OldSchoolScratchbuilder Another load of clean gypsum was placed in another hopper on the outside track (Kadee coupler train). Fourth month and no problems. That's it for gypsum.
Another load of clean gypsum was placed in another hopper on the outside track (Kadee coupler train). Fourth month and no problems. That's it for gypsum.
Respectfully I'm not sure I understand. Based on the photo above, I would not be interested in using this material. Regardless of other concerns, the size of the pieces is way too large to represent most anything carried in open hoppers.
Please explain if I am misunderstanding?
Personally, after 40 years in this hobby, I have found no need to use live loads. The only live load operation I have ever seen that was effective is at the Severna Park Model Railroad Club. They have a coal mine tipple that loads hoppers, and a rotary dump that empties them into a ship.
Short of that sort of display, what is the value in live loads?
Sheldon
A load of clean gypsum was placed in a hopper and is running on the inside test track (the horn-hook coupler train).
A roll of strong ceramic magnets is passed through the gypsum to remove any iron-based particles. In this case there were none!
The gypsum for hopper loads is air dried or blow dried.
The powder and fine particles that didn't blow away are saved for fillers, ground cover, concrete, and several other applications on the layout.
In this case I am crushing to obtain gypsum for an HO hopper. The powder and fine particles are sifted out and the desired gypsum washed thoroughly.
I use store-bought and home-made sifters to separate desireable particle sizes.
Preparing a load of gypsum for an HO-scale hopper starts with crushing gypsum outside to minimize the amount of fine powder that gets into the air and all over nearby household objects. I wear safety glasses and a mask.
(1) Gypsum Gypsum is found almost everywhere in my real Nova Scotia layout area. There are white cliffs along the St. Croix River, a closed mine near Windsor, outcrops on the beaches of Cheverie, abandonned hoppers and ocean loading terminal in Hantsport, and quarries in Walton and Kempt Shore. This sample in my hand is commercial quality gypsum off the gypsum hoppers in Hantsport.
On the inside oval Atlas track I am using a quality Atlas locomotive as shown in the picture. This train uses horn-hook couplers. There is also a turnout on this oval. Both ovals have a straight terminal track. This locomotive has also run smoothly since the lifetime trial began.
On the outside oval track I am using a good quality Kato locomotive as shown in this photo. This train uses Kadee couplers and runs on Atlas track. It has run smoothly since day one of the lifetime testing.
RR_Mel I have several HO locomotives with well over a thousand hours of run time.
I am not testing the lifetime of locomotives themselves - of course there is no need. I am testing the locomotives running in a layout environment that uses real iron, sulphur, carbon, salt and powders made from various rocks, minerals, and other natural materials.
doctorwayne What's the purpose of the tests? Lots of us use live loads.
What's the purpose of the tests? Lots of us use live loads.
In several of my online posts here and in other places, I am receiving advice not to use real loads of magnetite (iron), coal (carbon), pyrite (sulphur), scrap metal (iron), ocean driftwood (salt) and more. Basically, the claim is that I will ruin my trains, turnouts, electronics, etc. This lifetime testbed is designed to quell those (valid) concerns with experimental facts. I set the testbed up in January 2017 so this is the fourth month of R&D. So, when I get similar concerns in future, I'll be able to point folks to this thread.
What's the purpose of the tests? Lots of us use live loads. The only tests I run are to see how many cars each locomotive or combination of locomotives can handle on the many grades and curves of my layout. This allows me to assign tonnage ratings.
Wayne
This is the lifetime testbed. Two trains hauling real hopper/gondola loads, and an assortment of other cars, are run every day. The trial started in January 2017 and will continue indefinitely with the same two locomotives. After my field trip today, I'll describe the experiment in detail, including information on the locomotives, cars, loads, and tracks.
I have set up an area in my basement where I am performing a lifetime test of two DC locomotives hauling unprotected real loads of Nova Scotia rock, minerals, ores, scrap metal, and ocean driftwood. I add new materials as I discover them to be of interest to my planned layout. The trains have been run every day for four months now. There have been a few load spills - all caused by my hand or arm touching a moving train by accident. There has been no noticeable performance degradation following these spills. I will use this thread to show the loads and provide updates.