A recent post discussed how (or if) railroads mixed standard gauge rolling stock with narrow gauge track.
After a bit of research I was able to find this photo of the Ramsey Transfer Apparatus at Phoenicia NY circa 1890.
The pit was 20 inches deep and contained standard gauge tracks entering from one end and narrow gauge tracks entering from the opposite end. The center of the pit contained both. On each side of the pit was a set of 18" gauge rails carryiig a pair of trolleys onto which a long beam could be placed. The freight car was rolled over the beams (cross beams were inserted if needed) and the entire assembly was rolled over the pit where the trucks dropped off of their kingpins. (Car brakes OFF of course). A horse or winch pulled the trucks out and the car was moved toward the other end of the pit where a new set of trucks waited. As the car and trucks moved off of the pit, the new trucks were aligned to the king pins and the process was complete.
Specially braced narrow gauge trucks were used to make the wide standard gauge cars more stable on the winding narrow gauge track of the Stony Clove line. For more information please see this John Ham / Robert Bucenec book.
I was also able to find this diagram from the patent application:
(This web page)
Apparently these systems were quite popular a century ago and were used on many railroad systems before upgrading NG branches to SG.
"Engineering fascinates me - that's why I became one"
Karl
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette also had an article about these in their March/April 1998 issue. It's aimed at building an HO/HOn3 model of one.
Wow! A prototype which would actually lend itself to modeling. Just install headless kingpin screws in the cars to be transferred...
I have seen both the prototype dual-gauge 'compensator' cars (short standard gauge flats with three coupler pockets on each end - ex D&RGW, now on the Cumbres and Toltec at Antonito) and attempted operation with models, for moving mixed consists on dual-gauge tracks. Operating the prototype must have been a PITA - operating the model certainly was!.
My own narrow-gauge clearances would preclude any such operaton, even if dropping wheelsets on four-wheel cars could be made as simple as swapping trucks...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)