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Discussion Boards => N => Topic started by: jwoj69 on January 15, 2010, 01:45:51 AM

Title: New cable car
Post by: jwoj69 on January 15, 2010, 01:45:51 AM
Not a troly, a true setup seen in any mountain resort. Overhead lines pulling 2 to 16 cars. Relatively easy to do. Bachmann has access to parts. Little of kitbash, little of rd an 2 months later you got it!!
What about Mr Bach MAN? You can make a kit lets say 2 or 4 or 10 cars, Pulls etc.
It will work. Only LG in G scale offers a decent set. MR Bach Man this must happen How many build set could add cable cars? almost all of them!!!
Please Mr Bach MAN, AT LEAST SAY what You thing,
jack
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: ABC on January 15, 2010, 01:56:50 AM
Just as a note, you are incorrectly referring to a light rail system as a cable car. A cable car is called such because it has a cable running underneath that pulls the car along, it does not have overhead wires, the only cable cars still running in the U.S. are in San Francisco. Light rail systems have catenary running overhead and run on rails. A trolley is a type of light rail system though, and it can have multiple units in it's consist.
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: mhampton on January 15, 2010, 12:09:23 PM
As a further note, catenary alone does not define light rail.  There are still freight and passenger locomotives, especially along the east coast, that get their power from catenary.  Light rail equipment can also pick up power from a 3rd rail or even be self-contained.
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: Franz T on January 15, 2010, 03:23:57 PM
I think the Original Poster was referring to Aerial Tramways, such as one finds at Mountain Resorts (or running between Midtown Manhattan and Roosevelt Island)....
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: skipgear on January 16, 2010, 01:01:32 PM
It's already been done. No need to reinvent the wheel.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/186-6560
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: eric220 on January 16, 2010, 07:35:08 PM
I disagree with "no need to reinvent the wheel."  From what I've seen, the Brawa set is a little crude in the detailing.  More relevant for US modelers, however, is that the base and summit stations are extremely stylized.  They scream "Alpine."  US charlift/gondola/teleferique systems tend to be MUCH more utilitarian.  I am actually planning on modeling a Colorado ski resort, and at this point, I'm planning to scratch build all of the lifts.  The market for gondola and chairlift sets might be a little limited, but there certainly is one out there.  I think it would make a lot of sense to offer a utilitarian chairlift/gondola kit that was basically two wheels with support structure, intermediate pylons, cable, and vehicles.  With the mechanical workings provided, kitbashing (or offering add-on kits of) more stylized base and summit houses would be fairly simple.
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: jscola30 on January 18, 2010, 11:50:26 AM
On another note, I'd love to see a San Francisco Cable Car in N scale, but I can't imagine the market beeing too big. I love the existing trolleys though.
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: dtpowell on January 18, 2010, 12:07:44 PM
I agree with Franz T. The poster is definately refering to an Aerial Tramway since he's talking about a mountain cable system with 2 to 16 cars. Brawa is the only manufacture I know of who produces one in "N" scale. Check out TEE USA or Reynauld's euro imports.
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: poliss on January 23, 2010, 10:55:44 AM
I think there's a little confusion in the two languages here. In 'British English' a 'cable car' is a gondola suspended by overhead cables as seen in the Brawa model. In 'US English' a 'cable car' is a tram (streetcar) hauled by a steel cable underneath the roadway. A 'trolley bus' in 'British English' is a rubber wheeled vehicle electrically powered by two overhead cables as seen here. http://www.trolleystop.com/tracklesstrolley.htm
  I hope that clears up any misunderstanding. :-)
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: ABC on January 23, 2010, 11:02:54 AM
Quote from: poliss on January 23, 2010, 10:55:44 AM
A 'trolley bus' in 'British English' is a rubber wheeled vehicle electrically powered by two overhead cables as seen here.
They had trolley buses in the U.S. and they go by the same name-that is there is no difference between the British and American names. They had trolley buses in Youngstown, OH up until the late 50's/early 60's.
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: john_apw on January 27, 2010, 11:23:32 AM
Quote from: ABC on January 23, 2010, 11:02:54 AM
Quote from: poliss on January 23, 2010, 10:55:44 AM
A 'trolley bus' in 'British English' is a rubber wheeled vehicle electrically powered by two overhead cables as seen here.
They had trolley buses in the U.S. and they go by the same name-that is there is no difference between the British and American names. They had trolley buses in Youngstown, OH up until the late 50's/early 60's.

re trolley busses: ...and in Cambridge, MA in the late 1980's (maybe still?)
-John
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: john_apw on January 27, 2010, 11:28:06 AM
Quote from: poliss on January 23, 2010, 10:55:44 AM
I think there's a little confusion in the two languages here. In 'British English' a 'cable car' is a gondola suspended by overhead cables as seen in the Brawa model. In 'US English' a 'cable car' is a tram (streetcar) hauled by a steel cable underneath the roadway. A 'trolley bus' in 'British English' is a rubber wheeled vehicle electrically powered by two overhead cables as seen here. http://www.trolleystop.com/tracklesstrolley.htm
  I hope that clears up any misunderstanding. :-)

In "US English", I never knew "cable car" to refer to under-the-roadway systems - for many years, didn't even know they existed!

I learned "cable car" to mean the aerial system... also called a "finicular".

But I'm from the Northeast, and was influenced by the NY metro systems...
-John
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: poliss on January 28, 2010, 10:56:29 AM
A funicular aka cliff railway has the cables underneath the car.
See the article on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funicular
Title: Re: New cable car
Post by: jwoj69 on February 26, 2010, 10:10:36 PM
Quote from: skipgear on January 16, 2010, 01:01:32 PM
It's already been done. No need to reinvent the wheel.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/186-6560
Hello, i now about Brawa and Walthers making one in small quantities. Price is astronomical. I just don't know anyone whi would pay for basic kit over $200  us. On he on other hand a basic kit for about a $100 would be found on many layouts.
Bachmann is well know for reasonable priced trains.
thanks jack