Trolley Ears

tramcar trev

all manner of mechanical apparatus...
As today was a day of rural reflection and contemplation I instead chose to make up some trolley ears. I made up a portable model making kit before departure and put it to good use today....
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So, you'll be stringing the overhead when you get back home Trev? Nice work:thumbup:
 
I hope to get at least some overhead up this summer. I have yet to install the reed switches between the rails and fill between the rails with stone and then pave the roads before I can work on the overhead. Working under the overhead would be far too tedious....
 
I see that you have a sheet of brass that looks like it has been stamped to provide you with the parts you need. Did you do the stamping, if that's how it was done?
 
Dan, the sheet is etched. Though I'm no way near commercial quantity or quality wise I have via trial and error got the process sorted enough to enable me to make all manner of goodies... see my blog or here; http://www.gscalecentral.net/tm?m=206268&high=etch and here for some more examples...
http://www.gscalecentral.net/tm?m=213806&high=etching+for+amateurs

Not that hard really and the results speak for themselves. To buy things like this would cost a motza if I could actually find an Aussie supplier.... Using this process name plates etc are simple to make and not expensive....
 
trammayo said:
So, you'll be stringing the overhead when you get back home Trev? Nice work:thumbup:
Yes... let the fun begin.....
So I naively thought I could hold the trolley wire with my fingers while using my other 3 hands to dexterously solder it into position holding the soldering iron in my mouth (a hang over from earlier http://trevs-tramway.blogspot.com.au/ < Link To employment). First mistake was one that I should have known, nickel silver conducts heat rather well and my second mistake was coming to the realization I didn?t have enough hands?.. So I came up with this Heath Robinson inspired trolley wire holder upper/holder in placer. As can be seen it has infinite adjustment and works very well unless the surface on which it is standing is uneven. Hey it only took me an hour to solder the trolley wire to 3 ears?.. For a real challenge I just may try doing it at night holding a penlight in my mouth. One should practise for this type of work by standing on ones head and ballancing a ping pong ball on a biro tip in a gale......

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Oh yes:thumbup::thumbup: Cracking job Trev. Overcoming obstacles - do the forceps clamp well (they look to)?
 
Trev, I have to say that you have the Wire nicely Straightened. Those Ears look good too. We use Pans on the Ruschbahn hence much of my previous advice may have been of little use for you with Poles.

As a thought to holding the wire. have you thoought of Clamping a piece of wood at the ends of the wire (to the edge of your board). Then you could use some other Bodge to hold the wire on the piece of wood, say with a Piece of Brass Screwed in to hold it when in tension. You could get it wire in line by moving and releasing both Clamps and Bodged wire holder as you move round the layout to string up the overhead contact wire.

Oh just hope that a Big Bird or Duck does not Bumble into or land on the Overhead. We have problems with ducks that seam to think that the Pond (nee See) on the Ruschbahn is their own personal pool.
JonD
 
trammayo said:
Oh yes:thumbup::thumbup: Cracking job Trev. Overcoming obstacles - do the forceps clamp well (they look to)?
Forceps = Artery pliers, these are single use only and given to me by a nurse after an Operation I had, they are invaluable in fact worth having another Op to get some more.....
 
dunnyrail said:
Oh just hope that a Big Bird or Duck does not Bumble into or land on the Overhead. We have problems with ducks that seam to think that the Pond (nee See) on the Ruschbahn is their own personal pool.
JonD
No I don't have trouble with ducks but Indian miners are a pest here but a solution is as simple as scattering seed over my neighbours fence and the birds all go there.... An Air rifle would also be a good deterrent but I'm not allowed one of those.... I have had the section of overhead up 3 hours and already a bird has pooped on it......
 
Hi, Trev....very nice work I have just started on running up the tramway after the winter break plus have been in France now back in the UK but did pick up two more LGB trams in Germany. (22 trams in all) Alyn
 
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