# Whiting trackmobile



## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi
Does anyone here on the forum know of the availability of a Whiting HO scale Track mobile...The one I'm after would be similar to the real model 5TM about a 1958 vintage. Thirty years ago I worked at a steam generating station and we had one to move the coal cars to and from the shaker house. It was equipped with a Ford 312 engine...
I was thinking of scratchbuilding one but I'd like one that would actually move and pull cars.
Any info would be helpfull Thanks


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Nolackofwanna said:


> Hi
> Does anyone here on the forum know of the availability of a Whiting HO scale Track mobile...The one I'm after would be similar to the real model 5TM about a 1958 vintage. Thirty years ago I worked at a steam generating station and we had one to move the coal cars to and from the shaker house. It was equipped with a Ford 312 engine...
> I was thinking of scratchbuilding one but I'd like one that would actually move and pull cars.
> Any info would be helpfull Thanks



I don't know about old ones here is one,
http://factorydirecttrains.com/trackmobile.aspxanother,


another,
http://www.broadway-limited.com/6004cntrackmobiledccversionho.aspx

Brass?,

http://www.brasstrains.com/classic/Product/Detail/031423/HO-OMI-Trackmobile-4850TM-FP


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Here is one in 1:1 scale.....buy it now 79K
http://cgi.ebay.com/Whiting-Trackmobile-9TM-/280589970040#ht_500wt_1363
-Art


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## Canadian Car Knocker (Feb 8, 2011)

Hey a whiting 5500! Those are the same ones we use at Symington. Rides like a caddy


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi
Thanks for the leads big ed , I don't want to sound fussy but that ugly old critter we had was full of character....that 312 sounded nice...I'm gonna try and build one...just gotta figure out the drive train. I was thinking that maybe in the past an HO scale unit might have been made that's why I posted the question....


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

This shop has a Trackmobile for sale for $61 if you change your mind and want one ready to run... 

http://circlechobby.com/prodA/BWL6009.HTM

Greg


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Thanks Choo Choo I'll keep it in mind!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Just found this Bachmann High Railer for $39 at hobbylinc.com... 










Perhaps you could use the powered unit to build your trackmobile shell on it.

Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You could paint one of these in the correct color.  Too bad it's O-scale and not HO.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

I think this is more what the original poster had in mind:








I think choo choo's idea is a good starting point.

I think if this is the prototype, the poster would need something about the size of a gandy dancer to start with. kitbash the rest from there.
Like this for $19.99 it would be worth a try.
-Art


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That's an odd looking duck, does that thing with the wheels drive off the unit?


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

*Hey, look at this! * 

ModelTrainStuff.com has the Bachmann powered HO Highrailer *ON SALE* for only *$24.99*!










http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/HO-Scale-Highrailers-s/1957.htm


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi Guys!
I been looking for a picture of the exact real unit on the net to show you guys what it really looked like... I've found some 5TM's but nothing quite right, anywho picture a WW2 Jeep with a steel roof with a small platform with small rail wheels under it transverse to the front and rear axles of the jeep, the drive wheels where pulled up after you drove across the track to place the rail wheels.The coupler was in the centre of the transverse platform . Thanks for the tips Choo Choo! so I'm going for your suggestion as it looks like I may be able to use the nose and the hood of the Bachmann Jeepster highrailer and if the chassis can be shortened its a done deal! I'll post some pics if I get this little thing built.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

A picture of what your looking for Nolack would be a lot of help. Pete


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Something like this Nolack?








-Art


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You could paint one of these in the correct color.  Too bad it's O-scale and not HO.


My Dad has one of these....I'll be getting one as well.

http://factorydirecttrains.com/broadwaylimitedtrackmobileho.aspx


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

Lots of different Whiting trackmobile pics on ebay....

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=wh...kmobile&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Just as so you know this kitbashed trackmobile will not be able to pull anything do to its lack of weight and power.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, you can add weight to the kitbashed version. The one I pictures is diecast and does have a little heft to it. It's also pretty slow, but I have pulled 5 cars with it, just to see if it would do it.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

My plan would be 5-6 cars tops - Mostly 3 at a time (switching at my grain elevator complex.)


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi
Finally got back to you guys....so I bought one of the Highrailers choo choo suggested so I'll see what I can build from that and then we'll see what it can pull , I only want to do one car at a time and 'm sure I can hide a bit of weight in the shell I'll be building.
Artieiii's pic is pretty close to the late fifties 5tm but the grill on a late fifties version is flat like that on a Jeep and its a bit lower. The ebay ad for the 1958 trackmobile that sstlaure found is the exact one but I couldn't snag the pic .... I'll keep you posted on the build and its performance once completed. Thx


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

sstlaure said:


> My plan would be 5-6 cars tops - Mostly 3 at a time (switching at my grain elevator complex.)


My Breuer shunting tractor is quite a bit smaller than your Trackmobile. It's basically for switching individual cars, industrial uses like mining or smelting...










...and for maintenance of way.










It's limit is three small cars on dead level track without spinning the wheels, so 5 cars sounds quite reasonable for your proposed larger heavier vehicle. 

Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've hauled 6 cars behind my trackmobile, so it's possible with a small locomotive.  It was pretty much all it could do on the level.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Gee Greg,where's the motor in that little engine? Sposin' ya wanted to DCC it? Now there's a project for someone.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

norgale said:


> Gee Greg,where's the motor in that little engine? Sposin' ya wanted to DCC it? Now there's a project for someone.


There's a vertical can motor and 15 gears inside that little critter...










Someone had posted full directions on how to DCC it... but I'll never do it, as I run everything on simple DC.

Greg


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

*Highrailer*

Hi
Well I recieved the highrailer yesterday...pretty cool little critter...goes like crazy and has a fair bit of power...full four wheel drive as in dual worm gear drive surrounded by a die cast weight assembly...I may have to be a bit liberal about the trackmobile body to use the chassis.....
Here are some pics on the track...


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

It's a woody! Neat!

Are you thinking of giving it a proper woody-look paint job, by any chance?

Cheers,

TJ


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi
The original idea was to use the chassis of it to build a Whiting Trackmobile providing the chassis could be modified (shortened etc.) so a scratch built body could be attached,but after checking the highrailer out(I took it completely apart last evening after posting the pics) that isn't going to be practical, so believe it or not I was actually thinking of doing exactly what you mentioned, a full woody treatment, as I have a fair bit of woodgrain decal material left from an AMT 1965 Continental car kit that had a Station wagon option. So picture the highrailer done in a Dark Chestnut metallic with the raised woodframing highlighted to simulate white ash with the woodgrain inserts.

It appears my search for a chassis for my Whiting Trackmobile continues...


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I think your woodie idea will look great. By "chestnut", do you mean something akin to the color below? Fabulous choice, if so. Gotta go for the big white-wall tires, too, huh? Please keep us posted on its progress.

TJ


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

why not make one out of styrene (the plastic stuff) and then use a pager motor (2mm-5mm long) to power it? They have new DCC decoders for Z scale that are a lot smaller then their originals so you could probably even add DCC to it now. There is a man on youtube that makes z-t scale moving building pieces like a little window fan or a fully operating crane. He recently made a motorized 40 ton switcher in Z scale so you should be able to make your trackmobile in HO.


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi 
TJ your pic is pretty close to the "Chestnut" colour, the actual colour is a 1977 Chrysler colour that I still have a quart of after I painted my Dad's Chrysler... your Plymouth has a touch more red in it (see pic). The original colour was one of the "Sunfire metallics" I included a picture of the Chrysler just after I painted it. I'll post a pic of the highrailer once its done. gc53dfgc , I'm going to pursue the pager motor idea...I checked out some on the net and those motors can get pretty tiny...just gotta figure out the gearing etc.
P.S. TJ that Plymouth you pictured is a very pretty car, complete with Kelsey Hayes wires too...be it yours???


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

I belive he just used gearing from regular HO scale engines of sorts. I am sure their are online sources that sell just gears alone.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

The woody Plymouth 'beach wagon' brings back some good memories.We had a '50 Ford woodie and actually went to the beach in it. That's what we called them in New England anyway. The 77 Chrysler is one of the best looking cars Chrysler ever made. All of the old station wagons are very collectible now and you hardly ever see them on the road anymore. Great pictures guys. Nice paint job too. Pete


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Nolackofwanna said:


> P.S. TJ that Plymouth you pictured is a very pretty car, complete with Kelsey Hayes wires too...be it yours???


No (just a 'net photo) ... I wish, though.

And to make matters worse, my neighbors on either side of me are car collector guys, each with their own beatuiful woodies. They taunt me endlessly! 

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

The kids and I had fun poking around western MA over Coumbus Day weekend. After eating their Wheaties in the morning, they manhandled their way along the tracks on a hand-powered pump car at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum. While there, we spotted this nicely restored Trackmobile ...










Apparently, there's a guy at the museum who tracks these down, restores them, and then sells them.

While there, we also took a fun (though short) ride on this beautifully restored electric trolley, which ran through Shelburne Falls years ago ...










TJ


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Nice machines. Glad you had a good railroading weekend. Sounds like fun. pete


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Nice finds.:thumbsup: 
Looks a little like the #60 trolley.:thumbsup:

What caused the rainbow swirl in the picture?
Spirits? 
You captured some real confused Orbs.:thumbsup:


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Bet that's the sun reflecting off the car window through which the picture was taken.
Pete


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

norgale said:


> Bet that's the sun reflecting off the car window through which the picture was taken.


... and my cr*ppy cell phone camera


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I thought the pictures looked just fine. Any camera lens will do that if the sun hits it just right. Any piece of glass for that matter. Pete


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi
Looks like you had a great time...If you hadn't said anything I'd never have known that those were cell phone pics...Nice Trackmobile! I'll get around to my Trackmobile building attempt this winter during the main modelling season!!! 
I bet your kids had a blast with that hand powered pump car, that's cool that the museum offers some "interaction"!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

The handcar is a blast, though the elderly woman who helps run it is (very rigthfully) a nitpick for proper safety procedures. One slip/misstep could easily lead to serious injury, especially when the car is moving along with momentum on its side.

I was intrigued to see that there's no forward/reverse gearing system. It's a simple 2-gear reduction setup, and one either pulls or pushes the hand bars (which are coupled via a teeter-totter fulcrum to a crank) to start rolling either forward or reverse.

TJ


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