The Home Machinist!

Finally decided to go with tapered roller bearings on the axles but the inner diameter on the bearings would not allow me to use my real trains Wheels! So I must order new steel for wheels and axles so I should be back working on this by the middle of April

How will you power this locomotive? Looks like you need about a 2' long four cylinder engine...diesel! Like a Kohler 23 HP Diesel Engine With Electric Start KDW1003-1001 - it's 20.25" long but only three cylinders...

BC

Hello BC!! Original plan was to put a Kohler 8 horsepower in cab couple to Eaton hydrostatic 11 pump then a single hydraulic motor between the axles. New plan is to experiment with a motor on each axle 24 volt if not successful I will put a single motor with 2 horsepower and a 4 QD controller.

Ordered 1 inch by 8 inch bar stock 8 inches long 4 pieces to cut the Wheels out of on the rotary table, Plus 1 3/8
Cold rolled for the axles will pick up Friday if you're wondering how much the steel cost 3 dollars

The guys at Richland Steel where I have been getting steel from for a long time said that in February 2020, typical hot rolled or cold rolled shape steel (angle, channel, rectangular tubing, flat bar, etc...) was running at about $0.45 per pound. Back about a month ago, it was running $0.95 per pound! That's just for the steel, in common shapes and sizes that most yards would keep in stock. Not including any cutting charges, taxes, etc... No telling how much specialty shapes or alloys have gone up!

Ernie, great start on your Loco. If it helps any, the local steelyard near me said their price just went up 3x, from what it was last year.

Btw, Iam working on a center cab ET -electric train - restore. I sourced a couple of used forklift traction motors for next to nothing from our local electric vehicle club forum. They make ideal traction motors if you can fit them into the frame . Look for the series wound 36-72v style . Needs more batteries but uses smaller wiring with less current flow, the higher the voltage...

Glenn

Work today on roughing out a square into a round wheel blank 1 down 3 to go

For those wheels do you have any places that specializes in doing CNC flame cutting? When I needed the frames for my locomotive I looked into buying the metal as bar stock but it was far cheaper burned from plate and it also comes in near net shape. I think half the cost on 1x8 steel bar offs just the cost of stocking it for the few odd guys that need 1x8 and can't get something burned from plate

Three down one to go then we need to figure out how to hold them in my little 9 inch South Bend so I can bore out the center to 1.250". I did consider having them plasma cut out but I didn't want to surface the front or back of them just because of possible warpage??

Finally made up my mind after the four blanks are were roughed out! Easier just to cut a recess on the backside of the wheel .250 deep so able to hold in three jaw Chuck instead of trying to buy another Chuck. outside diameter is turned to 7 1/2 in finished diameter will be at the flange 7.250, also need to bore out to 1.250 only two are roughed out flat belt decided to give up the ghost on the Old South Bend.

Trip to AutoZone to get a 34 inch serpentine belt lathe is back in action and Bulletproof

Been playing with bearings spacing