Need your thoughts, opinions and suggestion on my designs and current projects at Proses.

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HarunYamanlar

HarunYamanlar

New Member
Hi there,

I am the designer and owner of Proses Hobby, a brand you may know as it is distributed by Bachmann in the US and Europe.

I have joined the forum not to make sales, but to connect with end-users and gather their suggestions, comments, and critiques on our current products as well as the projects I am currently working on.

In large companies, product designs are usually created by employees who are accountable to their bosses, making it difficult for end-users to communicate directly with the designers. Here, as a small company where I am both the designer and the owner, I want to leverage this advantage to communicate with you directly.

Now, I would like to start and get your opinion on a project that I have revisited recently.

It is a lift to get the locomotives to another level and park as needed. You may know that we manufacture many helices for various brands at different heights and radii. Helices are good for people who have enough space on their layouts. The advantage of helices is, of course, that they can move an entire train to another level. The lift I am working on is about 40 cm (approximately 15.75 inches) wide.

All the best and thanks in advance for your comments, and suggestions.

Please note that you can always make suggestions for the current items if you wish. We, at Proses are always open to suggestions to improve our items.

I am including a short video and would like to get your thoughts.

Harun Yamanlar

 
An interesting idea and it looks pretty neat too, it's a motor, drive belt, drive wheel, steel threaded shaft with a platform on a large nut that rotates as the belt drive motor rotates the shaft, and the perspex sides keep the platform and shaft upright.

So four questions come to mind.

1) How does the platform stay level when the weight of the loco isn't evenly distributed on the platform and one end is decidedly heaver than the other ?

2) How do you get the loco out of the lift if it gets stuck, apart from reaching over the layout, and considering most completed layouts have buildings, vehicles, fencing etc. that are permanent, the buyer will be trying to grab something they're unlikely to be able to even see ?

3) Is the user able to pre-determine where the various levels will be, or are they pre-set

4) What would be the approximate cost ?

My Thoughts.
I would bin most of the perspex and use a solid base with 4 height adjustable right angles on each corner, 300mm +/- perspex on the sides so the loco can't fall off, also some form of flap at both ends of the platform that both raises or lowers as the lift goes up or down so the loco is encased on all four sides while in transit.
 
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Smudge617 said:
An interesting idea and it looks pretty neat too, it's a motor, drive belt, drive wheel, steel threaded shaft with a platform on a large nut that rotates as the belt drive motor rotates the shaft, and the perspex sides keep the platform and shaft upright.

So four questions come to mind.

1) How does the platform stay level when the weight of the loco isn't evenly distributed on the platform and one end is decidedly heaver than the other ?

2) How do you get the loco out of the lift if it gets stuck, apart from reaching over the layout, and considering most completed layouts have buildings, vehicles, fencing etc. that are permanent, the buyer will be trying to grab something they're unlikely to be able to even see ?

3) Is the user able to pre-determine where the various levels will be, or are they pre-set

4) What would be the approximate cost ?

My Thoughts.
I would bin most of the perspex and use a solid base with 4 height adjustable right angles on each corner, 300mm +/- perspex on the sides so the loco can't fall off, also some form of flap at both ends of the platform that both raises or lowers as the lift goes up or down so the loco is encased on all four sides while in transit.
Click to expand...

I am still undecided about some aspects of the design. Currently, as I am in a sort of holiday mode at our vacation home and cannot be in the workshop, I am only able to make technical drawing trials for now.

1) How does the platform stay level when the weight of the loco isn't evenly distributed on the platform and one end is decidedly heaver than the other ?

There are many options: using two rods near the ends, using a scissors mechanism, or a linear slide and carriage. I am testing all of them in terms of both cost and smooth operation.

2) How do you get the loco out of the lift if it gets stuck, apart from reaching over the layout, and considering most completed layouts have buildings, vehicles, fencing etc. that are permanent, the buyer will be trying to grab something they're unlikely to be able to even see ?

The acrylic piece in the front can be removed and loco can be accessed from the front of the construction.

3) Is the user able to pre-determine where the various levels will be, or are they pre-set.

It's the easiest part. On the first working prototype (video) there are micro switches. You can adjust the height of the switches to make it stop at any level.

4) What would be the approximate cost ?

And this is the hardest question. :)

It will depend on the construction I will decide at the end.

Additionally, there are other considerations regarding the cost. Should it be a kit or a ready-made product? If it is ready-made, the shipping cost will be higher due to the larger package size. Perhaps we can make it semi-assembled, allowing the buyer to complete the assembly easily.

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cover-1.jpg
 
HarunYamanlar said:
dditionally, there are other considerations regarding the cost. Should it be a kit or a ready-made product? If it is ready-made, the shipping cost will be higher due to the larger package size. Perhaps we can make it semi-assembled, allowing the buyer to complete the assembly easily.
Click to expand...
I think having it as a "flat-pack" would be more cost-effective for yourselves and the buyer, and less likely to be damaged in transit.

Yes, costing will depend on the end design plus other items such as packaging as I've already mentioned.

dave1905 said:
Can you do it for a train? Something 8 feet long with a change in elevation of 14-18"?
Click to expand...

This idea is interesting, although it would be considered a separate project it would be an advantage to connect multiple units to work as one allowing the buyer to expand the system, as, or when it's required, or finances allow especially if it's a small layout.
 
I will share the lift developments when I'm back in the workshop. I have a few different construction ideas, such as using two rods near the ends, using a scissors mechanism, or a linear slide and carriage.

Since 1983, when we established Proses Elektronik Ltd (at that time we started as a company manufacturing DIY electronic kits), I have noticed that an idea is rarely finished as a product with the starting design idea. It always changes, usually for the better, but sometimes for the worse, which I notice years later when I revisit. Not so often, but there are times I say, "What a fool I was for not thinking of the simpler, easier way to make it."

Anyway, now I am more cautious and I don't rush things anymore.

Now, I want to discuss another kit that we have been selling for some years already.

It's the diesel engine house/shed/depot with working doors. We make it in both HO/OO and O scale versions. People are happy with the kit as it has a straightforward assembly and the motorized doors part is already built.

But I also received some comments saying that it is not a typical European, German, British, etc. style, and if it was, they would consider buying it.

Yes, I know that I was more concentrated on the mechanical design of the working doors and made an almost generic building to fit all.

I decided to make a few other sheds/depots for different countries using the same motor mechanism.

I'd appreciate you help me by sharing some photos of a diesel depot from your country.

I am sharing the YouTube video below.

 
That is very cool, love it!
I was going to try making a roll up door for the paper mill at one time, if a single door kit was available I’d go for it!
 
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flyboy2610 said:
Many people do not have room for a helix.
Click to expand...
True but to lift a 20 car train of 40ft boxcars you need a over 10ft lift bridge..
Now it would cool to work it into a engine storage wall book case to go and snatch out a engine without haven to mess with touching it.
 
Rico said:
That is very cool, love it!
I was going to try making a roll up door for the paper mill at one time, if a single door kit was available I’d go for it!
Click to expand...
We don't have a single-door unit but we sell the double-door unit for a while. It seems we have to make a single-door unit as well as we get many requests for it. Thank you for reminding me.
1200X1200-HO-scale-01.png
 
I love both the motorised Engine and Warehouse kits, but I don't have space for either otherwise .......but definitely on my wish list.
 
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