Erskine Tramway

This forum is dedicated to Riding Scale Railroading with propulsion using other than steam (Hydraulics, diesel engines, gas engines, electric motors, hybrid etc.)

Moderator: Harold_V

User avatar
Erskine Tramway
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:13 pm
Location: South Dakota
Contact:

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Hi Folks...

A couple years ago, I bought one of those plastic wedge sidewalk snowplows from Amazon. I've been using it to help clear the track whenever the snow depth and consistency will allow. Running it with the 'road' wheels outside the rails works OK, but it has a tendency to hop over the ties and get out of line. So, this winter, I built a 4-wheeled truck to replace the wheels. Here's a little video I made a couple days ago of the trials. It stays on the track pretty well, the derailment in the video came from the end of the blade catching a frozen chunk of snow left over from the last time I shoveled it. The snow was shoveled wide enough to clear the train, but not the plow.

https://youtu.be/Sq3u8gEM7GU

Enjoy,
Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by NP317 »

Very Cool. Literally!
Looks like that plow might be happy on the front end of your electric power unit!
RussN
tomc
Posts: 375
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:04 pm
Location: Sw of the Windy City

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by tomc »

I need one but the asking price is to steep for me!

Tom C.
tom_at_srclry_com
A student of the Southend RGS!
User avatar
Erskine Tramway
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:13 pm
Location: South Dakota
Contact:

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

NP317 wrote: Tue Jan 31, 2023 11:59 am Very Cool. Literally!
Looks like that plow might be happy on the front end of your electric power unit!
RussN
Thanks, Russ...

I only plow 75-100 feet to haul the wood, so it's easier to just push it. In general, I try and avoid having to run trains in the snow by stacking a couple weeks' worth of wood in the Loco Shed alongside the garage. The only downside with the plow is that the end of the blade sometimes catches on ice or weeds (that I'll need to remove before next winter) or guardrails and twists the truck off the track. It's easier on the plow if I just push it :D If the snow's too deep or hard for the plow, I'm probably not going out there anyway.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by NP317 »

"If the snow's too deep or hard for the plow, I'm probably not going out there anyway."

I totally understand that!
RussN
User avatar
Erskine Tramway
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:13 pm
Location: South Dakota
Contact:

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Hi Folks...

In case you ever wondered how Heywood couplers work, here's a little video I put together this week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STDMyTAb1F0

Enjoy, Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
Chris B44
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:34 am

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Chris B44 »

Hi Mike,
I was looking at the flat waggons with the bulkhead ends you have made. I would like to make something similar for maintenance work at our club rather that piling stuff on a passenger car.
Can you let me know the general size of them, I gather they are 20” wide and guessing at about 40” long. Is there any form of suspension with the plummer block bearings and what wheelbase and wheel diameter are you using?
Thanks
Whangarei Model Engineering Club
Former member Lincoln and District MES
User avatar
Erskine Tramway
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:13 pm
Location: South Dakota
Contact:

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Chris B44 wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:38 pm Hi Mike,
I was looking at the flat waggons with the bulkhead ends you have made. I would like to make something similar for maintenance work at our club rather that piling stuff on a passenger car.
Can you let me know the general size of them, I gather they are 20” wide and guessing at about 40” long. Is there any form of suspension with the plummer block bearings and what wheelbase and wheel diameter are you using?
Thanks
Hi Chris...
Here's the original design. I changed some of it to make them quicker to build with what I had on hand, and I made them 20" wide instead of my Heywood's 18" wide. There will be an upcoming build article in 'Live Steam and Outdoor Railroading' magazine.
Bulkhead wagon.jpg
Bulkhead wagon.jpg (151.12 KiB) Viewed 3119 times
The suspension is by 'rubber' springs in holes in the bearing mounting blocks.
6-4-17 bulkhead wagon bearing spacer.jpg
6-4-17 bulkhead wagon bearing spacer.jpg (107.23 KiB) Viewed 3119 times
The wheelbase is 18" and the wheels are 7" diameter RMI '2-1/2" scale' steel wheels. The wheelbase and overall length could be longer, I just wanted to make sure they would go around my curves without problems.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
Chris B44
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:34 am

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Chris B44 »

Thanks for the reply Mike. I can start on the woodwork whilst my new workshop is being built.
Whangarei Model Engineering Club
Former member Lincoln and District MES
User avatar
Erskine Tramway
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:13 pm
Location: South Dakota
Contact:

Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Hi folks...

A couple weeks ago, I had a derailment while I was shoving some loads of wood up to the Car Shed. It turned out that some of the ties on the top curve had weather checked badly enough that they weren't holding the track screws anymore, and the rail had spread on the curve.

So, I made a couple of videos of the replacement and surfacing. Here's the tie replacing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-a53vdb3xo&t=40s

Here's the surfacing. I didn't set enough handbrake on Sparky, and he wanted to run away a little while I was shoveling the ballast off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSvLC1i1UmI

Enjoy...Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
Post Reply