NYC T-Motor model possibility

enwhycentral May 3, 2008

  1. enwhycentral

    enwhycentral TrainBoard Member

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    I have been considering building a model of New York Central's electric T-Motors which for many years shuttled trains between GCT and Harmon. I am considering using a Micro-Ace ED-19 or ED-53, removing the pantographs, adding some detailing (such as using HO scale shutters for vents) and repainting and decaling. I know the wheel arrangement is not correct but I think the models overall dimensions are close enough. I've compared a size-adjusted schematic of the prototype with size-adjusted photos of the model and they compare very favorably. See this attachment and let me know what you think. The top is a scale drawing, middle is an ED-19 w/o pantographs and at bottom is a representation of what the model would look like.: Thanx!
     

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    Last edited by a moderator: May 4, 2008
  2. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Very nice idea! I have have some Micro-Ace electrics, and a bunch of B trucks from old Bachmann F-7s. Maybe I'll give it a try when I've cleared up my backlog, say in about ten years!:tb-biggrin:
     
  3. Jerry M. LaBoda

    Jerry M. LaBoda TrainBoard Supporter

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  4. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks, Jerry! That would save some work! Hmm, how to power the leading and trailing trucks . . .
     
  5. enwhycentral

    enwhycentral TrainBoard Member

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    The reason I'd like to have a facsimile of a T-Motor in N Scale and not a P-Motor or an R-Motor is that I already have them! Attached is a scan of my models. I have yet to remove the pantographs and swap the Rapidos for MTL's. The top one is a Tomix EF-15 painted by Noel Arnold many years ago and represents an R-Motor.
    The bottom is a Kato EF-57 painted and detailed by an unknown person to represent a P-Motor which I picked up on eBay for an ungodly sum of money a few years ago!
    If I try to do a T-Motor, it would be my first attempt at modeling and not someone elses and while growing up next to the Hudson Division mainline in the 1950's, T-Motors were the most ubiquitous motive power.
     

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  6. Rob de Rebel

    Rob de Rebel Permanently dispatched

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    Now the only problem is modeling the third rail everywhere the electrics go! Something I considered and said NOT!

    Rob, Anchorage, Alaska,
    Modeling New York Central in the 50's
     
  7. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Modeling a powered undershot third-rail system in N would be a heckuva challenge, especially if it worked reliably. IIRC, somebody did it in O back in the 50's.
     
  8. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I think, like catenary, I'd do the undershot system as a dummy. I did a workbench catenary back in the 1970s, and decided rather quickly that it wasn't going to work. The Arnold pantographs on a GG-1 just didn't have enough flexibility, even on a dead flat test bed. Great idea, but not enough precision. If I lowered the overhead wire enough to ensure connectivity, the drag on the engine pretty much stopped it.

    Actually, I've never see N scale catenary from a pantograph running. I've seen still photos, but that doesn't mean anything. From my long ago experiments, I concluded it wasn't feasible with the Arnold GG-1.
     
  9. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    I would love try an undershot third rail in HO, but like you, I doubt if an operating undershot would be feasible in N,

    I had an HO GN Z-1 and Pennsy O-1A back in the 60's, both with isolated and flexible pantographs. I set up about 10' of catenary, with about 5' on tangent and 5' on a 24"(+/-) radius curve. I used 26 AWG phosphor bronze for the contactor and 24 AWG copper for the messenger, hangars, and catenary, all soldered with 60/40 Sn/Pb. It looked great, worked well, and held together for almost 2 low speed passes. Tin/lead ain't very strong when it's flexed. I shoulda used silver solder, but I found that "church mice" can afford a soldering iron and solder, OR a roll of silver solder, but NOT both!. :tb-ooh:
     
  10. enwhycentral

    enwhycentral TrainBoard Member

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    A long while ago, I wrote: "I have been considering building a model of New York Central's electric T-Motors which for many years shuttled trains between GCT and Harmon. I am considering using a Micro-Ace ED-19 or ED-53, removing the pantographs, adding some detailing (such as using HO scale shutters for vents) and repainting and decaling. I know the wheel arrangement is not correct but I think the models overall dimensions are close enough. I've compared a size-adjusted schematic of the prototype with size-adjusted photos of the model and they compare very favorably. See this attachment and let me know what you think. The top is a scale drawing, middle is an ED-19 w/o pantographs and at bottom is a representation of what the model would look like.: Thanx!"[/QUOTE]

    GUESS WHAT!

    I've been away from this board for a number of years and so I missed the chance to show everyone how my T-Motor project turned out. After scaling down the prototypes dimensions from an elevation drawing to N Scale, it turned out that a Micro-Ace Japanese ED-19 would be a good starting point. After making that decision and purchasing detail parts and decals, Ian Learmonth was able to create for me a very good facsimile of a T-Motor, perhaps the first and only one in N-Scale! See attached photos. BTW, this project was completed about 4 years ago. Sorry for the delay!
     

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    Last edited: Aug 18, 2019
  11. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Whoa! (y)
     
    Hardcoaler likes this.
  12. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    Looks great!
     
  13. CarlH

    CarlH TrainBoard Member

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    That is really cool!
     

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