LGB 4055 Motorisation - bit off more than I can chew?

[curtis]

Some of you may be aware that for our Open Days, Nikki and I ask local companies to sponsor a wagon. For a donation to our day's chosen charity, we will re-livery an appropriate wagon to their company. The last two were for local car dealership where x2 Newquida flatbeds became car transports. [The full value of the donation goes to the charity. Nikki and I cover the costs of the rolling stock and materials]. For our next day, we'll be working with a local quarry that does a large amount of the cement on this island so I managed to find an LGB 4055

We're in the process of doing the livery, however, my imagination ran away with me and I got excited about motorising it. I found at least 1 example on YouTube so figured it was doable (not accounting for my own lack of mechanical skill...)

I've bought a small 3v geared motor on eBay that has the right speed but I'm a complete loss on how I'll connect the shaft to body of the cement mixer. I've reached out to a couple of friends that are into RC cars but I thought it was the type of challenge this forum would enjoy too so I thought I'd post here.

The motor I have has a 3mm shaft. The mixer connects to a cog (not sure of this is the right term) with 16 teeth, an internal diameter of 19mm and an external diameter of 27mm. In fact, I'm so stuck on this I don't even know what the right term to Google is. If anyone can offer advice, I'd appreciate it!



(side note, any general advice on this endeavour would be appreciated too)

 

[a98087]

Here my initial thoughts

1 Do you want to keep the hand operation?

2 you could remove the black round tank, assume it’s an air tank, mount the motor there with chain drive to a replacement winding handle

You could possibly use Lego cogs and chain for this

Or mount the motor inside the end pivot housing with a chain/rubber band or cog driving the manual input shaft

The photo shows the green external drive, and the red internal drive

Dan

 

[PhilP]

I am sure this has been done, and (at least) mentioned on the Forum?

I am almost certain there was a Massoth article on it, but the conversion information on the Massoth site, seems a shadow of what was there.

PhilP

 

[SevenOfDiamonds]

found at least 1 example on YouTube

Hi Curtis

Did you find this one?

It seems to suggest a motor in the base, and a belt drive on the end of the rotating part. The description on YouTube in German includes a link to www.gartenbahn-toffeholz.ch. The page you want (it took me a while) is Umbau LGB Wagen ... - Gartenbahn Toffeholz where you get a description in German, For the rest of us, we might have to rely on this auto-translated version . . .



Cheers

David

 

[dunnyrail]

A belt drive of some sort would probably be the easiest, why not an elastic band. If done so that it is relatively easy to replace I can see no problem, thin shaft on motor thicker on mix drum with slow speed should serve fine. After all N gauge Lone Star trains worked very well on elastic band drive and those still existing in working order still do.

 

[Madman]

Many years ago I started the same project. It must have been in one of my less creative times, 'cause I lost interest. The parts must still be around somewhere. The video David posted was my inspiration.

 

[curtis]

I am sure this has been done, and (at least) mentioned on the Forum?

I am almost certain there was a Massoth article on it, but the conversion information on the Massoth site, seems a shadow of what was there.

PhilP

I tried but couldn't find something (at least not using my Google skills). It was my starting point. Nor with Massoth, they seem to limit indexing of content on the search engines.

Hi Curtis

Did you find this one?

I hadn't, but I like the implementation. That has also sparked some ideas. I was thinking of housing it inside end bit (where the hand crank is) but this has cleverly done it underneath.

Here my initial thoughts

1 Do you want to keep the hand operation?

2 you could remove the black round tank, assume it’s an air tank, mount the motor there with chain drive to a replacement winding handle

You could possibly use Lego cogs and chain for this

Or mount the motor inside the end pivot housing with a chain/rubber band or cog driving the manual input shaft

The photo shows the green external drive, and the red internal drive

Dan

I'm not fussed about keeping the hand-operation - I wasn't planning to keep it.

I like this solution too. I think you and Jon are right in terms of using a band of some kind. A combination open with David's find would be gluing an inverted toothed band to the outside of the chamber and running the motor with another gear there.

I'm going to have a bit of a Google of parts available for RC Cars with the above content and see what seems feasible for a mechanical luddite like myself!

Really appreciate all the above input!

 

[a98087]

Here’s something I built the other for a project, with a few slight tweaks

The yellow plate goes over the motor to stop it rotating,
It could easily be made in plastic add instead of lego

it has the following parts

5v n20 gear motor no idea what ratio
3mm to 5mm shaft adapter
Lego axle and other bricks
PWM Motor controller
Dpdt switch for polarity swapping
USB Plug and cable for power

There does a slow speed drive, which would be ideal for your use,

Hope it helps, and gives people something to think over

Dan

 

[Dan]

Next time get the LGB gondola or hot metal car which already have remote dumping. All you have to do is disconnect the track power and tie in your control system/battery.