I have looked high and low and have not found anyone modeling modern day subways in N Scale. I have been looking at possibly creating a station in N Scale based on New York City subways. I would be interested in finding: Is there a specific measurement for the tiling in subways so that I can convert to N Scale? Are there any trains sold as modern N Scale subway cars, or do I have to kit bash them? Are there any tips or hints at how to build the support beams/columns? In NYC subways they have a metal grating with bumps about a foot wide painted yellow that you are supposed to stand behind. Does anyone have a material to simulate this? Is there any "third" rail systems in N Scale, or is this another kit bash? If you have any pictures of these things or one that has already been modeled please post those too. Thanks!
Search "subway" in the following thread and check out RBrodzinskys subway on the JACALAR RR. The JACALAR RR Benchwork begins! - TrainBoard.com
I've never seen a pure subway car in N scale. There are some trams aka light rail available from Japan. look up plaza japan on ebay. Maybe they have something you can use. If not, they sell Kato motorized trucks for your 'bash. As for the grating, take a peek at the bottoms of the trays in the bakery section at the grocery store. I have a pile saved that held turnovers or muffins or something. The tops are clear, the bottoms are black. Probably scaled better for HO, but you use what you have to...
Imperial Hobby Productions offers N Scale assembled and decorated Chicago Transit Authority Budd 2200 series (stock number 16005), assembled and decorated Chicago Transit Authority 6000 series (stock number 16010A), and unpowered and undecorated resin New York City Transit Authority R-32 (stock number 16012) mass transit cars. http://ihphobby.tripod.com/ Long out of production, Images Replicas imported some N Scale brass models of New York City Transit Authority R-32 and R-46 Subway Cars from the Korean manufacturer, OCS Models. With silver-plated car bodies, factory paint, 5-pole skewed armature motors, dual flywheels, and eight wheel drive mechanisms, the aforementioned models were/are relatively rare and pricey. Richie Dost Photos of an N Scale Images Replicas R-32 Set http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aKjYmQBQOVM/SKttn-8F1tI/AAAAAAAAFtg/15zgLoJNdsQ/s800/subway%203594%20R-32%20BMT%20powered%20Images%20Replicas.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aKjYmQBQOVM/SKttoM695wI/AAAAAAAAFto/F_thcSzPzdM/s800/subway%203740%203594%20R-32%20BMT%203594%20is%20powered%20Images%20REplicas.jpg http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aKjYmQBQOVM/SsyhwqtkJ_I/AAAAAAAAJuY/1ALNu-rYIhk/s800/subway%20car%20box%20and%20parts.jpg http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aKjYmQBQOVM/SsyhyPQDmcI/AAAAAAAAJuk/2xx3QmmgE1g/s800/subway%20car%20side.jpg http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aKjYmQBQOVM/SsyhwELqYdI/AAAAAAAAJuU/wmNXe6YGvy8/s800/subway%20car%20bottom.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aKjYmQBQOVM/SsyhxPa8PdI/AAAAAAAAJuc/U3-B_GMfRsA/s800/subway%20car%20end.jpg http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aKjYmQBQOVM/Ssyhxjx5xoI/AAAAAAAAJug/bfC5Ld02wnw/s800/subway%20car%20gear%20tower.jpg
I have to admit that I haven’t ever even thought about a subway before. After seeing this thread, my brain is nonstop thinking about it. I think it could add a whole new dimension to an old layout by going down and under instead of up and over. There so many possibilities. :tb-biggrin:
There was a Model Railrodaer April issue a few years back that had a spoof about a subway model using PVC pipe and buring it in your back yard. Kevin
There are some people over here who have N models of the southern region 3rd rail electrics, and some who have OO/HO models of the London Underground which uses 3rd and 4th rail. Most of the London models I've seen are open air rather than in tubes, but some do it that way. I've only ever seen ONE UK outline London Underground layout in N, and the chap made his own . . . Regards, Pete Davies
I don't know much about NYC. In Boston the LRV and standard "subway" cars spend a good portion of their time above ground or in "depressed" corridors parallel to the commuter rail tracks. Didn't Kato or someone just, (er, a few months ago), come out with an LRV? similar to those in Boston?
Building dioramas (many superdetailed) are popular in Japan and I think the subway station would be an excellent representation of the art. As for modern subway trains, if you can stand to use Japanese prototypes, I went to the Hobby Search website http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/ and did a search for "subway" and then for "Eidan" (the name of one of Tokyo subway lines). I found some Micro Ace ready to run sets and I'm sure if you searched by other Tokyo subway lines you would find more.
The Subway cars in N scale are near impossible; but I've started a collection in HO scale with no problem. I have a Red Bird, Green Worlds Fair set, R22 & R24. All (Walthers) except the Green Worlds Fair Model will have to look at the box of which is packed up for now. Also I've purchased clear plastic tubes to simulate the underground portion of the subway. For the above ground part ME makes the platforms in plastic. Kind of on the expensive side but what isn't expensive. Hope that helps, but sorry none in N Scale that I know of. I wanted to model that also but HO has many offerings The old style Kiosk has even been replicated on some model builders site (N Scale Limited)
There is a website called, I believe, Old New York or something like that which has lots of cool pix of NYC subway-related subjects, particularly some of the tile work in the stations. Kato (Japan) has models of literally hundreds of types of electric rail cars. Tomix and Modeno also offer a large selection of these cars. Of course, they are all of Japanese prototype, and Japanese N-scale (1:150). The drives are excellent, and they may be worth looking into. As an aside, I was fortunate enough to live in Japan for a couple years and it was always a great treat visiting the Kato showroom near Tokyo. I believe there is an N-scale model of just about every type (and there's a bunch of them) rail vehicle used in Japan in the last 50 years, all on display in lighted showcases and/or running on one of dozens of layouts. The sight is staggering, but I digress.
Actually the site is Forgotten New York or Fogotten-NY. If you're a fan of a city's necrology, or a fan of NYC in general, this site has loads of stuff. Especially interesting are the various abandoned railroad lines that once plied the Old City.
There probably is not a specific measurement. They probably would be a standard dimension, ranging from small to quite large. I believe many of the larger tiles are cast in an arc if needed. I believe many of the larger "tiles" weigh many tons.
