Weekend Update 10/23/16

[nkalanaga]

The biggest problem with blind flanges on very sharp curves was the wheels dropping inside, or outside, the rails.  In some cases railroads laid a second rail alongside the running rail just for the blind wheels to ride on.

As Rich said, on straight track the flanges don't touch the rails, and even on curves car flanges shouldn't, if the train's speed is appropriate for the curve, and the curve isn't too sharp.  The tapered tread causes the wheel to move to the outside on the curve, until the larger diameter matches the longer rail on the outside.  If the curve is sharper than the taper will accommodate, the "fillet" between the tread and the flange comes into play, increasing the wheel diameter more, but if the speed is too high, or the curve too sharp, the flange will be forced against the outside rail anyway.  On locos, especially steam, the fact that the wheels are powered, and the alternating side force from the pistons on the steamers, can overcome the self-centering action. 

On straight track, at reasonable speeds, the wheels actually move from side to side slightly, seeking to stay centered between the rails.

[x600]

The rains have finally come to Rancho Da Nada so I got back to work on the last car for my DL&W Phoebe Snow. It's been sitting on my desk since April
There is still is lots of work to do, but getting the basics done was a big task. To get this far took 1 1/2 Kato smoothside dining cars (chassis, windows, interior),
 1Kato Slumber coach (roof), 1 Kato Pennsy Coach (roof extension),
1 1/2 Con-Cor Budd Dome Cars (Fluted sides), and a whole lot of filing, filling , and sanding.
I need to thank a few  for the inspiration to do passenger car scratch-bashing. It's not for the weak willed!
Puddy's cars were amazing to me. Bill Denton's showed me Budd cars can be done very well, and Scott Lupia's E-L and DL&W stuff is da bomb.
I hope this turns out 1/2 as good as their work.
The car is Diner 469(or) 470 one of 2 built in 1949 for the streamlined Phoebe Snow.
I have already completed the "sister" Budd tavern Lounge tail car which is the signature car for Phoebe.
Also finished 2 E8As, some WOT baggage/express, a MT RPO, 4 sleepers and 3 coaches.
There needs to be a little work to the RPO, but it is a good stand in for the time being.

Here is the aisle side on the kitchen end



This is the Kitchen side.


It's close to getting a coat of primer which will show me how much more filling and sanding before I can do the finish coat, decals and details.
 And a big thanks to Jerry L, and the Passenger car photo index. There a loads of photos and even the car diagram available.
Both of these diners are on "home rails" and are being restored by the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society ( ELDCPS.org) in Scranton, Pa.

Greg O.

 

[John]

Working toward fascia control of turnouts.  The upper deck panels at Tremblay are now in place, along with toggles and leads for the two turnouts.  After much consultation and thought, I went with a location and direction panel in the middle of the siding, patterned on the BCR Condensed Profiles, which provides track schematic, direction, and industries:


At each end of the siding, I have installed a simple panel with toggle switch in line with the turnout:


The goal was to keep things as simple and as intuitive for guest operators as possible, yet achieve something which looks sharp.  The fonts match my earlier helix occupancy and power management panels.


For the lower deck, I wanted to install the panels on angled mounts, as I have noticed on other people's multi-deck layouts that operators often have to back up and look down to see the lower deck panels.  With mine I am hoping that operators will simply have to look down and not back up.  Here are the angled mounts after painting to match the fascia, with the panels sitting roughly in place:




The next step is to get the angled mounts installed on hte fascia, and then connect the servos, drivers, and toggles all together.


Tim

What a great idea  .. I am going to steal that on e..

[txronharris]

BCR570 those are probably the slickest looking fascia boards I have ever seen. VERY cool!

[GN Fan]

To x600:

Great looking car.  Can't wait to see it running (History Museum?)

Tom Todd

[arbomambo]

beautiful day here in coastal Alabama...
took an hour to start adding some scrub (juniper) to the "Arbo Canyon" T-TRAK modules...these two triple mesa modules are going to eat 'up' a lot of juniper! (after an hour applying them, I decided I'd done enough today)
Still have yet to acquire the light green-gray foam I'll use for the banks around the river/dry wash...
Regardless, just adding the color is starting to bring these modules to life and more resemble the "Arbo Canyon" I had originally envisioned for these T-Trak modules.
Thanks for looking,
~Bruce

[Rich_S]

Rich, I get that; it's the curves I'd worry about. But obviously it must have worked. I just don't recall seeing another four-coupled heavy mainline loco with more than one blind driver set. Unfortunately, it's much more prominent on the model then the real thing because of our oversized flanges.
Otto

Otto, It's more prominent on our models because of our sharp radius curves we use on our layouts. Take a look sometime at the minimum radius for most prototype locomotives. A 24" radius curve in HO is about 34 degrees on the prototype, I'm not sure a prototype Mountain would negotiate a 34 degree curve?  Horseshoe curve is about a 9 degree curve, which would equal a 87" radius curve in HO and on the prototype a 10 degree curve is considered very sharp. So our models definitely operate on tighter radius curves than their prototypes. The bigger flanges on our models keep them from flying off the curves. while we are operating them at double to triple the speed the prototype would be allowed to operate at on such a tight radius curve. 

[Rich_S]

even on curves car flanges shouldn't, if the train's speed is appropriate for the curve, and the curve isn't too sharp.  The tapered tread causes the wheel to move to the outside on the curve, until the larger diameter matches the longer rail on the outside.  If the curve is sharper than the taper will accommodate, the "fillet" between the tread and the flange comes into play, increasing the wheel diameter more, but if the speed is too high, or the curve too sharp, the flange will be forced against the outside rail anyway.  On locos, especially steam, the fact that the wheels are powered, and the alternating side force from the pistons on the steamers, can overcome the self-centering action. 

The taper is actually so the wheel won't drag the inside wheel on a curve. The axles are solid, so to keep from dragging a wheel, one has to spin faster and the other has to spin slower. The wheel is thickest near the flange and tapers down toward the outside of the wheel tread. Think of it this way, you and a friend are holding a rope 20 feet long. If you stand in the same spot and start turning in a circle, the other person has to move at a much higher speed than you to keep up with you. The flanges definitely steer the wheel around the curve, just visit Horseshoe curve and listen to them sing as a train travels around the curve. 

Helper locomotives used on the curve are frequent flyers on the wheel true machine 

[bnsfdash8]

I got some work done on NS 2947 and BNSF 2047.

[Dave V]

[Cajonpassfan]

Otto, It's more prominent on our models because of our sharp radius curves we use on our layouts. Take a look sometime at the minimum radius for most prototype locomotives. A 24" radius curve in HO is about 34 degrees on the prototype, I'm not sure a prototype Mountain would negotiate a 34 degree curve?  Horseshoe curve is about a 9 degree curve, which would equal a 87" radius curve in HO and on the prototype a 10 degree curve is considered very sharp. So our models definitely operate on tighter radius curves than their prototypes. The bigger flanges on our models keep them from flying off the curves. while we are operating them at double to triple the speed the prototype would be allowed to operate at on such a tight radius curve.

Rich, thank you for the continuing education. I was simply referring to the fact that there is a much more prominent visual difference between a blind driver and a flanged one on our models than there is on the prototype. I understand why that is, and I'm fully aware our curves are sharper...
Otto K.

[randgust]

Over a year ago I picked up an old and faded Campbell N through wood truss kit down at the Bedford show auction with the idea of adapting it for the Ross Run module - the Hickory Valley had a rather spindly wood truss across the creek right above the mill that collapsed under the 0-6-4.   

I shortened it down to 50' from the kit design of 70', which is actually a little longer than the actual, but just having all the scale wood you ever need out of a kit is worth it rather than entirely scratching it.



I'm using Micro-Mark gray-brown tie stain for the aging on the wood.

Here's the prototype:  http://www.randgust.com/WD3_bridge_left2.jpg

Note that the transverse beams under the stringers snapped in half - the only thing holding the whole bridge together is the iron tension rods and those held!  I imitated that design.

[nkalanaga]

Rich:  You're right about the solid axles, and the taper keeping the whiles from sliding on curves.  That's the other reason for them, along with self-centering, which is most important on straight track.  Without the taper, the flanges and the inside of the railheads would wear very quickly. 

As your post above that said, Horseshoe Curve is a sharp curve, by prototype standards, so I'm not surprised that the flanges squeal on it.  They do on NS at Kenova and Docks Creek, WV as well, although not on other curves in the same area.  Those are examples of curves where the basic taper isn't enough, the fillet comes into play, and the result is the flange making contact with the rail.

Now, a question:  Are blind drivers tapered?  Since they have to be able to slide across the rail on curves, the taper wouldn't be in the right place most of the time, so it seems that the wheels will slip regardless of whether the tires are tapered.   

[randgust]

No, not tapered.   Wide tread.    In fact, wide enough that on almost any steamer with blind drivers, you aren't allowed on track with self-guarded frogs.   I've talked to some crews on excursion locomotives that accidentally hit self-guarded frogs, and while they haven't derailed, it was rough enough to knock them right out of the cab seats.

In Sweden, they did a 45-degree angle flange (neither flange nor blind) on the center drivers on the 4-6-0 that ended up on the Belfast & Moosehead Lake.   The FRA had a devil of a time determining if they would allow it or not, finally decided that if it was good enough for the Swedes in high-speed service over 60mph it must work and they allowed it.

[chicken45]

While not newly completed models, these are newly photographed.  When I started building my N scale layout back in 2003, and started building HOn3 rolling stock on the side, I didn't take many photos.  What photos I did take were small and low resolution.  So, in the spirit of having better photo documentation of my builds, here are some photos my HOn3 endeavors.  I've added a few of the older, smaller photos as well.

HOn3 D&RGW Precision Scale Company long caboose kit.  Modeled as seen in 1955 with ladder extensions and boarded up windows.  http://www.sergentengineering.com/ couplers.  Custom Northwest Short Line scale wheels in Precision Scale trucks.












HOn3 D&RGW 6200 series steel sided wood framed flatcar.  Scratch built out of wood and styrene using Grandt Line details and trucks with custom Northwest Short Line scale wheels.  These earlier builds have Kadee couplers.  I hadn't discovered the Seargent couplers yet! 














While I'm at it.  These old photos are my first HOn3 build (around 2004).  HOn3 D&RGW flanger OH.  Rio Grande Models multi media kit, super detailed with styrene, brass, and paper, Grandt Line trucks with custom Northwest Short Line scale wheels.  The weathering job could have been better.  I'd like to think my skills have improved since then. 






Erik

Outstanding @Erik W