rav4 wrote:I would like to simulate a n.y.c. subway el (elevated ) line using HO scale . I can't find anywhere to purchase the necessary materials (girders etc ) any suggestions ? thanks
Micro-egineering has some things, I have the same ordeal as I will be building elevated CTA.
Theres a lot of ideas, but expect custom working on your part.
I got a bunch of N scale bridge piers supports, the bridge railings, not the piers, to me their a good working point to make overhead track.
MTS had an elevated system support, but dont know if they are in business or available anywhere, I found a bunch of them on ebay.
But you can work them from stock wood available from the hobbyshops.
http://www.geocities.com/kidat50/
heres a chicago elevated/subway model
I took the el everyday for four years going to HS. I'm still disappointed that nobody makes BMT/IND subway cars. Those "red birds" tend to attract Moose and other oddities I've noticed.
Remember, taking photos on the subway is against the law. Shooting photos of the el from everywhere else is fair game. Oddly enough, that rule has been around since the 1930s and the city tried to enact the same law again in 2002. Somebody wake them up and tell the the law is already there?
Much depends on just how closely you wish to model your subways or Els to a particular prototype. There's a fair amount of items available if you are not too exacting, or better, model freelance. I expect that actually replicating the NYC system subways/Els would prove a major scratchbuilding project.
Although Walthers doesn't always have their items in stock (but they are always available through the manufacturer) Micro Engineering offers a nice elevated railway girder system, with spans and track, which I believe is based on one found in a large mid-west city (Chicago?). Model Memories offers subway third rail and similar detail parts.
I happen to have a freelanced El on my layout, the terminus station and structure of which is visible at the extreme left in the photo below.
CNJ831
those Model Railroader articles I mentioned earlier were written by Eric Bronsky.
well worth picking them up if you cand find them:
April 1976 and October 1978
very helpful plans and techniques for building elevated train lines.
If I was planning a model to approximate the Westchester Avenue elevated structure, I would use plain H columns (3/16 in HO) to support a deck girder bridge with Atlas girders where the detail would be visible and plain vertical styrene planks where it would be hidden under ties and other woodwork. That structure was three tracks wide from Whitlock Avenue to Pelham Bay Park, so there were six longitudinal girders (one under each rail) connected across each pair of columns by cross-girders of equal or greater depth. Additional angled girders were positioned under crossovers (at each end of the Parkchester station, which had platforms between the tracks) and the flyover junction connecting the storage yard and shops to the over-the-street structure between Westchester Square and Middletown Road was interesting, to say the least.
Back when I was a regular rider, Westchester Avenue was still Belgian block pavement. I have no idea what's used now (haven't been there in 47 years.)
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I have the subway but have not built anything elevated.
Proto 1000 makes the trains. they make the red ones for a while, then the brown ones, then the green ones. They seem to be between runs right now, but places like trainworld always have sales on them when each run is dropped.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Hi - yes, you've lured me back up from the underworld with the compliment, thanks. And welcome aboard, Rav4. The tokens are still only 15 cents here.
My subways are mostly underground, with a "normal" layout above them. This is a shot of the Penny Lane station, which serves both the true subway trains like the Proto 1000 Redbirds in the background, and the Bowser PCC car in the front track:
The "steelwork" is built from Evergreen H-girders and scrap pieces of plastic channel. (On a lot of these forum pictures, you can click on the pictures to get a larger image.) Having grown up on Long Island, I have vivid memories of the New York system, including the tile walls of the old stations. I took a couple of pieces of Evergreen's "tile" and "sidewalk" sheets and used them to make latex molds, from which I cast Hydrocal to form the tile walls and platform floors for my stations. Here's a shot of the Saint Anne Street station which give a better view of the castings:
By the way, when I started this project I had been out of model railroading for 40 years, and all of this was brand new to me. I made a few mistakes, but I learned as I went along. Discussions here on the forum really helped me figure out how to do things.
The Proto subway trains are sold out at Walthers, but they are still available from Trainworld. I see that they have the original silver-roof Redbirds R17's listed, as well as the more recent model of the R21/22 in green. The green ones come with end gate details, which the R17's did not. Other than that, they are the same model with a different paint job. Each set is 1 powered car and 3 unpowered. All cars are illuminated. They run very smoothly, and have been trouble-free on my layout, except for some failures of the original Accutrash couplers, which are easily replaced with Kadees. By the way, you can order with confidence from Trainworld. They are a large, reputable dealer. They buy closeout lots and sell them at greatly discounted prices, so everyone ends up happy. They also ship quickly, often the day you place the order.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
No one, to my knowledge, makes specific subway/el train systems. Check the Walthers reference book or www.walthers.com for some help from the following companies.
Although my plans are not settled, I am looking at several pieces from Micro-Engineering and Central Valley Products. Peco makes a stairwell down to the subway. Proto 1000 made the subway train, which as you may know is sold out at the moment if you don't already have a set.
Atlas girder pieces will probably also help with my structure. My "L" train structures are going to have to be done fairly fast and simple rather than absolutely prototypical, so I've been looking at some compromises.
There is also a great article or two about building an elevated train in Model Railroader, I believe it was an issue(s) from 1976.
I'm sure our friend Mister Beasley can make more suggestions for you, as his model subway photos have inspired me to make mine better.