speeder as suggested

[Bill Pontin]

I asked for suggestions on what building to construct to fill a small area on my new NTrak module. Cinnibar and 60103 both suggested a speeder shed. Great, I liked the idea, now all I need is a speeder. Being the frugal type with time on my hands, sitting out the snow storm here in Connecticut, I decided to build one. Couldn't figure out what to use for wheels, rummaging through my "save maybe use some day" old trucks and wheels

 

[Bill Pontin]

I found that I could remove the centers on the insulated wheels and they would be just about right, little thick but okay

 

[Bill Pontin]

finished the little bugger up earlier this evening. The building I planned on using had an attached tool shed and I thought I could cut the door out for the speeder shed, no such luck, have to raise the shed its too low.

 

[Bill Pontin]

side view

 

[jon-monon]

Dang Bill! Turn in that tub of wheels at the scrap yard!

Great speeder! I love it!:thumb:

 

[Arlaghan]

That is the cutest (and coolest) little thing!

Is that headlight operational?

 

[aartwmich]

Being basically clueless about real rail operations, could someone tell me what a speeder is?? ops: I assume it is some kind of maintenence vehicle??

Bill, is your speeder powered or just a static display? Your pics went pretty quickly from wheels to the finish, did you scratch that together from styrene sheets and odds and ends?

Nice little scooter...I mean speeder!!

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Ima they were used for track inspections and to haul workers around mainly. Bill that looks pretty cool! One suggestion, we have speeder meets here twice a year and on all the ones I've seen the body is alot wider, coming to the outside of the wheels. Still that is a neat little rig, did you remember to put in the beer cooler and CD player?

 

[grlakeslogger]

Hey Bill. That's one great small model ! I love it.

For aartwmich, yes, a speeder is a maintenance vehicle. There were several manufacturers of the real thing, but the best known seems to have been Fairmont. Think of a speeder as the railroad's answer to the pickup truck or jeep. It carried crews out on many jobs like track inspection, transported section crews and other maintenance personnel down the rails, performed fire patrol duties, etc. You can find more model examples by searching the Walthers catalog or website.
--Stu--

 

[ddavidv]

Here's a good link to learn more about the prototype speeders:
Speeder link

 

[Matthyro]

A neat model Bill. What did you make the speeder out of?

 

[RailRon]

That's a great little model, Bill. It surely brings a speck of color into the layout landscape.

Did you follow a specific prototype?

Ron

 

[Ralph]

NEAT!!!!!
Ralph

 

[Bill Pontin]

Thanks for all the kind comments. Even though it is for static display, it rolls real well on the track, sure going to be hard gluing the thing down permanently on the module.

Arl, the headlamp is a rhinestone I dug out of the wifes bead and jewelry box. Tried some tinfoil but it did not have the luster and look of a headlamp. The body is styrene, .02" sides and .03" ends top and bottom. Used some misc. styrene stock (rounds and channel) here and there. The grab and lift bars and top luggage bars are from some wire I picked up at a craft store. Could not find a complete picture of any one particular speeder, front, back and sides so just went with what looked right from the pictures I scoffed off the internet. It was a fun Saturday project as I waited out the storm.