my cog railway project is starting !!!
Got rack components ordered, and laying out the route
Experimenting with these footings for track support. If I continue at 15% grade, I may get to 4 feet off the ground.
Furka Oberalp rack locomotive. Always wanted to try this !!!
A similar consist
To be continued...
Rack railway components have arrived.
And, I have a track plan:
After leaving a switch from the main loop, the track will climb at 15% for 32 feet.
...do the math...
PVT KanakaI'll forgo the math, thanks! This is going to be awesome.
I was kidding around anyway, but that works out to 54 inches elevation.
I have read that it is recommended to slacken the grade on curves, but it will still probably get to 4 foot elevation. It's exciting, but I have a very,very long way to go yet. And, lots more ideas.
Paul
As usual, I tend to " engineer on the fly ".
Which is a polite way to say I have no plan whatsoever....
But, my current line of thinking has 3 options:
1. Support the track first with foundation footings, and pile/ mortar medium size stones around and stack to create a mountain feel.
2. Treat it as a very large model railroad, and cover the track supports with window screen covered with a hard shell of concrete.
3. Leave the support posts naked.
keep in mind the cinder block walls will have painted murals to form a backdrop. One side will probably depict Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.The other will probably depict the rock faces of Jungfrau, Monch,and Eiger.
But, things will probably change as construction progresses, and better ideas come to mind.
Thanks for asking, though !
And, I'm still doing my homework. when I get some time, I need to go down to our local rock yard, and see what is available.
And also if they can deliver...
This is probably the biggest consideration for how exactly I will proceed...
Postwar PaulAnd, I'm still doing my homework. when I get some time, I need to go down to our local rock yard, and see what is available. And also if they can deliver... This is probably the biggest consideration for how exactly I will proceed...
Please keep posting pictures! I don't post often on this thread, but I'm very interested in what you're doing.
York1 John
Thank you !
I'll share as I make progress. My first task is the track itself. I'll be working on that this week. As for the mountains, real rocks and stones would be my first choice.
But, that's not set in stone !!
Time to re-tie'er!!
Ah !!
The ties that bind....
If you hand lay your track, make sure to drop in the rack rail anchors before final spiking down
That went well !!
First order of business is to induce a vertical bend to start the grade.
And...
we have lift off !!!!
Nice work.
now, to start building the long climb....
Roughing it in to see what I have so far.
The initial grade from the ground up to the first curve exceeds 20%.
Although LGB says their cog engine can handle up to 25%, I still may shave down the posts a little to lesson the grade. I'll look at it with a fresh eye tomorrow...
My solution to the grade dilemma is to start with a gentle slope right at the switch.
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