Inspection cars (autos)

[trolleyboy]

If you want non powered sylvain models made a TH&B rail inspection car 50 something buick,nice little kit. Rob

[jrbarney]

Tatans,
I have one of the Kemtron kits for the Thomas Flyer, and the contact problems were/are caused by using a piece of phosphor bronze spring wire rubbing on one of the wheels as the pickup. But, even then, it ran fairly well on brass track. According to the Precision Scale Co., Inc catalog #3, the kit PK 10900 is $ 67.50. Based on the line drawing, the drive train/chassis appears to have been improved from the original Kemtron version. I haven't checked their Web site:
http://precisionscaleco.com
to see if they have been able to post a photo yet with their other 17,000 parts and kits. Their site is a work in progress. You could send them an Email to check on availability.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[DSchmitt]

Articles have appeard in various magazines describing both powered and non powered models. Powered inspection hi-rail trucks have even been made in N scale.

There have been other commercial models in HO besides Kemtron.

[CNJ831]

Kemtron offered an early (1920's) open automobile inspection car as a kit about 40 years ago - John Allen had one on his layout. They always suffered from electrical contact problems because of their miniscule weight and limited contact area. I believe Precision Scale has also offered the exact same item much more recently. Both pop up on eBay fairly often...two somewhat incomplete examples by Kemtron were up for auction as of last night when I was looking around.

CNJ831

[tatans]

As a schoolchild in the 50's I remember seeing a bizarre sight on the C.P.R. tracks, it was a maroon 1934 Buick with a bell etc, cruising down the tracks with no steering wheel , what a sight, I guess this was a track inspection car. Has anyone ever kitbashed one of these??or were any ever made that were powered? Want to see a bunch of these wild looking units go to :
www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/various/inspection.htm By the way , I found the exact car I saw as a child in Moose Jaw on this site, thankfully this unit is preserved in a museum.