I finally decided on the tower sheaves. I went with the Chooch sheave. Since that sheave is being discontinued and unavailable in the quantity that I need, I made a rubber mold and then cast 8 sheaves in resin.
I then built 8 sheave mounts out of styrene sheet.
I used 1/8" brass rod as the sheave pins and mounted the sheaves in the mounts.
Here are a couple of photos of the sheaves mounted on the tower platforms. Now I need to make mounts for the pulleys. Getting close to completing this project.
Alton Junction
I have now added the tower sheave platforms.
At one time, the PRR vertical lift bridge in downtown Chicago had a floor on each platform on which was housed a gear complex to synchronize the cable sheaves that lifted and lowered the bridge. However, the gear complex was later removed when two powerful motors were housed inside the bridge tender's shack for the purpose of synchronizing the lifting and lowering movements of the bridge.
Now, the platform is nothing more than a metal plate mounted on a girder for each sheave. The metal plates are wide enough to provide access for maintenance. Now, I need to install appropriately sized and shaped sheaves.
The front and back sheave girder plates are connected by walkways. So, I still need to add handrails to the walkways and install the sheaves on the metal plates. I also need to add lacing support for the walkways.
Rich
Marc_Magnus These pulleys are made of brass and offered by a french company Cap maquettes You can find a lot of pulleys with many size in the ship modeling hardware. these brass pulleys are for my N scale High lift coal dumper, they come in size from 6mm to a huge 18mm diameter.
These pulleys are made of brass and offered by a french company Cap maquettes
You can find a lot of pulleys with many size in the ship modeling hardware.
these brass pulleys are for my N scale High lift coal dumper, they come in size from 6mm to a huge 18mm diameter.
Nice work Frank!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
zstripe A couple of pic's with three sheaves together. I have a bolt & nut holding them together. I will be making the center hole smaller. I have a light coat of primer on them to aid in sanding any imperfections, before final painting, which is air-brushed. I'm thinking black but can be any color You want......
A couple of pic's with three sheaves together. I have a bolt & nut holding them together. I will be making the center hole smaller. I have a light coat of primer on them to aid in sanding any imperfections, before final painting, which is air-brushed. I'm thinking black but can be any color You want......
I will send you a PM.
zstripe Rich, Maybe it was the hoist platform shacks that You were not going to do!
Rich,
Maybe it was the hoist platform shacks that You were not going to do!
I have been studying photos and drawings of the sheave platforms. On the PRR bridge at 18th Street in Chicago, my prototype, there are no platform shacks, just the bridge tender's shack on top of the bridge itself.
There is also no "platform" between the two sheaves on the front of each tower and the two sheaves on the back of each tower. The sheaves rest on girders and the girders are connected by narrow walkways with handrails.
Take Care!
Frank
Frank, those pulleys (sheaves) look fantastic. I will definitely get back to you on your most generous offer.
Remind me what you mean by me changing my mind about the shack. I had always intended to build it as part of the bridge/towers project.
I see You changed Your mind about the shack......I kinda' figured You would. Looks great so far!
I did not get the pully's until today, but I did manage to make a test one. They are 11 3/4ft. HO scale tall, by 1 3/4ft wide. Three of them together are a scale 5 1/4ft. wide. Here are three pic's of the one I drilled out and next to the CMR ones which are 7 1/2ft tall. The brass rod is 1/16'', the holes are 5/16'' drilled with My shop drill press. I can drill six at a time but I will just do three at a time:
I will make all of them for You if You like......there is a learning curve with getting the holes cut that I learned from cutting the first one. The plastic appears to be a composite, which will flake if not cut properly.......not for a first timer. Let Me know and I would recommend three (3) cables, which means you need 24. Two more packs of ten, plus what I have, FREE.
Good Morning!
Well, I only got one word for this project............
"OUTSTANDING" !!!!!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
The bridge tender's shack was a somewhat easy build. I used Evergreen Scale Models Metal Corrugated Siding for the walls and roofs, which closely simulated the prototype shack. The grooves made it easy to keep things square and plumb. I used Walthers Modulars for the windows and doors.
I will be installing pulleys on each corner of the bridge tender's shack, as shown in the prototype photo.
Thanks, guys. Weathering is not my strong suit, but I will give it a try.
I agree, nice job on the counterweights, massive and imposing but not overwhelming.
Carry on, Rich
Ed
Counter weights look good Rich, just need some "weathering/aging", which I'm sure will come, as you progress with the complete bridge. , I'm buying, have one!
Mike.
My You Tube
Here are the counterweights. I strung one up on the tower temporarily just to see how they look. I like them.
Still working on the towers but, meanwhile, I spent the last few days working on the bridge tender's shack which sits on top of the bridge. The shack is still a little rough, so I need to do some finishing work on it.
gmpullman richhotrain I have contacted Chooch to inquire about purchasing 8 of them separately, as opposed to the entire kit. I hope they can come through for you, Rich You're welcome to this one as a master if you decide to make your own. It really is a neat looking piece of "heavy" machinery. Regards, Ed
richhotrain I have contacted Chooch to inquire about purchasing 8 of them separately, as opposed to the entire kit.
I hope they can come through for you, Rich You're welcome to this one as a master if you decide to make your own. It really is a neat looking piece of "heavy" machinery.
Regards, Ed
So, the search continues.
gmpullman While rummaging through my "stuff" I found that Chooch flywheel! Sheave-chooch_dia by Edmund, on Flickr 1.5 inch diameter, 5/16 width. The back side is sanded smooth (with extra material that should be removed). The downside is that the flywheel is part of the 120 ton steam boiler flat car load. I wonder if Chooch would be willing to sell some separately?
While rummaging through my "stuff" I found that Chooch flywheel!
Sheave-chooch_dia by Edmund, on Flickr
1.5 inch diameter, 5/16 width. The back side is sanded smooth (with extra material that should be removed).
The downside is that the flywheel is part of the 120 ton steam boiler flat car load. I wonder if Chooch would be willing to sell some separately?
mbinsewi richhotrain Keep it up, Mike. Expose me for who I really am - - - an indecisive bridge engineer! Please Mr. Pratt, not indecisive, but constantly searching for the correct solution. I've worked with plenty of structural engineers. I have lots of erasers. Mike.
richhotrain Keep it up, Mike. Expose me for who I really am - - - an indecisive bridge engineer!
Please Mr. Pratt, not indecisive, but constantly searching for the correct solution.
I've worked with plenty of structural engineers. I have lots of erasers.
richhotrainKeep it up, Mike. Expose me for who I really am - - - an indecisive bridge engineer!
Here's a better photo of those "steampunk" gears, Rich.
Sheave-group-A by Edmund, on Flickr
Sheave-group by Edmund, on Flickr
And yet another choice. While rummaging through my "stuff" I found that Chooch flywheel!
1.5 inch diameter, 5/16 width. The back side is sanded smooth (with extra material that should be removed)
Sheave-chooch_dia-B by Edmund, on Flickr
https://tinyurl.com/y3nj7ag3
I'll reply to your PM with a suggestion.
Sheave-chooch by Edmund, on Flickr
Chooch has several similar flywheels BUT some are cast with the pallet and would have to be cut off.
So many choices, none perfect but we're getting close
Good Luck, Ed
zstripe Rich, I just ordered 10 of these, will be here Thurs. and I figured with the appropiate size holes in the neighborhood of 1/4'' or larger in size for the holes, which would be drilled in a five point star pattern, (like wheel lug spacing for auto wheels) would make a pretty good looking sheave for that bridge. They are 38mm in diameter or 1 1/2'' and that is an equivalent of 11 scale ft. in HO scale. The prototypes are 15ft. so that shoud be pretty good. It does have a 4mm center hole, but that can be filled in with a Evergreen plastic tube for a smaller hole. When I get them, I'll do what I said above and You can make up Your mind.........I'll even send You the master or more. https://www.amazon.com/Ajax-Scientific-Plastic-Pulley-Diameter/dp/B00EPQMOH2?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_4 Take Care! Frank
I just ordered 10 of these, will be here Thurs. and I figured with the appropiate size holes in the neighborhood of 1/4'' or larger in size for the holes, which would be drilled in a five point star pattern, (like wheel lug spacing for auto wheels) would make a pretty good looking sheave for that bridge. They are 38mm in diameter or 1 1/2'' and that is an equivalent of 11 scale ft. in HO scale. The prototypes are 15ft. so that shoud be pretty good. It does have a 4mm center hole, but that can be filled in with a Evergreen plastic tube for a smaller hole. When I get them, I'll do what I said above and You can make up Your mind.........I'll even send You the master or more.
https://www.amazon.com/Ajax-Scientific-Plastic-Pulley-Diameter/dp/B00EPQMOH2?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_4
richhotrain zstripe Rich, I think I may have found a viable answer..........take a look at all these. They may just have the size You could use and it would not be too hard to drill holes into them, they are plastic. I have used similar ones before. It also looks like you get 10 pc's for the price...........I for one would surely try them and get them to work........... https://www.amazon.com/slp/plastic-pulley/upeuzpqdpeyt67b Take Care! Frank Frank, those are excellent and the price is right. I need to give serious consideration to that alternative. Thanks for the link. Rich
zstripe Rich, I think I may have found a viable answer..........take a look at all these. They may just have the size You could use and it would not be too hard to drill holes into them, they are plastic. I have used similar ones before. It also looks like you get 10 pc's for the price...........I for one would surely try them and get them to work........... https://www.amazon.com/slp/plastic-pulley/upeuzpqdpeyt67b Take Care! Frank
I think I may have found a viable answer..........take a look at all these. They may just have the size You could use and it would not be too hard to drill holes into them, they are plastic. I have used similar ones before. It also looks like you get 10 pc's for the price...........I for one would surely try them and get them to work...........
https://www.amazon.com/slp/plastic-pulley/upeuzpqdpeyt67b
Frank, those are excellent and the price is right. I need to give serious consideration to that alternative. Thanks for the link.
I just ordered 10 of these, will be here Thurs. and I figured with the appropriate size holes in the neighborhood of 1/4'' or larger in size for the holes, which would be drilled in a five point star pattern, (like wheel lug spacing for auto wheels) would make a pretty good looking sheave for that bridge. They are 38mm in diameter or 1 1/2'' and that is an equivalent of 11 scale ft. in HO scale. The prototypes are 15ft. so that shoud be pretty good. It does have a 4mm center hole, but that can be filled in with a Evergreen plastic tube for a smaller hole. When I get them, I'll do what I said above and You can make up Your mind.........I'll even send You the master or more.
mbinsewi I thought you wanted the spokes
I thought you wanted the spokes
Those do look good. Shapeways has lots of "solid" sheaves, at about $7 a piece. I thought you wanted the spokes
You could do the rivet decals, like what Dr. Wayne uses, to make them more prototypical, probably only have to do the outside sheaves, that show.
gmpullman One of the gears I showed in this photo from March 30 looks like it would make a good starting place (the one that looks like a telephone dial?)
One of the gears I showed in this photo from March 30 looks like it would make a good starting place (the one that looks like a telephone dial?)
I PM'd you on this issue.
Frank, Ed, Mike, Dave, et. al.,
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions to date on possible sheaves. I cannot thank you all enough for your interest in this project.
I am seriously considering a contest to select the best sheave for the towers. All of your suggestions are good ones, and I am having trouble deciding on the best alternative, even disregarding cost as a consideration.
Stayed tuned and keep searching.