# Action cars for G guage?



## HaBi Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

I have always liked the "action cars" that are available in O/027 from Lionel, etc. They have everything from log dumps to giraffes ducking to cows loading to mail unloading. But there doesn't seem to be anything available iin G guage.

Is there anything out there off the shelf? If not, what would be the best way to make some. It's been suggested to take the mechinism out of a Lionel action car and adapt it into a G guage car.

And it's non negotiable that it needs to work in a battery loco environment - NOT track powered such as DCC.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

There were a few "action cars" in G but nothing lately that I'm aware of. 
Guess they didn't sell too well. 
Two that come to mind are both LGB, these two: 
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=316 
http://www.gbdb.info/details.php?image_id=2736 

They work with DC coming out of the box and people have modified them to work with DCC as well. 

If you're running battery power you would need to add a receiver and battery somehow to drive the mechanism. 
Maybe someone has already done that type of conversion of you google. 

Can you be more specific what type of action car you want? 
Both of the LGB ones basically tip the car to unload - Lionel used to have much more sophisticated ones.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

If you do a search of the forum, you will find that I modified "Gustav" (the LGB handcar guy) to push a block of ice into the open hatch of a USA reefer. This works using a 556 timing chip and a solonoid, and I had included the schematic. Eventually, this will run in _Garden Railways Magazine_.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Aren't there some MTH 1:32 "action cars"? Might be a bit small, but you did not indicate the scale you are operating in. 

Greg


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Rodney 
I'm glad to see you visting MLS more. 
This past weekend show went by fast. I was tired.


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## bcer960 (Dec 27, 2007)

I am suprised no one mentioned the LGB 94008 DYNAMITE EXPLODING CAR or the LGB 94605 Bubble car ot the LGB 94092 Aquarium car. Not to mention the "Fortuna Flyer" series. 

Ray


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

I was thinking of those but decided that these aren't really the type of action cars HaBi was looking for - maybe I was wrong. 
Those are LGB ToyTrain cars meant for kids - I bought a Dynamite car for a 6-year old not too long ago. 

Knut


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Kid types are the Nemo and Dumbo from the Disney series, modeled after the original aquarium and dinosaur cars. These are mechanical powered by rolling down the track.


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## HaBi Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

The Dynamite Exploding Car would be popular and could be made REALLY interesting around the 4th of July. 

I'm mostly on the larger end of G guage with Bachmann stuff for now but since my locos are the smaller end of Bachmann (a Spectrum 4-4-0 and a starter set 4-6-0) about anything could be made to work depending on the other rolling stock it was matched up with. 

I realize it's also a demand/supply situation - there's evidently not much demand for G guage action cars, so there's not much supply.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

HaBi;

One of my projects that is on hold is the dynamite car (K. A. Boom & Sons - Purveyors of Mining Supplies) I want to kitbash from a Bachmann box car. I need to buy an old-fashioned rat trap (basically a mouse trap on steroids) for the actuator. The box car is already cut apart. A pendelum mechanism (using a brass sinker for the weight) will swing into the rat trap's trip when coupling up or slack action get too rough, and KABOOM!









I wish I could say the idea is original, but it is a combination of the old American Flyer exploding TNT car and John Allen's HO hot box car. Anyway, if I ever finish it, it should be a lot of fun.

Best,
David Meashey


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Cars that dump aggregate (side dump or bottom dump) are relatively easy with servos, but you say it has to be battery powered so maybe you can tell us what exact system you're using so we can be more specific about control. I made one of the LGB Fad RhB hoppers dump with servo control (I'm DCC though so it's easy) but for battery with something like airwire and a function decoder you could also do it--servos don't take much power at all. Or you could have a dedicated r/c unit (if you have a spare one) to run the servos and then it would be something you could hand to kids independent of the trains. Linear actuators such as Firgelli are also good options for operating accessories. If you wanted to unload at the same spot all the time you could also trigger the dumping with a reed switch beside the track. 

Keith


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