Horsecars in H0?

ed acosta

Member
Horsecars

I don't believe you'll find ready-made horse cars, but with a little ingenuity you could put one together. I would suggest buying a Bachman San Francisco cable car or a variant, the Municipal Cable car. There are a number of sources (including Bachman) for an H.O. horse so all you have to do is build a realistic drawbar and collar, straps and gear for the horse.

Did you intend on a stationary model or a powered model? If you decide on a powered model, then make sure the hoofs are suspended above the railheads slightly.
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
In the USA horsepowered trolleys looked much like the early electric versions, much as the first automobiles resembled buggies.

Sadly there is not much available representing early, small, or open sided cars, since traction modeling seems to be diminishing , at least in America, as the trolleys fade from memory. what commercial models are available seem to represent the later years of streetcars and not the first.

As mentioned earlier the cable car models might make a good starting point, as they have an open section. I might be unduly fixated on the open sided car, but the pictures I have seen of the Horse powered streetcars in Clarksville TN, my hometown, were, if memory serves me, Open cars. If one were very skilled with wood, kitbashing from one of the egregious Labelle trolley kits might be an option.

Farther north it is possible that enclosed cars might have existed, and if so the small brill units might make a good starting point, once available from Mantua, and Bowser? I doub't the Manta is still in production Bowser may be.


What are you thinking about representing? this is intriguing.

Bill Nelson
 
Top