Anyone tried using an elevator to move trains from the 'main' level of a layout to staging?
I was looking at this thing... http://ro-ro.net/ but I figure that I a) onyl need it to go from one level to another, and b) I can probably make something for less $$.
thoughts?
Being an N scaler, I'm leery of any system that requires moving the trackbed around. The rolling stock is pretty light, and one false move and your clearing a lot of wreckage. I prefer staging that you can run in and out of with a minimum of bother.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
wm3798I prefer staging that you can run in and out of with a minimum of bother.
Well, I think most of us have that 'druther', but my 'given' is limited space.
I simply think this gadget, while an intersting idea, is too expensive.
thanks
we've looked at this a few times, and like the idea- we also have limited space.
Oddly, we have yet to find someone that actually owns one, and haven't found any reviews of it. With that and the price, we have been leery of it.
John Armstrong to the rescue!
His, "Dehydrated canal lock," elevator (originally designed to handle two 16 foot long O-scale freight trains) is one possible answer. The 'car' is supported by two pairs of counterweighted arms, activated by a lever. The arms are linked so they will move in unison, keeping the 'car' level. A vertical block attached to the end that connects to trackwork closes off the ends of the fixed approaches when the 'car' isn't in position to allow movement on and off.
My planning includes a shorter (1400mm, or 55+ inches) elevator of Mr Armstrong's type, to handle the vertical mismatch between the empties in/loads out colliery at the top of the mountain and the connecting tracks in the Netherworld. It will be long enough for my short unit trains.
Another, longer, will allow my entire passenger staging yard to drop down for access and maintenance.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with dehydrated canal locks)
Chuck,
Are there any links to sketches of that design? I am wrestling with a colliery wagons in/out problem and had written off the Ro-Ro machine in favour of some yet to be drawn drastic and behind the backdrop grades. The Master may yet save the day!
Yes, Chuck, if you could find an image of what you describe, I'd be interested.
I wonder how many Ro-Ro elevators have been sold.
The, "Dehydrated canal lock," appears in, IIRC, John Armstrong on Creative Layout Design. Unfortunately, my John Armstrong collection has done a (temporary, I hope) vanishing act, so I can't cite exact chapter and verse.
My planned version involves the use of a length of steel stud for the 'car' (possibly one of my already-built cassettes) supported on four identical-length arms (2 each side, opposite one another) pivoted at the 1/2-travel level and all facing the same way (away from the active end.) As it moves, the 'car' end describes an arc with the concave side facing the connecting tracks. While it could be motorized, I intend to follow the KISS principle and use a lever handle connected to the pivot of the one pair of arms closer to the connecting end (which is also closer to the colliery's control panel.) By counterbalancing, a very heavy train could be handled. My loaded unit train, cassette, colliery switcher and all, masses about 2KG, so I doubt that I'll bother with counterweights.
As for connections in hidden track, mine involve a 2% grade and a passing siding (loads pass empties in the netherworld.) The colliery switcher pushes the empties under the tipple and onto the 'car,' then rides the elevator down and pulls the empties into the siding. When the loads arrive, the road loco backs them into the other passing track and pulls clear. The switcher cuts off its train, then backs onto the loads and pushes them onto the elevator. The road loco (a JNR catenary motor) couples to the empties and proceeds back to the interchange point. The cars will eventually return to the colliery behind a different railroad's steam locomotive. The total scheme requires two sets of loads and two identical sets of empties, and is only a small part of the total traffic (over 100 trains on a relatively slow day!)
If you're wondering what happens to the caboose, the unit trains will have SeKiFu (coal hopper-brake vans) at both ends. A 'flop' switch on one axle will illuminate the appropriate end's markers.
Hope this has been helpful.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Well, back on this topic,
I sent an email to the ro-ro.net people asking them some questions, but have yet to hear back from them.
The elevator in the June MR got me re-excited about using one. The MR article is good, but unfortunately, it only serves moving between two levels.
My current idea is to have at leat three levels that one elevator would service. Any thoughts on the electronics needed to make the thing stop at the appropriate places for each level?
To stop accurately at an intermediate level, you'd almost certainly need some sort of brake system - either on the motor itself or in the form of a solenoid and lockign pin that engages when either a beam is broken or a limit switch is tripped. Simply cutting motor power when the switch was tripped would result in different stopping points depending if you were comign down from the top or up from the bottom. It wouldn't take much to be enough of a mismatch to cause problems moving from the elevator track to the fixed track.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Did you look at the "train elevator" in the June MR? The author built a fully-automated elevator to basically replace a helix to go between two levels. The drive mechanism was a garage door opener. With that amount of available power, he mounted the whole moving assembly on a large plywood board.
I thought of using the large vertical board itself to mount multiple staging tracks, stacked one above the other. Of course, this does present an issue with alignment and repeatability, as Randy pointed out.
Alternately, you could just use the elevator to go between your layout and a lower staging level. Since you've only got two "floors" for the elevator, you could use hard stops at each to simplify positioning.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
We don't need no stinkin' elevator!
MisterBeasley Did you look at the "train elevator" in the June MR? The author built a fully-automated elevator to basically replace a helix to go between two levels. The drive mechanism was a garage door opener. With that amount of available power, he mounted the whole moving assembly on a large plywood board. I thought of using the large vertical board itself to mount multiple staging tracks, stacked one above the other. Of course, this does present an issue with alignment and repeatability, as Randy pointed out. Alternately, you could just use the elevator to go between your layout and a lower staging level. Since you've only got two "floors" for the elevator, you could use hard stops at each to simplify positioning.
I appreciate your response, but did you read my post from earlier today?
WaxonWaxovThe elevator in the June MR got me re-excited about using one. The MR article is good, but unfortunately, it only serves moving between two levels.
So yes, I did look at it, and no that won't work for me because I would NOT have only two "floors"
thanks anyway
tomikawaTT The, "Dehydrated canal lock," appears in, IIRC, John Armstrong on Creative Layout Design. Unfortunately, my John Armstrong collection has done a (temporary, I hope) vanishing act, so I can't cite exact chapter and verse.
For once, I know what someone is talking about and I can help here.
The Dehydrated Canal Lock you are talking about is on page 59 of J Armstorngs book. Fig. 3-14.
Not a bad idea, but in a scale like N, there has to be something a little better. I saw the idea in MRR the other month, using the gorage door opener to move the lift up and down. I was even thinking about it for my own plan.
Of course the June MR article says the powerpack has to be modified, then gives no information whatsoever on how to do it.
WaxonWaxov Of course the June MR article says the powerpack has to be modified, then gives no information whatsoever on how to do it.
Probably because the author didn't provide it. You may write a letter to the author c/o MR and he may respond.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
interesting...