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tooter goes big time...

59K views 545 replies 30 participants last post by  tooter 
#1 · (Edited)
There isn't a catagory for 7 1/2 inch gauge riding trains so I'll put the thread here because at least it's an outdoor train like the description says. :p

I'm starting to build a flat car so that there will be something to roll around on the track to test it while I'm installing it. The frame is made of one inch steel box section from Home Depot.







Next step will be finding some springs for the suspension.

Greg
 
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#394 · (Edited)
7% is an unheard of grade for any backyard riding railroad. 2-3% is considered normal limits. It's more rollercoaster than railroad. I even had to trim the weeds because if the wheels smashed them they would cause the wheels to loose traction and the cart would start sliding backwards down the hill. :laugh: It's actually very easy to winch the car up the hill because while the lever doesn't make any speed, it has lots of leverage. I needed to swap speed for leverage otherwise it would not handle the extremely steep grades...

...but oh, does it make up for it on the way down! :)

I can't wait to get the rest of the rails bedded down to ground level so that when I go downhill I won't need to stop at the bottom, and can just let the momentum carry the cart around.
 
#398 ·
I'm the power for the grades. :)

Before I started to dig the right of way down to grade, the rails were connected and the cart would coast all the way through the winding section before it would come to a stop at the next grade at the far side...



It's a pretty wild ride!

Sorry for the edit marker, John. I accidently hit edit instead of quote.:eek:
 
#403 ·
I got a chance to lay some rail today on the spur line... :)



It's a nice 30 foot long straightaway. The next rail will cross the creek bridge and begin the uphill turn around the propane tank. Also trying to teach our chicken (Bock Bock) railroad safety by looking both ways before she crosses the tracks, but she hasn't quite got the concept down yet. ;)
 
#404 ·
I have to ask, Why did the chicken cross the track?:D



30' of track is a good day!

Thanks for the update. I joined a 7 1/2" gauge club over the weekend.

I hope to post pictures some day.

2 acres of track, but no chickens.
 
#407 ·
Began work on the railbike Sean sent me...

Thanks Sean! :):thumbsup:

He did some really creative mechanical engineering to get power to the wheels. It has derailling issues that there was no way he could have known about because of only having straight tracks to test it on. Both the front and the back derailled 2 inches into a curve. But the solution was simple. Some washers were added to the top of the front which now keeps the guides from binding and preventing the truck from freely tracking and pivoting. I had to remove one set of wheels from the rear to keep it on the tracks. This was just enough to be able to do a test run...



That's a grade that starts level and goes up to 7%. The railbike has just enough traction to make it up the hill alone but not enough to push or pull the flat car along with it. I'll need to figure out some way to get the other wheels to pivot and be powered at the same time.
 
#409 ·
Layed another section of track... :)



Those purple track gauges really help to hold the rails just right while I'm screwing everything together. There's a severe grade change right at the joint because it's the crest of the hill, so I'm going to have to dig for China to smooth it out.
 
#411 · (Edited)
That's how I build each section. :) Note that top section was only partially assembled. This is after that section was all assembled and laid. It was dark by the time I was done with it...



That section of track underneath already laid is all level and true, so I use it as a "table" to build the next section. The ties and rail plates are individually attached on to the rails just like hand laid HO tracks, except they're bigger. It makes is so much easier not having to try to assemble the sections on uneven ground.
 
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