Does Anyone Have An Animated Sidewalk Freight Elevator ?

[jrbarney]

It's a bit too modern and urban for my layout, but has anyone animated the sidewalk freight elevator that Bar Mills Scale Model Works:
http://www.barmillsmodels.com
offers in N, HO and O scales (items 0301, 0401 and 0499) ? Further, having animated it, have you also provided, as a sound effect, the alarm bell that rings as it rises through the sidewalk plates until the platform is level with the sidewalk ?
If you have, describe it for the rest of us, please.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

I don't have this but your comment about it being too modern for your layout interested me. Not suprisingly there is an elevator museum. http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/

I found that motorized sidewalk lifts seem to have been around since the late 1800's and hydraulic lifts for much longer.

I may put one on my layout when I get to building the village portion of the layout.

Wayne

[Anonymous]

Bob,

I've been thinking about this ever since you first posted here. Well, yesterday going to work, the street elevevator in the building I work at was in use. Hmmmm. Well, Bob, you've gone and done it. I ordered two of the things yesterday so I can play around and see if I can make a working elevator.

My thought is to power the thing with either a slow speed, or very geared down motor. The up and down would be provided by I think a cam so that I don't have to worry about auto stopping the thing or changing direction. Was thinking that the base of the elevator (the part that goes up and down) would most likely have to be attached to a piece of bar stock so that the movement is more smooth. The bell? Hmmmmm. I remember way back when they used to sell little kits that would ring a bell.

I can see the fiance's eyes now when I describe all this gear for a tiny little piece of photoetched brass!!!!!

Hopefully I can post some results someday!

Dave

Bob - You should write Bar Mills and ask for a commission on my purchase!

[ndbprr]

The mechanism driving it should be a piece of cake. It is identical to the action of a side rod on a steam engine wheel but instead of the linear motion of the piston rotating the wheel driving the wheel with a motor results in linear movement of the elevator in place of the piston. If the wheel was big enough there could be mechanical clappers that struck a bell or piece of iron to make a clank. Haven't seen one of those elevators in use since I was a kid in Philadelphia more years ago than I wi***o mention. Another neat idea would be one of those conveyers with all the rollers that were used to unload trucks. now that would be neat.

[Anonymous]

ndbprr:

Good idea. Since I got two on order I can try both lol.

Now the coveyor would be cool In HO it might be difficult, but perhaps the rollers could be brass tubing. The boxes that will "slide" down might be mounted on either clear plastic (overhead projection slides?) on a continuous loop that would go down the conveyor, into a building, then under the layout to appear back inside the truck. mmmmmmm OK. Now I have to get the elevator done so I can work on this one!! One project at at time!!!