The original title was Piko parts and Trainli does not carry Piko.

Trainli does have LGB parts in stock plus the newer Marklin/LGB parts.

Plus ski lift items, figures, Trainli engines, cars, track and the famous rail bender.

" Rooster " said:

Pretty sure Ken Bianco does (Train World)

He does.

Train-Li maybe...

What about contacting Piko America, right here in San Diego? (In the old LGB USA building I believe!)

Greg

Pretty sure Ken Bianco does (Train World)

Anyone sell their locomotive parts in the good old USA or do I need to order from Germany ?

Thanks in advance !

Some great ideas.  The RC brakes used in other areas may be the thing, though a PM motor with a variable resistor or back emf might give much finer control.  A shoe against the wheel rim would be more prototypical, but probably very hard to modulate

John Caughey said:

Centrifugal friction brake? Weights spin outward to drag on the rim. Rim is stationary and the axle with the weights, passes through.

I like that idea.  Many engines have a "centrifugal governor" so finding one shouldn't be too difficult.  Then, as John says, make sure the outer rim rubs on some brake material so the governor can't go any faster.

Microcosm makes them: just google "Microcosm P60 Mini Steam Engine Flyball Governor"

Gary Buchanan, FOG said:

Use real dynamic braking, a small permanent magnet motor driven from an axle with a resistor across the motor terminals to provide a drag load, it would require some experimentation to find the best value of resistor to use.

In the slot car field you short the motor terminals after the power is removed, and the back-EMF has to work against the magnet, so it slows down more quickly.  Not sure you need a resistor, though a variable manual resistor might let you tune the amount of 'braking'.
http://slotcarillustrated.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=33638

Use real dynamic braking, a small permanent magnet motor driven from an axle with a resistor across the motor terminals to provide a drag load, it would require some experimentation to find the best value of resistor to use.

3.5 years ago this topic was discussed and Kevin Strong came up with an idea. Unfortunately the photos he posted can no longer be gotten. His narrative is pretty good though.

https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/24300/gimmie-a-brake?page=1

Centrifugal friction brake? Weights spin outward to drag on the rim. Rim is stationary and the axle with the weights, passes through.

Michael

Look at adapting an electromagnetic brake for RC aircraft. Specifically the small electric 'EDF' fan jets. Of coursce you'll need a RC system or similar ilk to operate.

Michael

Or you could build a miniature version of an eddy current brake.

With today's new magnets and some experimentation I bet you could slow 'em as if by magic! Use the repel feature, make track mag smaller so momentum carries the car past to the next one.

Kind of like reverse Mag lev to MagDrag

I seem to remember an article in Model Railroader (about 50 years ago) on how to build an operating hump yard.  Since I was a young wipper-snapper back then I think they used soft bristle brushes mounted between the rails and solenoids to selectively apply friction to slow down or stop the cars.

Perhaps a search for something like "model railroader operating hump yard" will yield the desired information.

For the gravity car I am envisioning, I'll want brakes.  This is an unpowered car that runs, like a roller coaster, down a mountain.  I have not seen any remotely operated (or any) brakes for model trains. Do such exist?

Nice work, Jon!    

I had heard this. I banged about the trucks to check for brittle and they seem OK. Fingers crossed!!!!

I had the same problem with a Murphy roof boxcar. The first run of these had a problem with the alloy mixture of the white metal meaning that it was too brittle. Unfortunately the same metal was used on the trucks so if you are unlucky they may, like mine , break apart while in service. Luckily I got a pair of replacement trucks and some steps from Bachmann only having to pay for the shipping. Many thanks to Stan Ames for putting me in touch with the right person at Bachmann.