12" working railroad

Discuss park gauge trains and large scale miniature railways having track gauges from 8" to 24" gauge and designed at scales of 2" to the foot or greater - whether modeled for personal use, or purpose built for amusement park operation or private railroading.

Moderators: Glenn Brooks, Harold_V

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Topics may include: antique park gauge train restoration, preservation, and history; building new grand scale equipment from scratch; large scale miniature railway construction, maintenance, and safe operation; fallen flags; track, gauge, and equipment standards; grand scale vendor offerings; and, compiling an on-line motive power roster.
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Atkinson_Railroad
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by Atkinson_Railroad »

In looking at your construction photos at https://imageshack.us/user/rkcarguy
I’ve wanted to chime in on your imaginative thinking behind achieving some very nice results.

Your construction approach reminds me of my grandfather, who would often start a project in the middle,
or at the end, eventually getting to the beginning.

What’s your plan of attack to mimic the headlight form into the locomotive’s front hood as shown
in your photos of the prototype?

John
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by rkcarguy »

Appreciate the Kudos.
I'm calling that part the "lump" on the hood. I'm going to use a couple quadrants of pipe for the radius portions, and plate across the top and ends. The sides will have angle riveted in, that will attach via small screws just like the full size one bolts on. It will be a bit of work, probably the hardest feature of the body to make. Rivets, JB weld, and probably some bondo will get it looking how I need it to.
I guess I am building things backwards in a way, but I have enough storage for probably 400' of pre-made track panels and my locomotive/riding car, so when I start construction in the spring it's going to go together pretty quick.
I plan to stockpile gravel, and hope to clear, level, and rough grade gravel about 300' of ROW every time I have the rental dozer.
Glenn Brooks
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Rick,

What tool did you use to cut sheet metal? I don't have a big shear, And really don't have the room, or enuf use, for one.

However I did see some guy on a Utube video use some kind of jig saw. But it looked like a heavy duty, specialized unit. So Iam wondering about looking for a heavier duty jig saw to cut heavier gauge sheet metal for the tender I need to build. I've never had much success with my light weight hatchi jig saw - breakers blades constantly.

Thanks
Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

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

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by rkcarguy »

I have access to a 12' shear at work, and have been using a 1/3rd HP craftsman bench-top band saw for the smaller parts and circles at home. I can cut circular parts down to 3" in diameter on the little band saw without breaking the blade. For things that I've had to cut in place, I'll run a line with a sharpie and use my skill saw with a carbide tipped blade. For making holes in the center of pieces, I use the harbor freight "body saw", drill a start hole, and then finish it out to scribed lines by hand with a file ugh. This is all on aluminum however, if I had to use steel I'd be doing all my cuts at work or have a "kit" laser cut. Any small modifications or cuts could be done with an angle grinder and cut off wheel, I also have a friction saw so I can cut/miter-cut tube pipe and angle in it.
One can do a lot with an angle grinder and cut-off wheel in thin steel, just remember to only cut so its pulling away from you so it doesn't kick back and eat parts of your body.
Glenn Brooks
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Thanks Rick, I've been looking at an old big iron 16" vertical bandsaw on Craigslist - set up for dual speed wood and metal cutting with a variable speed D.C. motor, for general home shop cutting of angle iron, plate and shaped parts, etc. apparently it has adjustable table and a bolt on fence extension. trouble is it's $450 . Expensive Due to it being a 20th century cast iron collector's tool.

Also thinking again about a hyper term plasma cutter. It's $1800 with tax new. So big ticket items for a small number of parts. This would do everything except leave smooth edges.

I've already got an old school Jet power hacksaw which does a great job cutting stock, just takes all afternoon to part off blanks. Also a chop saw with 14" abrasive wheel, and a newish little machine shop miniature horizontal bandsaw. Again, ok for lopping off blanks from lengths of steel, but none of these tools really allows shaping or countouring of angle iron, metal tubing or round stock. Whack off the needed length, not much use for sheet metal shaping either.

Also have my old school oxy/ acetylene torch that I could add a small nozzle for cutting thin stuff.

Maybe I need to rethink a bench top shear of some sort. Or make up a mounting bracket and flat bench to hold an upside down jig saw to push thin sheet through a metal reciprocating blade. Saw a guy on u tube do that with a couple of SS hose clamps welded to a piece of 1/4" flat bar, clamped in a vise. Actually, I think he used the flat jaws of the jig saw as the table.

So,far the nearest actual metal working shop I've found is in downtown Seattle - in SODO district near Safeco field. Looong ways to drive to have the occasional piece of sheet metal cut and formed. Plus what's the fun it that.

Maybe a little bench shear is what I actually need.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

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

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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NP317
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by NP317 »

Glenn:
This reminded me that I've been cutting steel sheet metal for the running boards ++ of my 1/8th scale Mikado, using my battery-powered Riobi jig saw with metal cutting blades. I just make sure that the metal being cut is well supported on either side of the cut. Then... it cuts right thru. Noisy, but functional. Wear ear plugs...
The cut edge cleans up nicely with a cheapo vertical belt sander, plus edge de-burring.
~RN
Glenn Brooks
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Thanks Russ, I've got an old jig saw. Think I will drag it out and buy some blades. See how it works.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

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

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by rkcarguy »

I love making stuff myself and getting the equipment to do so, but sometimes it doesn't make sense. We just got AutoCAD 2018 at work, so I can draw the parts I need and send them to the laser cutter. Next time they run that plate thickness they just drop it in where it fits and it's very well done and cheap. For example, I had a bunch of 3/8" plates cut to a 2 bolt thermostat housing type pattern, they would have taken me hours to make one by hand, they were $3 each from the laser cutter.
I've actually been working on a drawing for laser cut trucks for my freight cars, that will take my pillow block flange bearings and basically tab together with just a few welds.
I found the jig-saw to wander a bit but it worked ok. The body saw from harbor freight actually worked pretty well, it's like an electric turkey carving knife for metal lol.
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by rkcarguy »

For the jigsaw, the Milwaukee (spelling?) brand blades work really well. If you have variable speed they like to run a bit slow, use lube and put a decent "chip load" on it. Full speed burns the teeth up pretty quick.
rkcarguy
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Location: Wa State

Re: 12" working railroad

Post by rkcarguy »

I haven't done a whole lot with my locomotive, but drew up all my wheel, hub, and disc parts in autocad and got them sent off the laser cutter.
My wheels will be 7" disc's of 3/4" plate, with 3/8 plate flanges welded to the backside. Instead of sizing the inner hole for the flanges for the 1" axle , I made them 4-1/2" inside and got my sprocket hubs out of that dropout. This will allow more weld, a nice fillet weld, closer to the side load area of the flange, and less heat deformation and potential run-out at the axles. I don't want the flange to wheel inside radius to be a varying hardness lumpy steel weld I have to machine down, so I want to braze this area after I've welded the flanges to the wheels.
Each truck is going to have a 6" disc which will utilize a pair of automotive rear disc brake calipers, that will be air over hydraulic with the e-brake handle/cables as manual backup.
I'm leaving the air/hydraulic linkage open to having it sprung, with air pressure releasing the brakes, or with air pressure applying the brakes. Both having their ups and downs obviously. With air applying, I'd be able to adjust the pressure up the more heavily loaded I am. With springs applying, I'd have a fixed amount of braking only adjustable by changing the springs, but it would be safer because if the air failed I'd come to a stop.
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by rkcarguy »

For the next couple weeks I'm going to be doing a garage cleanout and setup things better for the eventual assembly and fabrication of the locomotive frame. I have a 16' aluminum boat clogging up the same bay of the garage, I've decided I'll remove the outboard and it will go back outside.
I'm then going to take one of my 10' sections of track, build some support structure under it, and use it as a bench for building my locomotive so when I'm done it can be rolled right into my 1-ton. (Tailgate is about 30" high).
Work was kind enough to gift me some fire cloth that came back from a jobsite, it's like tarp like material that doesn't burn, I'll be using it to protect the wood ties/structure and other things in the garage from sparks and spatter when I start welding.
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" working railroad

Post by rkcarguy »

We had a little lull in the shop today, got one of the guys to roll the roof for my cab:)
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