Kitbashing a pair of HLW’s shorty flat kits in to ‘battery trailers’ as a way to increase rail contact points for uneven track. Metal wheels have been used and eventually I’ll noodle out electrical contacts for them. Already have in use in other projects a system for jumper cables to carry current.
Shortened the cars by 4 floor boards. Superstructure will be built with central battery compartment in narrow hood with walkway each side.
You say battery cars and compartments, but then you say more contact points on uneven track and electrical contacts for the metal wheels. So I am confused. Are these cars for adding more power pick up points for the short wheelbase sparkies? Or, are they trailing battery cars? Or, are they actually to serve both functions? Although I can’t see why one would add that much complexity to have a track powered, battery powered, locomotive.
Perhaps it’s to power his big lights separate from the track power which can dim at stops?
What did I win?
Note the single quote marks around ‘battery trailers’; there will be no actual batteries in them - they will be built to look like battery boxes from battery powered locomotives.
A substantially larger version of battery trailer truck in here
–> NOTE, upon testing the link after posting I chanced to find that you have to click on the very end of it to get it to go the the specific page desired.
I have no clue why that quirk is, it just is.
LGB shoes arrived what is now yesterday, Saturday. Decided to go with that instead of effort to design and fabricate wheel wipers.
Now the thing is, how to mount the shoes?
Want them centered between axles.
–> Any ideas out there?
Of course there will be some weight added to the cars.
I understand you’ve made your decision on how to go, but I would have considered 4 axles of ball bearing wheels with the pickups. Sure, more expensive, but no visible skates and housings.
I’d study the LGB enclosure on an LGB loco, perhaps you can make some kind of rectangular channel. The USA trains skates seem to have a more compact size at the “tail” of the skate.
Greg
There are a few ground rules type factors in that and all decisions & and I often do not mention them.
My physical health is a mess.
These projects are being financed out of Social Security Disability income of just under a grand a month.
If it can’t be done with X-Acto knives and files at the kitchen table, literally at the kitchen table, it doesn’t get done.
Except for the occasional drilling or Dremeling. And soldering, of course there’s soldering.
These shoes along with three HLW mini ore car kits via Mike and Renee at Reindeer Pass are a major purchase for me this month.
Am slooowly working on putting together an 18 car train of those.
And I’ve standardized on Bachmann 31mm wheels because all but one of my factory produced cars are Bachmann.
I got a number of things from a chunk of settlement money in 2009, 2010, HLW 4-4-0 and LaPorte Forney; an SPC Annie; and several Big Hauler sets.
Along the way since then have picked up a few more HLW Macks.
Also have several box cars under construction from basswood, balsa, and lacquer saturated cardboard - I really like building from that kind of stuff.
Have some meat department plastic wrapping cardboard tubes I’m slooooowly pondering how to make tank cars from; the cardboard is right at 1/4 inch thick but it will need something sturdier for holding the truck screws.
My Second floor apartment has no garden railway and since local friends Mike and Mary retired and moved I’m currently without a place to run, but, hey, I can still build! And dream.
Find a washer that slips over the narrow part. Barrow the springs from some ball point pens, cut in half and stretch slightly. Return the pens. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
Drill a hole in the side sill deep enough for the narrow part of your shoe and big enough for the spring. Drill a small hole in the narrow part, say 1/8" above the washer, glue a pin in the hole long enough to catch the spring. Use a clamp to press the unit into the hole and glue the washer to the side sill.
You’ll have to do the fiddling to decide where to drill vs tension and drag and how much to stretch the spring, but this should fit your bill.
If your side sills are too high, then Todd’s tubing can lengthen the hole.
Hey I primed the pump! If nothing else.
John Caughey said:
Hey I primed the pump! If nothing else.
This is one of those rare times when my well of ideas had the initial concept then went dry on the details and engineering of it.
Blank. Nothing.
The one idea I could come up with was that the forum members are full of ideas, go ask them!
As it happens the Springs are included.
Washer which slips over narrow part - pretty sure some on hand will work, have some 2-56 and smaller in the box of HO coupler and truck stuff.
Now, where is that box…?
Since it has a ‘correct’ spring, it should fit snugly on the shoulder of the skinny part. Open 2 sides of the washer’s hole (easy Rooster, I know what I said) so it goes lower … a thin burr in your Dremel. I think you can eliminate the pin; the washer is a keeper and not part of the function. The top of the spring provides the down force through the shoulder to the rail. Very light pressure, mostly enuf to prevent arcing.
another edit: the washer must retain the spring, so keep the hole snug to the skinny post. Must notch for shoulder fit.
You’ll want the gap while the glue sets. You could also glue keepers over the washer from the plastic you cut out.
Could even on a creative day use rods to design an Equalizer suspension to disguise the shoe … or a fake tool box etc… (see a 20’ Aristo for inspiration) or… don’t mind me, I’m gearing up my ‘contest thinking’.
edited for pin removal
