What's on the Workbench?

Dear Bernd,

Not sure it has to justify itself as a "counter to "IIAM"", but "WOTW" has been a long-standing a quite succesful occasional-motivation thread thru many online fora for decades now... (I first recall seeing it on the majordomo-hosted HOn30 Mailcar list waaaay back in the mid 90s ). Always happy to see and contribute to a "WOTW" session...

Honesty compels me to admit that post "Toorong" layout build/debut, my workbenches (the 2x4 main bench and the 1x4 living room "mobile bench") are in a state of controlled cleanup. (8x 50 litre storage crates and counting). Both had really gotten out of hand, and need tearing-down back to zero, so I can rebuild the workspace into something effective and productive. (shades of the "Toyota way" 5-step thread from a week or so ago, maybe? ).

Anywho, almost in contradiction to that, my primary-school-aged neighbour came to me last weekend with a "toy steam loco" that his grandparents had apparently "discovered in the back of the garage" and given to him. My neighbour is an only child living with his mum, so anything I can do to help is a positive I figure. He took great interest in the "Toorong" layout build, and had previously had a ball with the "Bindle Mine" layout, so (strategically) encouraging him with Model RRing appears to match already-expressed interest.

The loco itself appears to be a tender-drive "Chatanooga" 0-8-0 Tyco unit
(like this one http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff285/kc6lvq/Trains/Engines/Trains_002.jpg )

which has seen much (presumably fun-inducing) use. The mech is completely bound-up, the drive gearing has ??? (carpet fibres? cat hair?) wrapped and bonded all round it, and it was missing a rear (hornhook X2F) coupler. 

The coupler was an easy fix, esp as with the current workbench cleaning, I rediscovered an old "tuneup box" of bits, which happened to have some suitable X2Fs in. I considered upgrading it to Kadees, but with an indeterminate # of cars also "discovered" by the grandparents, breaking coupler compatibility willy-nilly may not be a smart move.

The existing mech appears to be a lost cause. However, by strange co-incidence a B'mann 44 ton mech happens to match the tyco tender "truck spacing",
(the stock mech is actually effectively a 4-wheel mech, with clip-on "half trucks" making up a 1-B-1 assembly
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff285/kc6lvq/Trains/Engines/Trains_003.jpg), 

and the 44 tonner deck/frame casting should be an almost-drop-in fit within the tyco tender shell.
(That I happen to have a few spare 44 tonners on hand is a side-issue.
With the newer B'mann centre-motor 4-axle drive, this Tyco loco is up for a serious mech upgrade!)

SO, with my "Travelling toolkit" and an understanding wife allowing use of (part of) the "coffee-table" wooden box as a temp workbench, "what's on the workbench" is a 80's era Tyco 0-8-0, slated for a mech upgrade to put a smile on the face of my neighbour...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS Yes, my neighbour's already talking about "building somewhere for it to run on", with enough space to use his Lego people and bricks to build the buildings and scenery. Not sure what his mum and grandparents have to say about the logistics of such a plan, I've directed him that he 'needs to talk to mum about what space might be available". I might also have to slip him a spare HO structure or 2 to quietly sow the seed of migration to "scale modelling", but for the moment, motivation and excitement is high, so we'll ride that wave for as long as it takes us...

Let's start

What is above is the end result of Ken's design work and a 3D print from Shapeway's. Ken has designed a few other things besides this. Not bad for a guy that runs a huge diesel engine. I'm very enthused by what Ken has done. I believe has is very talented when it comes to designing something for model railroading.   http://www.shapeways.com/shops/dkrickman

That is the prototype power truck. I was going to write an article on assembling one like this but ran into some design flaws that Ken had no way of knowing about until a part was actually printed and parts gathered to be tried out on the printed part.

What we have hear are parts ordered from Nigel Lawton in England. The parts are gears, pulley's, worm and wheel, motor, belts and axle shafting. That's a US quarter behind the 3D printed power truck. http://www.nigellawton009.com/PayPalMotors.html

These are the parts needed from North West Short Line. Wheels, axle shafting and plastic bushings. I don't think I need to post the link.

Mounting the bigger of the two pulleys on the shaft. Using a drill press and flat surface to keep from bending the shaft. I used my milling machine.

This is the drive pulley. Note the motor sitting on a US penny. The pulley is held on with Loctite290®.

And here was the first design problem on the prototype. Ken had no way of knowing the thickness of the pulley or the length of the warm since it wasn't specified on Nigel's site. Now that I have the parts I can give Ken the dimensions and he can instituted a design change. In the mean time I'm going to cut out the ends so the worm sticks out giving a bit more room for the pulley.

This is how it all started. Ken's idea of a old time steam engine tender drive. All drawings were done in SketchUp Ver.8.

As you'll note Ken's first design was to use four motors with planetary gear drive to worm and wheel on the axle. The motors each where 3volts. When wired together in series would have given the equivalent of a 12 volt motor. This design I believe did not make it past the design stage as far as I know.

The next iteration was a two motor drive with two 6 volt motors wired in series. That one didn't get off the ground either.

Ken's final version for a power truck is in these four different designs. All mechanical parts can be bought from Nigel Lawton and North West Short Line and the 3D prints from Shapeway's.

Ken has developed a drive for himself at the present time to try out in one of his tenders. The drive is completely different from the single power truck presented here.

 This is where this project stands at this time on "What's on Your Workbench". I hope this post gains as much attention as the Allagash post or the "Daily Photo Fun".

This project may be stuck at this stage for a while. I'm on another porject that will be taking a majority of my time. I'm developing a drive chassis for a TT scale GP38-2.

So now let's see what's on your workbench. I have no problem with this thread wandering all over the place. Police yourself to that extent. I'm sure Ken will be willing to answer questions that i can't, once he finds out I posted this thread.

@ Ken. I hope you don't mind. I think you did an outstanding job in design work. I see it as another possibility to re-powering some of those old and tired locomotives so many seem to find at swap meets. Let' see if we can get this over 200 posts.

Have fun guys.

Bernd

Does a laptop mouse pad count as a workbench?

 

No workbench, howzabout a coffee table...!

Been taking advantage of a well-needed vacation to get a few items closer to off the workbench out of the project boxes and into "revenue service".  Last week, I rebuilt the trucks (new gearboxes!) on one GP30 that used to sound like a coffee grinder.  Body-mounted couplers on a couple train-set type cars the other day, and I was going to finish up another GP30 re-letter job today -- but that turned into an all-day work session that also involved decalling a hopper car (maybe two....) and a pair of cabooses!!!  Oh well, guess I can get some other stuff done tomorrow -- just so long as I don't do one of those "one more" things...

-Fuzzy
DM Rail Group: South Fork + St. Louis Northern + IndustRail + Paris Coal Railway + Milwaukee Franklin & Norway
 

My powered truck design

The version using 6 volt motors, more or less mechanically identical, got as far as being printed, assembled, and tested.  Unfortunately, it sounds like a coffee grinder and, as one old engineer used to say, couldn't pull a greasy string out of a cat's a**!  So I started over with a different design, which is the one you see above.

I wouldn't say it's completely different, though it is different.  I developed a TT scale powered truck which is an evolution of the truck design Bernd is showing.

And a 3 axle version:

From there, I widened it back out to HO gauge and added two more axles to create the tender drive shown above.  Hopefully, that will be on my workbench in the very near future!

Another project in the works

Living on the road as much as I do, my workbench tends to be digital as often as it is physical.  For me, that means 3D design and Shapeways are an excellent way to get some modeling done even when I don't have access to my models.

One of the projects I'm working on is a replacement frame for an MDC old time 2-8-0.

The idea is that three of the four axles will be able to move vertically, without needing springs, axle boxes, etc. to complicate construction.  Bernd and I are testing the design - he if he can find a cheap model for parts, and I whenever my next Shapeways shipment arrives.

Something "Old School" for me

I"m currently working on a pair of Cary cast metal Alco S-2 switcher bodies.  These will be attached to Mashima motored Athearn chassis.  These will be some nice heavy pullers.  I have built a Cary FM Kato powered switcher that is a real favorite too.  I enjoy the hand-work that goes into making these models.

Bob Bochenek 

Count Me In

Hi Bernd - "What's on your workbench" - brilliant idea - count me in.....

This is one of my many 10/10  projects. That is to say they get worked on for 10 minutes every 10 days.
"Progress but not as we know it Jim".

It's a Mantua Mallet upgrade that I have been working for what seems like forever.

DCC conversion, detailing and transmission improvement.

The front unit suffers from the plastic tube jitters that I think are common to this model.
I've shortened the drive shaft and had one go at installing an NSWL universal joint.
Worked Ok but there is very little tolerance in the ball joint and if you remove the loco from the track, the front engine drops and the universal joint explodes - very frustrating.

Funnily enough, the shortening of the drive shafts means that the old tube drive will now perform faultlessly, but I'm still going ahead with the NSWL conversion. I suspect that on final assembly with the front steam pipe installed, the front unit wont drop so much and the universal will remain intact.

Rob
Cornhill & Atherton
 

Just about everything.............!!!!

...............     

............actually, was working on this, mainly.  O SCALE V & T 4-6-0........QSI Titan install.  Trusty ole Milo wants me to toss his ball, come oooooonnnnnnnnnn Dad!!

Peter

Looks like we're rolling now

Prof.

I see you just couldn't wait to post. That's Ok. Nice story. Your to be commended for helping a new generation of modelers.

Andrew,

Even though I'm not one for modern diesel, I like to see work like that. Looking good. Hope to see this progress to the finish state. Post as you go when and if you have the time.

Fuzzy,

Coffee table, kitchen table, bedroom table dosen't matter. What matter's is you've got something to show, like, "Here's how I did it."

Ken,

Glad you joined in and didn't go on a witch hunt for me.

Bob,

Nice looking engines. I've got a set of FT's from Cary. Used to have the Blue Box Athearn units under them.

Rob,

Nice looking steamer. Here's a place that might be of some help with those model airplane fuel line tubing drives. Note they put a ball bearing in where the joint has to bend. http://www.clag.org.uk/silicone-tube.html

Well this is off to a great start. I hope more join in for the weekend and post some pictures of what ever is on their "Work Table" or what ever.

Bernd

P.S. Challenge. Can anybody take two of Ken's truck design and put a shell on it? A kitbash or a total scratchbuild.

a shelf module for the

a shelf module for the office

Looks like we're rolling now

Thanks, Bernd.  I'll bet if they are anything like my F-3's, they will pull everything on the layout!

Bob B.

Clag Site - Thanks

Bernd - Many thanks for the link to the "Clag" site. The ball bearing thing is a great idea and the site is full of useful construction tips. UK based as well - I score on import tax

Rob

Cornhill & Atherton

No duck under here

No duck under here nope we have the long haired parts retriever and the elbow bumper.

Looks like a great place to work.

Rob in Texas

Dogs And Workshops?

Dogs seem to find there way into quite a few Model railroad/workshop pictures.
Here's mine and she's doing a great job keeping me company early this morning.

 

Peter -your workshop (with a quick glance) looks like a piece of modern art.

Juts to qualify that before you assume Jackson Pollack and get upset - closer inspection reveals a lot of sensible placements.
You pack a lot into a small space.

Rob

Loco in repair

My Erie L-1 needs a few modifications for better current pickup and a new oiling.

Digitalizing is ready but the current pickup alone at tender is not sufficiently. I must add the engine with each part of frame for one pole. Insulation of rear and front frame against each other was not a big problem.

In result the engine can run now alone also without the tender. (This is not a need but a good secondary effect for tests.)
Maybe I will add yet a few details for a more correct model. There are a couple of missing parts also at an Overland model!

More to see on my website - http://us-modelsof1900.de/?p=5429 .

Modern Art Workshop

Peter,

Like what you got there. That's one heck off a test stand. Care to post a few close ups and perhaps a how and what.

Looks like there are a lot of neat projects on peoples work bench. Come on don't be shy. Let's see what you've got torn apart or complete and why.

Bernd

Bernd

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/12997?page=1

Scroll down a bit, photos of the unit.  I gutted a small DC power pack for DC and used a Prodigy Express for DCC.  I use an extra Advance 2 Handheld so I can read back and program on the main.  It's got a PTB 100 and an RRAMPMeter built in.  Has both On30 and O scale track.  It's portable and totally self contained so I can use it anywhere.  Tune up and break in all the new non DCC stuff on DC then tune it after the install with DCC.  I also use JMRI and a QSI Programmer with my laptop which I can attach to the power leads to the track which are removable from the tester.  

It works well and saves a ton of time when doing DCC installs.

Peter

A few more done...

Got  a few more freight cars done, some minor touch-up and decal work that's taken me over 2 years and Kadee upgrades.

Taxes are done -- although I did quite a bit of organizing the "train project pile" while waiting for the overheated computer to finish thinking -- so now I have another locomotive on the table.  Formerly Allis Southern 58, she got red patches over the old reporting marks a couple days ago, new IR (IndustRail) dry-transfer marks and numberboard decals today, and I drilled a hole behind the numberboard assembly to light them when I get the TS T4X decoder installed.  I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I had installed a Helix Humper motor quite some time ago.  Still to be completed, removal of the old Athearn headlight, new bulbs installed, and installation of a DCC harness (and a temporary 2-function decoder), as well as a radio antenna if I have the detail parts on hand.  I'll also add some lettering to the long hood end, and I really ought to paint the handrail edges.

Somewhat ironic is my choice of IR for reporting marks, as that is a short switching railroad for which a F45 would be WAY too big!  Of course, it will be (mostly) assigned to mainline service and not likely see "home" rails....!

-Fuzzy
DM Rail Group: IndustRail - Paris Coal Railway - South Fork - St. Louis Northern - Milwaukee Franklin & Norway
 

Somewhat ironic

too is that an EMD loco has an Alco motor? ....DaveB