Railbus Project

Nicely finished model, Mick. I like the County Donegal-esque origins and livery

Rik
 
Thanks for your comments all. Still need to improve it Occassionaly derails on points - might fit smaller wheels (or check my tracklaying!). Will have to see how it goes on my trailer layout - all R1 curves and points - before doing anything else.
 
Somebody here on the forum built a version of the coffee pot I believe, just can't remember who the culprit was..............................
 
minimans said:
Somebody here on the forum built a version of the coffee pot I believe, just can't remember who the culprit was..............................

Yes - whoever it was own up (and post some piccies)!
 
Anyway, I repaired the coupling jaws on the parcel's van and the coach so I could test. It mounted my 1 in 30 (slowly - particularly climbing on a curve) and I altered the back to back gauging of the various wheelsets to allow a derailment-free circumnavigation of the whole set-up.

First pics show coupling jaws - new ones bent from aluminium and the old one made from resin (it was these latter type that snapped off following a derailment). Then the others at a various points on the line. I'm quite please just how well it operates on just two AA's!

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And around the "levell" track-

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... and then up to the trestle loop section -

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On Ivy Ledge

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Lighthouse Junction

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and on to the inner circle

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.. and finally the inner circle -

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apart from the pleasure of converting this to battery power, I have come to appreciate a number of things - most notably the gauge of the wheels!:rolf:
 
As postscript, I finally got to test it on my trailer layout. Having cured the derailment problems (by trial & error!) I was miffed to find that it did not perform as well as it did on my garden line.

Although it did not derail, it nearly stalled on the R1 curves - not having the benefit of the previous 12volt motor. I could alter this by decreasing the back to back measurement but then this would cause problems on the points! I cannot really do much about the R1 points (I have 9 on the layout) as this would cause problems with all my other locos.

So it is confined to journeys in the garden whilst I contemplate my next railbus build!
 
Thanks Mel and Jerry - but I've a long way to go to match your efforts. Mine's all freelance - no plans, no true prototype and not much patience!
 
I've used the same motor/gearbox for the small railcar i built. It also runs on 2 AA cells. For a couple of pounds you can't beat that motor and gear box.

I found that Slater's wheels fit the axle on that gearbox. You could try their wheels with finer flanges, or use the ones Slaters make for GRS, they are direct replacements for LGB coach wheels with deeper flanges. All Slaters coach and wagon wheels have a 3mm hole in them for the axle. They are also a push fit on the metal axle that is used on the plastic LGB wheels (extract the axle from the LGB axle set and push on the Slaters wheels :D )
 
Hi Doug - I don't have a problem fitting wheels on the axle, but rather it the wheels I fitted. I made them myself and, when powered by the previous 12 - 15v motor, there wasn't an apparent problem!

Since fitting (the quite excellent) small motor/gearbox assembly and going for battery power, I tried it out on a R1 curve and points set-up. Having altered the back to back to cope with the R3 points in the garden, I was loathe to alter it yet again for the trailer set-up.

It has quite a long wheel base for R1's and, although it does negotiate everything, there is a very noticeable slowing down (near stall) on the curves. Maybe smaller wheels would eliminate the binding and it would run a little slower (and put less strain on the worm and wheel)

I do intend to make a shorter one (maybe this winter). I take on board what you say about Slater's wheels as they also look exceedingly good as your modeling demonstrates!
 
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