Trackman 2000 help??????? N and even Z scale

[u18b]

Anybody willing to loan a Trackman 2000 for the good of everyone?

Here's the deal.
--Original Manufacturer had a tragic fire.  Sold the product to new person.
--New owner owns all the patents, copyrights etc- but did not necessarily have products in his hand.
--Easily found larger scales samples.  Got dimensions and has been selling O and G.   This is his bread and butter.  These people love his product.  Very popular.
--When I was first working on my track cleaning car article, I contacted him.  No N, but hopefully "soon."   Over a year later, still no product.  I quit waiting and finished my article using a borrowed Trackman (no longer available to me).
--Article comes out and new Manufacturer sees his product- whoa!  That guy was serious.   Hmmmmm.
--Yesterday he calls me and explains.....
--He made some rough drafts in N scale, but at shows or a long time (year or so) he only sold about two.  And when people asked him about it, his impression was they only really wanted a free sample.  Conclusion- most money made in big scales, there is not much demand in N.
--Of course he could be wrong or he could be right.  I told him I would help.

But as a result of my article, he'd like to go ahead and have the ability to do small runs of N  and  Z.  But he needs someone to loan him an N  and a Z Trackman.   These are machined, not cast.  So they are labor intensive. And apparently no product survived the fire.

So would anyone like to lend him your Trackman 2000 in N scale and Z if possible?  He will take measurements and photos and then return it to you.  He said he's already made a design change to the pad.  So he wants to continue and improve the product.

Ron

If you have one, you know what it looks like.  But if not, here it is:
http://www.outdoorrailways.com/Products/Trackman/trackman2000_Ngauge.jpg

[bill pearce]

Don't understand. This looks so simple. It could be made with some basic pieces of bar and round stock and some screws. It could be built with a drill press and a hacksaw or chopsaw. Springs will probably be the big problem. Good how to aritcle for a magazine.

[LN2800]

I'm a machinist, and that looks like something I could whip up in a half an hour, tops.... excluding paint/powder coating.   (Just saying for sake of observation, I'm not an independent contractor and I would not be able to make them for you or anybody else)

[PJPickard]

I'm also a machinist, and work for myself so I could make them! And indeed it looks so simple, if he has no pec on the spring you would have to play around with them to find the right one.

Where is the article?

Paul

[DKS]

In principle it's the same concept as the type that utilizes a pad with two nails inserted into holes in the underframe of a standard boxcar. So, for me it begs the question what advantage this design provides. If anything, it looks rather overengineered for the job...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

But I believe that Ron is working on an article about the item itself, so he'd need the real thing.

If I had one to lend ya, I would.

[u18b]

Ed, I appreciate you saying that.

Guys, I'm glad this is so easy to make.
But the simple request is-  the new owner wants an original.  His reasons are his own.  I guess we could say-- why does he need an original when it is so easy to make?  But it doesn't seem weird to me for him to want an original.

Remember, he's not the machinist.  Someone else makes them.  And that person may know nothing about trains.

I'm just passing along a simple request.  Anybody have one out there?

And also by the way, notice that the responses to this thread may indicate what the new owner was suspecting- that there is just not much interest in N scale.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with your responses-  just that it confirms what the new owner's experience has been.

And as for my article- it is in the last issue of N-Scale (Nov/Dec 2012), so it is done.

And also, what makes this car a bit unique is the WEIGHT  (more than just a pad with two nails) and the design which helps it track well with so much weight.  Like many things in life, after something is made (think Frisbee), everyone can say- that was simple, I could have made that.  But the point is- no one had until that moment.  And a simple design is still patent-able (assuming this even has a patent).

I appreciate everyone taking time to read this.

[Philip H]

Ron,
I'm not sure that responses here would tell you whether there is demand or not - folks seemed to be reacting to the manufacturing process need.  Having read your articles Iook this design, but with a switching layout that has lots of back and forth, I'm not sure this particular model would meet my needs because I don't know how well a car like this (or any other pad type car) would work being pulled back and forth over short distances.

 

[u18b]

Phillip, you are exactly right.

This car- like the Aztec cars, is not well suited for back and forth short distances.
But shines on the main line.

Although I will say that because of the weight, it would clean more than an Aztec car over short distances.
It cleans more than a Roco pad as well.

But not as good as bright boy by hand (obviously).

This thing really is pretty heavy.  I noted in the article that it requires a fairly hefty loco to pull it.
Well suited to something like an E8.

[DKS]

...what makes this car a bit unique is the WEIGHT  (more than just a pad with two nails)...

A couple of blocks of lead inside the boxcar, and maybe a couple on the rods holding the pad, would take care of the weight aspect. I'm not being argumentative; I'm just offering the perspective that it may not have much of an advantage over a boxcar/pad type cleaner, and would certainly involve much more in the way of labor and materials to produce. I know that for myself, if I had a large layout, I'd opt for a boxcar type cleaner as being both more economical and less of an eyesore.

I'm not sure that responses here would tell you whether there is demand or not - folks seemed to be reacting to the manufacturing process need.  Having read your articles Iook this design, but with a switching layout that has lots of back and forth, I'm not sure this particular model would meet my needs because I don't know how well a car like this (or any other pad type car) would work being pulled back and forth over short distances.

Philip, I do know from experience that a boxcar/pad type cleaner does pretty well on switching layouts. If it's not weighted down, it doesn't present any serious performance issues.

[Zox]

I might have one of these; at least I've got something similar.

Hopefully I can dig it out this weekend...

[Ian MacMillan]

A couple of blocks of lead inside the boxcar, and maybe a couple on the rods holding the pad, would take care of the weight aspect. I'm not being argumentative; I'm just offering the perspective that it may not have much of an advantage over a boxcar/pad type cleaner, and would certainly involve much more in the way of labor and materials to produce. I know that for myself, if I had a large layout, I'd opt for a boxcar type cleaner as being both more economical and less of an eyesore.

Philip, I do know from experience that a boxcar/pad type cleaner does pretty well on switching layouts. If it's not weighted down, it doesn't present any serious performance issues.

I have a few of these cars myself. I just found the ones I had built years ago and am about to put them back in service. They work really well.   I also picked up the staple Centerline to tow behind and pick up the gunk.

[LN2800]

In principle it's the same concept as the type that utilizes a pad with two nails inserted into holes in the underframe of a standard boxcar. So, for me it begs the question what advantage this design provides. If anything, it looks rather overengineered for the job...

I second this. In fact, I could imagine how it might not even work as well as the ol' Masonite pad boxcar trick....It looks kind of top heavy to my eyes. I would like to see one in action, just for curiosity's sake.

[Zox]

Hopefully I can dig it out this weekend...

Okay, I found it:



PM me with the details, please. Hopefully he doesn't need it for a week or so, as we've got a "Christmas Garden" setup we're doing next weekend and we may need the car...

[SkipGear]

The design makes perfect sense to me. All of the weight is on the pad, minus what the springs take away to keep enough pressure on the trucks to keep them tracking. It is different than the boxcar with a pad dangling under it.I've made plenty of those and the work fine, this just takes the weight on the pad to the extreme. The only weight on the trucks is what is provided by the springs, just like the spring on the pilot truck of a steam loco.