On a recent Amtrak journey through the hills of western Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia, I was looking forward to seeing evidence of the coal mining operations in the region. Some call it a family vacation to Washington D.C., but for me it was also a trip to survey the landscape in preparation for building CTT’s Readers’ Choice Railroad O gauge project layout.
As daylight broke on the second day of travel, I moved to the observation car with the hope of spotting something representative of regional industry. But as I looked out, I was surprised by what I saw. Not a single coal tipple, but there were several wind turbines towering above the treetops. This was the present-day “coal country” that we could easily re-create with a new K-Line operating wind turbine.
Out of the box
The K-Line KBL Wind Turbine Technologies Corp. operating wind turbine stands 15½ inches tall or
approximately 62 feet (base to top of housing) in O scale. But when you assemble the three plastic blades, the overall height raises to 22 inches. At that height, it’s one of the tallest toy train accessories on the market. With the blades attached, you’ll also find the 15-inch width of the accessory is equally impressive.
After installing (no screws provided) the wind turbine on a flat surface, two wires extending from the base are all you’ll need to connect the accessory to 12-18 volts (AC). Once powered, the blades will immediately begin to rotate at a slow pace of approximately 18 complete revolutions per minute. There’s no on/off switch or speed control, so a separate sale switch and variable voltage power supply are useful additions.
Overall, the sleek lines and mesmerizing movement of this modern-era accessory makes it one of the most dominating structures you can add to any O or S gauge layout. And if just one isn’t enough fill your layout skyline, a trio of the turbines (Lionel no. 16850) is available at a $224.99 retail price.
Price: $74.99 (no. 22583)
Features: O or S gauge; requires 12-18 volts (AC); slow-rotating blades; plastic construction
Pros: Modern, forward-thinking structure; simple mechanism
Cons: No warning beacon, on/off switch, or mounting screws
Made in the People’s Republic of China
