hi from a newbie looking for clockwork information

[Anonymous]

Hi there eveyone from southern Queensland, Australia. I have recently moved up here from interstate and have enough space for a small indoor garden railroad. I am a Watchmaker By proffession,32 years old,  and have always been enthralled by clockwork locomotives, especially after finding a few pretty little industrial engines on the web recently. I wonder though if anyone has any experience in building a small "G" guage four wheel clockwork locomotive, and can help with maybe a gear train tooth count, the size of the spring, and running times etc. for a railway i was thinking along the lines of postman pat crossed with something the pixies would build at the bottom of the garden. first i need a mechanism, though, so has any one any ideas?

 *EMMA*

[kstrong]

Jeff Young, who writes the "Raising Steam" column for GR has a clockwork web site. Unfortunately I don't remember what it is, and I don't know if he peruses these fora or not. Perhaps Rene can rattle his cage if not. He's written about it on occasion in previous issues. Editor Marc Horovitz also plays with Clockwork locos. I've dabbled, but nothing beyond a testbed.

The most common clockwork motor for large scale clockwork locos is a Mecano (sp?) motor. These show up on ebay from time to time. I've heard of people using old rotary phones as well, because of the governor that controls the speed. I've got one that I've disassembled, though I don't know how to get enough winding on it to make it power anything more than just a few inches. For my "experiment," I gutted an old 8mm movie camera to get the winding mechanism. Actually, I used the entire mechanism as it has a governor as well--which has the advantage of being adjustable. (Movie cameras could be adjusted for various frame rates.)

As for gears and chains, there are a few suppliers who sell either plastic or metal gears and chains. Small Parts www.smallparts.com carries some sprockets and chains, though I got mine from Caboose Hobbies. www.caboosehobbies.com . I think Jeff's web site has links to suppliers, if not I'm sure he could start you down the right path.

Later,

K

[cabbage]

Emma,

I hope these help.


http://www.melright.com/lightred/service1.htm
http://members.shaw.ca/meccano/images/meccmot_service_leaflet.jpg

regards

ralph

edit

http://ca.geocities.com/[e-mail]/

[Anonymous]

you have both been helpful! thankyou. I can make gears, and plates etc, but didnt really want to put too much trial and error into getting it running right. do these motors run an engine and train at a reasonable speed for a reasonable amount of time? it will only be a little train, on a small layout, but it may also have some steep inclines too. wanted to make the motor an extention of the engine frames like the old hornby engines. it needs a brake and a governer, maybe even with jewelled bearings as they are the parts that wear first. just two brass plates like a clock, with spacers between.

 I also wonder about coplers, whats does everyone think about them? want something metal, and dont want to have buffers, so i can get closer radiuses on my track. a centre buffer and hooks perhaps?

love to hear more :)

*EMMA*

[kstrong]

"Reasonable speed" is dependent on gearing and if you've got a governor inline with everything, but in short, yes. My movie camera mechanism plods along for around 60' before it winds down, though I think if I change the gearing and adjust the governor, I can probably get more. (It's been a while since I fiddled with it.) Marc's Meccano locos plod along at a very realistic pace, getting around 2/3 to 3/4 around his railroad--though I don't recall how many feet that is, exactly. A good clip longer than 60', though--probably twice that if not a bit more. If I recall, part of the "challenge" of a proper clockwork railroad is winding the locomotive just enough to make it to the next station platform. They should be more than ample for that.

Later,

K

[Rene Schweitzer]

Here is Jeff Young's web site: http://ca.geocities.com/[e-mail]/

[SandyR]

I, too, am interested in getting a gauge one clockwork locomotive...or building one, if it comes to that. Electricity and rainy days don't mix, and live steam doesn't like bitterly cold weather...so a clockwork locomotive would surely fill the bill. I'd love to see an article in GR about how to build one from scratch.

SandyR

[Anonymous]

I saw that website, thanks. I love the look of that little Steeple Cab engine really, and that is something like what I had in mind.

 still looking for more information about the mechanism ratios though.. ill go looking for some wheels this weekend if i find time :) will keep everyone posted

*EMMA*

[cabbage]

Emma,

Try here.

http://www.dalefield.com/nzfmm/slap/clockwork_motors.htm
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/POWER/clockwork/clockwork.htm
http://members.shaw.ca/meccano/mecmotor.html

regards

ralph

[Takasaki Matt]

Emma, do you have 'The Forest of Bowland Light Railway'?  Pixies, gnomes or goblins - this book is a lovely story that strikes me as close to your railway idea.

I got a copy off Ebay and it was quite cheap, can't remember exactly but less than $15.  The writer BB has a great knack for storytelling. 

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/bb/forest-of-boland-light-railway.htm

and

http://www.countrysidemodels.co.uk/gallery_boland/fobmain.htm

Just a thought,

Regards, Matthew Foster.

[hoofe116]

I, too, am interested in getting a gauge one clockwork locomotive...or building one, if it comes to that. Electricity and rainy days don't mix, and live steam doesn't like bitterly cold weather...so a clockwork locomotive would surely fill the bill. I'd love to see an article in GR about how to build one from scratch.

SandyR

I spent most of yesterday evening at Jeff Young's site. To say I was flabbergasted is but a small overstatement, that so much skill and effort is being devoted to clockwork RRing. I mean that in the most positive sense. I had no idea that niche of the hobby even existed!

I think the two things that I found most attractive were both the workmanship and the 'freelancing'. It would be nice if GR did an article.

It would be even nicer if there was a source of new clockwork motors. I'm going to pick up an old Kodak 8 mm. I wonder if Ken has considered that 60' on an indoor layout would likely be sufficient?

Les W.

Les W. 

[John Busby]

Hi miisemmajade

http://www.ipengineering.co.uk/page55.html

This link may prove usefull for axel boxes and couplings

I would sugest the small oval center buffer for a"G" scale train. They are listed as centre couplings on the page. 

Three links of old fashioned bath chain is ideal for use with these, not sure where I got my coupling chain from.

I have to agree with the Boland Light Railway idea it seems suited to what you want to try, just leave the Rum-Jum alone

regards John Busby