3D printed rolling road for G and LGB locomotives.

[Paul2727]

Just a quick message to let you know how impressed I was with the price, speed of the delivery and quality of my latest e-bay purchase from Germany. It has made the testing and lubricating of my LGB locomotives far easier. The tiny amount of excess material left by the printing process was easily removed. All in all, I am very pleased indeed. Although I only run DC track and battery powered locos, I see no reason this could not double up as a programming set up for DCC locos. They do additional blocks too, so larger or tender locos can be catered for.
Under full power there was a slight wobble on some of my older locos, but no cases of the locos 'jumping' off the roller bearings even after an hours running in each direction. Link to test video below, so you can see it working under power.
Designed to take power from the pick up shoes, it wouldn't take much to power the bearings themselves as they are all independently insulated. However I made up a probe lead which when touched on the bolt heads is ideal for testing individual pick ups.
I have no connection with the seller.

Dynamometer Track G/Track 1, 2-Piece Set for LGB U. Piko Steel Screws | eBay

Ich biete euch ein 2-teiliges Rollenprüfstand Set für die Spur G an. Passend auch für Spur 1. Somit kann ganz bequem eine Programmierung oder die Inspektion für die Gartenbahn Saison prima erfolgen.

www.ebay.co.uk

Video:

 

[PhilP]

Got me really interested then... 'Dynamometer' was used..

Has anyone found a unit that will measure speed ON A ROLLING ROAD? - Preferably, with a table of 'fiddle factors' for gauge..

PhilP.

 

[dunnyrail]

Got me really interested then... 'Dynamometer' was used..

Has anyone found a unit that will measure speed ON A ROLLING ROAD? - Preferably, with a table of 'fiddle factors' for gauge..

PhilP.

I think that the sort of thing that has been shown in here using a bike speed and mileage indicator may wok, but the wheel of whatever loco you are testing would need to be measures rather than the roller.

 

[Paul2727]

Video link now up.

 

[idlemarvel]

Ah the good old Stainz sound card - like scraping sandpaper

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I'm surprised that the designer did not find a way to route power from the rails to the rollers, the way the rest of the commercially available ones are. Aristo, Accucraft, Bachmann and others have done this.

Also, a caution, virtually never a good idea to use these devices to program locos, power pickup is poor through ball bearings, and you have introduced more points of resistance, never a great idea with the lower voltages and currents involved in programming.

Greg

 

[PhilP]

Another problem:
You are feeding power ONLY through the skates.. - Fine for a small loco AND if the skates are working properly.

Skates, and particularly the springs, and short bus-bars in the motor-block, are notorious for being problematical. - Bad contacts can cause the springs to get hot (a little like electric-fire elements) and melt the 'block.

So be careful, especially if you are running Aristocraft, or USA Trains, multi-motor loco's.

PhilP.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

No skates on Aristo locos. Collapsed springs on USAT locos VERY common. I dump the skates and swap out traction tires for "solid" wheels and the loss of the skates is made up by 2 more "conductive" wheels per motor block.

 

[Paul2727]

All good points and well made by Greg and Phillip. However for what I wanted, the lack of a connection between track and rollers was fine.
I made up a probe and lead with a larger crock clip that fits on the bolt heads. This enables me to test individual power pick up points.
I am well aware of the potential issues with skate springs, so longer test running sessions currently use two connections direct to a pair of bolt heads, bypassing the skates entirely, so no issue with them overheating. Also used for Aristo locos.
No idea why the vendor used 'dynamometer' in the ad when it patently isn't one. Maybe a translation error.
Paul.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I'd say with the reduced load on these, the chances of damaging the skate springs is low, and I do applaud you for considering to test the individual pickup points, something many people miss, often blaming it on dirty track or wheels, when in actuality one of the pickup paths has gone south.

Greg