Andy Reichert Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Apologies for the rather blurred image. This was a quickie cell-phone photo of the initial construction stage of the first version parts. The centre bolster has been assembled along with the side arms holding the bearings. My next stage will be to be to add couple of wheelsets on flush axles, to make sure they fit easily. If that works OK, I'll make a second truck and mount an Amfleet car on to try them out. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 More slow and occasional steps of progress to report. This is the result of the little bit of work I did this afternoon. Yesterday I had to first modify an old NWSL loco wheel puller to pop the wheels off of the much smaller diameter assembled flush end axle coach wheelsets. That so I could fit the inside bearings onto the inner parts of the axles. The glue on that had set overnight, hence today I was able to trail fit the wheels. A general view of the new and the original trucks with the car underfame and body. A closer view to show more detail of the differences. And a better view of the inside. And a close side view when fitted. By now, some of the new features may be coming apparent. I've only just managed a quick try of pushing the car back and forth today, which even IMHO, went brilliantly, but I shall be assembling a whole train's worth of Amfleets for the next testing stage. Feel free to speculate in the meantime, but I expect to still surprise you anyway. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 To show the "easy" motorization conversion aspect of the design, this is another quick cell-phone intermediate stage picture showing where a temporary gearbox fits. There will be a shallow bridge/bolster added over the end of the UJ so that the powered version bogies can be mounted to the car floor without blocking the drive shaft. The low height gearbox will be 14:1, with a UJ or flex shaft to a central underfloor or low floor motor of the users choice. The gearbox top is less than .0240" above the axle centre. of whatever size wheels you use. It's pretty close to flush with the tops of 10.5 mm wheels. The central motor can have an optional centre idler box of around 2:1, which allows the use of a greater single ended motor choice and double power bogies. The bogies are properly equalized, so my plan is to to have one geared axle in each bogie giving true symmetrical running in both directions and balanced tractive effort better than a single bogie with two driven axles, but at the cost of little more than just one bogie. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 I see what your problem is: you need 3 more wheels. The top holes are for the gyroscopes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Now that I've done a little testing, I should add that the truck as shown has no soldered, screwed or glued joints whatsoever. As a kit construction, It's basically sheet metal origami. Not even any of those little bits of bent music wire that are so popular in etched kits otherwise. While this may sound a little too simple and easy to be true, it's actually incredibly strong and yet also capable of quite incredible free running even when ridiculously heavily weighted. . Equalization is incorporated as Standard. Body Springing is optional and if the testing works out properly, adjustable too. But I must give all the credit to Ted Scannell of CLAG for introducing me to, and browbeating me into finally accepting springing as the best way to mount the coach body to the truck bolsters. http://youtu.be/JIcwq10JZko I didn't have my proper movie camera (again), so these are two quickie clips from my good ol' pre-millenium cell phone. The chunk of steel broke off my colleague's farm tractor last week and just happened to be on hand and yet just small enough to sit on the bolster. That is 1.5 LB that the scale is reading. So a pair of trucks would support a 3 LB coach if you are looking for some better scale inertia. Please don't try this with any of your own pinpoint bearing trucks!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Planning to sell these, Andy? I can't recall if you've mentioned that... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Planning to sell these, Andy? I can't recall if you've mentioned that... Provided I can satisfy all my own projects, then it shouldn't be difficult to just order more parts for anyone else interested. Unlike plastic stuff, they don't need to be manufactured in high volume to overcome any tooling costs. I did put a 4mm Bachmann MK 1 upgrade try-out on the prototype parts sheet, just for the challenge! So that might be popular as it could also motorize a lot of EMU kit bashes without needing to by an RTR EMU first.. . . . . I rather made the mistake of doing too much stuff for everyone else first, when I made my regular and street track components. So my layout is nowhere near where I thought it would be by now. Gotta stay balanced. . . . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 I have a few more illustrations of ongoing progress. It's happening slowly, as time permits, but moving in the right direction at least. First, I added smooth surface rubbing plates to the underside of the king pins, so that my truck mounted body support springs still slide smoothly as the trucks turn. Two trucks were fitted for more testing. https://youtu.be/6vyn-8jGWmQ Here is a you tube clip showing the extent of the springing and the wide range of body movement freedom but with a strong self centering return. https://youtu.be/Ycol7ZwIrhA And another showing the free running of the coach when pushed. Due to using ball bearings as inside bearings. Now things get a bit more interesting. This is an artificial bump quickly made up using a happened to by handy fine tipped swiss file, some tape and a weight. And a close up to show that the bump is at least .5 mm square. https://youtu.be/CypqNqAgqxQ https://youtu.be/whhpefPTcVg https://youtu.be/o-yGMBqSOdk So here are three more you tube clips showing how the car crosses the bump at speed with no perceptible body jolting or even later vibration, and obviously no track holding ill-effects. As you have probably noticed, this test sample is fitted with Proto:87 wheels, so any possible track holding problems would become far more apparent. So for regular 00 and HO use they should be easily 100% reliable and smooth running under even very bad track conditions. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Moving onto progress of the powered truck version: The new floating gearbox casing first article has arrived. Shown here with the worm gear on the wheel axle and axle ball bearings along with the worm on the worm shaft and worm shaft ball bearings. The gearbox casing comes as two halves which are just snapped together, once the worm shaft and geared axle are in place. The axle ball bearings are the same as the ones used on the unpowered trucks, so the gearbox can be added to one or both axles of the existing truck design. And the worm shaft can be extended in either direction, allowing for driving from the truck pivot centre point, or from the truck end. Lots more testing to do, and there is also a narrow gauge version for HOm to try out. But so far, all is looking good. Next step is to finish the third part of the power truck design. The modified existing sprung bolster mount that needs to sit higher, above the worm shaft if a centre pivot drive is used. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Here's a picture of the body springing system. Maximum equalized undamped, 1mm springing movement occurs when the car body weight 8 oz. Tightening up the bolster screw progressively clamps the movement at the high end and deceases the possible amount of body roll. Increasing the weight pre-loads the springs and progressively clamps the movement at the bottom end. http://youtu.be/nnfmrmFzFq8 And to show it really works, a brief you tube clip of the first car being pushed backwards at a scale 120 mph. Note we actually ran this test for 90 minutes in each direction, just to be sure everything was solid and dependable. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Not an invasion of robot insects. Rather the production line for assembling the truck bodies to make up a full 8 car test train.One of the advantages of making the component parts low volume manufacturable, is that it is then easy and quick to make them in quantity, each exactly the same, and as good, as the one before. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 You're teasing us ....all of us with the Flatwheel Express bogies under Walthers Amfleet cars! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 You're teasing us ....all of us with the Flatwheel Express bogies under Walthers Amfleet cars! I'm running as fast as I can. I ain't 35 any more. I did order a "NEW" amfleet truck from Walthers. Nice brake mouldings, but it had about 95% drag before I took it apart. (worse than the originals IMHO.). It actually has square hornblocks and complexity form light/sound pick/up. But I think I can cook up some new better bearings for it as is. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multiple identity account Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Nice work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 I'm happy to report what seems to be complete success on full length train running tests. http://youtu.be/svTDe2u797Y Here is an 8 car train running continuously at full speed around the circuit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsgcH9800_8 Now, to be really sure the trucks are functioning correctly when pushed rather than pulled, here the 8 car train is running backwards at full speed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvQsvkGpEs0 And to get the full impact of that speed in reverse, here is the corner closer up. The full speed with 8 cars is very close to the full speed with one car, so the heavy friction of 8 cars with the original rigid trucks seems to have been cancelled by the new design. So it looks as though I don't need to make any modifications before ordering more parts. Anyone who has further interest in these should contact me by PM. I'm now going to move on to altering the floor height of some Walthers old BART cars to accommodate these trucks, together with lowering the overall height to be correct to the prototypes. After that I'll see if I can fit the powered version of the trucks to drive typical 9 car model BART trains. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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