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tooter goes big time...

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#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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#3 · (Edited)
Wow ... I'm impressed, already.

Do you do welding onsite?!?
Yes, but I'm a terrible welder. :laugh:

I just tacked the frame together so that it will stay straight long enough to take it to the local muffler shop so they can weld it up proper.

What's up with those wheels and axle gear? Stock stuff from some mfr?
No, I had them add the gears so that I can make something else out of them later. This is what I had in mind, except larger for an adult...






(No welding in the flip-flops though, OK? Safety first! ;) :D)

Cheers,

TJ
Ah, I see they showed up in the photo. As a matter of fact I did weld in rafting sandals because I don't wear shoes. :)

Greg
 
#5 ·
FWIW Greg....the small wirefeed MIG welders you can get at Home Depot, etc aren't that hard to use. I've got a Lincoln. If you get them with the Argon/CO2 gas mix it's pretty easy. For about $300 you can find a decent unit on craigslist that will run on 110V and be able to due anything up to 1/8" thick (thicker if you make multiple passes). I love the versatility of having my own welder - I would think it to be invaluable if you were building a 7 1/2" gauge railroad. Heck - I'd make a welder car!
 
#8 ·
FWIW Greg....the small wirefeed MIG welders you can get at Home Depot, etc aren't that hard to use. I've got a Lincoln. If you get them with the Argon/CO2 gas mix it's pretty easy. For about $300 you can find a decent unit on craigslist that will run on 110V and be able to due anything up to 1/8" thick (thicker if you make multiple passes). I love the versatility of having my own welder - I would think it to be invaluable if you were building a 7 1/2" gauge railroad. Heck - I'd make a welder car!
I just have a small 40 year old oxy-acetelyne torch. It welds better than I do. :rolleyes:
 
#6 ·
Scott....SHHHHH!!!!
Your giving away all my secrets and you going to put me out of work with Greg!:D
I have a Miller MIG welder and I can weld up to 1/2" with mine!
I'm in the middle of repairs on the snow blower right now! I better hurry it up it's supposed to snow tonight!:eek:
I don't know what I would do without mine either!:cool:
 
#14 · (Edited)
Hey John, :)

Gas welding has been fine for the times I've needed to use it.:):thumbsup:

Choo choo's got TRACK... :D

Yesterday I spent the afternoon and evening loading and hauling 744 pounds of steel rail and 1,200 pounds of railroad ties...



That's just a tiny fraction of the ties as there's still a 1,000 pounds in boxes. The wye still isn't done but it's promised to be ready on Thursday. It's raining so I'll be working on the rail car under the house. :)
 
#22 · (Edited)
What a concept, work for what you have. ;) Too bad our leaders don't subscribe to that simple concept. :rolleyes:
Thank God they're not my leaders... so it's their loss not mine because Americans lead themselves. :p
In fact, if there were still enough Americans in America today, the government would be created in their industrious image...

...but since there aren't, it isn't.

Working to earn the money to buy your freedom is a really old fashioned American idea that has become generally regarded with ridicule... which, of course, is why America has become just another dime a dozen unproductive insolvent debtor nation.

Even though it's been raining today, I was able to get the rest of the railroad ties got unloaded... whew. :rolleyes:



Put the pull car on the tracks just to see how it fits even though it's not railworthy yet...

 
#24 ·
It needs everything... ;)

It's going to be a little grey hand powered pull handle Maintenence of Way vehicle for track laying. The back half will be a combination seat and toolbox with a hinged lid. The box will be able to hold a screw gun, hardware, and hand tools for connecting the rails. And there will be a rack on back to hold a hammer and a hand hoe.
 
#31 ·
I go to the Google search page, click on Images in the black toolbar on top, then type in whatever subject I want a picture of... and hundreds of them pop up. :)

In that case I searched for:

"We don't need no stinking badges."

And tons of pictures of Rick Garcia in "Blazing Saddles" pop up.

You can also search for videos in the same way, but I use YouTube's search function for that because it's better.

Greg
 
#33 ·
Yeah... even if you scroll through enough Rick Garcia pictures, you're gonna come across some skin.:laugh:

The valve springs came today so I installed them...









They work great! :)
...with some initial give that quickly gets really stiff. The vehicle doesn't need a lot of travel, just some controlled give so that the wheels can follow the irregularities in the rails. The valve springs even have internal coiled damper sleeves to control the compression and rebound.
 
#34 ·
Hey Greg,

Great progress! Are you following some standard design, or improvising with your own creativity? I ask in specific regard to the use of the valve springs ... nice idea ... stiff, but with some flex. Is there a pin/rod inside them to keep them more or less in-column?

Also, in a sample pic of a car you had above, there was a gear on only one axle. I see yours has a gear on each axle. What's the skinny on that?

Can you share your source for wheels? (Just in case future MTF'ers want to have derby races at some point down the track!)

Thanks!

TJ
 
#35 ·
Hey Greg,

Great progress! Are you following some standard design, or improvising with your own creativity?
There's no such thing as a standard design, so I'm winging it and putting together ideas from projects that others have built.

I ask in specific regard to the use of the valve springs ... nice idea ... stiff, but with some flex. Is there a pin/rod inside them to keep them more or less in-column?
I can't take credit for that... it was Sean's idea, and it worked like a charm! :):thumbsup:

Haven't installed retainers yet, but they will be simple washers at each end which are smaller in diameter than the springs and will hold them properly in position. These are really stiff V8 engine valve springs, so they stay in column all by themselves. The washers are just to keep them from "migrating".

Also, in a sample pic of a car you had above, there was a gear on only one axle. I see yours has a gear on each axle. What's the skinny on that?
I'm gearing both axles for maximum traction when climbing steep grades. I'm also hoping that it will be able to pull a small 36 inch long flat car behind it. It should be arriving any day now. :)

Can you share your source for wheels? (Just in case future MTF'ers want to have derby races at some point down the track!)

Thanks!

TJ
Sure. :)

Those are the very finest quality precision bearing IBLS standards railroad wheels made...



The geared wheel sets are $275 per axle, and are made by Dan O'brien at:

http://www.railridersupply.com/

Their machine shop is only 40 miles from my house, so I went there and talked with Dan Sr. when I picked them up. I got to see his steam engine that he built from scratch. He's an old school machinist and the quality of his work is impeccable. He and his son, Dan Junior, run the shop.

Greg
 
#40 · (Edited)
Greg,

Thanks for the very detailed info above ... much appreciated.

You're incredibly lucky to have the "wheel guy" so close to your home. Nothing like some one-on-one "kicking the tires" talk to gather tips / experience from the pros.

Keep us posted!

TJ
Thanks, tj, I will. This was totally a confluence of events... so I just followed the good omens. :)

Right now the "track guy" is in the process of moving his factory only 40 miles from us. I picked up my track order from where he lives which was even closer. As he was moving inventory down here, he also brought down the track order, and as a favor saved me about $600 on freight costs. It took two trips because the total weight was about a 2,000 pounds. And I'm going back again on Thursday to pick up the switch track.

I can't tell you yet exactly what I saw when I first met the guy from RMI to pick up my track order, but I can tell you that it blew my mind. :eek:

Never in my life have I seen such industrious American creativity!

Greg
 
#38 ·
Too cool Greg. If the ride ends up being too harsh, you could always use a rear mountain bike shock or seatpost shock under the seat (pivot at the front, shock at the rear) Even something off of a Huffy level bike (i.e. free or close to it) would work.
It won't be. :)
The suspension is not for comfort, but to make the wheels compliant enough to accurately track changes in the attitude of the track without the flanges climbing up from the inside surface of the rails and derailing.
Trains aren't like off road riding. ;) They're precision steel wheels rolling on 10 foot continuous sections of smooth steel rail tops.
 
#39 · (Edited)
I know I've watched those videos of the terror trolly speed rides and she didn't look like a comfortable ride. It's too cool that you're building this.

I've got 4 acres and could go absolutely nuts with something like this, but I think my wife would kill me. She's already pretty tolerant of my current layout plans so I don't think I'll push my luck.;)

Seeing as how you're using valve springs (chevy smallblock?)

You mentioned washers to keep the springs centered - have you thought about valve spring retainers? maybe a little more expensive but they do a great job in valvetrain of keeping everything straight.....

http://paceperformance.com/i-6042259-steel-valve-spring-retainers-competition-cams-787-16.html
 
#41 · (Edited)
I know I've watched those videos of the terror trolly speed rides and she didn't look like a comfortable ride. It's too cool that you're building this.
"Terror trolley"... that's funny! :laugh:

But did you see the track? I think the uncomfortability was mostly the fear of loss of life. I sure hope I can do better.

I've got 4 acres and could go absolutely nuts with something like this, but I think my wife would kill me. She's already pretty tolerant of my current layout plans so I don't think I'll push my luck.;)
Wow... 4 whole acres! What a luxury of potential railroad space. I only have 1/4 acre so the oval can only be about 40x 60.

Just get a few pieces of track, put them on your land, and see if she notices. ;)

Seeing as how you're using valve springs (chevy smallblock?)
I don't know. They're just over an inch in diameter. I just got the cheapest ones I could find on ebay since I'm adapting them to an unintended use which is far below their mechanical capacity.

You mentioned washers to keep the springs centered - have you thought about valve spring retainers? maybe a little more expensive but they do a great job in valvetrain of keeping everything straight.....

http://paceperformance.com/i-6042259-steel-valve-spring-retainers-competition-cams-787-16.html
Ebay had sets which included retainers, but they were a lot more expensive. Simple washers are way cheaper and they'll get the job done. It's not like the springs are going to be ocilliating thousands of times per minute. ;)
 
#42 ·
For what you're using them for, you could even use junkyard springs and get them from a pick-and-pull parts place for next to nothing with the retainers included. (If you decide to expand your rolling stock that may be a good route to go)

Property is cheap here in the Detroit area and I was fortunate enough to pick this up at a great deal (lost on the house I sold, but it was a trade I was willing to go with.) Reduced the size of the house and increased the property.

I could spend a fortune filling up my yard.:laugh:

Front yard goes all the way to the pole at the corner and the farthest line of trees



Back yard directly behind the house



Far back yard - future location of 12x20 shed and 40x60 pole barn. Yard goes all the way to the trees in the distance.

 

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#44 ·
For what you're using them for, you could even use junkyard springs and get them from a pick-and-pull parts place for next to nothing with the retainers included. (If you decide to expand your rolling stock that may be a good route to go)

Property is cheap here in the Detroit area and I was fortunate enough to pick this up at a great deal (lost on the house I sold, but it was a trade I was willing to go with.) Reduced the size of the house and increased the property.
Nice place, Scott. :):thumbsup:
That's the magic of parity... if you sell low, you get to buy low. More land and less house is always a better deal.

Man, I can see tracks all over that gently rolling well manicured terrain. If you sink the ties, the rails are only an inch high, so you can run a properly set mower right over them.

I filed square holes in the box frame so that the heads of the carriage bolts go down tight and flush now...



...this really firmed up the axle assemblies.

Also cut some plywood for a deck on the MOW car, and am starting to assemble the first track section. It's slow going as I'm learning a method of how to do it...





Wow, the car really rolls easy. There is no rolling resistance,:eek: and even on a small slope in just a few feet, the car accelerates rapidly. This is going to be one scary ride. Maybe I'll call it Terror Trolley Two! :laugh:
 
#43 · (Edited)
Nice spread you got there Scott! Looks to be fairly flat with lots of usable land! 4 acres is a lot of land to work with!
I agree with Choo Choo set up some tracks and See if she notices!;):laugh:
I have 12.58 acres and we are looking to expand! I'm looking at 40 to 60 acres for our next place. Small house just a lot of land and one huge train Building!:D
 
#47 ·
Are those some sort of molded plastic / pvc ties??? Ya' got about a billion of 'em there!

So what set the actual track gauge at each tie? Is the gauge pre-molded into the tie in way of where the dogs are attached???

Cheers,

TJ
There's over 700 ties...
...and they are made out of some kind of hard molded composite. The gauge is 7 1/2 inches, but the combination tie plates and rail gauge are 7 5/8 inches because the curve radius is only 12 1/2 feet...

...I was advised that the extra width helps on the curves. Oh, and the gauge is measured from inside rail edge to inside rail edge, and not from center to center.

Greg
 
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