Has Anyone Ever Offered a Hi-Rail Kit?

[DANGERUS]

I have had the idea in my head for some time to model a hi-rail railroad service truck.  By hi-rail I mean that it has the small train wheels which can be deployed to run on train tracks.  I have never seen one modeled before.  Has there ever been a kit for something like this?  Or maybe 3D printing files that could be adapted?  Or even a toy hi-rail truck in 1:24 / 1:25 scale that could provide parts?

The railroads have adapted some pretty cool and/or unusual vehicles over the years for rail maintenance use.  Lots of possibilities...

[Ace-Garageguy]

There are models in HO scale.

Purchase one, copy parts design and scale-up, not too difficult to scratchbuild what's necessary.

Use G-scale wheels from a handcar or small G-scale narrow-gage equipment.

Edited April 21, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[DANGERUS]

I hadn't thought of using G scale wheels.  HO scale is so small that I assumed scaling it up it would lack too much detail.  But I guess the detail could be added in Fusion360 or similar.  Hmm...  Now I really want to get better at 3d design!

[Ace-Garageguy]

3 hours ago, DANGERUS said:

...HO scale is so small that I assumed scaling it up it would lack too much detail...

If you haven't looked at high-quality HO stuff recently, you might be very surprised. Some of the detail these days is so fine, you really need magnification to appreciate it.

And I don't imagine there's much complex detail on the hi-rail apparatus anyway. Heavy steel fabrications, big pivots, and air or hydraulic cylinders to actuate it.

Somebody even makes just the hi-rail conversion in HO:    

[DANGERUS]

It's been a while since I really looked at the HO stuff.  I hadn't seen the River Point Station kit.  Thank you for pointing it out; it looks pretty good.  Might be worth buying to copy in a larger scale.

[Oldmopars]

12 hours ago, DANGERUS said:

I hadn't thought of using G scale wheels.  HO scale is so small that I assumed scaling it up it would lack too much detail.  But I guess the detail could be added in Fusion360 or similar.  Hmm...  Now I really want to get better at 3d design!

DO IT! I have been playing with Fusion 360 now for about a month. I love it. Huge shift in thinking is required, but once you get over that anything is possible. This High Rail kit would be no problem with Fusion and a 3D printer. 

I'm having so much fun, I am creating stuff I don't even need.