So Michael,
Are you going to model the “Double Bow-Knot” in your garden?
It has been years since I read the book you mention but if memory serves there were two or three Shay’s that had the sloped oil bunker like your # eight shows. I think these were used mostly in reverse service to the Summit of the mountain so the fuel oil had somewhere to go besides all over the outside of the bunkers.
Great stuff.
Rick
Yes I am! In fact, one of the schemes for getting up my hill was what suggested doing the Double Bow-Knot in the first place. Of course, the layout will be simplified, with way fewer than the 281 curves turning the equivalent of 42 complete circles, climbing 2400 feet with a total length of 8.2 miles.
But a double bow-knot, adapted for my terrain, plus a bunch of other curving, will be in the plan, climbing to a soaring 14 feet. I actually have 60 feet of elevation to work with, but enough is enough… For now.
Looking forward to the build pics on both the Shay and the trackwork.
Trackwork first. Gravity cars second. Shay third.
Sounds like it’ll be a really unique and interesting layout!
Interestingly, I’m sort of forced into it by the same thing that constrained the original designers of the scenic railway. I gots a steep hill.
Dave Marconi said:Is it a Climax or a Shay? The more I look at that thing the more ......never mind!
Looking forward to the build pics on both the Shay and the trackwork.
Michael Moradzadeh said:A blessing in disguise! :)
Interestingly, I'm sort of forced into it by the same thing that constrained the original designers of the scenic railway. I gots a steep hill.
Is he your officially LSC adopted son then Ray?
Spent an interesting day measuring a replica of the gravity car. This one was built in 1989 with the cooperation of some of the veterans and the fellow who wrote the book in 1954. Very helpful. I want to go inspect the other one up on the top of the mountain. That one was made in 2003.
(http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site234/2009/0804/20090804__gravity_300.jpg)
Interesting variations. This one had spoked wheels, which do not appear in any of the photos I had seen. But I got the basic layout, about 20 dimensions. Another minor glitch is that these cars run on standard gauge. I had been intending on modelling narrow gauge at 22.5 and 20.3. At that scale, the car will be about 5" wide. and should boast wheels about 2.5-2.75" apart instead of the 1.75 G Gauge would provide. Oh well, make the best I guess. Or make ridiculously small 1:29 or 1:32 cars to pull behind my 1:20 shay and porter. No, I’ll just have to bend that. THe original below. An 8-mile long rollercoaster http://www.millvalleylibrary.org/Modules/ShowImage.aspx?imageid=2273
Mike,
The arched cab windows on # 8 reflect a style in vogue in that era(1900 -1920s)…it was fairly common to see it on std gauge locos from several makers. It typically was applied to steel cabs… I dont recall it being used too often on shays…it was standard on almost all Hieslers. It will make a neat build.
Dave
Ps couplers mailed tuesday.
