New Train Driver

Maz has been anointed... driving paying passengers at Kidstown yesterday.

Change of Spec...

Whilst having time off - building a new kitchen - I have decided that my minimum radius should be 4.0 metres. Some 1:12 and even 1:10 scale multi axle or bogied/trucked locomotives can actually make it around a 4.0 m radius curve - so they say. I cannot go much larger... My VR T Class will be designed accordingly...

Trainee Train Driver

Maz and I have joined Moira Miniature Rail Inc! Real nice bunch, motivated to build their own track at Wunghnu (pronounced one ewe...). They have been raising funds and building track since '09.

We can learn, be legal to operate on other organisation's track, and ... have fun entertaining kids of all sizes. Membership covers liability insurance, and of course requires Working With Children checks.

Numurkah Show the other day was our baptism of... fund raising.  You can spot Maz behind in the marquee - counting heads... or bums - on seats! See Moira Miniature Rail on Facebook for more...

Truss...

I recycled the zig zag wrought iron balustrade from the house into a pair of trusses and made a span of 2.5 m - which will sit level next to the fence and over the slope down to the old willow tree.
The weed mat will go to the fence and under ballast. Sick of weeding around the trees. The potted jade plants will go into the ground.

Track Layout - Lakeside...

Walked around with a tape measure and can of marking paint this morning. Here is a sort of oval with 3.5m radius curves. So that's about 40m of track plus straight all along and parallel to the fence. Two sets of points and a y point... It stays above the slope down to the lake - except for the reversing stub on the truss. Track will continue along the far side of the house...

This is a panorama from the iPhone so is a bit distorted...

Curtis Controller

 Procured a Curtis 24v permanent magnet motor controller $50 from ebay. Would love to be able to program it... Provides all sorts of functionality including regenerative braking.

Something more to play with on return from winter warmup in Tropical Queensland...

Homemade bogies

Just picked up new sides for my attempt at homemade bogies - in the manner of the fabricated one I bought first. Sketched up a Bettendorf style profile with 180mm axle centres drawn in DXF (autocad) for the local plasma cutter. Bearing holes at 25.5mm to be reamed to 26mm to suit type 6000 deep groove sealed ball bearings (26x10x8mm) and with a pivot to be drilled to 10mm and countersunk - in due course; and to weld on a few bits to make proper contour and appearance. Also procured a bunch of bearings for $1 each!
Next problem wheels and axles... in due course!

Livery...

Decided on livery for the S.R.R. - maroon (or heritage red) and gold, with grey roof (or cushion in this case). The sides are 25cm, seat width 25cm and 10cm high density foam, and length 1.5m. Footboards are 10cm wide with black anti slip tape. I recycled some black edging from the boat. The drawbar height is standard for 5" gauge at 8.25cm!

End view shows lift handles left over from making road cases, red Anderson plug - just in case... On the side just behind the end panel are the controls (so far) - speed control knob, direction switch (centre off) and battery master switch. Looking for a Curtis permanent magnet motor controller ( per mobility scooters) to play with...



Last is of undercarriage showing minimal ground clearance of the drive chain.
Standards say 1cm clear of track. I have about 4mm...

All good fun... when I make some more track - after the winter holiday!

Driving Car

Well I have had some 1mm steel folded into sides for a riding car 1500mm long. Welded up a simple frame from mild steel flat and angle, and mounted the bogies - with two polycarbonate discs as bearing surfaces rather than rubbing blocks.

Then, having no prospect of a locomotive in the short term, I decided to motorise the riding car. Had a wheel on each axle press off, chain sprockets fitted on the axles, and wheels replaced. Procured a 250watt 24volt geared motor from Oatley, a $5 speed controller from China, found a couple of switches and cable lying around, and a battery...

Welded a bracket onto the cross bolster, fabricated an adjustable motor mount, installed the bogie and then the chain; voila motorised riding car!

With 12 volts happily carries Maz and me - say 180kg - on the flat. Great traction with me over the driven bogie!!!

Put two truck batteries inside giving 24volts 700CCA - WOW, smoking' Acceleration!!!

Better make the new wagon a bit presentable.

Test Track

I have made a bit of track! Using 20x10mm mild steel bar as rails and 32x5 x250mm flat at 150mm centres as sleepers/ties. Probably a bit wider than needed. I have welded up 4.5m of track in a trial 1.8m timber jig... The welds are on top of the ties. I think I will make a different, steel tube jig and weld on the bottom of the rails. i.e upside down. Have bought a secondhand horizontal bandsaw for all this cutting. Fitting a coolant system too!

Thinking about screwing on treated timber sleepers to 'float' in ballast better... Also thinking about using (expensive) 'Modwood'... Also thinking about machining slots into Modwood/timber and press fitting rails... The reality is that I can only use a few hundred metres of track on our 18x60m block!!!! Some of it will need to be flush with concrete drives and paths (most of which exists already...)

Think I will try to use minimum radius of 3.5m for curves and points/turnouts... oh and have procured a car remote locking servo with about a 25mm throw to try as a points motor (using over-center lock!) Saw some points with moving blade machine out on the inside to clear wheel flange. Nice and strong... Might use lighter bar for guide/guard rails, maybe 20x5...

Lots of thinking...

Bogies... or 'trucks'

I bought a part of 5" gauge bogies through ebay... Mild Steel plate sides and a pivoting 'bolster', good wheels and 6001 sealed metric bearings (12x28x8mm). Should be a fine start...

Genesis...

Model trains have always appealed to me. I still have my first train set, a Buco (Swiss) clockwork O gauge set, (now with Hornby track). Tried N gauge later but could not get my boys interested.

Now that I am giving up other 'hobbys' I intend to build a 5" gauge garden railway at home at Mulwala NSW. I have named the project the "Southern Riverina (Garden) Railway".