Jump to content
 

The Patiala State Monorail Trainways


Stubby47
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

So we've reached the toilet humour stage.....

 

Plans today include finding the stash of plaster bandage then applying it to the various hillsides constructed so far. Still not sure whether to

include a dirt track to the house, or how to disguise the right hand exit, but no doubt something will float to the front of mind at some point.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I need too build the loco chassis first, to get the correct gauge, then I can work out the rail lengths, then I can work out the correct position of the magnets and relays.

 

4 weeks to go...

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

For those of you following ( very much appreciated !!) and who have vivid imaginations, here is a train passing through the cutting

 

post-7025-0-33694800-1458907136_thumb.jpg

 

On the upper river bank, some green stuff is arriving

 

post-7025-0-41185300-1458907195_thumb.jpg

  • Like 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I also saw 4472 in a state of disarray at the NRM, and can well imagine the little light-bulb flash which any self-respecting cartoonist would place above your furrowed brow.

However, we all know what 4472 looks like now and Stu's layout might get just as much attention when it is 'launched'.

Phil

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, not really 'gauge', but I need to create a smooth path for the outrigger wheel to run on, as if it's impeded it might derail the main wheels.

I've only just found this thread Stubby and am enjoying it enormously.

I hope this isn't too OT but there have been other Ewing monorails apart from the Patlala State. The Kundala Valley Railway seems to have preceded Patiala by a few years  though it only ever used mules and in order to use steam power was converted to a narrow gauge railway.  A few years earlier Siemens had come up with an electrically powered  Ewing monorail for hauling barges on canals with the obvious advantage that the single rail would leave the towpath clear for horses.

post-6882-0-63792900-1458946547_thumb.jpg

They used in experimentally on a short section of I think the Finow canal in Germany and were going to use it on the Teltow Canal near Berlin but the local authorities insisted on a conventional metre gague towing railway.

Siemens also built this Ewing monorail tractor for a planned towing system on the St. Denis canal near Paris and showed it at the the 1900 Paris Exhibition.

post-6882-0-53076900-1458946523_thumb.jpg

Apparently 85% of the weight was carried by the double flanged powered wheels and only about 15% by the balancing wheels which seems to have run on a concrete strip laid on the towpath.

 

The funny thing is that the Siemens tractor looks a lot more modern than the Patiala loco  and stock even though it was bult several years before but it would be a far less entertaining model than what you're doing. It's overhead electrical supply would also be less challenging to model than what you're doing (though not by much) .

The St. Denis plan fell through for financial reasons but about 1000miles of French canals between Dunkerque and Mulhouse were eventually equipped with electric towing railways though these were conventiional metre and 600 mm gauge railways. The French canal authorities got over the problem of the railway sharing the towpath with horses by banning them so all non-powered barges had to use the electric tractors. The system survived until comparatively recently.and traces can still be found.

Edited by Pacific231G
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

David,
Thanks for that, fascinating stuff. Curious in both cases how wide the non-rail wheels are, considering how little weight they carry.

An overhead system would be much easier....

Edited by Stubby47
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...