Hello all,
I recently finished up worked converting an MTH 0-8-0 to a 2-8-0, a process which took several months to complete, and was looking for something a bit easier. My layout is Pittsburgh themed and I currently have 3 different trolley lines, 2 of which are served by MTH PS1-equipped PRC PCC streetcars, and the third is served by a mostly orange Atlas Atlantic City Brill trolley. I am looking to remove that streetcar's shell and use its motors and floor to create one of the earlier streetcars that served the city of Pittsburgh, the orange colored Jones cars, derived from the Peter Witt center door design. These old streetcars served the Pittsburgh area from 1915/17 until being mostly retired in the early 1950s, save for several that were kept and ran only occasionally and on special charter runs around the city prior to the trolley lines getting mostly torn up in favor of buses from 1970-1998. Mr. Rogers also operated and rode one on at least one occasion for his children's television program back in the 1970s.
I'm looking for either a 1/48 model that can be retrofitted with these motors/trucks or a shell from a kit that I can combined with other kit parts to make one from scratch, but so far I've come up empty. I'm not entirely opposed to looking for or commissioning a 3d printable 1/48 model, which might be my only option, but I'd prefer not to go that route due to the costliness of commissioning a model and then paying somebody to print it, as I don't have the equipment.
Apparently, a Russian company called the St. Petersburg Tram Collection originally made some 1/48 runs of this exact type of "Americanized" car, but due to the current political situation in Europe I don't believe they're taking orders, and even if that were the case, these cars are listed as out of order on their site.
Additionally, if anyone knows of places to look or of anyone who can make 3d models of this type of streetcar from some photos (I live a very short distance from a museum that has 2-3 of these streetcars preserved and know some of the folks that work there) please let me know, as that might be the route I have to take.
Thanks and have a blessed day!
First photo is from the aforementioned St. Petersburg website and the latter is one posted several years ago by user J Daddy of two of the preserved streetcars in service at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.
-P&LE Consol.
