Green_Elite_Cab Wrote:To bad you can't find one of those old Lionel "moon train" sets. though it was "O scale" it ran on broad gauge "futuristic" tracks, and had a futuristic look to it without being to over the top. I can't find any photos, but i have an old advertisement in an ancient model railroader.
That said, its probably a rare and expensive set, but it would do the trick.
GEC could you scan the add into a pdf file? I would like to see that as it sounds neat.
Sumpter250 Wrote:One "Futuristic Tram System" that comes to mind, is the one featured in "Logan's Run".
FISH AND PLANKTON AND SEA GREENS AND PROTEIN FROM THE SEA!
I was shown that movie in a science fiction class and once I got through that kinda agitating soundtrack for the first half of the movie, i actually liked it a lot. I heard there was supposed to be some sort of remake, but that was a while ago and I haven't heard anything since.
AF350 Wrote:GEC could you scan the add into a pdf file? I would like to see that as it sounds neat.
I'll see what I can do. Gotta dig that one out of my "archive" of magazines! I already started looking and its gonna take a while....
I think subway trains would do, and, if they're not available, then normal HO or O scale would do.
Scifi fan Wrote:I think subway trains would do, and, if they're not available, then normal HO or O scale would do.
There is a third option. Have you considered 3D printing?
All that is necessary is a good computer generated 3D model, and the 3D printer will make it physically. It cost significantly less than buying even a single subway set to get a handful of shells, and you can design them to fit over existing, cheaper model railroad locomotive drives.
This way, you can get something that looks futuristic that is cheaper than buying a model that most people will recognize as a New York City subway.
You can send your 3D model here and they will make it in plastic. You can also sell you design on the internets, so that others can buy it and you get some of the profits.
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I did consider it, but I don't know how good or cheap it would be, and I definitely don't know if it can include moving parts. Can they print a train that's over 5 feet?
Scifi fan Wrote:I did consider it, but I don't know how good or cheap it would be, and I definitely don't know if it can include moving parts. Can they print a train that's over 5 feet?
I'm not sure, but why not try? You can do pretty well with a smaller scale anyway.
If you have to make your own, you could also just build a "master" from scratch, and cast with resin plastic and RTV silicone rubber. Alumilite is a good brand for this. You might be able to make multiples that way.
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This is HO scale. (Did you want a train 44" long or a single car?) A few others have been made (different series car).
Each carriage, whatever you call it, should be at least 44 inches long, though I've seen smaller scale ones.
OK.
A bit of calculation:
TTC subway cars came in 57' and 75' lengths. (Montreal cars were 56' and 54') Lengths up to 60' were common when the older systems were built -- this put a limit on the size of replacement cars. Newer systems were made to take longer cars.
to get a 44" model, the 57' car would be built at 44/57" to the foot (.77" to the foot) or about 1:15 proportion.
the 75' car would be 44/75 or .59" to the foot or about 1:20.4
1:20.3 is a common scale for garden railways (called G gauge) but G is not a fixed scale. Others on here can help with that.
3/4" scale is known but I'm not sure how common.
So what size should I get?
Scifi fan Wrote:So what size should I get?
It may seem like a bit of a "pat" answer, but you need to get (or build) the size that will work for what you need. Building a subway system from scratch at 1:15 so you meet the size requirement may become expensive quickly depending on whether there needs to be animation, movement, lights, etc. For a quick exterior shot of the train traveling between stations, I would wager that an HO scale diorama would probably work. There are some very realistic models here - just look through some of the threads - the detail is astonishing.
Do you have any more information from your crew that could tell us more? Conceptual drawings? Storyboard sketches? Even the part of the script that includes the scenes where the train is required? It is hard to give advice when the only solid requirement is a single dimension...
Andrew