Updated November 18, 2009

Custom Traxx
...for the dedicated streetcar modeler...

November 2009 Catalog

Traction Estate Sale...

Custom Traxx acquired several Saint Petersburg Tram Collection Models, Corgi PCC and Corgi Birney cars from a Central California estate earlier this year and is making these items available. As these items were all in display cabinets, there are almost no original boxes. For the complete list, click here. Contact Custom Traxx by email or by phone at 310-990-5422 for purchase and shipping data prior to remitting any funds.

The Durable and Stylish PCC Streetcar...

In 1995, the PCC streetcar, after disappearing from every major North American city that proudly introduced them beginning in 1936, made a big comeback in San Francisco, California. They, along with the other historic cars operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, have virtually stolen the spotlight from the famous cable cars, which have been a major image of the City-by-the-Bay for years, and have clearly established San Francisco as one of streetcar havens on the North American continent. Car 1056, shown at right in the colors of the Kansas City Public Service (KCPS), may be the only PCC car with standee windows ever to wear those colors since no KCPS car ever had them. Car 1056 was originally Philadelphia Transportation Company 2113, having been delivered in 1948.

In 1929, the Presidents of the operators of many streetcar lines met in Atlantic City to design the "streetcar of tomorrow". They saw paved streets, the jitney and the motor bus as competition and they knew that they would have to respond. They formed the Electric Railway Presidents Conference Committee (ERPCC) and met in Atlantic City, NJ during the summer of 1929. The car that emerged from the work of this committee became known as the PCC car. Beginning in 1936 when they were introduced in Brooklyn, ridership soared on the lines featuring them. Many lines in Philadelphia used them only on weekends or Sundays, while the older cars ran during the week. Over 5000 PCC cars were built in the United States by St. Louis Car Co. in Missouri and Pullman-Standard in Massachusetts. There were basically two production models of the PCC car, the pre-World War II or "pre-war" model, also known as the "air-car", and the post World War II or "post-war" model, also called the "all-electric car". The pre-war car used air brakes and air operated auxiliary equipment, such as doors and windshield wipers, while the all-electric was as described, having no air operated equipment. Eleven surviving refurbished pre-war (air-car) PCC cars are currently assigned to the Mattapan-Ashmont line in Boston, Massachusetts and are the only pre-war PCC cars in regular service today. All PCC cars currently used on the San Francisco F-line are post-war (all-electric) cars.

Custom Traxx Business Plan...

Custom Traxx supports the HO scale trolley streetcar modeler by supplying authentic detailed decal finishing sets, heralds, destination signs and other markings for streetcars as they ran in most American and Canadian localities. We also provides a very limited number of decals for electric railway vehicles in 1:50, O and 1:24 scales. Our initial goal was to provide top quality, accurate decals for most of the HO scale traction vehicles imported decades ago by Custom Brass, Fairfield Traction Models, Model Tramway, Soho, WP Car and others for which decals either were not supplied or the supplied decals have long since deteriorated. Then we began to support professional reputable suppliers such as Funaro & Camerlengo, Island Modelworks, KND Enterprises, Miniatures by Eric, and Transit Classics by providing accurate prototype data; assisting in the development of metallic floors, and/or making decal sets to allow modelers to finish their quality resin traction kits. Custom Traxx also offers a growing line of traction parts including selected A-line traction repowering items, Bowser HO scale traction mechanisms, drives and parts, trolley poles by Miniatures by Eric (HO & O scale), and HO scale ORR girder rail, turnouts and crossings. Also available are special parts from other manufacturers for the operational trolley modeler. We are never "...too busy..." to talk to our customers, trolley fans, and traction modelers. We are here to assist you in getting the information that you require for your hobby enjoyment! We encourage traction-related calls at 310-990-5422 during normal business hours (Pacific Time).

Current Trolley Modeling Activity...

2009 has been a really great year for trolley modelers. The first four models of the Bowser San Francisco 'F-line' PCC cars arrived in Long Beach, California last month and the first four models, 1052 (Los Angeles), 1055 (Philadelphia), 1057 (Cincinnati) and 1061 (Pacific Electric) arrived at Bowser on November 9th. The second four models, 1050 (San Francisco), (1058) Chicago, 1059 (Boston) and 1063 (Baltimore) should be on sale by early next year. Train Control Systems (TCS) has completed development of an adaptation of their excellent M4 decoder for the car and Custom Traxx will be making these decoders, the M4T, available as soon as the Bowser cars are available and evaluations by both the Southern California Traction Club and the East Penn Traction club are completed. Watch for the realistic "brake-light" action. The Con-Cor HO scale CNS&M Electroliner arrived and was tested on the SCTC test track. We do not have any more news on the Con-Cor HO scale Air-Electric PCC car at this time. The Bachmann Peter Witt is due for release in O scale. We currently market three resin-bodied HO scale kits, the TS19 Kansas City all-electric PCC, the TS18 San Francisco "Milano" Peter Witt and the TS17 Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) as operated in Toronto, Ontario. All three kits are provided with authentic decals and rugged proved Bowser Drives and excellent Miniatures by Eric trolley poles. The fourth HO scale Custom Traxx resin kit is the TS16 Boston 3222-3346 series ex-Dallas double-end PCC cars. They will be available about November 15th, only in a powered version, with decals and trolley poles. See our catalog, Section V, for the latest information. These cars will feature pewter floors for increased weight. Also pewter floors will be available for two kits released by IHP earlier this year, namely the Shaker Heights Pullman-built 71-95 series PCC car and the Illinois Terminal 450-457 series double-end PCC cars. Modelers can use these floors to replace the resin floors in these kits which had a tendency to warp or even break while operating.

See our catalog for the latest information. The use of Digital Command Control (DCC) in the operation of HO trolleys under powered overhead wire continues to increase, and we can see no reason why DCC should not someday become the norm for traction operation. Most of the problems encountered early in the development of DCC now have practical solutions. In 2008, the Southern California Traction Club began DCC operation on their new city trolley line and they have over forty cars equipped with decoders. See more about DCC operation with overhead wire in the Trolleyville Times and the Trolleyville Schoolhouse.

For our complete six-part catalog, click here!

San Francisco's Incredible 'F-Market' Line!

Originally conceived by San Francisco's Market street merchants as early as 1974, pressure from several groups forced the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) to try a Trolley Festival in 1984 with antique cars running along Market Street. These cars substituted for the cable car system which was under renovation at the time. Also, a major political party convention was also in town during that summer. The Festival was a great success and planning for the F-line accelerated. Fifteen excellent PCC cars, which had been partially rebuilt in the 1980's, were obtained for "peanuts" from Philadelphia and fourteen of them along with three of San Francisco's own 1948 double-end PCCs were rebuilt at Morrison-Knudson in Hornell, New York to almost "better-than-new" condition. On September 1, 1995, F-line operation began along Market Street from the Castro district to the East Bay Terminal. The line became extremely popular, gaining as many native riders as tourists. On March 4, 2000, the line was extended to Fisherman's Wharf via the now freeway-less and beautifully renovated Embarcadero. The above picture shows car 1056, dressed in colors for Kansas City Public Service (Missouri), on Market Street just after the F-line began operation. Car 1056 was built in 1948 by Saint Louis Car Co and originally was Philadelphia 2113 until 1992 when it was sold to San Francisco. When in San Francisco, do not miss the opportunity to ride the F-line to Fisherman's Wharf. You will not regret it. The 1947-1948 vintage PCC cars that opened the line in 1995 are augmented by some of the city's even older colorful cars, car 1 (Muni Class A, built 1912) , car 130 (Muni Class B, built 1915), car 952 from New Orleans, the Blackpool "Boat" tram or "Toast Rack" 228, car 496 from Melbourne, Australia, PCC car 737 (renumbered from 7037) from Belgium and eleven ex-Milan (Milano), Italy Peter Witt types originally built in 1928. Car 496 will soon be joined by a sister car 916. Muni Class B car 162, built in 1914, retired in 1958 to the Orange Empire Railway Museum but reacquired in 2002, was completely restored and is now in service. While most of the very popular 'Milano' Peter Witt cars, now all numbered or renumbered into the 1800 series, are in the orange paint scheme introduced in Milan in 1970, car 1814 is in the original Milan 1928 yellow and white scheme. Since November 2007, car 1818 has been wearing the Milan 1930-1970 two-tone green scheme and will soon be joined by 1888. The 'Milano' cars are very simple cars, are relatively easy to maintain while giving a European air to the city. All of these remarkable vehicles are in the process of being augmented by eleven PCC cars that operated in both Minneapolis-St.Paul, MN and Newark, NJ until 2001. After both exterior and interior overhaul by Brookville Equipment Company, these PCC cars were renumbered by Muni for service on Market Street as cars 1070 to 1080, respectively. Actions to completely rewire the ex-Newark cars; rehabilitate the remaining four of the 1948 MUNI double-End PCC cars; the last PCC car built in North America, Muni 1040; and the oldest car on the property, 1912 era Holman-built Muni 1 for future service are moving ahead with some vehicles already at Brookville. Meanwhile, progress in San Francisco is continuous. So bring your camera, and enjoy the ride and the city. We recommend riding early in the day and boarding at the 17th & Castro terminal as the popularity of the line continues to grow beyond all expectations.

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