Category Archives: Traction

Now we’re talking – an Electoliner for ‘N’!

Posted on May 5, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

OK – it’s 3D printed on Shapeways, it’s unpowered and there is no obvious mechanism to put inside.  The livery may be difficult to carry off.  And it’s not my main area of interest.  But can you resist an ‘N’ … Continue reading →

Posted in The trade, Traction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Off my trolley – interurban branchlines 3 – the Sacramento Northern

Posted on February 27, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

Despite the fact that the Sacramento Northern boasted 183 miles of track around San Francisco it was really just a long, glorified branch line.  Even in 1940, long after most other interurbans had degenerated into poorly-maintained shadows of their pre-WWI … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration, Layout design, Traction | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

And Vienna, 2007

Posted on February 25, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

And so to Vienna.  It was really too hot to wander around hunting trams, but I did get a few shots….

Posted in Out and about, Prototype, Traction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Prague trams, 2007

Posted on February 23, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

Another batch of photographs.  In 2011 I went on a study tour of Prague and Vienna (I did pay for the privilege!), looking at flood defences and hydropower schemes. I was delighted to have a hotel room in Prague overlooking one … Continue reading →

Posted in Out and about, Prototype, Traction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Off my trolley – modelling traction in N

Posted on February 18, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

Let’s take a slight diversion away from layout design to consider what one might run on this N gauge traction layout.  At moments like these I sometimes wish I had chosen HO to model in.  There is a good range … Continue reading →

Posted in Jon's layout ramblings, Layout design, Traction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Off my trolley – branchlines 2 – North Hollywood

Posted on February 4, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

One of my many diversions away from railways is reading (almost anything).  This includes crime fiction.  One of my favourite authors is Michael Connelly and his Harry Bosch police procedurals – set in Los Angeles, and especially in the Hollywood area.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Layout design, Traction | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Off my trolley – interurban branchlines – 1

Posted on January 29, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

A good, if rather conventional, place to start with interurban layouts, is the conventional branch line.  Some electric railroads were no more than a branch line in total.  Others, like the Pacific Electric, had twigs off the branches off the … Continue reading →

Posted in Layout design, Traction | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Off my trolley – interurbans

Posted on January 18, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

WARNING – if you are from North America, please look away.  This is a confirmed UK resident writing about US railroads, so total accuracy is unlikely!  But I hope in this post to give some idea of the breadth of … Continue reading →

Posted in Jon's layout ramblings, Layout design, Traction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Off my trolley – streetcars and trolley layouts

Posted on January 9, 2014 by snitchthebudgie

Again we need a cultural translation here: trolley = streetcar = tram.  Streetcars tended to be smaller that the big interurbans running between towns.  But you could find an interurban winding its way through the city traffic on its way to … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration, Jon's layout ramblings, Layout design, Traction | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Off my trolley – a new design series

Posted on December 29, 2013 by snitchthebudgie

As I continue to make good progress on my modules, the armchair modeller in me is already thinking about another layout.  I have this irrational urge to build an N-gauge US trolley or interurban layout – sometimes known as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Jon's layout ramblings, Layout design, Traction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment