Powering a dummy Metroliner

[SEPTAR2Newark]

Manged to pick up 2 dummy units today real cheap and was wondering what would be the easiest way to power one or both, it not my plan b is to make a set of cab cars. Also picked up a Life Like F40PH (all 3 were $30) thats gonna get made into a NPCU unit.

[green_elite_cab]

There is an older thread on this, but basically, there is no easy way to do that.

You could try NWSL Stanton drives, but these are expensive and might not go quite fast enough. An original powered drive is VERY loud and obnoxious. Some have done extreme modifications to diesel frames, but I'm unclear on how they've pulled it off.

I've had a fairly large fleet of metroliners for a while and this has been an elusive problem.

[glennk419]

Your best bet is to locate a power truck such as a PDT, NWSL or similar in the correct wheelbase. Unfortunatley, none of the solutions currently available are inexpensive and mounting the truck is going to require some creativity. Even the mechanism on the original powered Metroliners was marginal at best. One other solution would be to use a Life Like Proto RDC frame which would give you a great running model (albeit somewhat slow) and is the correct length but the frame details would be completely incorrect and you'd still have some significant refitting to do. If you Google "HO Metroliner", you may find some additional information from folks who have done this.

Also found this link: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 32&t=21900

[green_elite_cab]

the problem with PDTs and Stanton Drives is that they don't have a lot of speed, and they can't be stressed out. Due to the nature of the gearing and wheel diameter, the speed get slower as you use smaller wheels prototypical on MU cars (though the Metroliner runs on 36" wheels, not 33" like other MU cars).

These drives are pretty strong, so they will pull if you put the weight on them, but if you put to much weight, the gears will literally chew through themselves. If you're going to push the limits of the drives, opt for brass gears and not the "standard" plastic gears (it doesn't cost anything extra).

for example, the stanton drive can push about three cars (IHP Silverliner III kits in my experiments), but doing so will wear it down (and it won't go very fast). I stick to a pair, but it would probably be best if each car drove itself.

There is a drive called the "black beetle" that is made in Australia, these are a little more powerful (but also take up more room), and faster, but they are hard to come by.

[glennk419]

If you were to decide to go the LL RDC frame route, NWSL also sells a regearing kit for those which will give you a higher top end speed at the sacrifice of some pulling power. The NWSL part number is 2692-6.

[green_elite_cab]

I wonder if there is a way to remove the drive from the RDC and mount it onto the Metroliner frame.

[ApproachMedium]

If you were to decide to go the LL RDC frame route, NWSL also sells a regearing kit for those which will give you a higher top end speed at the sacrifice of some pulling power. The NWSL part number is 2692-6.

Not sure if their re-gearing kit works for the P1k RDC frame, i think that is for the old rubber band drive but I can be wrong. I have a set of two NWSL power trucks, while a bit costly at $180 for the two units, you get great pulling power and excellent speed. The model I have though is an EMD truck replacement which has 40 inch wheels. I have seen the ones that GEC is using for his silverliner cars with 33 inch wheels, which are defiantly not as fast.

[glennk419]

If you were to decide to go the LL RDC frame route, NWSL also sells a regearing kit for those which will give you a higher top end speed at the sacrifice of some pulling power. The NWSL part number is 2692-6.

Not sure if their re-gearing kit works for the P1k RDC frame, i think that is for the old rubber band drive but I can be wrong. I have a set of two NWSL power trucks, while a bit costly at $180 for the two units, you get great pulling power and excellent speed. The model I have though is an EMD truck replacement which has 40 inch wheels. I have seen the ones that GEC is using for his silverliner cars with 33 inch wheels, which are defiantly not as fast.

These are made specifically for the LL P1K RDC, from the NWSL online catalog:

LifeLike RDC speed-up gearing (from 45 smph to 72 mph)
2692-6 24.95 HO Double-compound gears 26T/19T to increase speed

It uses the original trucks and simply changes the gear ratio for higher speed.

Ernst made a RDC regearing kit for Athearn RDC's which was marginal at best and required remounting of the original sideframes. I did that conversion years ago and the rubber band drive actually ran better.

[ApproachMedium]

Gotcha. It seems like the P1k goes a bit faster than 45mph. I have a switcher thats locked at 40SMPH and these RDCs definitely blow the doors off of it.

[green_elite_cab]

I've still been thinking on this one. Though I'd prefer an underfloor power truck, it may not offer the performance I want. Is there any truck drive system that is modular that I can adapt to the Metroliner?

I've been thinking this might be a good alternative-

http://www.hollywoodfoundry.com/shopdis ... Mechanisms

[diburning]

There is a drive called the "black beetle" that is made in Australia, these are a little more powerful (but also take up more room), and faster, but they are hard to come by.

Any relation to the "Bull Ant" made by Hollywood Foundry (also located in Australia)?

[green_elite_cab]

There is a drive called the "black beetle" that is made in Australia, these are a little more powerful (but also take up more room), and faster, but they are hard to come by.

Any relation to the "Bull Ant" made by Hollywood Foundry (also located in Australia)?

None. Black Beetles are made by "Steam Power" or something to that effect. Incidentally, I linked to the Bull Ant above. I had found the black beetle's website once or twice, but I remember being unsure of how to order from them.


I think Motorbogies.com is an easier accessible source of powered trucks. They may be worth a shot.