dknelson It looks sort of like a large fork lift truck but with large cylindrical brushes (not unlike what you see in a automobile car wash).
Works on freight cars, too!
4195007 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
4195004 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
Some years ago at the Amtrak depot in San Antonio TX I saw a car washer that could be driven around the train. It looks sort of like a large fork lift truck but with large cylindrical brushes (not unlike what you see in a automobile car wash). Whether it carried its own water supply or was hooked up to a flexible hose I do not recall, but presumably it would simply be driven alongside the train. I failed to take a picture alas.
A google image search came up with "Bitimec wash bots" which are along the lines of what I saw, but more modernistic looking.
Dave Nelson
Mbinsewi
Now that’s a thought! I can get a set of bikini models and add sponges...
MacTrom Thinking around my engine facility area (just got my new Walther's turntable) and want to add a wash area on one of the spare tracks leading out next to the roundhouse.
Thinking around my engine facility area (just got my new Walther's turntable) and want to add a wash area on one of the spare tracks leading out next to the roundhouse.
With a turntable, it gets me thinking steam locomotives:
and
For that, it looks like you need some steam/hot water lines, hoses and fittings. And some sort of drain platform. The first one looks like it has a concrete drain pad with ties resting on top. The second more like wood decking over a drain pit.
Pretty simple, really. And interesting.
Ed
BATMANI would think a working washer would be relatively easy to scratch build using a small motor out of all our disposable electronics we have today.
I'm not running my decaled and painted engines and cars with small detail parts through a rotary cleaning brush. Nossir, I'm not.
Walthers did make an HO scale kit, # 933-3186. It's described as a passenger car washing kit, which is why it may not have shown up in a search. The description said it was designed to wash a whole train, engine to observation car. It's listed as discontinued, but you might find one on ebay or at a shop somewhere.
https://www.walthers.com/cornerstone-series-r-passenger-car-washer-base-measures-5-1-2-x-3-1-2-x-2-5-8-quot-13-7-x-8-7-x-6-5cm
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
After watching a bunch of You-Tube videos on train washers I wrote to Rapido and suggested they make a working one with rotating brushes. I then suggested they use the technology from their "Oh so steamy" steam generator cars with the washer to simulate the hot water. They didn't think it was a very good idea.
I would think a working washer would be relatively easy to scratch build using a small motor out of all our disposable electronics we have today.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I think the railroads hired a lot of women to do that, didn't they Henry?
Hey, a bikini engine wash!
Mike.
My You Tube
I was watching a youtube video of the steam era and they were washing outside. Wouldn't be hard to scatchbuild a platform and some wire for hoses, if that's your era.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
HO? Stewart Products car washer kit, Walthers #683-105.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-Car-Washer-Kit-CW-4-STEWART-PRODUCTS-New-vintage-metal-amp-brushes-105-Sealed-/253259853681?hash=item3af776af71%3Ag%3AscQAAOSwNwlaC7s0&nma=true&si=N4edcq4fAt4arKxd%252BU4q6b%252B2wKM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Edit: sorry, I missed the N scale statement in the last paragraph.
Heljan did offer an enclosed N scale wash facility. Currently not availble new, but resellers offer them from time to time.https://www.walthers.com/railroad-wash-facility-7-1-2-x-4-5-16-x-3-1-4-quot-18-9-x-10-8-x-8-1cm
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
You go to Walmart and buy a coupple of small bottle brushes, you sut them into four peices, butting two on each side of the track, build a convincing machinery enclosure on the top of them and some sceinc water around the bottom of them.
I know knot about your locomovifs, but NYCT has to tow its cars through the car wash as there is n third rail in the carwash unit. Might need to be similar for diesel electric locomotifs, givy your yard shunters something to do.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Interesting. I thought Walthers had something, but I guess not. Maybe it was one of the European manufactures that had a kit, like Kibri or Faller, but I think they were HO scale.
Anyway, just for fun, I Googled locomotive wash facility, and looked at images. Lots of interesting possibilities for modeling.
Thinking around my engine facility area (just got my new Walther's turntable) and want to add a wash area on one of the spare tracks leading out next to the roundhouse. I thought there might be a kit for this, or even some detail parts from somewhere, but my searches turn up nothing. Any suggestions?
I build in N scale, BTW.
Terry