DIY Journal Boxes

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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Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

DIY Journal Boxes

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Recently I started restoring one of my home built yard goats - a 51 year old center cab electric, originally built in 1968 by a retired Great Northern RR hoghead - steam era locomotive engineer. So far, I have found no commercial castings on the loco, just Do-It-Yourself components fabed up by Mr. Griffith, the builder, in his backyard workshop.

Iam particularily impressed by his journal boxes- simple, functional, and DIY made with a few bits and pieces readily available in hardware stores.
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Each journal is made from a 1 1/4” hex nut. Each nut is bored out to accept a double set of roller bearings to support the axles and wheel sets, and has a two piece angle iron top welded on, to mount spring suspension for each wheel. Apparently he made the “top hat” weldment out of two pieces of angle iron, welded together down the center, then cut into 2” lengths on a bandsaw and welded into place, aligning with the outside edges of each hex nut.
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Mr. Griffith also welded a bit of T angle to the sides, so the journals would travel up and down in slots on the pedestals. An inner and outer 2” long spring fit inside one another and sit atop a smaller 5/8” hex nut, spot welded onto the top of the journal.
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So far, I am very impressed with the design, as it is very robust, functional, and very simple to make. These have lasted now 51 years with no visible signs of wear.

The hexagonal sides make a perfect slip fit with pedestals. So, no need for complicated machining.

To jazz things up, I think it would be fairly easy to have some one print off some nice looking journal covers, and weld or braze a little hinge on top to hold them in place. Or, maybe easier, drill and tap a few small screw holes into the body and affix them with machine screws.

An alternative method of assembly might be to silver solder the top and slide pieces to the body. But, a simple tombstone DC stick welder also does a very nice job with these simple components.

Here they are, without paint:
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Hope you enjoy.

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....
RSG
Posts: 1541
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:59 am
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: DIY Journal Boxes

Post by RSG »

Don't know what they do but cool stuff just the same!
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: DIY Journal Boxes

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Thanks, RSG. The journal box is what holds the bearings that supports the ends of the axles on each truck. The journals ride up and down on “pedestals”, e.g. vertical posts that form part of the side frame, and often are buffered by springs to soften the ride.

Here is a bloomberg truck with traditional square journal boxes, having two sets of primary spring suspension, mounted on a model of a prototype, standard gauge truck.
8D294124-227C-4E28-96DA-B04E231A7DF2.png

Personally, I’ve not seen journals made in this hexagonal shape previously. I was a bit dubious about their design at first. But having worked these over, and having pushed the old yard goat around the siding for several years now, have become quite enthusiastic about how rugged these are, and how easy they are to make. Especially for yard switchers or hobby industrial locos.

I plan on posting a follow up picture of the journals mounted in the frames, once the paint dries and I can get them reassembled.

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....
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: DIY Journal Boxes

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Quick followup to show the journal boxes and new pedestal retaining mounts in place on the newly repainted trucks. The trucks are a bit unusual. However, after researching center cab electrics, I found this “Trolly” truck design was widely used on steeplecabs and larger center cab electrics from around 1890 thru the 1940’s - so, faithfully recreated here by the original builder- Eng. Griffeth.

The trucks are DIY also. They consist of welded 1 1/4” angle iron side frames, 1” square stock for the pedestals, and 1” flat bar for the bent reinforcing angles. Side bars and frame stiffeners are made from small 3/4” channel. Again, all welded. Wheels sets 1 1/8” axles, 6.5” steel wheels.
C36F9E05-FFA1-4C66-868F-806B592AFF52.jpeg
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I didn’t like the original two individual 2” long flat bar tabs bolted on both sides of the bottom of each pedestal. These tabs secured the journal boxes and suspension springs in place, however weren’t particularly rigid. So blacksmithed up a bunch of free hand, curved, one piece lower pedestal brackets with my acetylene torch. A single bracket replaces two separate tabs.
Each bracket bolts across the bottom of one pedestal, and is held in place with 5/16” nuts and bolts welded to the bottom of each pedestal leg.

I am thinking I’ll have someone print up some nice looking metallic journal box covers to keep dirt and water out, and hold the bearings more securely in place in the journal assembly.
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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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Adirondack
Posts: 410
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:59 pm
Location: southern CT

Re: DIY Journal Boxes

Post by Adirondack »

Hey Glenn, I can help you with those journal box covers. Message me.

Chris
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heywood flat in progress pre assembly 3 bearings with caps.jpg
Adirondack Car & Foundry
Check out our projects: https://www.facebook.com/ADKrail/
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A little locomotive with 4 wheels on the track is a lot more fun
than a 1/2 finished one with 16 wheels on the bench!
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