Large Scale Central

Locomotive Carrier recommendation, please

General Discussion
#33

Ken (or others),

Does adding a dummy coupler to the none opening end add any additional protection to prevent a locomotive slipping out backwards? Or would it just cause more problems?

My carrying case that I use is big and heavy, but I can hold 1 locomotive, a caboose, and a battery car. It’s not drive-on/drive-off either. It’s basically a 3/4" plywood suitcase with foam padding. When I was in high school, I used to take the bus from home to TOC’s house, and would walk on with the case. Not light by any means, but it protects everything. Sorry I don’t have a picture.

#34

Bruce Chandler said:

C’mon. I have put all that stuff in a Shay! If you use Lithium-Ion batteries, there will be plenty of room in a tender for speaker and the RC stuff. I make it so my batteries are removable just in case I want to run longer than a zillion hours at a time. So far, I haven’t needed it.

Bruce that is just the sort of answers I need. Having never done this before it is purely ignorance. I am learning and having no reference to go from, having never seen the components I just simply don’t know. I am learning fast.

#35

Devon Sinsley said:

Bruce Chandler said:

C’mon. I have put all that stuff in a Shay! If you use Lithium-Ion batteries, there will be plenty of room in a tender for speaker and the RC stuff. I make it so my batteries are removable just in case I want to run longer than a zillion hours at a time. So far, I haven’t needed it.

Bruce that is just the sort of answers I need. Having never done this before it is purely ignorance. I am learning and having no reference to go from, having never seen the components I just simply don’t know. I am learning fast.

First, I build a speaker enclosure out of styrene. The speaker faces down on the floor of the tender and probably takes the most room.

The batteries are the next biggest component. But, I build my tenders with removable coal loads. So, this gives me access to everything in the tender, including the battery. You want to make it so the battery is not held in place by anything else. A 14.8 V Li-Ion battery back is the size of 4 AA batteries; typically a square, but I also have them as a long rectangle.

I don’t recall what you’re using for the ESC, or the sound, but typically they’re about the same size as each other j- about 1 x 2 inches or so. I use double sided tape to hold them in place, but they’re really not going anywhere.

Hehe…though we should probably be discussing this in another topic…

#36

Devon, you can make the coal load lift off to get inside.

I second Bruce’s decision to make the batteries easily removable, not just for the reason gave, but so you don’t need an external charging jack, and also it’s easier to get the batteries to the charger.

There is indeed extra cost per loco because you will most likely want to dedicate the sound system to the loco, but this way each loco can have exactly the sounds you want, and also if you are using “autochuff” (which I recommend) then that can be set to match that particular loco.

It’s all doable…

Greg

#37

Devon has asked this question on his build thread. Perhaps we could move over there. :slight_smile:

#38

Yes, you are right, we are derailing this topic and discussion… bad Greg bad Greg :wink:

#39

Guys,

I didn’t mean to hi jack the thread. I apologize for that. I have started this discussion on my build log where it is more appropriate.

http://largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/22482/my-first-build/view/page/7

thanks for the help. Now back on topic

#40

Devon,

I built a carrier for my Bachmann Connie from 3/4" oak I had laying around the shop. I have been “mocked” that my carrier is built like a brick **** house, but it works for me. My “box” splits in half. I lift the top off and half of the sides lift off at the same time. Both ends are fastened to the top. The top and half sides are lined with foam, so there is no movement of the engine whatsoever. I have milled slots in the base that the engine and tender sit on and I have slots milled into the BOTTOM of the base. Therefore the engine is automatically aligned to the rails. Dan Patterson made a nice tapered oak ramp for my carrier and I just turn on the engine and drive right onto the mainline. The Phoenix sound, Airwire decoder and batteries are all inside the Connie tender.

#41

Craig Townsend said:

Ken (or others),

Does adding a dummy coupler to the none opening end add any additional protection to prevent a locomotive slipping out backwards? Or would it just cause more problems?

I don’t use a “dummy” coupler. it’s an old bachmann coupler mouted to the front of the box. The KD couples with it and Holds the engine and keeps it from moving around. On top of that, I cut some of that foam packing material into a “U” and it holds the TX for the engine.

And yea, Bruce is right, you can get an awful lot of stuff squeezed into a tender, even the Shay.

#42

I built 2 engine carriers based on Steve’s/Ken’s design and think they’re just great. The one below is for my C19. It has fold down sides to lock the engine into place. I added, to their design, a slide-in piece of 1/4" plywood to hold in the engine. I also designed the length so I could re-use the foam packing material.

Here are a couple of shots.

Carrier-b
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Carrier-a
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BTW, I operate using track power so the aluminum angles allow for easy run out and run back in operations.

Doc Watson

#43

This is the one I made for the Hudson.

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/Hudson2014032jpg-1_zpsa62b61b9.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/Hudson2014035jpg-1_zpsd23b2159.jpg)

#44

Your pictures don’t “work like a charm”. :frowning:

#45

Hmmm
Thanks I’ll look into that later.

#46

Don Watson added the 1/4 inch plywood to the opening of Chuck’s design to keep his loco corralled. After watching my loco almost slide out of my carrier, I back fit it into mine. Several of the folks in the club have done the same. Ain’t this place grand?

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/docwatsonnc/Carrier-b.JPG)

#47

Steve Featherkile said:

Don Watson added the 1/4 inch plywood to the opening of Chuck’s design to keep his loco corralled. After watching my loco almost slide out of my carrier, I back fit it into mine. Several of the folks in the club have done the same. Ain’t this place grand?

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/docwatsonnc/Carrier-b.JPG)

Thanks for all the ideas, guys (and for not totally derailing the thread - I wondered this morning how it got to 3 pages so quickly!) It seems the carriers are all basically the same - a rigid box slightly bigger than the loco with a handle on top.

My take is that it depends how much you want something attractive and well-finished, versus utilitarian and made for $0 out of scraps. Technically, it boils down to longitudinal handles versus lateral, and whether to put a slot in the bottom or not.

I am surprised no-one has a fancy completely enclosed box with brass handles, as you see at the live steam meets. My EBT #15 (RYM battery electric) lives in its original box, which is a flat floor grooved for the wheels and a drop-over box that completely covers the loco. A velcro strap over the loco holds the side foam in place, and shaped end pieces stop it rolling. Two straps over the box and under the base hold it together and let me lift it up.

#48

I have built them in different ways.

IMG_6773
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I have found that having the handle aligned with the locomotive makes it MUCH easier to carry; although it does involve a bit more work to make it that way it is well worth it, especially for heavier locomotives. I would steer away from heavier woods. My latest carrier, at the top, was built from thin luan plywood. I glued some molding pieces along the inside edges to allow me to have screws hold the pieces together. Rather than cut slots for the wheels, I just glued some wooden strips to the base; I don’t think I’ll wear out the wood anytime soon.

#49

I have made several carriers, but eventually found most to be too heavy. My Challenger uses 3" aluminum. The 1/32nd locomotive fits fine in that size but would not be wide enough for 1:20.

ChallCarrSide
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On this angled shot you can see how it is put together. I just used a small clamp on the front and back.

CHallCarrierAng
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I like the Big Boy carrier the most. It is lightweight and easy to oil/view the side of the loco. !/4" plywood is the base, with a 1/4" strip in the middle for the wheels to straddle. Ends are sanded so the loco can roll off easy. I decided velcro straps worked better than bunji cords, so screwed them to the base. There are strips under the base for re-inforcement and they are the right height to fit over the rail/ties, so the base sits on the rails.

BBcarrierSide
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The rear view gives you an idea of how it is put together. I did not make it long enough for the tender as that would be awkward and heavy to carry around. It would be 52" long!

BBcarrierBack
BBcarrierBack645×1251 154 KB

#50

Bruce, It’s neat to see all that design evolution in one picture. Not that I have a ton of experience But I can certainly see how the track parallel handle would be much better. It would provide much more control over the whole carrier tipping forward or back while carrying. Another good point that you and Jerry make on the weight. The loco’s can be heavy enough.

Jerry, do I see two white bars under your first carrier that hold the Aluminum angle in gauge? The second carrier is also a unique take on how to make the base of a carrier. Pretty much inverse of the majority of them. Nice.

#51

Thanks Randy,

The plastic blocks hold the aluminum angle together. The flanges on the wheels drop down and the loco rests on the wheel tread. The plastic blocks have notches to fit over the rails. Blocks are different thicknesses to get a angle, but I think that was not needed.

Challenger Carrier
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I made carriers like Don and Steve. Their drop down sides is a good idea, but I found them to be heavy, getting old and weak! I just made a similar one for my buddy’s K 27. Had to be wider of course. He has not tried it out yet.

#52

Hoping Superliner carriers are allowed on this thread in memory of Chuck!