12" gage truck sides

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.

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Glenn Brooks
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Very nice, I think you nailed it! I like the cutouts, with the contoured edges. Much more prototypical looking than the original Ottaway side frames. Also the sprung bolsters will give a nice ride. Might be worthwhile to review the Tim Bee assembly video to see how he made up the recess/journals for holding the springs in place. Iam thinking there’s a lip on the end of the spring plate to keep them from sliding sideways under load. I can look at that and experiment with machining something once my loco reassembly is finished later this week.

Spent two days getting 4 #12 threaded pins inserted into my little brass handrail stanchions on the boiler - so all the rest of the hardware and plumbing would go back on.

Glenn
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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....
Mike Walsh
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by Mike Walsh »

Any reason of going with laser cut over water or plasma cut? Could go with a very rough cut edge with water and get it done faster. Laser would probably be more expensive, I'd think!
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by rkcarguy »

I reviewed a couple truck assembly video's, they popped the springs in using a clamp to compress them, and then with them still compressed, inserted a little "keeper". It's like a piece of flat bar with a groove in it the width of the truck side plate, so it can't move in the pocket once the spring pressure is on it.
I have seen them with and without pockets for the end of the springs to sit in. I think I'd prefer pockets, but I'll have to look into them having drain holes so they don't fill up with water.
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by rkcarguy »

I get a pretty good deal on laser when they have open spots as "infill" work. Also, laser can go to half the hole size of the plate thickness, whereas hi-def plasma and water jet are 1:1 at best. This is important because I can get the bolt holes, grease fitting hole, and grease port hole cut while they are doing the rest, so the parts are pretty much ready to go off the cutting table.
Glenn Brooks
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Yep, I like the pocket idea as well. Wouldn’t take much to mill a slight recession to take the springs. Drill a drain hole through the the bottom to let water out. I could do the mill work in my shop. Wouldn’t take much to do.

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" gage truck sides

Post by rkcarguy »

Sounds good. I'm thinking using 3/8x1 or 1-1/4 wide aluminum flat bar, mill a 3/8 wide groove down the bottom, and plunge the proper diameter end-mill in from the top to make the pockets. Could be done to a longer piece, then cut it up in the chop saw.
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by rkcarguy »

retainer.jpg
Sketch
rkcarguy
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by rkcarguy »

AAR.jpg
Drew this up for my locomotive. I have some channel for the truck sides already machined, but these would look a heck of a lot better.
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Steggy
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by Steggy »

rkcarguy wrote:Sounds good. I'm thinking using 3/8x1 or 1-1/4 wide aluminum flat bar, mill a 3/8 wide groove down the bottom, and plunge the proper diameter end-mill in from the top to make the pockets. Could be done to a longer piece, then cut it up in the chop saw.
How do you plan to prevent the end of the springs from wallowing out the aluminum?
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
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rkcarguy
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by rkcarguy »

BigDumbDinosaur wrote:
rkcarguy wrote:Sounds good. I'm thinking using 3/8x1 or 1-1/4 wide aluminum flat bar, mill a 3/8 wide groove down the bottom, and plunge the proper diameter end-mill in from the top to make the pockets. Could be done to a longer piece, then cut it up in the chop saw.
How do you plan to prevent the end of the springs from wallowing out the aluminum?
They could be made from steel easily enough. I'm not sure it's necessary for my level of use however. Wear will also vary with the loading and spring rates used. A rubber washer could be dropped into each pocket as well. Lots of options there.
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Steggy
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by Steggy »

rkcarguy wrote:
BigDumbDinosaur wrote:
rkcarguy wrote:Sounds good. I'm thinking using 3/8x1 or 1-1/4 wide aluminum flat bar, mill a 3/8 wide groove down the bottom, and plunge the proper diameter end-mill in from the top to make the pockets. Could be done to a longer piece, then cut it up in the chop saw.
How do you plan to prevent the end of the springs from wallowing out the aluminum?
They could be made from steel easily enough. I'm not sure it's necessary for my level of use however. Wear will also vary with the loading and spring rates used. A rubber washer could be dropped into each pocket as well. Lots of options there.
You do understand that coil springs rotate as they are compressed, eh? If I were doing it and committed to using aluminum, I would insert a round steel shim between the spring end and the aluminum seat.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Music isn’t at all difficult.  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!  :D
Glenn Brooks
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Re: 12" gage truck sides

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Ryan, how many springs do you plan on using each side? Iam thinking maybe 2 or three on each side for the riding cars. Might be just as easy to cut thin sections of pipe and spot weld them in place to seat the springs.

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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