I need help on building a train elevator.

[Anonymous]

Hello all,
I am building a rather large ho scale layout ( Springfield,MO. to Fort Smith, AR ) an old frisco line. But I am adding a very deep and rather large valley ( just because I want one and think it would look realy cool with a stretched S tresel bridge over it ) with an old steamer running the mine cars in/out. Not liking the thought of a helx or the space to build one, I want to have an open side elevator so that I and others can see the train going up and down.The height I am needing to travel is 2-3 ft straight up to the main line level. Any help would be good.

The valley is 4 ft wide, 3 ft deep, 2-3 ft high. The track will come out of the valley by way of the front of the bench running the length of the bench on the outside on an unfinished out ledge to a diaroma of a small station where the train will stop and be taken up to the mainline level at another small station to be on it's way to the docks for unloading, then return the same way with empty cars. I was thinking something like an old freight elevator with doors on both ends. Wish you all could see the picture in my head. [:)] .

Thank you all for any and all your help.

GreenIron

[Jetrock]

Let me make sure I understand this...you want the elevator to hold the entire train, and be visible on the layout? Interesting...Is this something that has a prototype--are you modeling a real thing? For anything but the shortest train, this elevator would have to be at least four or five (real-world) feet long...if this elevator is 3 feet high, that means this structure will take up at least 15 square feet when raised, not counting any support structures that will be needed for it...

It sounds like a rather massive engineering project for something that will look grossly non-prototypical and will probably be fairly hairy in operation. If you're building a rather large layout anyhow, why not just build a helix?

[cwclark]

I saw a layout once that had an elevator at the 89' convention in Houston, Tx...(which was held during a hurricane )...The guy used a very long threaded shaft that extended to different levels. It had a nut on it that was soldered to an engine lift device. He used a small motor connected to the shaft that turned the shaft either clockwise or counter clockwise forcing the nut soldered to the lift to turn on the threads making it go up and down depending upon which ever way the motor turned...To keep the lift from turning with the nut he also included two vertical brass wires on the ends of the lift that guided the lift up and down... Chuck

[jrbarney]

GreenIron,
There are at least two good earlier threads on this topic. One is:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7123
and the other is:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9753
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

To all of you, Thanks for the input. I have sketched out somewhat of my layout to better show just what I am trying to do. Any thoughts will be helpful. They are here on my website " http://www.engraverlane.com/layout.htm " take a look and let know what you thinks.

GreenIron

P.S. how do I get pics to show here.....

[eng22]

QUOTE: GreenIron

P.S. how do I get pics to show here.....

1. Post your pic to another web site.
2. Reply to this thread
3. In the message body, paste the address of your picture from the other site
4. Enclose the address with the forum code - [ img ] address of your pic [ / img ]
5. See forum code for further

[cacole]

Look carefully through MR magazine -- I recall seeing a commercially available train elevator with several tracks on it, and a plexiglass front, so you can store and run different trains onto it. It is somewhat pricey, but may be easier and cheaper in the long run than trying to cobble one together.

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

I thank you for all your help and ideals. They are very helpful. I have found a new forum to help me with this project it is .... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Automation_and_Animation_of_Models
They have been very helpfull as well for this is the kind of thing they do. If you or any one you know needs a bit of tecnical help check it out there big in to model trains and how to automate them.

I realy like this forum and have no plans to leave it. Just thought you all should know about this wonderful place I have been lead to by another railroader here in this forum, Don't rember who it was but Thanks.

If any one has any cool ideals or information that can help me with this train elevator I am very open to anything. check out my web page at ...... http://www.engraverlane.com/layout.htm
to see the progress.. as I get things underway I will be posting more information to both forums and my webpage. I know this is going to work it has to. LoL

Dose anyone know what the length and weight are for a small HO scale steam engine? Price? As well as the short ore cars in HO scale? And where to find the best deals on them.

I am needing a short engine because I am going to be useing some very tight radi ( 15" or less ) curves in the vally portion of my layout. The engine needs to be strong enought to pull about 2' of cars ( 4 to 6 cars ?? )on a 1% grade.

Big thanks to everyone that is helping me with this.
I will have pic's to show very soon. As well as detailed info on how to build this thing when its all done.

GreenIron

[Anonymous]

Hi GreenIron,

I was just at a show yesterday and picked up a flyer on a train elevator. As I am in the planing stages of my layout, I felt that this is something I should seriously consider. They have a website at www.ro-ro.net (just a photo of the elevator). We watched the operation of the elevator, it ran smoothly. They have standard sizes but can make varying lengths (as I understood it).