Try Bowser

Possible trolley trucks from Bowser

Ed

Grandt line? I remember they

Grandt line? I remember they had something like your speaking of. that or I'd take a look at the powered trucks that one company sells.

Steam Era Models?

Dear Mark,

Thinking locally, how about checking in with Steam Era Models?
(The Black Beetle has a minimum axle spacing of 25.5mm, but there is the single-axle Black Bug
http://steameramodels.com/bbeetle.htm)

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS I'd reccomend Hollywood Foundry, but as their website advises Geoff is recovering from surgery and is not taking orders at this time...

NWSL Stanton Drive

Check out the stanton drive from NWSL, DCC ready and a variety of wheelbases.  Cheers, BIll  http://www.nwsl.com/home.html

re-gauge "N" mechanism

Tenshodo SPUD, Bachmann Trams & others

Hi Mark, 

Some suggestions for you:

1 - Tenshodo SPUD - these are available at 21 mm wheelbase and maybe even smaller (17.5mm??). I have a 21mm wheelbase unit and there was 1 shorter wheelbase available that I did't buy. Check with someone locally like Broad Gauge Hobbies. These are now dated but are less controllable than a Black Beetle at low speeds

2 - Some of the Bachmann tram cars have a single powered bogie with a pancake type motor. Again a dated design but reasonably cheap. Take a ruler with you. I have no Idea of what the wheel base is. But yes I've torn one apart so I know that they exist. Caution - The pancake motor may be too high for your application

3 - The N-scale Bachmann Doodlebug ran with a single powered bogie - check out the HO version. You might just get lucky with it being a powered bogie design. HO wheelbase unknown. 

4 - Look for an "Underground Ernie" inspection car by Bachmann. These are a later design with a low profile (after some surgery) and a reasonably short wheelbase. Unfortunately I can't get at mine to measure it. The wheelbase is comparable to the 44-tonner bogie. Here's an "Ernie" shoehorned int a Grandt Line O scale narrow-gauge mine loco on 16.5mm gauge. (Shoehorning was done by Prof Klyzlr - Thanks Prof) 

5 - One of the shortest wheelbase units is the Bachmann "Gandy Dancer" - Yes they look ugly, but ditch the figures (yes it can be done) and hide the vertically mounted motor under your railcar body. This uses a split chassis design that will require the motor to be isolated if you want to with DCC.  Others on here have tamed them into reasonably controllable and useful motive power units. 

Good Luck

Halling

another company you can try is Leopold Halling.

there web site is changed since I was last there;

https://shop.ferro-train.com/HallingShop/

They do trams of various types so may have a powered bogie of near dimensions.

have not tried them at all.

Michael Walsh

Bowser #125130 Trolley 4' 10" Power Trucks

How about Bowser #125130 Trolley 4' 10" Power Trucks.

45 Ton

The 45 tonner has a shorter truck which I believe is within a few scale inches of 5'

Short wheelbase power truck

If you can use small diam wheels the power truck from a Bachmann Cable car  should work well the other option for 33 in wheels is the old Bachmann twin motor 44 ton locos that pop up in E bay now and them

ARU MODEL, Locosnstuff

Aru Model make good power trucks with small wheel base. Not as flat as a Tenshodo, but it has a much better reduction, and a flywheel.

The smallest is a 17 mm wheel base:

http://arumo.a.la9.jp/r0138.htm ( Translation)

As a more classic chassis, it goes down to 15 mm:

http://arumo.a.la9.jp/r0097.htm (Translation)

I have a bigger one to replace a Tenshodo, it works well ( http://arumo.a.la9.jp/r0123.htm)

Otherwise, I know that Loconstuff is producing 3D printed trucks with narrow wheel base, but I don't know how they works:

https://www.locosnstuff.com/Motor-Bogie-and-Chassis-kits.php

Pierre-Yann

Bachmann 45 tonner and Arumo

The GE 45 tonner looks good with bogie wheelbase very close to 17mm but my prototype does not have coupling rods.  Are the bogies internal geared?  That would allow me to remove the rods.

The Japanese Arumo units look ideal though so I will try to order them, I wonder if the do P87 Wheels and 5ft

 3" gauge?

Thanks from

Mark in Melbourne 

45ton into gearing

I don't think that Arumo

I don't think that Arumo makes P87 wheel, mine are code 110 (the wheel is narrow enough to practically go in the slot of the NMRA gauge.

Communicating with the Arumo guy in English isn't an issue at all, but I never bought from him directly (he told the Tenshodo shop in Ginza to reserve the items I wanted).

Also, the instructions are only in Japanese, but when asked, he always send me a google translation of the PDF, which is enough with the images.

Pierre-Yann