Critters on the Mt Beenak Timber Tramway

[Mt Beenak]

This one is for Vic. It is a video of my Rail Tractor Number 1 - The Shed.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-F1xOhTQ4U

This one was built using a Bachmann Shay bogie and a Fendt Farm Tractor, and assorted bits and pieces which should be recognisable.

 Mick

 

[vsmith]

Mick thanks, thats one sweet model 

[ttrigg]

Mick:

Excellent job on the scratch/bash. Now you got me hooked with the teaser at the end of your video. What are #2 & #3? When do we get a look? Glad to se someone give Vic a run for the money! My own feeble attempts have all ended up in the waste bin.

[Mt Beenak]

Great to hear someone else likes these little locos. We are having a wet winter, so I can't get out to film them straight away, but I will work on it as soon as the sun comes out. Basically they are more modern versions of this genre. Just as small, just as eccentric.

[Ray Dunakin]

Too cool! I like the use of reed switches to turn on the sound and flywheels.

[PJM20]

You have great a railroad from what I can tell! Good job. - Peter

[Mt Beenak]

The weather broke for a while today and I managed to take a little video of Number 2.  This one was inspired by an actual tractor built by Days Engineering of Melbourne.  The original was a six wheel job, but the best mechanism I could find was a four wheel motor bogie from the Bachmann 45 tonner. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg60O7c5f3c

The original photos are taken from a wonderful book titled 'Mountains of Ash', by Mike McCarthy and published by the Light Railway Research Society of Australia.  They have some wonderful publications, and it is well worth becoming a member.

My tramway (could have) intersected with one of the tramways mentioned in this book, and the Northern Timber Company gets several mentions.

[Mt Beenak]

Ray, Reed switches work for small power consumption. I am only using a single AA for the flywheels and 9v for the sound. Any more power, such as lighting or an engine may burn out the contacts. In that case I would use the reed to run a relay. But here they work well, are really small and well hidden.