Large Scale Central

Blower car

General Discussion
#61

AM I slow or what??
I have been considering a blower car for a long time now and finally got serious with it and posted my intentions here on September 23 and it’s not done yet. Yes life and job do get in the way but…
Just for you guys that are getting impatient to see what I have been up to this photo was secretly taken this morning before the builders arrived to work.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/SpiedBlowerCar.jpg)

#62

Todd

Is it done yet???

#63

Well sorta Sean. The blower car has been out on the track for a couple of laps and did a good job but a design flaw was discovered on the tighter curves so I had ot move the blower unit back to get the nozzles closer to the pivot point of the the front truck.

Another issue is when a leaf gets sucked into the blower. it makes alot of noise as it gets chewed up.

Today I hope to give it another go.

#64

Well??? Lets see the beast! How can anyone rip off a copy of your jet blower running the wrong way, if it’s covered by a cheep shop towel?

Or did the cat eat it?

#65

Been yet another week and it’s still under wraps! Ah come on now. just lift the rag a little, and give us a peek. I won’t tell a soul.

OTOH if this is you’r way of stalling, I know that you started it early, and I won’t allow it as an entry into “MIKs Build Challenge 2014”. You will have to come up with a new idea.

#66

Well after much to do, design redesign and testing the Rock Root and Pup Poop Rail Road with the Cape Cod Central MOW crew is proud to reveal the latest and greatest in leaf blowing, track clearing piece of rolling stock to be added to their roster.

There is still a bit of detail to be done but essentially here it is.

http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarBack.jpg" alt="http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarBack.jpg">http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarBack.jpg" />

#67

Dave of course I would start a totally new project for the contest.

Here is another view of the blower car.
http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarFront.jpg" alt="http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarFront.jpg">http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarFront.jpg" />

#68

Good lord, that thing looks deadly!

" target="_blank">http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarFront.jpg

#69

Todd,

Nice. Now let’s see a video of it in action!

#70

Thanks Steve that was my intention to make it look cool. I might still paint the inside of the barrels red or maybe put stripes on the plow.
I don’t know why the photos didn’t post right?

I started making a video but there were way too many leaves and some were sucked into the fan end then got caught inside thus reducing the air flow. I then built on the cage to help keep the leaves out.

Perhaps a video can be shot this weekend.

#71

Steve Featherkile said:

Good lord, that thing looks deadly!

Funny… wonder if it shoot bullets?

#72

I Like It!

Another idea to be stolen!

Thanks!!

I can’t for the life of me come up with an original thought like this One!!

#73

Here is the back side view photo I tried to post. I don’t know why it didn’t work before? For some reason there was 2 rows of script? Thanks Steve for posting the business end photo.
" target="_blank">http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/capecodtodd/_forumfiles/BlowerCarBack.jpg"

It does look a bit like a 3 barrel shotgun. maybe I could rig it up for grape shot come the spring when the chipmunks start messing things up. Bill you can come up with an idea like this one. What does your RR need that either doesn’t exist or you cannot afford to buy and take it from there. I’m very proud of that yellow engine seen in the photo. I looked for a USATrains cat generator for several weeks and darned if I was going to pay $15 plus shipping so I put one together myself using bits of wood and dowel. It looks good to me and that is all the matters. I have found the tough part to doing a custom build is the engineering and making it all work together. In the past I built a couple of hopper cars then decided why not build 4 more since I already had the dimensions. The first is always the hardest then the rest are easy. I just built 4 bulkheads for 2 flatcars and after that first the rest went together fast. Also the more you tinker with and build the more skills you will develop.

#74

This is weird, I tested the photo with another in the test forum and it showed up fine.
I then tested the last post by hitting preview and again it showed up fine but when I posted it for real that other line of text showed up and the photo didn’t?

What is the trouble?

#75

I like it great work

#76

That’s pretty cool! The picture is fine. Somehow extra text got added to the link. The forum software doesn’t know its a photo. Edit out everything past the first .jpg including the " and it should be fine.

#77

Todd, Love it!!! Also great use of H&Ls.

#78

Impressive! I like the plow though it looks like it doesn’t ride on the rails but a bit above them.

With all of these blower cars we’ll need to set up a test in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the

designs.

Maybe select a large bucket of known size full of leaves. pine needles, twigs, and acorns, and dump

them on the track a certain way and see how each blower car does.

The results would improve future versions of blower cars…

#79

Todd,

That’s just it. You provided the picture.

Now I have enough to duplicate what you made with the modifications that will better suit my application.

I Thank You.

The building and engineering part is easy for me. It’s coming up with a concept other than a 12 volt motor bolted to a rail car with a flexible ell screwed on the end.I hope this makes sense.I never would have conceived the idea of making my own manifold to adapt the three directional pipes the way you did. the addition of the intake cage and CAT engine make it all believable.

Bill

#80

Thanks guys! I’m glad you all like it.

I was able to go back in an edit to get the photo up. Weird how it posted in the test forum OK then in the preview as well but when posted here it picked up the extra code??

The plow was made from a piece of 1.5" PVC pipe and yes it does ride just over the rails. On my aristo plow I put foam tape under it to sweep sand and anything else the plow misses. I might do the same with this one.

When building this I tried all sorts of funnels to channel the wind from the 4" bilge blower. I found it was a fine line between losing too much air and actually causing a back draft to maintaining a decent volume. I know I lost some air by going to the 3 tubes VS one big one.

The better designs are the ones without any restrictions like the one Sean Mc built. I was stubborn and wanted something that was a balance between function and form in that it would look like it could be a real prototype even if it was from Mars.
The cage came about when leaves were sucked in the wrong end during testing and blocked the pipes.

Thanks again.