Large Scale Central

LGB 9001S Lehmann Rigi Motorized Ski Gondola Mechanism to Run Hot Air Balloon Up and Down

Modeling
#1

After some time away I am beginning to get back into the hobby so please bare with me on this topic.

I posted some time ago looking for ideas to animate a model hot air balloon to be featured on the railroad. I got the idea originally from visiting the home of Jack Verducci during the 2016 NGRC in the Bay Area. If I recall his balloon descended from the corner of his two story house at the eve down to a point and then back up again. Anyhow, tt was suggested on this site to look into the LGB Rigi Duo gondola system.

I’ve been looking at eBay and there seems to be a few different options. Obviously the hand controlled version is not what I’d want. But there seems to be a few others that seem on one side a little too toyish, to LGB 9001S that seems to be built pretty well.

I’m just looking for opinions from those that have used or know about of these systems. My plan is for the balloon to ascend into some redwoods to “disappear” for a few seconds before descending back down…and then back up again.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Richard

#2

I built a balloon like you propose for the Wizard of Oz set-up on the Too Much Fun Railroad simply using a switch to make the motor change directions at each end of travel. But I think the motor may have been too fast so that it would not stop in time and continually “shift” the stop point a bit. A slower motor would have solved this. Reducing the voltage creates too much “stall” on start-up. If Vic would give it back to me, I would change out the motor and make it work right. (Vic?)

I run the Rigiduo on my Tortoise and Lizard Bash Railroad and set it up using a couple slow motion motors and a 555 circuit similar to that used for point-to-point train operations. When the gondola pulls into its station, it trips a switch that sends the power through a diode making the gondola stop until the 555 chip reverses polarity. This way the gondolas stop and wait to load passengers before crossing the lake.
https://youtu.be/jQ6rcU1Vbwo