composite beds for tranporting loco?

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wa6mdi
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:22 am

composite beds for tranporting loco?

Post by wa6mdi »

Hi,

I am on the verge of getting rid of my old 96 Ford Ranger and upgrading to a 2017 Tacoma with a 6 foot bed. Just found out the bed is composite. Digging a little further I find that Honda and Toyota have apparently been using this material for some time now.

Question for the group please, has anyone had any experience with the new material transporting 600 to 1000 pound locos? I have a 1/2 inch sheet of plywood with two 1/2 inch oak fir strips tacked down to 7.5 inch width. My concern is two areas, first the tailgate and second securing the loco to the existing tie down ports. I do not intend to put the weight of the loco on the tailgate as I have a 3 foot sheet of steel to bridge from the engine stand across tailgate and directly to the plywood.

Wonder if anyone has any feed back on this new material please.

Thanks

Dick
Glenn Brooks
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Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: composite beds for tranporting loco?

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Dick, couple of guys in our club have a similar set up to that you describe. They tie down the front and rear of the loco directly to the plywood, using eyes thru bolted to the plywood (thru bolts, no screws) also I think they use a steel backing plate 6-7" long to increase and spread the load of the tie downs. The front tie down is an adjustable screw affair with a hook on the end. So they just tension the adjustable nut to snug the loco right to the attachment point. Same with the rear. Saves using tie down straps or ropes over the top of the engine.

If memory serves they also use 1" angle iron screwed to the plywood in lieu of oak firing strips. Much more robust. And much less chance of breakage, fracturing the "rails".

Glenn
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Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

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SZuiderveen
Posts: 530
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 12:03 am
Location: Baltimore

Re: composite beds for tranporting loco?

Post by SZuiderveen »

This isn't quite as fancy as what Glenn describes, but it has worked for me for over ten years. A sheet of 1/2" exterior grade plywood on the bottom. Three strips of 1/2" exterior grade plywood on top, can be fastened with construction adhesive and some deck screws, because what comes next really does the job. The space between the strips is gage (7 1/2") wide. I do not bother with any aluminum or steel angle, because I actually like the equipment to "dig" into the plywood a little bit. At the four corners of each track, I place a 3/8 eyebolt with a 3/8 T-nut on the bottom side of the plywood through a 1x4 cross cleat. So far, haven't found the need for extra backing plate to keep the eyebolt where it belongs. While the equipment can be lashed down to the eyebolts, on short trips I often pack between the headboard and the tailgate with 2x4s and 4x4s, or the plastic milk crate full of firing up tools.
caboose a.jpg
Photo is not very artistic, wasn't taken for this post. Cabin car is on trucks now, can put photos of that up later as soon as it gets lettered. If I would have painted plywood of the rig with good deck enamel once in a while, it would look nicer.

Another advantage of this rig is it was once placed on the floor of a rental van to get a loco and three stacked gons to one of the big steam events in Owosso, MI some ten years ago. Very portable, if you have 4x8 floor space.

Steve
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