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Dynamometer car Journals/Blogs
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Regular poster 189 posts don_csx Regular poster 189 posts
don_csx

I have heard about dynamometer cars but really didn't pay much attention to them or what they was used for until a search on the internet. After a few minutes of looking at different types and and how people modeled them. I thought I would try my hand at building one.

I started out with with 2 AHM cupola cabooses. I didn't have any Athearn Bluebox on hand and now and days the price on Bluebox equipment is just as high as RTR equipment. I also wanted a kit so I could take the top cupola off. I cut the short end just ahead of the cupola opening off and connected the cab bodies together. Sanded one end of each of the cupolas down and and connected them together.

Some of the other scratch built Dynamometer cars I seen had a bay window on the side and I did like this addition. I measured out for it allowing enough for a lip to glue a extra Walthers bay window I had on hand. I did this on both sides of the car. Also on Dynamometer cars they had a large siding door so the equipment could be removed for calibrations, repairers, or replaced. I didn't have a baggage door to use fot ehi so I scratch built one from a window and styrene strips. I also cut an opening in the car body for the windows of the door. 

I build a temporary frame, but not really stratified with it. Also waiting on a set of high seed trucks for the car before I redo the frame so I can measure out the bolster out right and the swing of the trucks will not inter fear with the steps.

Don

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Take Care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling & God Bless. 

Donald Dunn

http://www.trainweb.org/kvo/

http://www.trainweb.org/ddminingsteel/

 
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customhitcher New member 6 posts
customhitcher

That is one very cool work

That is one very cool work car. Thank you for sharing.

CusTomDeSigner,LTD
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Virginian and Lake Erie Super User 9,236 posts
Virginian and Lake Erie

I know you have already built

I know you have already built the car but here are some pictures I took of a real car that measured the horsepower of C&Os 2-6-6-6s.

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Lots of interior shots and not a lot of the outside but the way the displays were set up with out going past do not enter signs or climbing over barricades better views were not possible. Hope you find them interesting. Image 4 shows the plans and some outside pictures which will help with orientation of the inside photos.

Rob in Texas

MRH Blog / Prep for an Operating Session / Delving Into the Past / The Club Blog / Youtube / etmrc.org
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don_csx Regular poster 189 posts
don_csx

Thanks for the pictures and link.

Thanks for the pictures and link. At the Kentucky Railway Museum, they have L&N Dyno car. Has yet to be restored, but looking at it really got me interested in this project. It is neat to see what the inside of one looks like. Thanks again. 

Take Care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling & God Bless. 

Donald Dunn

http://www.trainweb.org/kvo/

http://www.trainweb.org/ddminingsteel/

 
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rbturner Active Member 40 posts
rbturner

There was a company

called "Devore" that made a craftsman style kit of a dynamometer car. It even worked to some point; with a movable coupler connected to a spring and a gauge/needle.

I have two of them and they are fun to play with.
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don_csx Regular poster 189 posts
don_csx

Walthers

If I remember right Walthers had a operating dynamometer car too. I haven't seen one in years but remember seeing pictures in MR.

Take Care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling & God Bless. 

Donald Dunn

http://www.trainweb.org/kvo/

http://www.trainweb.org/ddminingsteel/

 
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Mike MILW199 Regular poster 287 posts
Mike MILW199

Walthers Dynamometer

The available roads from Walthers:  http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/walthersfreightcars/id177.html  Released 2001.  https://www.walthers.com/exec/page/press/2001/dynamometer

These have a moving, spring loaded drawbar.  There is a pointer and a scale inside, so that when the car is entrained, the needle moves on the scale.  A digital readout of some sort was planned, but the technology of the time didn't allow for it to work.

Mike  former WSOR engineer  "Safety First (unless it costs money)"  http://www.wcgdrailroad.com/
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don_csx Regular poster 189 posts
don_csx

Finished car

I finely finished the Dynamometer car. Just need a little weathering. 

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Take Care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling & God Bless. 

Donald Dunn

http://www.trainweb.org/kvo/

http://www.trainweb.org/ddminingsteel/

 
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Jim at BSME Prolific poster 2,105 posts
Jim at BSME

Working car

Excellent model and for those so inclined, if you want to make a useful working car check out Geoff Bunza's scale model animation post here:  https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/sma24-%E2%80%93-working-scale-dynamometer-car-recording-drawbar-pull-track-voltage-speed-distance-more-12203477
- Jim B.
Baltimore Society of Model Engineers, Estd. 1932
O & HO Scale model railroading
Check out BSME on: Facebook, Instagram
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