Pacific Electric

[gatecityca]

Hi all,

Earlier, I posted a message on the general MSTS forum to see if anyone had ever designed any Pacific Electric locomotives or trolleys for MSTS. If not, I was hoping someone might be interested in doing so. I can get diagrams and photos of some steeple cab locomotives and interurbans the PE used. Also, there is a website, www.erha.org which has a lot of great info on the PE and other early electric railways. If anyone here has a little background on the PE, I'm working on a simulation of the Arrowhead Hot Springs line that ran from San Bernardino to the Arrowhead Springs Hotel. I'm not sure if I'll put the route in the file archives for download or not, since I'm still pretty new at this. At the moment, it's just kind of a personal project I'm working on. I know that a designer had just recently put a steeple cab locomotive in the file library which looks very similar to one the PE used on the Arrowhead line for the water train. (yes, Arrowhead Springs drinking water really does come from a mountain spring! Before the water was brought down by trucks, the Pacific Electric carried it on specially designed glass-lined tanker cars for bottling in Los Angeles). Anyway, I was just curious if anyone might be interested in re-skinning any of the available trolleys or if the fellow who designed the steeple cab loco can get in touch with me.

Thanks!

Chris T.

[tryagin]

I've re-painted the 48-ton steeplecab in PE paint, and it is in the library under 'Electric Locomotives'. I'm also uploading a re-paint of Frank Burgoon's Baldwin-Westinghouse 62-tonner, the 1616. I'd like to make other PE rolling stock as well, as it's one of my favorite lines, but don't know much about it. Portland's(OR) trolleys are my forte', and have devoted most of my attentions there for the route I'm working on (Eastside Interurbans).

Tim
Rose City Traction - .9% done, ETA-2013 ;-)

[gatecityca]

Tim,

I downloaded your repaint last night. It looks great! If you do get around to making other PE rolling stock, let me know if you ever have a chance to design the water tankers! By the way, what kind of 3d modeling program are you using? I've thought of maybe getting into it myself.

Chris

[tryagin]

Chris,

Abacus's Train Sim Modeler 1.1. It's a pretty good program, but has it's deficiencies, as any program does. I originally bought it to build the Carbarns for my route, but I got caught up in building the steeplecab, then a boxmotor, then a Brill 11-window Semi-convertible, and a snowsweeper for Dave Mewhinney's Mesaba Electric (it's coming along, Dave), and some other items in various states of completion.
It's worth every cent of what I payed for it, and is one of my favorite haunts.

Glad you like the 48-tonner!

Tim

[woodman]

Chris,

I know I'm a little late on this thread. I really don't have time to mess around with MSTS too much anymore. A couple of months ago I finished up a PE work motor and have been playing around with it. It's just a flat with a cab on it with footboards and a pole. The cars you mention were called "Water Bottles" and were used on the steep line. See if you can buy any of the Interurban Press three volume series on PE cars. There are dimensional diagrams in them and lots of photo's.

>If
>anyone here has a little background on the PE, I'm working
>on a simulation of the Arrowhead Hot Springs line that ran
>from San Bernardino to the Arrowhead Springs Hotel. I'm not
>sure if I'll put the route in the file archives for download
>or not, since I'm still pretty new at this. At the moment,
>it's just kind of a personal project I'm working on. I know
>that a designer had just recently put a steeple cab
>locomotive in the file library which looks very similar to
>one the PE used on the Arrowhead line for the water train.
>(yes, Arrowhead Springs drinking water really does come from
>a mountain spring! Before the water was brought down by
>trucks, the Pacific Electric carried it on specially
>designed glass-lined tanker cars for bottling in Los
>Angeles). Anyway, I was just curious if anyone might be
>interested in re-skinning any of the available trolleys or
>if the fellow who designed the steeple cab loco can get in
>touch with me.
>
>Thanks!
>
>Chris T.

[gatecityca]

Well, I haven't read or posted on the message board for a while, but after posting my "trolley car tracks" question, I saw your message. Actually, the motor you mentioned sounds a lot like SBVT freight motor 18. It was used for various shipments of supplies to the Arrowhead Hotel in the early days (and was used to take a portable substation up to Arrowhead Springs after the original one was hit by lightning!) Pacific Electric hung on to it for quite a while after acquiring the SBVT in 1911. If you happen to have or have seen the book "Tractions of the Orange Empire" there is a pretty good picture of it in front of the Traction Depot on Third Street. If you still have the files, do you think you might be interested in putting it in the file library? Otherwise, maybe I can mail you a ZIP disk and you could send me a copy!

Chris

[woodman]

I know the motor you mention. But actually the one I put together is a one of the early Old PE's. I've attached a plan view and dimensional drawing from one of the books I mentioned.

I'm not going to post a pic of the motor for several reasons. First, I'm too busy to mess around with MSTS much and I'd want to pretty up the thing. I'm also not too excited with this forum anymore. Too musch flamage, conflict and Gimme Pigs.

I started out with one of the pioneers* in add ons for MSTS and experienced this stuff personally and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

*Definition: Pioneer. The guy laying there with all the arrows in him.

[gatecityca]

Sorry to hear that :( I'm new at this still, but overall, my experience is that people in the forum have been pretty friendly and helpful. I wish I knew more and that I had a 3d modelling program so I could contribute a little. Unfortunatley, like you mentioned, lately there do seem to be a few individuals making not-so-friendly comments and kind of putting a bad name to the whole thing. But to me it seems like they're very feel compared to everyone else. I understand completely. I'm looking at getting a 3d program pretty soon, so maybe I'll sometime build the water bottles! There are two great Pacific Electric steeple cab locos in the library now, but we definitely need more PE rolling stock!

Thanks,
Chris T.

[msavianney]

Hi Woodman,

I think the traction forum is a friendleir place than some of the other ones, as we are a small group, with a fairly specific interest. It was your postings that helped me to make an effort and get TSM. Not that I've done much of any great quality, but your messages helped to get the traction forum going. I hope you pop in to add your input, it would be well received here.

Oh yeah, i liked the Pioneer one, I might use it!

All the best,
Matt A

[dvdhoven]

>I'm looking at getting a 3d program
>pretty soon, so maybe I'll sometime build the water bottles!
Hi,

You may consider to get GMax, to start with. It's free and gives you
a taste what 3D building is alike.
See for a GMax tutorial:
http://www.vmbollig.de/msts/index.htm

But GMax seems to have its quircks, just like all 3D design programs.

Dick van den Hoven
http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c3739ad2f412aac.gif

[tryagin]

Hey Chris, I hope you can get yourself a 3D program, cuz we need more PE stuff! I'd be happy to make some myself, but I find myself inundated with other things lately. It's too easy to get distracted with all the neat things that can be made, and, well, time is short, isn't it? But the CA&E Caboose in the library would make a pretty darn good PE hack, if someone took the time to re-paint it! (hint-hint);-)

Take care, take heart- there's another trolley comin'...

Tim (hoping to pick up a copy of "Color Guide to Pacific Electric Freight and Passenger Equipment" someday!)

[gatecityca]

Good morning,

Thanks for the link! I'm in the process of downloading it now. I'll check it out and see what I can do. Hmmm...maybe the water bottles and a PE caboose aren't too far off.

Chris