Help identifying type of trolley and replacement parts

[TxTrolley]

Hey folks. First time poster. I just received an HO scale trolley after my father’s passing. It’s a Pacific Electric livery streamline HO gauge. The only manufacturer mark is the brass plate on the undercarriage stamped JAPAN. 
 

It was working reasonably well but I tried to improve it by opening up the gearbox to clean it. Unfortunately the gears and bushings popped out when I did that and I cannot find all the parts. Looks like I’m missing one brass bushing and two outer bushings for each end of the box. 
 

I’ve done a lot of google image searching to try and match the train and gearbox with anything available but so far have turned up no results. I think it was probably purchased in the early 1980s. 
 

Does anybody know the manufacturer based on images? Does anybody know if I can find a compatible replacement undercarriage or specific parts to fix the existing gearbox?

 

My goal is to make a small diorama of the PE line on a 3’ shelf around this train in order to honor my father and his love of this particular train system. He grew up in LA County in the 1940s and was nostalgic about it. 
 

Thank you!

[bill937ca]

It is probably either a Suydam or Soto imported trolley.  Not sure if you will ever find parts for these models.  The age of brass models is over, the importers and dealers are long gone.  The manufacturer may have been a garage operation. You could try seaching "suydam HO PE trolley" and see if any of the dealers listing brass trolleys could help you.

 

https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/070179/HO-Brass-Model-Suydam-5001-PE-Double-End-PCC-Unpainted

 

https://resourcedrails.com/products/copy-of-ho-brass-suydam-pe-pacific-electric-mount-lowe-car

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by bill937ca

[brill27mcb]

The best thing you can do is to keep looking for the dropped parts. Use a bright light and shine it at different low angles. Since the missing parts sound like they are all brass, you might spot a reflection off them by trying different light locations and angles. These little parts can also travel farther afield than you might think, so try broadening your search area.

 

Rich K.

[TxTrolley]

You nailed it. It’s this model, exactly. 

 

Luckily, the parts that are missing are essentially bushings. I should be able to find some parts that fit with the right inner opening and outer diameter.

 

As an example, these might fit. Not ordering anything until I can take some measurements. 

Edited August 31, 2023 by TxTrolley
Adding hyperlinks

[TxTrolley]

31 minutes ago, brill27mcb said:

The best thing you can do is to keep looking for the dropped parts. Use a bright light and shine it at different low angles

I’ll try a bit more. I dropped them in about the worst possible place. Under an outdoor deck where access underneath is difficult and there is a lot of debris. I pulled out debris, sifted, resifted. There are some inaccessible places down there I couldn’t get to (yet). The good news is the parts aren’t going anywhere. 

[bill937ca]

In future place a large contrasting color cloth under the place you are working.  Perhaps a drop cloth or table cloth from a dollar store. At least you may contain any live parts.

Edited August 31, 2023 by bill937ca

[cteno4]

Velour works well. Its fur helps soften the hard hits so parts don’t bounce so much and fur grabs small protruding well to hold them. It’s an old watchmaker truck, they put a pice of velvet/velour down over their work space to catch small stray parts from bouncing and rolling away. I got a couple of yards of black velour cheap in the remnants section of the fabric shop years ago.

 

jeff

[TxTrolley]

Waiting for some potential replacement bearings from Amazon and found this video presentation about the Suydam company.

 

 

[TxTrolley]

These 2x5x2.5 bearings are a perfect fit on the first two dimensions. Not as deep as the originals but that doesn’t impact the function. Back on track!
 

[cteno4]

Nice when you find a fix like that!

 

jeff