The Home Machinist!

Hi folks,

Yesterday, I did a test run of my 7-1/2" gauge battery Passenger Motor and a couple of my Heywood pattern cars. The couplers are fabrications I made to couple to either Heywood "hook" or Link & Pin couplers. I'm waiting on the paint to harden on the Motor so that I can add the vinyl lettering.

Enjoy,

Mike Decker

Erskine Tramway wrote:Hi folks,

Yesterday, I did a test run of my 7-1/2" gauge battery Passenger Motor and a couple of my Heywood pattern cars. The couplers are fabrications I made to couple to either Heywood "hook" or Link & Pin couplers. I'm waiting on the paint to harden on the Motor so that I can add the vinyl lettering.

Enjoy,

Mike Decker

Hi Mike, nice... Can you take a little closer pic of the drive mechanism? I'm working on a EMD Model 40, and would love to see how you did yours..
John

Here ya go, John:

This is the underside view. I didn't build it, it's a "custom wheelbase" store bought from Roy Stevens at "Ride Trains": http://ridetrains.net/mmc-chassis.htm When I got it, I was still railroading and didn't have enough free time to build my own. I just built the body to go on it.

Mike

Yesterday, I finished the lettering on the Passenger Motor. I have to wire the marker lights and install them, but the Motor is basically finished. I'm thinking about a canopy roof, but that will wait until the weather gets bad and I have to work inside.

Today, I plan to do some welding on the Gas-Mechanical "Lister" style loco that's next in line. It's modified from my original design, so I need to add a couple parts to the pedestal assemblies.

Enjoy.

Mike

Yesterday, I took the Passenger Motor out for a run. I was pushing one of my Heywood wagons with my "track surfacing" car on it. I clamped momma's Nikon to the end panel and took this movie. The ride isn't really as rough as it looks, the camera is heavy, and the mount meant for a spotting scope. The only really rough spot was just before the "Erskine Junction" switch, where I ran over some ballast that got kicked up on the rail, it still stayed on the track though

http://youtu.be/xifV-2Yh-t8



Enjoy,

Mike

Finally, the Point Levers are all painted. So, I installed a couple at the "throat" of the yard. Now it looks like a Heywood railway

Enjoy,

Mike

I often wonder if people Really look at the photos. So, I`ll ask, is the handle on your loco speed control a Window crank. I have one for controller that looks just like it.
chooch

chooch wrote:I often wonder if people Really look at the photos. So, I`ll ask, is the handle on your loco speed control a Window crank. I have one for controller that looks just like it.
chooch

No, Chooch. It's a 4" cast aluminum machinery crank from McMaster-Carr, or Reid Supply, I forget which. It was "blank", so I polished it some, drilled it for the shaft and drilled and tapped for a set screw. I was going to paint it black when I did the Point Levers, but I forgot. I'll get it some other time

Mike

Thanks Mike,
Looked similar. While your train, or of any other one might looks great, I many times find the little things as well as the background of a picture, "especially" your décor block wall very eye catching. That is a Work of beauty in itself.
I have some small RR spikes were used on a park train railroad about a 5/16th shank that I have used on the speed (potentiometer) as a handle.
chooch

Chooch.......

Thanks, there are about 2000 blocks in the wall. I built it over several years as I could afford a pallet or two. Here's a picture of the "block train" while it was under construction.

And.....here's a mock up of what's "under the hood" for controls. The "pot" controls the "SyRen 50" circuit board speed, and the stem on an old "Centralab" 6-position rotary switch slots into it. I kept the detent wheel to give me "notches". The Motor goes way too fast on full throttle, so the restricted rotation angle keeps the top speed down to something more reasonable.

Mike

I did a little track surfacing yesterday, in preparation for hauling firewood this weekend. Here's what Erskine Junction looked like when I finished.

Mike

I had the Heywood cars out today for a few runs with the Passenger Motor

Enjoy,

Mike