World Craft Plastic Series mini freight motor

[velotrain]

I couldn't resist this cute little guy

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10316815

 

but wondered if anyone has photos or info about the proto?

 

I'm guessing that it was used in shuttle service between two fixed locations, but am really curious about the nature of the industry and cargo.

 

I also wonder if the freight platform was actually raised - which would have required steps in the cabs, or this was simply done to allow space for the power chassis on the model?  Of course, I suppose it could have been done to allow space for the power chassis on the proto  ;-)

 

I'll definitely replace the couplers - I may go Nick's route of using Z-scale MT's.

 

Does anyone know of a source for a better quality bow collector, or should I just go with a pano?

 

Lastly - does any company produce retro-fit lighting kits for situations such as this?  A small PCB for directional control and wires and LED's - I wouldn't expect the housing.

 

[marknewton]

Charles, I believe this model is based on a prototype, but I'm not at home right now so I can't check any reference books. My recollection is that the car belonged to a tramway and was used in non-revenue service - track maintenance from memory.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[dabsan]

Hi, would be great to find out if the tram actually existed. I found a few photographs of similar trams but nothing exactly the same.

Here is a photograph of my completed model. I am thinking about running a WAMU behind it as I have seen a few wagons attached in some photographs of similar style trams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2015 by dabsan

[velotrain]

Thanks for the images dabsan.

 

I'm wondering if the roof is perhaps a bad casting that doesn't want to lie flat, as it is curving up from the body in all of the photos?

 

I decided that I liked the model, so it wasn't important to me just what the proto was - or even if there indeed was one. I was imagining it perhaps being used to do in-company, short-distance transfers of some kind - say somewhat like the Chicago tunnel system. I might build a separate micro just for it.

 

Mark's comment that it belonged to a tramway makes sense, with the cargo area exposed like that.  Even so, it's surprising that it is so tiny.  I'm hoping that Mark will be able to find a photo in one of his reference books.  I might try a kanji image search, but don't have any idea of just what to call it.

 

The proto photos are more of what I would expect a freight motor to look like - able to carry LCL cargo inside, while also capable of hauling a few cars.  The body is so long, that I just noticed it actually has a 2-axle chassis.  

[kvp]

Lastly - does any company produce retro-fit lighting kits for situations such as this? A small PCB for directional control and wires and LED's - I wouldn't expect the housing.

 

You don't need a circuit for that. If you mount two white leds (or a white/red pair) back to back and a series resistor to the two motor pickups, then you have directional lights. Placing the common resistor near the motor and running two wire pairs from there to the two leds is all you need. (the same is true for white/red pairs, but then you need a dedicated resistor for each pair) The back to back connection means one of the leds with always be in forward direction, so no extra diodes are required, just the common current limiting resistor. If you only want a single led on one end, then replace one of the leds with a normal diode.

 

I've seen a similar cargo tram that was used on the Hakone Tozan many years ago.

http://js3vxw.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/hakonetozan_r/hakone_tozan_yu1.html

http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori09/archives/2007/06/post_559.html

 

ps: You could get nice etched brass bow collectors. Afaik Nariichi knows the right type for you and also where to get them.

[dabsan]

Thanks for the images dabsan.

 

I'm wondering if the roof is perhaps a bad casting that doesn't want to lie flat, as it is curving up from the body in all of the photos?

 

I decided that I liked the model, so it wasn't important to me just what the proto was - or even if there indeed was one. I was imagining it perhaps being used to do in-company, short-distance transfers of some kind - say somewhat like the Chicago tunnel system. I might build a separate micro just for it.

 

Mark's comment that it belonged to a tramway makes sense, with the cargo area exposed like that.  Even so, it's surprising that it is so tiny.  I'm hoping that Mark will be able to find a photo in one of his reference books.  I might try a kanji image search, but don't have any idea of just what to call it.

 

The proto photos are more of what I would expect a freight motor to look like - able to carry LCL cargo inside, while also capable of hauling a few cars.  The body is so long, that I just noticed it actually has a 2-axle chassis.  

Hi Charles, yes you are right about the roof, it seems a bit short but isn't too bad if positioned carefully.

And I agree with you about it not being that important if this was based on a actual real tram, it's a bit of fun and a nice little model.

Yes I wasn't sure what name to Google for this kind of vehicle also.

:)

[velotrain]

kvp - thanks for the info on the etched brass bow collector - I've asked Nariichi to add two to my current order.

 

I also like the cut-down work car in your second link - I'm trying to think if there is a commercial chassis that could be adapted.  Hmmm . . . the motor on the Kato shorty could be hidden under that pile of stuff . . . . but it would need the deck and new sideframes.

[cteno4]

The casting on this series looks to be fair. I have the small loco

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10292593

 

Parts can use a bit of trimming to fit well and glue and perhaps may need a tad of filler and paint. The colored plastic is pretty toy like on the yellow. I did get the grade up etched brass hood vents to spruce it up some. I expect the darker color may let you get away w.o painting the freight tram. I was tempted by this when you posted it for maybe mow use,mbut realized a bit earlier time and most likely tram only. But then I did run across this one then and got it

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10282371

 

Which lead me into a round at looking at any sankei I might want to toss in and the order grew damn you Charles!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[ToniBabelony]

It looks vaguely like something Shizutetsu has laying around as a heritage memory: http://dekoichi.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/uncategorized/2015/05/19/s_dsc9135_1.jpg

[velotrain]

I can't find a way to contact World Kougei directly, so have asked one of their dealers if he would forward my request for proto images.

 

I'm curious - is the plastic range fairly new for them?  Some of the plastic products look a bit crude to me, but I liked the funkiness of this one.  There's also the possibility of adding your own side panels with a freight door.  You certainly can't beat the price for a powered kit.  I almost bought it on PJ a few weeks ago, but it was about $10 more than HS, and I decided I was willing to wait for HS to get it back in stock.

 

I just had another idea - make it a festival tram with a (very) small shrine inside!

A few lanterns hanging from the roof . . . .

Perhaps torii in the doorways . . . .

 

I just noticed something - the chassis looks rather roughly cast with poor detail, but the general sideframe arrangement appears to be identical to that on the cut-down open work motor that kvp posted a link to:

 

 

 

 

I may need to get a bunch of these to play around with - does anyone know how this chassis runs?  I guess I shouldn't expect too much for $33  ;-)

 

I found an image of a short work motor, surprisingly with bogies, although they might not be original equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

===>>>   Jeff - How can you blame me for your Sankei purchases?

[cteno4]

Because one thing lead to another and you started it so you are to blame!

 

Jeff

[velotrain]

The kind of logic one expects out of D.C.  ;-)

[velotrain]

While searching for images of work trams, I found this oddity from Brazil.  It sure looks like the cab was built for something else, and later grafted onto the flat, but I'm not sure what such a small cab would have been built for in the first place.

 

OTOH - the piece at the end has the same paint and lining as the cab.

 

 

[kvp]

That work tram looks like it has been made out of two trams. The frame was converted from one type and the cab is actually made up of the sawed off ends of a longer tram. They repainted it to cover the cuts.

 

Hungarian work trams (still in use):

 

(freight car version with buffers, maintenance of way version with ad paint and snow sweeper version)

 

And a few japanese freight/work trams:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Freight_trams_in_Japan

 

From Europe:

  

Edited June 29, 2015 by kvp

[katoftw]

That was posted earlier kvp

[marknewton]

Charles, I found the book with the photos I was looking for, but I won't have a scanner until tomorrow. There were three cars similar to the model featured in the book, two belonged to the Keifuku Electric Railway, and one to the Nankai Osaka tramway.

 

The model's truck is a representation of a Brill 21E, which is also the truck on this works car:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[velotrain]

Yoshiya Kobayashi provided me a link to this photo, which is likely one of the work trams in Mark's book.  He gave me another link:

http://reddata.no.coocan.jp/reddata/kaden/doc.html#sizuoka

but I find it too frustrating to select all of the sub-links with no idea of what they are.  If those who can read Japanese spot other likely images - go for it.

 

 

 

 

I also noticed that this Aru work tram, and several other of their kits, use the same chassis.  Nariichi had some of the sideframes from the 14mm and 16mm versions on sale separately, so I snapped those up, intending to compare the quality against the World Craft version - and possibly making a replacement.  Aru also produces several other variations of work trams.  Those Brill 21E trucks might have been a 19th century design (?), but they certainly seem to have enjoyed a very long working life - perhaps with some still in operation.

 

 

 

 

I also found images of a ballast tram in Pittsburgh, both with the original cabs, and as it currently operates on a museum line with rebuilt cabs.  It looks like the cabs are offset, apparently to allow access to the dump controls, and provide a closer overview of the operation by the operator. 

 

I was wondering why they just didn't use a work tram to haul regular ballast cars.  I can see how the ballast tram could be more efficient if you only needed a single carload of ballast, while a ballast train would make more sense if you needed a greater quantity of ballast. 

 

 

 

 

[katoftw]

[Nick_Burman]

Hi, would be great to find out if the tram actually existed. I found a few photographs of similar trams but nothing exactly the same.

Here is a photograph of my completed model. I am thinking about running a WAMU behind it as I have seen a few wagons attached in some photographs of similar style trams.

 

 

IMG_20150626_220640.jpg

 

120329n008-thumb-520x367-126261.jpg

 

120329n011.jpg

 

Oi, where was that? Okazaki?

 

Cheers NB

[kvp]

 

Yoshiya Kobayashi provided me a link to this photo, which is likely one of the work trams in Mark's book. 

If i understand the text correctly, the open sided tram with the flowers was used as an event tram, decorated differently for each event and on the photo having bus seats installed in the open section. So the moving shrine idea a few posts ago seems plausible. (the tram on the photo is from the Tosa Electric Railway)

 

Oi, where was that? Okazaki?

According to the following site, yes.

http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori/archives/2012/03/

[velotrain]

Thanks much for that info kvp.

 

However - I'm guessing that was only true after the tram had long served in whatever role it was originally built for.

 

What I noticed is that the open area in the photo is larger (longer), and the bottom is at the same floor level as the cabs - which isn't (easily) possible on a powered model.

 

I'm curious if any of Mark's photos show a similar tram with cut-out sides.  There seem to have been many with the entire middle section (between the cabs) open, often with a trolley-pole mount in the center.

 

I may need to model a tram line with only work equipment, and no revenue cars ;-)  

 

 

Speaking of which - does anyone recognize this tram yard?

 

What I really like about it is the small size / neighborhood feel to it.  You could easily model all of it, without any "selective compression".

 

I'd be interested in seeing a satellite view. 

 

Are the disks on the wires near the poles intended to keep climbing animals off of the lines?

 

I like the suspended work platforms inside the carbarn.

 

It looks like the tram in the one-track shed has something blocking it in?  Sort of a "do not move" reminder?

 

 

[Densha]

It might be the on the Toyahashi Tetsudou. I found pictures of both tram types on their tracks.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Densha

[marknewton]

Morning all,

 

The depot is the Toyohashi tramway's facility at Akaiwaguchi.

 

A little further along the line is the operations office and crew relief point, where there are two single-car storage sidings:

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Akaiwaguchi+Station,+Aichi+Prefecture,+Japan/@34.7651177,137.4169975,19z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6004d2e9d7a744c5:0xedbe6d757e851262

 

 

A couple of English language pages about the tramway are here:

 

http://www.japaneserailwaysociety.com/jrs/members/naito/tyhs/tyhs.htm

 

http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=50597

 

Charles, those disks on the overhead are insulators that terminate the contact wires where they attach to the poles. I still haven't got my scanner back, so please bear with me until I can put those photos up.

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

Edited July 1, 2015 by marknewton

[marknewton]

Yoshiya Kobayashi provided me a link to this photo, which is likely one of the work trams in Mark's book...Those Brill 21E trucks might have been a 19th century design (?), but they certainly seem to have enjoyed a very long working life - perhaps with some still in operation.

 

That's a Tosa Dentetsu car, which isn't featured in the book I have. Very nice!

 

The Brill 21E trucks date from about 1890. The Hakodate snow-sweeper cars are still running on 21Es, plus there's a few still in service under preserved/museum cars in Japan, and many others elsewhere in the world under operating museum cars.

 

Kyoto 27 at Umekoji

 

Hakodate 39

 

Hakodate snow-sweeper 4

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[velotrain]

Mark - thanks for the wealth of info and images.  Wow - those Brill trucks must have been well made, if they're still running after 125 years!

 

I was surprised at how short the Toyohashi line is, only running to the Tokaido main line station.  I also noticed that the line splits near the depot, but with each part only running for a couple of blocks, which seems surprising.

 

I thought the depot was small, but those crew relief sidings are really tucked in tight!  That would be an easy and neat thing to model - you could perhaps even use them for the proto purpose ;-)

 

Does the line have any two trams that are painted the same?