Jack O Lantern Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Can anybody help, please? I have a project in mind which means working in a very confined space. If I use a Bullant motorised bogie, I have calculated that I can build a tram engine body to fit but the whole structure is very open. If I get a Bullant and run it in, is it possible to "wrap" it in a modelled boiler? There would be very little, if any, space between the motor and the boiler. I don't know how hot a motor gets and I don't want to set fire to anything! Any advice would be gratefully received. Regards, Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I think the closest you will ever get to having a fire in your engine would be a puff of magic blue smoke when the motor stopped working. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack O Lantern Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 Thanks Bill. I would like to try and avoid that option as well! Will enclosing the motor blow it? I hoped that it there was a gap (however small) I could avoid that. Are you saying that I can't? Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 (edited) Unless you are going to run the motor flat out pulling a heavy load for a long time it shouldnt get that hot to cause an issue, the heat will dissipate through whatever is enclosing the motor and as long as the heat can dissipate at roughly the same rate it is being produced (the heat will continue to dissipate when the loco is stationary) it should be fine to enclose it. If you fully enclose the motor and have metal parts in contact with the motor casing the heat will dissipate faster than having an air gap because air is actually a poor conductor of heat. Edited October 26, 2017 by royaloak Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack O Lantern Posted October 27, 2017 Author Share Posted October 27, 2017 Royaloak, Many thanks for the helpful reply. The width of the motor is 12 mm and I have 21mm overall to play with. I hope that if I curve some thin plastikard over the motor and leave a 2mm space all round that will be OK. I had better get in touch with Geoff at the Foundry for his views. The amount of work that the engine would do is minimal. In many ways it could be a static model but as far as I am concerned it HAS to move! Thanks again. Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Steven B Posted October 27, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 27, 2017 Most rtr models have their motors surrounded by plastic or metal and don't spontaneously burst into flames so I suspect you'll have no problems. Steven B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 I would like to try and avoid that option as well! Will enclosing the motor blow it? The trick is to weight your loco so that when it pulling the expected maximum load the wheels will slip rather than the motor stalling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack O Lantern Posted October 27, 2017 Author Share Posted October 27, 2017 Steven B/Bill Thanks for your thoughts. It is over fifty years since I last had a model railway and I had/have no idea how hot these things can get. You have reassured me! Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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