Torsja, Outstanding!! Very well done! Don't change a thing - weathering looka fantastic!! What did you use to weather / paint the front trucks? John
3-4 cars is no big problem even on my grades at about +1,5% or so. Off course it is not in accurate RL Z-Scale time speed. It can slip a little some times with only the two wheels. But for the most part this should run solo I guess. And it is not to happy about to big gaps between the rail joints. The trucks are just painted with diluted Humbrol #62 oil paint.
Awesome! Torsja, Your projects are always outstanding!! This is a great addition to your layout. Can you tell us what else you have planned to build?? Hobo Tim
Some US automobiles are high on the list soon and especially Ford's. But how and when I'm not sure off yet. And it also depends on what chassis I get hold off if I'm gone build more Trains to. Time will show.
Made a couple hybrid wood/plastic gondola's. This CP straight sided car: If you look closely you can see the tie down loops engraved into the car side: And here's the BN Fishbelly gon:
Very nice Robert!!! Before you know it, their will be three! MTL Marklin & Robert Ray building the bulk of Z scale for the World!!!!! Very nice gondolas!!! Hobo Tim
Dabbling with This, That and the Other Thing! Just a project I have had on the backburner for quite some time. Finally made a brass etching overlay for it. Printed on cardstock to see how it would all go together!!! Actually runs good. Need to make the body out of white metal with tungsten powder where I can stash it!!! Motor is 3volts. At 3volt does about 30-45 mph scale speed! Needs work, lots of work!!!! Hobo Tim
MOW Truck MechaniZm Robert, Here is a photo of the mechaniZm I used to power this frame. For starters, the 25:1 geared motor is a 6mm x 20mm working on 3volts max. I had to machine the pulley end to accept a small Marklin worm gear, that came from an 0-6-0 loco. The rest of the photo is self explanitory. The frame is a test using double cardstock of the brass etch overlay and CA induced for strength. The power pickups are from Glen Chenier used to improve the F7 performance. For testing purposes only I have the power pickups upside down. Will be reversed on the actual model. Isolation will require miniature plastic washers to eliminate the brass frame from shorting out across the metal wheels. Right now the cardstock is ok as it does not conduct electricity. I plan on making the entire shell out of white metal for the weight needed to keep a good contact between the wheels and the track. Here is another photo of the mechaniZm from a different angle. Here is the original photo I posted yesterday. Shows the Ford Aeromax shell. This use to be a cast resin truck offered by Searails. I have saved it just for this application. I have been working on this idea of an MOW truck for about 2 years now. Finally coming together! Still about 6 months to a year till completion!! I hope to have it looking just like the photo in the top left corner when finished! Stay Tuned! Hobo Tim
Tim, I thought your photos reminded me of something... like this hi-railer I did a few years back (obviously never got around to painting it). It's N scale, so it doesn't "count" here, but it's the same principal... It runs on standard throttle power by using a set of diodes to produce 1.5 volts for the motor; a 12-volt grain-of-wheat bulb acts as ballast (and lights the truck at the same time). What I found was that weight is an all-important factor. If the shell was plastic instead of pewter, it would not run--the wheels would just spin uselessly! I intend to translate this into Z at some point.
The chassis is brass channel stock; the diodes are tucked away inside, under the motor: One end of one of the diodes sticks straight up, and a coupler spring is soldered to the end of it to make contact with the motor, which is removable:
Glad to hear it. By the way, here's the wiring schematic. It's interesting to see how the motor responds to a normal throttle; it runs a bit better than I'd expected, but at the same time, the very narrow wheel treads will find the slightest trackwork imperfections. The wheels are Northwest ShortLine.
Chris-- I've got a bunch of the same planetary gearhead pager motors. They are really great little devices, inexpensive too, except... they come with a solid plastic belt pulley on the output that must be (very carefully!) turned down to form a shaft if you want to add a gear. Here is one source: http://www.robotshop.ca/home/produc...y-gearmotors/solarbotics-gm15-gear-motor.html
Hair I have been working on this for a few weeks and hair is what is left on my workbench, I wonder why I am getting bald. It is simple lighting for a truck I am working on and I had to do it 3 times.
