# MY TOONERVILLE TROLLEY



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

A tinplate toy Toonerville Trolley appeared on Ebay recently and the inspiration to create a version of my own stirred my creative juices. I've been wanting to build one for many years. Google helped out by providing a number of pictures of several variations as well as some of the original cartoon movies. This is the picture in the Ebay auction that started me off.










The primary consideration was to find a power block to make it run. The styrene bin held all that was needed to begin the body. The power block in the picture proved to be a problem as it had been altered during a previous project and refused to run smoothly. It was retired and a replacement was found hiding under a perfectly good Hartland "Mack" loco. The card stock patterns were transfered to the styrene and cutting began.










The resulting parts came together as seen in the two pictures below.



















The work continues. Many details, painting and final assembly lie ahead. More later............


----------



## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

Wonderful! Can't wait to see it in action. 

Harvey C.


----------



## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Will it wobble down the track too? 

Chas


----------



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Some day it might wobble. Many ideas of how to do it have been tossed around. As of now it will have to rely on the "CUTE" factor to earn it's place on the layout. I'm reluctant to try to alter the power block (Hartland) wheel. We'll see.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Neat!


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

It's CUTE......


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Great looking so far Bob, I've pondered building on of these for many years also, but ya know the reason I never started was that the wind up Standard Gauge version I saw many moons ago had a mechanish that would slowly rock the body back and forth as it moved down the track, and I really wanted to replicate that rocker motion but couldnt figure out how to work it onto an Aristo brick. Maybe time to give it another think. Can't wait to see it painted.


----------



## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic;

If you could figure out a way to add an idler axle (make it an 0-6-0) with an excentric, the body could be hinged at one end, and the excentric could rock the other end. Or perhaps the body could be hinged to pivot in the center, and the wheel flanges could rotate a small weight on a turntable directly under the floor, causing the body to shift from end to end.

Just a thought,
David Meashey


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

That's a fabulous looking trolley! Keep the progress pictures coming, please.


----------



## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm? Model ariplane ball linkage on opposing corners from holes in the wheels? Hidden by rods of course. My mind goes farther than my talents will allow me...... 

Chas


----------



## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

Get a nice good balance achieved via a center fulcrum, and then use magnets attached to the wheels... as the magnet comes up in the wheel's revolution, it would attract a small piece of metal, causing the trolley body to tip toward that end. If you want to get the full effect, a magnet on each wheel, quartered to 90* from them so that it results in the characteristic 2-axis wobble.


----------



## maculsay (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW!! Bob, nice work. I've had one of these on the drawing board for 3 years. I found a Toonerville Trolley that was built in 1 1/2" scale in the Aug. 1987 Live Steam magazine. I've done the scaling down to 1:20.3 and have identified a number of choices for the live steam components. I haven't decided on the wooblies yet, but a center pivoted cab operated by an eccentric on each axle might work. Maybe I'll get to it someday?

Anyway, here's a picture from the magazine's cover:


----------



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

The trolley is almost finished. This is the new power block (from a Hartland Mack switcher) and the body with paint. The decals were provided by Cedarleaf Heavy Industries laboratories. 









The platforms are attached to the body with screws









The roof is a separate unit that slips over the body shell and held in place with pins (Atlas track nails) Stan and his assistants tried to duplicate the curvature of the roof but it was necessary to break it into small sections and apply them bit by bit.










The (almost) finished model.


















It is now in pieces again due to popular demand that it must wobble or at least pitch and yaw as it rolls down the track. The mechanization that is in the works may or may not make any motion possible. SOMETHING will make it work. More later.


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Wobbling or not; it's beautiful masterpiece!!!!!! 
I really love this little trolley and hope it's back in one piece again soon.


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh wow, thats so cool! Nice Bob, great addition for the Door Hollow


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Magnicifent, Bob, just magnicifent..... Really good too...









It's still Cute....


----------



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Wow!! That is great styrene work and an adorable little model!


----------



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks, guys. The work on the rocking motion should be finished today if there aren't too many distractions from SWMBO. I've given up on trying to avoid having a crank attached to a wheel (or maybe two wheels) and decided that that would be the most positive and simplest method. The pivot is in place and it rocks nicely. 

The next new adventure will be to get a movie clip into Youtube and then to get it into MLS. I know, everybody does it so it can't be all that difficult but the brain that came with this 1935 body is just about full of technical information and there may not be all that much room left. More later......


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks real good Bob....so, what's the gal on the back porch doing?


----------



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm not sure where she's going, Mike, but my guess is that she's taking the trolley to Walmart to show off her new outfit. What she is DOING appears to be holding onto a chocolate ice cream cone with her left hand and dabbing at some spilled ice cream with a napkin with her right hand.


----------



## tmtrainz (Feb 9, 2010)

Too Cool!!!! Nice work!!!!


----------



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

As I am a member of the WAG (wild assed Guess) engineering consortium it took a while to get the motion to work. It's a good thing the parts are mostly removable to keep them out of harms way while I hacked and whacked the body to get the power block to fit and to move. The "floor" received a rectangular opening and a pivot point, a rod to balance on top of the block. The pic shows the holes that were used for the original mounting when the power was solidly screwed to the floor. Lots of holes showing lots of changes. 










The block acquired "wings" to provide stability during the rotation and a pivot to carry the styrene balance bar.











The crank is attached to one of the wheels. The first tapped hole to hold the crank rod was 5/16" from the axle and proved to be 'way too much swing. I used that hole to create a brass bar to embrace the axle shaft and create a crank rod on the other side of the axle that was 3/16" beyond the axle. The Hartland has a force fit plastic axle and a tiny tapped hole next to it might be a problem.










I'm thinking that I'll look into a revision of the mechanism as I feel that the tipping is a bit too much. This thing will be running on our modular layout and won't get much heavy track time so I'm not worrying about the strength of the materials involved. Hope this all has been of interest to you.


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Smart waggling construction! 
I keep repeating myself... It's a little masterpiece.


----------



## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

If I wasn't laying on the floor laughing, I'd be doubled over the railing -- sea-sick.


----------



## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

That's amazing! 

Best, 
TJ


----------



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, it's a wonderful, whacky, nutzy job! Worthy to hold its own alongside all the other wonderful runners on the Door Hollow!

Big Grins from this household!


----------



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Too cool! But I agree, the rocking motion needs to be toned down slightly.


----------



## Hamers (May 11, 2009)

Nice work, very cool...


----------



## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

I like it! not what I envisioned in my head but it works! Toned down slightly? Maybe, but good enough too! 

Totally awesome and has raised the bar on Eggliners and other small track vehicles! 

Chas


----------



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

The crank that controls the rocking motion has been changed. You live and learn and the new crank rod is SO close to the wheel axle that it is probably less than 1/16" off center. The motion is much smoother now. I removed the original video from Youtube and will replace it today with a new video.


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

The first offset linkage for the rocking motion did appear to be a bit "extreme", Bob. It will be most interesting to see the improved version.

The model is wonderful.


----------



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

[No message]


----------



## maculsay (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, your trolley really turned out nice....superb work, as usual! This could turn out to be something that'll catch on...it got me working on my long-idled Toonerville design. Thanks!!

BTW, the only thing missing is a sound card....


----------



## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Love the model, love the background "music". Thanks for the belly laugh!


----------



## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Very nice work and the music was perfect!


----------



## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob,
That was a delightful video to watch. I'm still grinning.








Nice work.

Tommy








Rio Gracie


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, the "rocking" of the trolley looks just right. Is the sound built in? It's perfect..


----------



## sheepdog (Jan 2, 2008)

Now, that is my kind of traction power! Thanks!

Craig


----------



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Beautiful! The new motion is much better. The added sound track is fun too.


----------



## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Fantastic. I loved the video. Perfect soundtrack, now how do you load it into the trolley!


----------



## Johnn (Jan 5, 2010)

Yes this came out great looking.

There is one on Ebay rite now for 300.00

Johnn


----------

