Mikado springs
My Aster Mikado is sagging in the rear. Does anyone have a source for the stronger springs for the rear truck? Pat Darby Covington, LA
Re: Scratch-building Gondolas - Activities during Spring Break
Matthias, I have built some 2-axle cars with a 95mm wheel base and these can go on LGB 11000-series (R1) track. I built one 2-axle car with a 123mm wheel base and the wheel flanges bind against the rails on R1 track. The August 1998 issue of Garden Railways magazine carried plans by Ted Stinson for small 2-axle cars titles "1:20-Scale Four-Wheel Flatcar and High-Side Gondola". Wheelbase for these cars is 70mm. Overall length of each car, less couplers, is 138mm. Car width is 76mm. Regards, Steve [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, Spring break is approaching and I want to build with my 6 year old son some gondolas for our Lady Anne. What is the longest distance one could have between two fixed axles (i.e. wheel base?) on a gondola so that it still masters the tightest curves from LGB or Aristocraft? Are there any web pages that have information on scratch building gondolas or does someone have pics that could inspire us? (The local LGB dealer has just has five freight cars displayed and in the printed LGB catalogue there is just the total length of 16 cm given.) Are there any live steam/train activities in the first week of March in the US/Canada were we could participate or lend a hand? Regards, Matthias __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools
Re: Scratch-building Gondolas - Activities during Spring Break
I have cheated even further and gone with pechot bogies in 7/8n2 they will handle even the tightest of curves. The axles sit in sealed stainless bearings so the rolling resistance is very low. I can almost get them to travel half the layout with one small push. Here is a link to the first photos. http://www.syntaxis.net/fbmstudios/7-8N2/freight-01.html the photos only show one bogie and I am working on numerous flat cars and boxcars that will handle any curve you throw at em. Cheers Ferdinand On 23-Feb-04, at 3:52 PM, Kevin Strong wrote: I'm not sure I'd go much longer than 4" between axles. LGB cheats, and pivots their axles on their stuff to fit around their tightest curves. Unless you want to go that route, you'd do yourself right to stay as short as possible. Even with such a short wheelbase, you can go with longer rolling stock, though. Mine carts had to negotiate notoriously tight curves, but the cars themselves often overhung the wheels by at least the distance between them. Now in the scale of the Lady Anne, a mine car's wheel spacing would likely be on the order of 2", giving a total length of 6", but the theory still holds true. As for plans, I'd dig through back issues of Garden Railways magazine if you have them available. I know they've had plans and construction articles on 4-wheel equipment like you are after. You can go to their web site and search their index also. www.gardenrailways.com . If you don't have the issue needed, check back with the list. I'm sure there's someone on the list with that issue who can help you out. There's another possibility you can look into--Hartland Locomotive Works makes a line of really short 4-wheel rolling stock that is ripe for kitbashing. They're around $10 each, which really can't be beat. I've seen them at Caboose Hobbies a lot, and I'm sure other mail order houses have them as well. Later, K
Re: Scratch-building Gondolas - Activities during Spring Break
I'm not sure I'd go much longer than 4" between axles. LGB cheats, and pivots their axles on their stuff to fit around their tightest curves. Unless you want to go that route, you'd do yourself right to stay as short as possible. Even with such a short wheelbase, you can go with longer rolling stock, though. Mine carts had to negotiate notoriously tight curves, but the cars themselves often overhung the wheels by at least the distance between them. Now in the scale of the Lady Anne, a mine car's wheel spacing would likely be on the order of 2", giving a total length of 6", but the theory still holds true. As for plans, I'd dig through back issues of Garden Railways magazine if you have them available. I know they've had plans and construction articles on 4-wheel equipment like you are after. You can go to their web site and search their index also. www.gardenrailways.com . If you don't have the issue needed, check back with the list. I'm sure there's someone on the list with that issue who can help you out. There's another possibility you can look into--Hartland Locomotive Works makes a line of really short 4-wheel rolling stock that is ripe for kitbashing. They're around $10 each, which really can't be beat. I've seen them at Caboose Hobbies a lot, and I'm sure other mail order houses have them as well. Later, K
Re: Scratch-building Gondolas - Activities during Spring Break
Hi, Matthias, Something like 4-6 inches (10-15cm for you German-Canadians :-) would give cars that looked right with Lady Anne and would handle short radii. -vance- "This is the time in life that I am living, and I'll face each day with a smile. For the time that I've been given is such a little while" Arthur Lee
Re: Southern Calif steamers?
Not quite Southern California but I do have a large gauge one layout here in Las Vegas if you want to make the trip. Since I'm a member of Riverside Live Steamers I know it takes about 3.5 to 4 hours to make the trip one way. You are welcome to visit for a day. And you can make a side trip to St. Albin Junction who's store is about 10 miles away from my house. Cheers Clark Clark B Lord - Las Vegas, Nevada USA Las Vegas Live Steamers - Gauge 1 live steam Gary wrote: I am visiting my father in Riverside, California area Tuesday - Saturday. Are there any gauge 1 live steamers down there who might be open to a visit? I used to live in Southern California, so I can get around pretty well, despite traffic having noticibly become more dense. Steaming & Sparking over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon ~ Gary http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor
Scratch-building Gondolas - Activities during Spring Break
Hi, Spring break is approaching and I want to build with my 6 year old son some gondolas for our Lady Anne. What is the longest distance one could have between two fixed axles (i.e. wheel base?) on a gondola so that it still masters the tightest curves from LGB or Aristocraft? Are there any web pages that have information on scratch building gondolas or does someone have pics that could inspire us? (The local LGB dealer has just has five freight cars displayed and in the printed LGB catalogue there is just the total length of 16 cm given.) Are there any live steam/train activities in the first week of March in the US/Canada were we could participate or lend a hand? Regards, Matthias __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools
Shears
John of Medford, Oregon, was kind enough to tell me about bench shears for cutting straight lines in sheet metal. Google search helped me to discover bench shears, throatless shears, rolling shears, guilliotine shears. OK, again, novice here . . . which shear is used for what sort of cutting? I know the rolling shear can allow a shallow curve to be cut . . . but I am baffled regarding when to use each. Some shears include shear, press brake & slip roll. Is this usual or do some bench shears not have these capabilities? Grizzly is Chinese right? Is Harbor Freight about the same quality. Steaming & Sparking over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon ~ Gary http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor
Southern Calif steamers?
I am visiting my father in Riverside, California area Tuesday - Saturday. Are there any guage 1 live steamers down there who might be open to a visit? I used to live in Southern California, so I can get around pretty well, despite traffic having noticibly become more dense. Steaming & Sparking over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon ~ Gary http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor
