Sourcing 3rd Rail Parts and Trucks?

[GDorsett]

Hey all, I'm back at it again with another strange and uncommon model.

I've recently fulfilled a long time wish and have found some of the very old and very rare Rohr built, WMATA 1000 series metro cars made by Walthers. It's only three and they're all unpowered at the moment, but I have full intentions of acquiring more. Got a couple of saved searches up that I'm watching and will be jumping on as soon as something comes up.

Anyways, in Typical old Walthers fashion, they're got a mostly decent body riding on the same [expletive] crappy trucks that they used on the Horizon and American GK Amfleet cars. These trucks are usable, can be tuned to run decently, but look terrible and they also make these Rohr cars ride waaaaaay too high.

So here's the question:

Does anyone know where I can find 3rd rail truck frames that would work on these or that are simple enough that I can detail them up and hide them behind the skirting of the cars?

Or, if whole trucks don't exist, does anyone know where I can find brake disks and kitbash my own truck frames onto the existing trucks (as long as I can lower the absurd ride height)?

Shapeways is not being helpfull this time.

 

A picture of my unassembled model:

 

 

the paperwork showing the assembled and decaled model:

 

 

Walthers' picture:
 

 

The actual car:

 

 

 

 

The best picture I could find of the wheels, thanks to I think the 2009 crash:

 

 

It's a very simple outside truck design that should not be hard to replicate, but it sits very low and I just don't know what's out there for parts. I am planning on getting some Tomix TN coupler units and then adding the orange electrical covers, so that's covered, but the trucks are my major halt right now.

If anyone knows where I could find something like this, I'd be quite appreciative.

 

P.S.
Yes, I know that someone made the 7000 series cars on Shapeways and that it has trucks. I intent to buy a set at some point, but I'm not really fan of the 7000 series as I grew up seeing the older brown Rohr 1000, and Breda 2000, and 3000 series cars.

We don't talk about 4000 and 5000.

Edited November 24, 2020 by GDorsett

[bill937ca]

What scale is this? Is it an underrunning third rail or overrunning third rail?

[GDorsett]

It is HO scale and I believe it is overrunning, but I don't know for certain. I'm more worried about looking the part than actually functioning off the third rail.

[bill937ca]

It probably is overrunning. I know Philadelphia has underrunning and it is unusual. But just checking.

 

Problem is there are not a lot of traction suppliers anymore.

 

You could contact Brian Weisman. He runs Jasons Brass Poles (name??) and does some traction kits on Shapeways.

 

https://www.ebay.com/str/brianweismanjbw

[GDorsett]

2 hours ago, bill937ca said:

It probably is overrunning. I know Philadelphia has underrunning and it is unusual. But just checking.

 

Problem is there are not a lot of traction suppliers anymore.

 

You could contact Brian Weisman. He runs Jasons Brass Poles (name??) and does some traction kits on Shapeways.

 

https://www.ebay.com/str/brianweismanjbw

 

Pretty sure that it's overrunning since there's the white plastic covers over the rail head.

I'll send that guy a message and see if he has any ideas. I'm going to shoot a message to IMW as well and see if they'd be willing to take a crack at at least brake shoes and disks that I can attach to the wheel face. I'd normally try IHP, but he's on my sh*t list for reasons that should be obvious to anyone familiar with IHP.

If I can't find anything, then I'll try a few tricks with the original trucks to dress them up and lower the ride height. I may have to raise the floor by a bit into the car body rather than change the trucks due to the chassis design and the detail bits.

[GDorsett]

I have also been reminded the existence of 1/43 scale car model parts. Now I am on the hunt for a suitable set of brake rotours that I could maybe use and then build up the factory trucks.

Edited November 25, 2020 by GDorsett

[GDorsett]

Update, a dry test fit of the main body components shows that maybe it doesn't ride nearly as high as I expected it to. I might be able to vastly improve it with just some smaller wheel.

 

 

 

[Nick_Burman]

Peco makes 3rd rail insulators and flat-bottomed rail to match. These are based on Southern Railway/London Underground practice, though.

 

Cheers Nicholas