Early track-panel laying "machine"

[cbeckett]

From about 1850 onwards, when the great Jarrah forests were being “harvested” – for “cobbles” in UK tramways etc – there was a need to be able to quickly divert the timber railways to the nearest cutting place (this was for the smaller stuff; teams of horses were used for the bigger trunks).

The Victorian illustration indicates a one-man operation. I’ve added handles and chains to my model, as being a more logical way of humping heavy metal. Note: no fish-plates; ballast was sand. No ‘elf and safety either!

I have a great interest in these timber/rail/wooden/tram or track ways ( descriptions vary) as one terminated in Gosnells in the plot next to my house! Yes, I’ve dug up a few bits of rail...

This is all part of a serious study ,with the help of various Govt depts here, to compile a Paper on this particular aspect of Gosnells` history. The models (there are several) are more aids to visualisation and help understand the operation of these "temporary lines" (=@50 years!) closing in 1915 - so oral histories are scant - I`ve done several interviews which went along the lines "Uncle xx told me about it"..

 

[GAP]

That is excellent wish I had the time and skills to make something that good.

Roll on retirement

 

[tramcar trev]

From about 1850 onwards, when the great Jarrah forests were being “harvested” – for “cobbles” in UK tramways etc – there was a need to be able to quickly divert the timber railways to the nearest cutting place (this was for the smaller stuff; teams of horses were used for the bigger trunks).

The Victorian illustration indicates a one-man operation. I’ve added handles and chains to my model, as being a more logical way of humping heavy metal. Note: no fish-plates; ballast was sand. No ‘elf and safety either!

I have a great interest in these timber/rail/wooden/tram or track ways ( descriptions vary) as one terminated in Gosnells in the plot next to my house! Yes, I’ve dug up a few bits of rail...

This is all part of a serious study ,with the help of various Govt depts here, to compile a Paper on this particular aspect of Gosnells' history. The models (there are several) are more aids to visualisation and help understand the operation of these "temporary lines" (=@50 years!) closing in 1915 - so oral histories are scant - I've done several interviews which went along the lines "Uncle xx told me about it"..

That looks a nice adjunct to a railway....
so in the real world these were kept in alignment by the sand ballast? Havent seen that before over here on the east coast the timber trade boomed and the entire south coast was alive with sawmills and logging tramways, some of which are documented others lost to eternity. Most of the track was timber; iron and steel only being used in permanent situations. Every now and again a bushwalker or camper will find a length of "track" deep in the forest causing much interest and much speculation as to what it is or where it went. The Forrestry people have some electronic gadgetry that is hung under a chopper that can map the old earthworks...

 

[cbeckett]

That is excellent wish I had the time and skills to make something that good.

Roll on retirement

Thanks for the kind words - but only took 2 hours in the execution (but probably 4 just thinking about what to do) . I'll post pictures of the other "Bush models" - see my comments to Trev below...

 

[cbeckett]

That looks a nice adjunct to a railway....
so in the real world these were kept in alignment by the sand ballast? Havent seen that before over here on the east coast the timber trade boomed and the entire south coast was alive with sawmills and logging tramways, some of which are documented others lost to eternity. Most of the track was timber; iron and steel only being used in permanent situations. Every now and again a bushwalker or camper will find a length of "track" deep in the forest causing much interest and much speculation as to what it is or where it went. The Forrestry people have some electronic gadgetry that is hung under a chopper that can map the old earthworks...

Yes "apparently" sand - there are a few stones about 12" cubed, where particularly boggy parts were crossed..BUt - there are oral memories of the tracks rails being filled in with lengthwise "sleepers" - certainly a 1916 picture indicates that - which (AND THIS IS DEBATEABLE) I think would only be done at the more permanent end of the line - last 3 miles. There are stories of sukies being driven along the line - which would only be practical if boarded over. I think the "far end", where the line was being moved around to get to the wood, would have been of wooden rails, very light, and metal rails only used for the fixed locations. I have records that after the Fire of 1915, when "the tramway was burnt out" (ie wood "working, far" end about 5 miles out) it then ceased operation.

Certainly the Road Board were glad to see it go - and metalled over all of Evelyn Street (1km) for the grand sum of £50 in 1917.

A couple of other SERIOUS things (!!!), but fascinating for history buffs..

- Road Board bylaws still apply, which means every street must be 22 yds / 1 chain (=cricket pitch) wide - so that a wagon and trailer, pulled by 2 or more horses, can be turned round.

- About 100m from where we volunteer at the Martin wildlife shelter, there is a gold-mine entrance. They never found gold (lots of spurious claims) but there is a picture of a tip wagon being pushed there - the wheels still survive in the undergrowth. Another model beckons..will send separate post...

Trev - see, we can do serious non-banter stuff!

 

[cbeckett]

More pictures on this subject...I haven`t (or have lost) pics of my team of horses pulling logs on a bogie: the one shown is a horse with Banksia Firewood on a small truck. (This was sold by the Gosnells Firewood Company to perth households: transhipped on the southern Railway: I have located a map in the State Archive, and will copy it on Tuesday, showing the transhipment shed...)

 

[tramcar trev]

There is a brilliant working display at Yarloop for Forestry stuff but go on the working weekends when its all chuffing away, there is even a narrow gauge Baldwin Tram motor there... Aussie Baby Boomers went there on an excursion; http://abb.activeboard.com/t55179371/yarloop-tram-model/ http://abb.activeboard.com/t50651519/get-together-at-yarloop-wa/
Given a bit of research one could build a very nice and totally complete layout for a mine or forestry operation, some of the logging tramways were unbelievably extensive in operations and the narrow gauge trackage at mines leaves you sometimes bewildered....

Well see quite a lot would not be interested in our discourse. Maybe they have got the message that if its not of interest then don't read it...

 

[cbeckett]

My daughter keeps promising to run me to Yarloop (I don't drive) and it is not far away, really. Might need several days there ....

Kalamunda museum, is quite interesting - colonial buildings etc, but one standard Gauge loco, (a Wordsell, if I recall) and lots of timber industry stuff...

If I could figure out how to electrify model horses, I might be well tempted to do a horse-powered layout! Hmmm, food for thought - put your "dudes" on to it...?

 

[tramcar trev]

I have been toying with animated horses for horse trams; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXHe8wr5GGY

 

[cbeckett]

Interesting - the tram "does" the work, but the horses' legs move - now, how was that done?

I can see you could articulate their joints, but how would you keep them "in sync"? Some crafty gearing inside them?

I'm intrigued - probably too clever for me, but definitely my curiosity has been piqued!

 

[tramcar trev]

I had thought cranks would do it. But the legs appear articulated on the double deck car and the legs move in the correct sequence where as some I have seen the legs are glued to clear plastic strips that move back and forth...
In this video you can see the crank on the front wheel and the rods connecting the legs....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8299NTgtADY

Maybe I buy a Schliech horse and see what I can do with it, I could take it to "show & tell" next I meet up at the dudes venue ( its called a "Void") and I'm sure they could make it follow a line on the road but I could never explain how it was done.... Seriously dudes its simply a matter of making a hole underneath the horse and installing 4 micro motors that drive cranks to move the legs in perfect symmetry via microprocessor control..... Because its a big horse it should be easy, just find a horse in the correct sort of pose, scan it in 3D, rework the file till the legs are separated and then 3D print them out at the scale you need. You could even have the tail swishing G scale fully articulated flies....

I'd jump right in and do it but there would be too many comments re it not being a rail project...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/8-Assorted-Genuine-Schleich-Model-Horses-/181605319023?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item2a4885416f

 

[cbeckett]

Brain swimming - maybe I'll ask the missus (horse lady) how small you can get real miniature horses, then scale up the rolling stock...

Actually, that is not so daft an idea - move out of Garden Railways into miniature pony-drawn tram cars, which could be displayed at family country shows etc...could combine a number of interests.

Hmm.... food for thought...

 

[tramcar trev]

You could probably get away with using a stout breed of dog. Those 2 "dudes" in Tasmania who died a stray to look like a Thylacine got away with it until someone woke up to the fact that Thylacines rarely cadged scraps at picnic areas.......

 

[tramcar trev]

could not the dog be a little bit hoarse?

 

[trammayo]

What about elephants .....

 

[trammayo]

I did try and post when I first saw the thread but must have pressed the wrong key

It is certainly an interesting project on local history and a nice piece of modelling. I have always been interested in this type of thing (coming from Leeds) and knowing a bit about the city's manufacturing base.

The track is like the Decauville system and Hudson's of Leeds made something similar. I rebuilt (rebodied) one of their side tipper trucks and a very useful truck it was too.

I just wondered if any of Hudson's products were used 'down under'.

Yes, perfecting a walking horse would be a triumph in modelling in miniature! You'd then just need to synchronise a "lovely bunch of coconuts" (nice link Trev).

 

[tramcar trev]

I don't believe Hudson's were big here. I do suspect quite a bit of their stuff was copied though. Sydneys first electric trams were built by Hudson Brothers but they were not connected. The Decauville stuff was indeed popular, there was an extensive Decauville system with turntables etc at Balmain Power Station (A) section to handle the ash from the boilers that even had an "incline" down to the waters edge where the ash skips were hoisted above a barge where the ash was dumped, the ash was then emptied at sea... Motive power was 2 small battery electric locos I remember thinking the bronze builders plates should be removed for safe keeping..... When I worked there in the 60's A section was rarely used and by 1970 had been closed. The ash skips and locos were taken away, to where I don't know. A similar setup existed at Bunnerong except the ash was simply dumped into railway wagons for disposal.... I discovered a very small triple expanding marine engine at Bunnerong about 18" long and after pleading with the General Station Foreman found myself its new owner, it went into a steam launch I built....