tooter goes big time...


tooter

play every day
While modelling and running HO trains is a lot of fun... :)

...I've always dreamed of a more encompassing real world railroading experience and so I've decided to lay some 7.5 inch gauge track in the yard that I can ride on. The materials have already been ordered for some time and are really slow in arriving, but yesterday I was actually able to pick up the very first parts... :)

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These are geared axle speeder wheel assemblies from RailRiderSupply.com which fortunately is about 30 miles from where I live.

That's an HO scale tooter scooter flat car for size comparison...

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There's no track yet, so for now the first project is to build a simple push cart. Just something to roll around on the tracks as they are being layed. Later the wheelsets will be used for some other purpose.
 
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I'm going for the most common riding railroad scale... 1.5 inch to the foot, or 1/8th. So far the plans are for some sort of human powered "engine" towing one small flat car. The layout will be approximately a 30x40 foot oval with one switch and about a 100 foot spur going along the side of the house with a small turntable to turn the train around at the end of the spur.

Since there's nothing going on in this section,
I'll keep this thread updated with pictures of the progress. :)

Greg
 
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Cool project Greg! Sort of from one extreme to the other?
You're ahead of me in the rolling stock department already, but I may have you beat on the right of way...
 
Hey, Rico... are you gonna do a riding railroad, too? What a neato setting for one! With those trees, you could do an old fashioned logging train winding its way through the forest. :)

I've been doing lots of reading on what materials work best, last the longest with the least maintenance, as well as the issues of laying track, and am going the total novice route with steel rails, stainless steel joiner plates and bolts, composite plastic ties, stainless steel tie screws and self gauging tie plates to make it easy to assemble the track panels. Tomorrow I check on the order, and if it's in I may just be attaching the rails to the ties this weekend. ;)
 
Slowly getting there, same gauge as you too.
Planning on hauling logs out of the bush and beer in.
If I get ambitous I'd like to do a line hauling rock as well, I'd need a shay to get up this grade! (old pic)
Our yard used to ba a small quarry/limestone mine :cool: so always finding old RR junk hidden in the trees or under ground.
 
Here's a cheap idea

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Or go a little fancier and build a pedal powered speeder with a backup engine ("hybrid") for when you get tired :D

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Slowly getting there, same gauge as you too.
Planning on hauling logs out of the bush and beer in.
If I get ambitous I'd like to do a line hauling rock as well, I'd need a shay to get up this grade! (old pic)
Our yard used to ba a small quarry/limestone mine :cool: so always finding old RR junk hidden in the trees or under ground.

That's neat that you'll be building where there's already railroad history. Just like model trains, curve radius is a big limiting factor in choosing an engine and rolling stock. Looks like you're in a hilly area. Grades are an issue here, too. I'm going to be doing a lot of experimenting to come up with something that will go up the hill which is easily a 6% grade or steeper. Going down is going to be more roller coaster than train! :eek:

Picked up some box sections to start laying out a frame... :)

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Going to use a simple bolt and captive spring suspension system. Just need to find some stiff springs. Suspension is a necessity for the wheels to be able to accurately negotiate track imperfections without derailing.
 
Going down a 6% grade, you'd better install brakes. Or Tooter's scooter will be a shooter.
 
Tooter, what's all that space doing between those axles?! :p I thought you liked your locos a bit on the short side! ;)

Yeah, I know...:rolleyes:
It's a concession that has to be made to actually be able to ride on it. I need a minimum of 34 inches of deck length and a minimum 22 inch wheelbase not to do a wheelie when I sit on it. First, it will just be a simple flat car to use as a rolling tester while I lay the track, but later I'd like to make it into a pull car like this childrens pull car except sized for an adult... :)

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Going down a 6% grade, you'd better install brakes. Or Tooter's scooter will be a shooter.

Yes, definitely. :)
When it's a pull car it will need to have brakes. They will be just a simple mechanical lever that pushes curved wooden shoes against the running surfaces of the wheels like an outside drum brake.

It's going to be fun experimenting. I'll be sure to wear my motorcycle helmet.;)
 
I love sandals too, but around here (western pennsylvania) the weather does not like us enough to let me wear them year-round!!! besides I wear boots hunting alot.
 
Have you given any thought to a 12 volt battery, 12 volt DC motor, and a chain to drive the "cart"? The battery could go under your seat, the motor could drive the front axle. If you wanted to get elaborate (not that I would want to), you could probably cobble together a regenerative braking system, kind of like you'd find on a diesel electric locomotive.
 
If you wanted to get elaborate (not that I would want to), you could probably cobble together a regenerative braking system, kind of like you'd find on a diesel electric locomotive.

I think some electric golf carts have regenerative braking as well. I wonder if you could use golf-cart parts to build such a system.
 



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