tramcar
The Toenail Ridge Shortline
The new tramcar
Page written Feb 24th, 2003
Uploaded Feb 24th, 2003
Well, the management of the Toenail Ridge
Shortline has found itself in need of an easy method of access to the trackage
for a while now.
So, following the release of plans in
October 1996 Garden Railways magazine, the powers-that-be empowered
the shop foreman, one Grant Alexander to manufacture a convenient vehicle
for the nabobs to survey their domain.
The vehicle is powered by a TAMIYA Universal
Gearbox and 3 volt motor, which was purchased from Dick Smiths Electronics
for the princely sum of $15. The battery box is also from Dick Smiths and
holds two AA batteries and an on-off switch. The gearbox offers 3 different
gear ratios, I have opted for the middle speed which propels the tramcar
at about 4 metres or 13ft per minute, or in the words of the great Robbie
Burns "...a furlong a fortnight!" Since the model is built to 1:20.3 scale
this translates to about 5 kph or 3mph.
Wheels are small Bachmann, originally
from the tender of a Columbia locomotive. By sheer good fortune the Bachmann
axle is an exact match for the axle diameter required by the drive gear
so I was able to use the original Bachmann wheelsets in their entirity.
Construction is primarily 1/32nd" aircraft
plywood and 1/16th" balsa, with chassis frames made from ripped down cedar.
The hood was fabricated from styrene sheet
and the curved top is a piece of a medication cup purloined from the local
hospital.
The grille is entirely scratch-built of
balsa and styrene strip. The radiator cap is a round-pin and the crank
handle is a piece of welding rod with a brass tube overlay for a handle.
The headlights were lifted from a $2 toy
truck and spread to the correct width using brass tube. The lenses were
purloined from another truck kit. The cowcatcher came from another $2 toy.
If anyone is interested in owning one
of these models I would be happy to build them in either 1:20.3 or 1:29
scale. Purchaser would need to supply 2 Bachmann small-wheel axles.
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