Large Scale Central

MIK's Challenge Tortoise & Lizard Bash Build Log

The MIK - Annual Build Challenge
#21

While we still await delivery of our kit, the back shop created the “one horse-powered" motive power that will be used to draw the California Experience from town to town, but also power the dynamo and pump for the hot tub, and the PTO, and anything else we come up with that will fit on the rail car.

The basis of the motive power is an old truck of unknown origin. A 5” long piece of ¾” wide brass serves as the platform to hold the dynamo and pump. The brass was purchased in bulk when a hobby shop went out of business back when I was getting into the hobby in 1998 and its assets were auctioned off. Scrap pieces of aluminum ½” “L” were CA’ed to the brass to cradle the motors and provide a point of attachment to pull the rail car. The motors are Mabuchi (6 volt?) and came in a “grab bag” from Goldmine Electronics (surplus) many years ago. I never thought I would use them.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/95/ce/01/1cbc8_b0ea.JPG?c=2d3a)

The axles have fuel line/vacuum hose pressed over them for a strong friction fit. The rubber provides good friction both for the drive belts (rubber bands) and the hamster wheel. Vacuum hose can also be slipped over the ends of the shafts to provide PTO to operate other amenities on the rail car once the assembly is hauled aboard. Plastruct (purchased in bulk at the same auction) slips over the motor shaft providing a strong friction fit. Various sizes of Plastruct/fuel line can be used to adjust the drive ratio once up and running.

The truck is actually run upside down, but the motors are small enough and don’t hang below the tires such that it can run with either side up.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/91/ce/01/1cbc4_f6eb.JPG?c=e895)

Then I had to train (PI) the horse to walk inside the wheel without losing his balance. The hooves were ground down and special neodymium “horse shoes” applied. (The real trick is getting the second magnet on the adjoining hoof as it wants to instantly jump to the first magnet.) Also, the magnets had to be positioned such that they ride against the hamster wheel when the horse is standing within.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/99/ce/01/1cbcc_4317.JPG?c=3e6d)

Magnets mounted to the motor/truck then keep the horse in place as the hamster wheel spins/slides under his feet. The attraction between the hooves and truck magnets actually help hold the hamster wheel to the truck, as it turns, keeping it from popping off.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/9d/ce/01/1cbd0_4d77.JPG?c=266c)

A future iteration may have the horse actually gallop within the wheel. The AristoCraft horses are hollow and the head comes off for inside access. A Kadee spring fits within each leg and can be glued in place. The legs can then be cut with a sharp X-acto and the spring will then hold it in place and let it articulate in all directions. The fuel line hoses on the axles can have small holes drilled into them fitted with magnets. As the axles rotate they will attract/repel the legs making the horse gallop.

But this would require that the horse be suspended just above the hamster wheel because the legs would no longer support it. “Someone” standing next to the horse with a hand on it, or some form of harness/whip/dangling carrot could do the trick. However, this would preclude the horse pulling the rail car. (A second galloping horse could be a future project for when the wheel is hauled up onto the rail car.)

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/a1/ce/01/1cbd4_963d.JPG?c=68eb)

#22

The back shop did a bit more brainstorming (well a drizzle maybe) and came up with a method to let the horse run within the wheel as it moves down the track.

The front two legs will be attracted to a stationary magnet mounted to the truck/motor. The axle under the rear legs can have a small magnet embedded in the rubber hose with opposite polarity of the legs. The front magnet will hold the horse in place and the back legs will hop creating movement.

#23

That will be some wonderful animation. Looking forward to seeing it “gallop” down the track.

Doc Tom

#24

I want to know how you feed that horse :open_mouth:

#25

Vic Smith said:

I want to know how you feed that horse :open_mouth:

They don’t eat much. But they drink to excess with their “hollow leg” and all.

#26

I made the hot tub and let it dry last night. The tub is a piece of scrap 3" plastic drain pipe and the bottom is a scrap piece of 3" plastic bender board held in place using Marine GOOP.

The “bubbles/jets/steam/mystic lighting” is produced using an ultrasonic misting unit. I use seven of these on the Tortoise & Lizard Bash Railroad for my volcanoes and hot springs, and as they are cheap Chinese (~$5 each), I keep several spares on hand at all times. They run on 24 vac, so are safe to use outside. However, the tub will only operate in this mode when the train is at a supporting station/area because the “dynamo” can’t support it. Dry ice could be used while operational.

The tub’s decking will be cut from 1/8" plywood and decked with craft stick. An octagon/partial octagon will go around the top of the tub, extending beyond the rail car for seating around the tub. I have a 3-1/8" hole saw that is perfect to make the round cut-out for the tub once the deck is made.

I am trying to decide if I want to paint the tub silver/grey (coorogated pipe simulation), concrete grey (concrete pipe), plain white (no paint), or … Any suggestions/opinions as to this color?

The surf boards were simply pictures downloaded and sized from 'net. They will be coated with clear paint then glued to basswood which will allow for easy shaping on the sander. One of the metal 1:24 scale cars on the layout has a surf board on the roof and it too may stand in here.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/a5/ce/01/1cbd8_1343.JPG?c=d44f)

#27

Man, I want to move to Californy!! Surfboards, a bubbling hot tub and a horse walking in a ring to power it all is total whimsy. Very creative and totally cool.I likes it.

Doc Tom

#28

A whale mural around the tub!

Can you say Wyland?

#29

John Caughey said:

A whale mural around the tub!

Can you say Wyland?

Hmmm, Linda could paint it (sort of), but that wouldn’t be fair.

I know where a few are locally painted on buildings (e.g., the side of the Long Beach convention center and the side of a restaurant in Newport Beach). I could possibly photo one, or maybe just take one from the 'net.

I worry about the water ruining it, but if painted, it should be OK in the short run.

Thanks

#30

John Caughey said:

A whale mural around the tub!

Can you say Wyland?

We’re using this one. Doesn’t require too much re-sizing to fit around the tub. Thanks!

(http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles37683.jpg)

#31

One magnet in the center of the back axle would make the horse hop really nicely, but he would also jump to a side and not return to center fast enough from the friction of the moving pipe. So, I drilled the rear wheels to hold magnets. When staggered 180 degrees, the horse does the shimmy shimmy, shake shake as the wheels rotates.

Nice having the ShopMaster 3-in-1 to slowly mill the wheels without making sloppy holes like the Harbor Freight Central Machinery “drill press” with its worn out bearings.

Because of the weight of the assembly when hoisted aboard, as well as that of a 6’ diameter hot tub full of water, a metal frame (Plastruct) is being constructed to distribute the load over the entire rail car. This will also allow these amenities to hang out beyond the ends of the rail car.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/a9/ce/01/1cbdc_d58c.JPG?c=2fe6)

#32

After seeing the size of the assembled base car (I’ve still not received my kit), it became readily apparent that it would be too small to contain the The California Experience, and as previously noted, the engineers came up with a metal framework to extend beyond the base. With this addition, and the success of the one horse motive power, we can now reveal the Doc Brown’s additional plans for the Experience.

California is the land of The Endless Summer and no adventure would be complete without surfing. The Doc has come up with a method to create The Endless Wave where a surfer can ride within the “tube” all day long.

When the back shop created the world’s first Lowrider Train a few years ago, they put working “spinners” on the train wheels just as you would see on the cars cruising around East LA. The result was that they ended up with several 30" custom mag wheels and tires that have gone unused. The wheels are already threaded for the included axles and each has a “nipple” that will readily accept a piece of rubber vacuum tube slipped over it. The wheels are to ride along the sides of the rail car and are attached to the PTOs on the “one horse motive power.”

To create the The Endless Wave, a front-on picture of a breaking wave was downloaded from the 'net. Once edited, this picture will be printed on two sheets of clear mylar. A section of soda bottle will be cut out and cut in ~half and a sheet of mylar “wave” will be applied to it. (This is why I asked if it was OK to start drinking the soda before the official build start date.)

A strip of brass will be bent to a “]” shape. The lower side of the “]” will be attached to the base rail car. The cut piece of soda bottle section is attached at the bottom of the upper portion of the “]”. A brass “teeter totter” (lever/fulcrum) will be made and soldered to the top of upper portion the “]” at an angle so as to “ride the wave” and the surfboard attached to the teeter totter. A magnet will be attached under each end of the teeter totter and “truck” spring set beneath each side. The brass will be “planked” so someone can walk along it to get on the board.

Another section of soda bottle will be cut, but left round. The sheet of mylar will also be applied to this section, leaving a portion as clear. The section can then slip into the “]” and will rotate around the inner portion/surfer, riding on the 30" tires turning from the PTOs. As the bottle turns, the wave will break over the surfer as he rides the tube. A couple magnets will rotate with the bottle and when they pass under the surfboard will make that side of the board “levitate” as it floats up as it is repelled by the magnet. Alternatively, another teeter tooter would magnetically interact with the horse wheel raising/lowering the board.

Remember the old Hamm’s signs with the moving water? Now you get the picture. Should be “totally gnarly dude.”

#33

The back shop is still waiting for materials to arrive.

We ran into a problem finding a proper drive belt. It seems that all the rubber bands that we came up with were too large. If you double them up to get the right size, they put too much tension on things making the motors bind.

What we’ve come up with, and other may want to use, are the traction tires from old USA diesel wheel sets that got changed out for non-traction tire wheels. Now I know why I never throw anything away.

#34

You never answered my question, will it also be a time machine???

#35

Yes in that our railroad is set in September 1957 and there will probably be some later elements, such as surfing, on the flat car.

(I keep seeing the movie advertised on cable but have never seen it.)

#36

Todd, It’s worth a watch especially this time of year! (snowboard season) It’s also fun because it’s the 80’s with 2000 perspective.

Waiting to see how all of these pieces will come together.

#37

The back shop is still waiting for the base car to arrive. Meanwhile, they’ve been doing the fiddlety bits to the motive power.

Battery clips were CA’ed to the motors. They can be disguised as either hay, or crates and the clips will hold them in place. The wirining was done to put the two motors in series (4.5 volts each) with the batteries in parallel for 9 volts. One motor runs fine but the other stalls a bit at this voltage and I haven’t tried it with a load. This may be fine when it is hanging on the flatcar with no real load on it, and I can use a clip to plug in 12 volts (so each motor gets 6 volts) included under the hot tub if it is underway. Maybe it can run at 9 volts without burning out??? We’ll see. (One motor’s solder tab broke off and I had to dig some plastic to add a wire. Grrrr!)

I also added “running boards” made from brass and craft sticks to give the “operator” someplace to stand as well as a way for the horse to board and a more finished look.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/16/cf/01/1cc48_2670.JPG?c=9ec3)

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/1a/cf/01/1cc4c_f289.JPG?c=d75e)

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/1e/cf/01/1cc50_1936.JPG?c=60b8)

#38

Todd,

Great imagination, build and photos. Thanks.

Consider using three 1.5 Volt batteries in series feeding the two motors in parallel,

or only 2 batteries if it runs too fast with 3.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

#39

Follow up:

Because of higher resistances within 9 Volt batteries (aka “internal resistance”),

three AA batteries in series can deliver about 5 times the current that a 9 Volt battery can.

(Alkaline batteries in both cases.)

Your motors should run much better with higher current available.

Joe

#40

It’s not a matter of power or current, but size, balance, and camo.

I want to keep it less than 6" from front to back so it doesn’t block traffic when mounted sideways on the flat car. And, I don’t want to put a bar over the top of the wheel to hold this stuff as it would block some view of the rotation.

I have double, triple, and quad AA-battery holders and even a triple AAA holder and all are too big too to make these limitations. I had even considered disguising AA/AAA cells as “gas cylinders,” but again, too big.