. 

SantaFe158 posted:

Measurements would be great!  Thanks.  Either way I would imagine a lot of cutting would be required

Sorry for the delay, just realized I had not posted the dimensions.

The frame measures ~1.875" wide and 11.1875" long.

Martin Derouin posted:

There are so few options for Hi=Rail.  Bowser would be the best way to go...

Marty

 

I’m considering doing this as a fun project. What is the exact name of the Bowser Power Chassis I’d be looking for?

 Thanks for your time. 

Jeff

The three rail version is Bowser #551-50007. It is long discontinued, but someone might still have one laying around. Note that it just uses the Corgi shell, so it does not give the best overall visual effect or realism. 

Have you looked at NWSL's Stanton drives?

I got lucky and eventually found a NOS Bowser chassis on eBay with the help of a notification because I had done a “saved search” for bowser corgi.  The motor mount plate for the truck had zinc rot issues and I had to fabricate a replacement.  Other than that it runs great.  It doesn’t look amazing as others have mentioned, but it’s simple and robust.  If you can find one it’s a nice way to go.

Überstationmeister posted:

The three rail version is Bowser #551-50007. It is long discontinued, but someone might still have one laying around. Note that it just uses the Corgi shell, so it does not give the best overall visual effect or realism. 

Thank you. 

SantaFe158 posted:

I got lucky and eventually found a NOS Bowser chassis on eBay with the help of a notification because I had done a “saved search” for bowser corgi.  The motor mount plate for the truck had zinc rot issues and I had to fabricate a replacement.  Other than that it runs great.  It doesn’t look amazing as others have mentioned, but it’s simple and robust.  If you can find one it’s a nice way to go.

Thank you. 

rex desilets posted:

Have you looked at NWSL's Stanton drives?

Thank you. I just looked and am impressed by the choices.  I won’t have the Corgi until next week so I don’t know what size to look for. 

Thanks again. 

I'm curious why not just run the trolley with it's existing powertrain?

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'm curious why not just run the trolley with it's existing powertrain?

It’s Non-Powered. 

Oops, my mistake, I was thinking you were powering the Peter Witt with a Corgi motor, couldn't understand why.  Got it backwards!   Makes more sense now.

If you're going to use the Peter Witt power trucks, you could probably do a custom chassis using Styrene to mount them.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Oops, my mistake, I was thinking you were powering the Peter Witt with a Corgi motor, couldn't understand why.  Got it backwards!   Makes more sense now.

If you're going to use the Peter Witt power trucks, you could probably do a custom chassis using Styrene to mount them.

Thanks for the tip. 

Jeff

gunrunnerjohn posted:

If you're going to use the Peter Witt power trucks, you could probably do a custom chassis using Styrene to mount them.

The outside-frame Witt trucks are totally wrong for a PCC and are 1/48; the Corgi is 1/50 and there will be a fitment conflict.

PRRMP54 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

If you're going to use the Peter Witt power trucks, you could probably do a custom chassis using Styrene to mount them.

The outside-frame Witt trucks are totally wrong for a PCC and are 1/48; the Corgi is 1/50 and there will be a fitment conflict.

Thank you. 

3 Olives posted:

rex desilets posted:

Have you looked at NWSL's Stanton drives?

Thank you. I just looked and am impressed by the choices.  I won’t have the Corgi until next week so I don’t know what size to look for. 

Thanks again. 

NWSL makes the drives to order. So if any that are cataloged in O don't fit, they'll make one that does.

As I recall, the PVC has small wheels, that might be a limitation.

Somewhere the has to be a drawing of the PCC. But rember that the Corgi is 1/50 scale...