Large Scale Central

MIK's Challenge Tortoise & Lizard Bash Build Log

Super Caps?

e.g.:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nano-Force-SUPER-CAPACITOR-2-7V-10F-New-/111566838645?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f9e6db75

Your charging system for the cap would have to stay at or under 2.7 Volts.

Joe

Not enough run time. At 5.4 volts, would only be on the order of a couple minutes at best then would need to be recharged.

Todd, PM sent.

I was able to run the motive power out on the layout today and with new 9 volt batteries, it ran OK. Ground clearance is very low, but above track level and there are two strips of plastic at the low points that could be raised some if necessary. But the belts cock to a side and bind up the motors so I’ll need to modify this as a pulley system.

I can cut vacuum hose on the lathe by putting it on a bolt and mounting an X-acto, so can make thin cuts to use as “flanges.”

The back shop addressed the problem with the motive power belts binding and have devised a solution. Pulleys were made using aluminum tube and steel and brass washers.

The “friction material” is “soaker hose” that was cut on the lathe to 0.14" wide by mounting an X-acto blade. The soaker hose has a rough texture that should provide good grip for the belts. Also it is a bit smaller diameter than the vacuum hose (shown on left) we were using, and preliminary testing on the main line showed that a speed reduction/torque increase would be a good thing. Still it is big enough to maintain tension on the belt.

The pulley goes toward the motor and the PTO can still come off the aluminum shafts. Hopefully, this will fix the problem.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/5a/cf/01/1cc8c_24e4.JPG?c=3eba)

OK, the horsey gallops real nice and is seen in this video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_Z9tskdj4&feature=youtu.be

Very nicely done. The horse animation is quite effective. Tom

[Youtube]http://youtu.be/f7_Z9tskdj4[/Youtube]

Seriously cool

The factory sent our back shop the rail car specs so our crew could get some work done while awaiting its delivery.

Based on the size and load capacity from the specs, the crew welded up a frame that will support the weight of the one horse powered motive power as well as the hot tub over the length of the rail car. The crew also found a way to successfully cut a soda bottle and you can see how The California Experience is to be “layed out.” The motive power will actually hang off the front end of the car, that will end at the front beam in the photo.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/a2/cf/01/1ccd4_13b2.JPG?c=5b4c)

Raising the hot tub serves two purposes. This provides a place to put up to 12 volts worth of AA or whatever batteries ultimately are used (6 volts give a better speed with no load) and they can run to the motive power, either when mounted on board, or when hauling the Experience from town to town.

And, the hot tub’s decking will hang off the back end of the car at the water level.

A while back I made a small, one-truck, flat car that has a power pick-up truck, a link and pin, and a small plug on a cable. I use it with my two wheel motive power (e.g., speeder, rail auto) to aid these over the frogs and dirty track.

In this case, I’ll put a plug on the back of The California Experience that will let me run a loop of track around my Dude Ranch with 24 vac on the rails to power the hot tub, and because the horse runs on internal batteries, he can pull it around the ranch area. With the raised deck, I can put “supplies” on the flat car and tuck it in close behind.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/a6/cf/01/1ccd8_4f1b.JPG?c=58de)

It was one of those days where you feel like you’ve been at it all day with little to show for the effort. But it is the small fiddly sh…, er…, stuff that makes or breaks the operation and needs to be addressed.

Brass tabs were made to locate the “one-horse motive power” so that the motors center over the outer edge of the main frame rails each time it is put in place. The tabs also hold it in place so it doesn’t vibrate out of alignment.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/ba/cf/01/1ccec_2f02.JPG?c=edb7)

To “roll our own” on 30" wheels, the back shop used I-beam to make the supports.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/b2/cf/01/1cce4_f442.JPG?c=130d)

The I-beam was back-cut to allow for the wide wheels and tires. A similar technique, called “off-set trailing arms” is used to put wider wheels and tires on '63-'82 Corvettes.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/b6/cf/01/1cce8_8556.JPG?c=1c3b)

how do you keep the horse from flying off…or is that a secret?

First post on page 2…, neodymium horseshoes. Was not a joke.

Todd Brody said:

First post on page 2…, neodymium horseshoes. Was not a joke.

That’s is what happens when genius meets Neanderthal. I thought that whole thing was an elaborate ruse for dramatic effect, when in reality it was just dang cool and very high tech. To quote a line from the American pop classic movie Cocktail “ahhh light shines on marble head” I get it now. Way cool.

Well the crew unpacked what was left of the base car parts. They were grousing about the age of the wood and thought that at least it would have been newly sawed. I told them “you get what you pay for.”

The wood received a “dirty wash” of India ink in alcohol.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/be/cf/01/1ccf0_c578.JPG?c=ef43)

I like it! The horse looks good trotting along.

I think you have solved your problem but I had a similar problem when I tried to use a rubber band on a pulley to power my caboose racer. The rubber band would “walk” around and get caught up. I replaced it with a rubber O ring and all is good.

Keep up the good work.

The crew assembled pieces today. All wood was glued with Titebond III and the beams also received a gusset of CA afterwards. The wood was weathered with a mixture of India ink in alcohol prior to assembly.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/de/cf/01/1cd10_eb39.JPG?c=c599)

Rather than deal with wood screws and dowels, the crew pressed and CA’ed modified 3/16" “T-nuts” right into the bolsters. These fit into a 1/4" hole. The trucks are easily secured with a screw and will ride directly against the hard smooth metal surface rather than binding on wood or the need for a washer in between.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/e2/cf/01/1cd14_eda0.JPG?c=6638)

The trucks and nut detail are currently “rusting” and will be applied tomorrow.

The crew got the car together and work continues on the endless wave. Unfortunately, the trucks and wheels weren’t in any better shape than the wood.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/fa/cf/01/1cd2c_c44c.JPG?c=5e95)

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/fe/cf/01/1cd30_6c78.JPG?c=c1fe)

Here you can see how the metal framework will be applied to the flatcar to create The California Experience. Won’t be long now.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/03/d0/01/1cd34_7338.JPG?c=582c)

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/07/d0/01/1cd38_a19f.JPG?c=0b18)

Todd, after reading all this I came away convinced that you’re some kind of genius. And a very patient one at that. I can only imagine the hours you’ve put in dreaming all this up, and the many more hours you’ve spent fiddling and fretting to get the thing to work. I am just flabbergasted by your entry!

Thanks John.

The engineering crew was able to make a test run connecting the Endless Wave to the “One-Horse Motive Power” and based on their testing, the welding crew finished the framework to hold the wheels and tires. The carpentry crew made a platform to sit under the hot tub and will probably plank it tomorrow.

The scientists came up with a novel way to make the surfer “float” and the engineering crew came up with the prototype for evaluation, testing, and fitting.