Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

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Bill C
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by Bill C »

“T” Nuts through the plywood, wide face on bottom side.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by Bill Shields »

Concerned about crash momentum?
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by Greg_Lewis »

And how is the plywood board attached to the vehicle?
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by Bill Shields »

matters not if bolts are attached to plywood...that is the limiting material.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Bill C
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by Bill C »

Each person needs to find the safety solutions that work best for them.

I have been using safety ratchet straps crisscrossing the whole cargo area. My straps are connected to built-in anchor points provided by the vehicle manufacturer in the rear corners, looped thru locomotive chassis parts and then hooked up to the seat bases of the rear passenger seats. Ratchet straps are tightened and loose ends tied.

Personally, I also place (pack) towels and moving blankets between the rolling stock to protect their paint and reduce the rattling noise.
Bill C
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by Bill C »

This thread reminded me of one of my favorite photos.

Not sure who this is, but the locomotive looks familiar! Is this Mr. Harpur, original designer of what became the Allen Mogul?

My great-aunt had a car like this, but not set up to haul Livesteam equipment.
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Mike Walsh
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by Mike Walsh »

I think it's safe to say that either the backseat is not installed, or he does not care about his upholstery... :)
trainriders
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by trainriders »

Sorry, no photos, but thats the way my dad hauled his 0-4-0 Marie Estelle in his Chrysler Newport before he bought an F-150. He took out the back seat and laid a section of track. Of course the little 0-4-0 could be carried by 2 people.
piedmontg
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Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by piedmontg »

Hi
I just went through all my photos and do not have a picture of the 1993 ¾ ton Ford Extended length Econovan that I custom built for hauling my 1 ½ locomotive (Atlantic), four cars, a caboose, and the site “stuff”.

Let me try and describe it, but first my requirements. It was for only two people, needed to be very comfortable for traveling, as safe a tie down system as possible, easily reconfigured to use for hauling other items – ie used as a van.

I purchased a unequipped type van ie one that had no seats, not sure what it was called exactly but one that was usually sent to a custom Van place. I had the van place put in custom 8 way captain seats. That is all I had them do, as that made it legally driveable.

I left about 15” space behind the seats and then took a 6 x 6 x 3/8 steel angle which was bolted to the frame. This provided the coupler attachment (actually bolted the drawbar to it) and a solid wall to prevent engine from sliding forward. There was also a wall between the front and the back made of 1 ½ x 3 x ¼ channel covered with plywood. This again to slow down any loose items. I arranged the floor so three tracks could be placed across. Now for the trick. I laid down ¾ plywood floor first on top of all those ridges. I then laid down ¼ “ x ½” strips of hot rolled for the track except for the last 6”. Tempered Masonite ¼” thick was used to fill in between the rails and elsewhere thus creating a total flat surface for the entire area except for the flange spacing. The center track was dual gauge for a one inch locomotive. At the back of the truck bed I bolted a 2 ½ x 1 ½ deep x 49 ½ long machined piece of aluminum that matched up with the floor and the top of the track. The bar just went across the very back where the doors opened, the floor inside went to the walls. For the first 6” into the bed I used ¼” aluminum plate with space for the flanges. As for spacing, I was only planning on carrying one locomotive. It would be on the driver side and I left a bit more space for it. In reality I carried a second locomotive on the passenger side several times ie a friends when we went together. The rough spacing is as follows: 4”,3/8”,6 15/16”, 3/8”,9 ¾”,3/8”,6 15/16”,3/8”,9 3/16”,3/8”,6 15/16”, 3/8”,3 ½”. The 3/8 are for the flanges for lining up. On the main bed the width was about 3/16” if I recall. There was a lip on the front for whatever transfer table plate was used. The reason for all of this is when loading the equipment the engine / car may not line up exact and you can slide it around on the aluminum to get wheel to drop into track slots. No worry about engine or cars falling off an piece of track once inside the van. Last item on the floor was a number of tie downs that went to the frame and bolted down, ie all tie downs went through the floor and used large washers for bolting up. They were designed with threaded couplers even with the top of the floor. I had special tie downs that threaded into them. I kept that back section when I sold the van so you can see the pictures of it. I only had a few of the aluminum 6” plates left, but you get the idea.

I am not going to explain the second floor too much other than I had channel bolted the length of the van on each side. Two channels were connected across with bolts. Three “track sections” could be put up made of 1” square tube and bolted. The cars went on these. They were designed at the front with a coupler catch ie a pocket the coupler went in, at the rear tied down again at the coupler. I had hooks that fie over an axle on each truck that pulled it down tight on the rail. I never had a problem with a car coming off. The cars were gondola type and occasionally passenger type.

Hope this gives you some ideas. Sorry I never took a photo, I know folks at various tracks I went to did shoot some pictures.

Bob

Here are pics, only 6 of them other three in next post
Rear-Bar-v1.jpg
Rear-Bar-v-2.jpg
Rear-Bar-v-3.jpg
Rear-Bar-v-4.jpg
Rear-Bar-v-5.jpg
Rear-Bar-v-6.jpg
piedmontg
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Location: Hills of Illinois

Re: Suggestions on transporting 7.5" equipment

Post by piedmontg »

Here are last three showing spacing.
Rear-Bar-v-7.jpg
Rear-Bar-v-8.jpg
Rear-Bar-v-9.jpg
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