American Model Builders - LASERKIT is pleased to announce a new and unique HO scale freight car load offering based on the enormous wind turbines currently popping up all over the United States. Over the past decade, the country has seen a surge in wind driven technologies and the railroads have played a key role in transporting the turbines to the general transload sites near these wind farms. Visible throughout the heartland and often seen in unit train consists, individual turbine blades, some stretching 150 feet in length, are often hauled straddled between two flat cars, usually on 89 foot piggyback cars relegated to general service, along with shorter flat cars utilized as idler cars or for carrying a turbine’s other components. Typically, a wind turbine setup includes three blades, generator nacelle, and cone plus the tower shaft, so a shipment of just 15 complete wind turbines might entail a single consist of 100 or more cars in length!

A note regarding operation: Due to both the length of the rolling stock and the load, we suggest a minimum radius curve of 28 inches, trackside deatils not withstanding, when the load is straddled between two 89 foot flatcars, as pictured. If positioning the Turbine Blade and blocking on a single 89 foot flatcar with the blade tip overhanging one end of the car slightly and operating with an idler car between loaded flats, then only the minimum radius requirement of the flatcar can be used - usually 24 inches for most brands of HO scale 89 foot flatcars. As always with scale prototypes, though, the larger the radius curves, the more realistic the consist will appear!

There are three kits comprising this new HO scale load, which require assembly and painting by the modeler, now available:

Turbine Blade and Blocking
HO Scale No. 216

Kit includes a single 102 scale foot (14.125 inches) long turbine blade, cast in resin, and is complete with the necessary laser-cut H frame with sling and cast resin end frame. May be used straddled between two 60 or 89 foot flat cars, or carried by a single 89 foot flat car with idler flat car in between loaded flats. MSRP $19.95

Nacelle and Cone with Blocking
HO Scale No. 217

Kit includes resin cast nacelle and cone with easy to assemble laser-cut blocking. May be arranged on a single 60 foot car or, if used in conjunction with two turbine blades and three 89 foot flat cars, can be loaded on the middle flat acting as an idler car. Nacelle casting measures 3.75" long x 1.25" wide x 1.625" high and Cone measures 1" in diameter x 1.25" high. MSRP $21.95

Turbine Blade and Blocking 3-Pack
HO Scale No. 218

Save money with this economical three pack when building up a wind turbine unit train. Includes three (3) Turbine Blades with blocking only; Nacelle and Cone sold separately. MSRP $51.95

Wind Turbine Blade Blocking Only 3-Pack
HO Scale Kit No. 219

By popular demand, we are now offering our wind turbine blade blocking as a separate sale item for those modelers interested in modeling empty flat cars or who have already purchased blades from another manufacturer. Three each of the H-frame and End frames are included. Please note that the round shaft support on the End frame is specific to our wind turbine blade and modifications may be required for it to work with other brands. MSRP $21.95

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Revised: September 22, 2016