The Home Machinist!

Hi Curtis! Can you explain a little more about how this pre-tensioning works. I've seen rail laying done and the lengths of rail are just pulled off the end of the rail train and onto the ballast, and then spiked in place. So is the tensioning done after the rail comes off the train and before spik...

RMI said the train could go down to a 12’ radius. I’m currently at an “18’ radius which is as wide as I can get on this property. This same train ran at a ~15’ radius for over 10 years. I’ll recheck the gauge, but I built all the track panels in a jig. I was going to try some waxed graphite sticks,...

Wondering if Anybody here has tried to use return springs with 12 pound rail, with switches made from 12 pound rail , say 12” or 15” inch gauge? Would this design work at these larger gauges? Thanks, Glenn Hi Glenn... On the R&GN Ry., our 12-pound rail spring switches had an ear welded on the b...

We had a Spring Switch on the standard gauge at West Gillette, Wyo. it's uphill out of the yard, and it saved the possibility of stalling out if you had to slow down to pick up the rear Brakeman after his closing the switch. Some of them were pretty old and couldn't always run fast enough to catch t...

We got an estimate on thermite welding the R&GN Ry. once. The expensive part was getting the molds made to fit the 12-pound rail. In any event, it was waaay too expensive at the time.

Mike

Mr. Ron... I have a wooden bodied 'tram' style locomotive that I use on the Erskine Tramway. The November/December issue of 'Live Steam and Outdoor Railroading' has an article I wrote about 'Sparky'. It's a battery-electric on a Ride Trains 'Mini Motor Car' chassis. 8-30-18 finished.jpg I use it mai...

Mike: What holds those throw levers in position? I'm not familiar with Heywood Point Levers. RussN Hi Russ... The counterweight holds them over. If your switch is smooth enough, and your equipment is heavy enough, they will trail through. Sir Arthur used them three ways. When there was a white stri...

Hi Geochurchi...

People use all kinds of levers, motors and such to control turnouts. I use half-scale Heywood Point Levers.
Mike

Looking at the prototype photo, and the condition of the end sill, makes me think the retainer was there first and the big washer was added later to reinforce the cracking sill. I'll bet the original was circular, like the one on the other side of the brake staff.

Mike

It's interesting where they put the Retaining valve. It must have been to make a straight pipe run from the exhaust port on the K-Triple.

Mike

My 1919ish Koppel '100% American Owned, General Catalog Number One' shows 30-foot radius on their 2-foot gauge portable track. They also had 12-foot radius switches. img563.jpg So, that would probably indicate what was 'standard' at the time. Admittedly, the equipment, cars and locomotives, was prob...

I think Glenn tried this and had trouble with the bolts breaking off. It works though if there is adequate clearance inside the coupler pocket so the bolt doesn't bind as the coupler swings side to side. I believe somewhere in your thread you said those rubber springs were a McMaster-Carr item? I t...