Hydraulic control

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

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Bob D.
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by Bob D. »

Why on earth would you have no throttle control on the engine?? Seems like a no brainer things could be smoothed out by starting out with the engine just off idle. Not to mention how much more pleasant things would be with the engine idling when the train is stopped. You will also be making alot less heat.
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Steggy
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by Steggy »

Bob D. wrote: Fri Jun 03, 2022 10:15 amWhy on earth would you have no throttle control on the engine?? Seems like a no brainer things could be smoothed out by starting out with the engine just off idle.

Was what I said. Proportional throttle control would go a long way toward finer-grained control and smoothness.

Not to mention how much more pleasant things would be with the engine idling when the train is stopped. You will also be making a lot less heat.

...and a lot less noise.
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Pontiacguy1
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

On our club F7, there is a throttle control a lot like one you'd find on a push mower. Most people set the engine RPM to achieve the maximum speed they intend to run and then leave it there. when I am doing switching or low speed work with it, it absolutely does help to lower the RPM 500 or 600. I don't know if his has this same setup, but I would imagine it does.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by Bill Shields »

unless you can control the throttle, anything else is going to require change in valve / pipe / hoses

your decision....

In previous decades, I have heard locos like this referred to as 'lawn mowers'...
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Pontiacguy1
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

The club one is geared so that with the V twin not too far above idle, the locomotive will travel about 6 MPH. You really don't need very many RPMs to make it move or go. It has plenty of power. That's why you can only lower it about 500 or 600 RPM, because it isn't turning that fast to begin with. If you really revved the thing up, the locomotive would run pretty fast. They aren't terribly offensive when the prime mover is turning that slowly.

Maybe a slightly smaller pump would be beneficial to making it easier to control.
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makinsmoke
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by makinsmoke »

Absolutely running at high rpm and actuating the valve will cause hard starts and stops.

That g said, there was a “log splitter” setup used by one or more manufacturers. Trainworks offers an upgrade to an Eaton pump and control valve.

At minimum, if you have the old style valve, switching to the replacement offered by Trainworks should help a great deal.

https://thetrainworks.com/product/eaton ... rol-valve/

But don’t expect much improvement if you have the engine rpm at max, and go to start a train with the slack all bunched up, and shove the control lever forward.

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ChipsAhoy
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by ChipsAhoy »

K.
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by rkcarguy »

It is a learning curve. The first time I drove a mini excavator I was very jerky on the controls and it jumped around alot. You learn to ease into it, by listening to the whine as the hydraulics start to move. Lengthened control handles will also help. I think all this combined with adding throttle control will all help.
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kcameron
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by kcameron »

One very nice tool created by a club member is an extension handle for operating those levers. It was just a length of PVC pipe with an elbow on the end that fit over the end of the levers. About two feet long, it allowed the engineer to sit up right and not hunch over to drive the locos. While the tool was created because that member had trouble reaching the controls, everyone else picked up using it as a comfort issue.
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NP317
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by NP317 »

My new Kubota hydraulic tractor exhibits similar jerky motions when the throttle rpm is set too high for the job at hand. 'Lack of a soft touch on the controls.
I was experimenting with that during the past several days and learned to simply decrease the engine rpm to a more comfortable and smooth rpm.
Much better control results.
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Re: Hydraulic control

Post by tetramachine »

Adjustable flow control valve is the ticket. The best control is a variable flow hydraulic pump, motor.
The type used on zero pivot mowers. They a pump and motor in a single bolt onto the engine. You need to match the pump HP to the engine HP.

Not very expensive, 4-500. Made in China .
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