Manufacturer
- Following 1964 NMRA National Convention, Bill
began a line of research and study which led to his successful business. Dan Henon noted in 1981 "He [Bill]
learned the ins and outs of the brass engine business. Contacts were made for pattern-making, etching masters,
original Pennsy drawings, and the Pittman Motor Co. The net result was a run of the excellent Wolfer E-44's. Their
quality can be judged by the fact that they regularly sell at two or three times their original price to the most
discriminating collectors and model rails who fancy the Pennsy."
- 1975, produced O Scale brass GG-1 in conjunction
with NJ Custom Brass. Cast in Japan.
- Bill Wolfer designed patterns for running gear
and special detail castings for the body. Of final run, 86 shells went to Bill and built his own drives for them.
100 units were built and customized by NJ Custom Brass.
- The DIFFERENCE? Only the Wolfer models have a
drop coupler pilot and lost-wax cast pantographs as well as all of the visible details such as control and air
piping, full brake rigging, bolted axle boxes, a fully developed pilot for either passenger or freight styles and
more!
- "Wolfer Drives"
are what give his engines high tractive effort in spite of their relative light weight.
- A vertical mounted skewed
armature can motor from Pittman drives a worm gear on the center axle which in turn uses delrin chain and sprockets
to drive the other axles.
- Everything is sprung.
- Working axle boxes are held
by screwed retainers.
- Other Wolfer models (called WOLFERS by their fans).
Cast brass shells, made in USA with Wolfer running gear include:
- (48) PRR E-44's (prior to GG-1, late 1940's-1950's)
- (36) EPC E-33's (prior to GG-1, late 1940's-1950's)
- (50) FF-2's (in conjuction with NJ Custom Brass,
bodies from Japan; mechanisms by Wolfer, assembled and sold exclusively by Custom Brass)
- GN Y-1's (in conjuction with NJ Custom Brass,
bodies from Japan; mechanisms by Wolfer, assembled and sold exclusively by Custom Brass)
- Virginia Rectifier (in NH
and PC liveries)
- GG-1's (in conjuction with NJ Custom Brass, bodies
from Japan)
- over 56 lost-wax castings
- 8 variations
- delrin chain & sprockets to drive all 12 main
drives
- steel tires
- lost-was quill driver centers
- sprung bearings/boxes
- 1981, Reading T-1 2100's
- Underbody patterns for GG-1, E-33 and E-44 sold
in the late 1980's to Ed Duddy (O Scale Hall of Fame 2002, owner of HOUSE OF DUDDY). Ed used these parts to improve
the Alexander GG-1. He had purchased the Alexander line in 1982 and the early models sold were created almost completely
from that designer with the exception of the pantographs which were designed and imported by Ted Marsh at Overland
Models Inc. The House of Duddy has kits and built-up models of all of these locos with lost-wax cast Wolfer running
gear and many other improvements. The E-33 and E-44 models are prized by those who have discovered them. See the
House
of Duddy website for availability.
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