S-Scale Tower Car
Keith Thompson scatchbuilt this PRR tower car in S-scale. The prototype, #489502, was originally a gas-electric "doodlebug" #4644 built in 1928 by Pullman and Electro-Motive Corporation for passenger service on light density lines. As passenger traffic declined, the PRR converted some of these cars for catenary maintenance in electrified territory. The pantograph is not for propulsion, but to gound the catenary before crews begin work. The rooftop platforms extend upward to get workers close to the wires. On Keith's model, the pantograph and platforms all extend skyward.
Tim Garner photo
