Showing posts with label Planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Planning. Show all posts
Sunday, December 29, 2013
091 The Navajo Mining Railway - Mining Uranium in Utah
I haven't done all the research yet on my layout...it will take time. At night when I have a minute I poke around on the internet to see what I can find. This is a GREAT article, though a little later in the time line than my layout.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
088 The Navajo Mining Railway - Building an Ore Car Fleet #3
Designing the car is the next phase. Now that I know what I need to do to cast the car, I need dimensions and details so that I can build the masters. We'll start by drawing the car in CAD.
The Phase 2 car is 14' 9" long. That is about 3 1/5" long. These are tiny cars! The trucks are the fixed measurement as I've already got them. They are almost the same size as the prototype at 4 1/2'. This is about half the size of an On30 box car. I'm thinking the car should be a tad bit longer due to the On30 wheel spread instead of the 2 foot spread. Yet, that is only half a foot.
Sorry I'm writing like this...but I want you to know what I'm thinking and how I plan stuff in my head. You may not want to do it this way...but you sure won't find this stuff in a train magazine!
I'm going with a 16' car in length. Keeping car and part lengths at easy dimensions helps prevent errors. At least on freelanced cars like a Phase Five which has never existed. But could exist.
After drawing the wheels from the Grandt models, I realized the wheel base is just too tight for the platform length. I'm adding 1' to make it 17' and increasing each side by 6".
This section will only be modeled once, and will be duplicated. The bolster (what the wheels mount on to) is the problem. We won't be able to mold this unless we fill in the area above it between the beams. This will not be see, so we'll do that. I'll also put in a hole dimple for drilling out the hole for the screw to hold the trucks. I may have to tinker with the coupler pocket and coupler to get them at the right level.
Rivets are being added, dimensions tweaked...
Here is about as far as I need to go. It gives me critical measurements and the look I'm after. I can build it from here. Naturally I'll add more details from the photos...but there is no real need to draw it all out accurately. There once was a time when I'd take several days and draw it out in fine detail. Then I found out I was mostly modeling from the photos and just didn't need the detail...it was a waste of time.
This is a tiny car! When you compare the full size drawing to the 25' boxcar, this is a really small ore car. That will be perfect, but its like modeling in HO, not O scale.
First work on the model...the ore bin!!!
A car model, wheels, drawings and several scales and measuring tools are needed
The Phase 2 car is 14' 9" long. That is about 3 1/5" long. These are tiny cars! The trucks are the fixed measurement as I've already got them. They are almost the same size as the prototype at 4 1/2'. This is about half the size of an On30 box car. I'm thinking the car should be a tad bit longer due to the On30 wheel spread instead of the 2 foot spread. Yet, that is only half a foot.
Sorry I'm writing like this...but I want you to know what I'm thinking and how I plan stuff in my head. You may not want to do it this way...but you sure won't find this stuff in a train magazine!
I'm going with a 16' car in length. Keeping car and part lengths at easy dimensions helps prevent errors. At least on freelanced cars like a Phase Five which has never existed. But could exist.
After drawing the wheels from the Grandt models, I realized the wheel base is just too tight for the platform length. I'm adding 1' to make it 17' and increasing each side by 6".
This section will only be modeled once, and will be duplicated. The bolster (what the wheels mount on to) is the problem. We won't be able to mold this unless we fill in the area above it between the beams. This will not be see, so we'll do that. I'll also put in a hole dimple for drilling out the hole for the screw to hold the trucks. I may have to tinker with the coupler pocket and coupler to get them at the right level.
Rivets are being added, dimensions tweaked...
Here is about as far as I need to go. It gives me critical measurements and the look I'm after. I can build it from here. Naturally I'll add more details from the photos...but there is no real need to draw it all out accurately. There once was a time when I'd take several days and draw it out in fine detail. Then I found out I was mostly modeling from the photos and just didn't need the detail...it was a waste of time.
This is a tiny car! When you compare the full size drawing to the 25' boxcar, this is a really small ore car. That will be perfect, but its like modeling in HO, not O scale.
First work on the model...the ore bin!!!
Monday, December 23, 2013
087 The Navajo Mining Railway - Building an Ore Car Fleet #2
When designing a fleet of cars, you have to figure out how to manufacture them. I've made kits before, and the process is very similar with the exception that you don't have to write instructions or consider packaging.
Let's go through the steps!
First, we need a prototype. We are using the Gilpin Tram ore cars, Phase 2 and 3 as the starting point. This is an imaginary railroad, but we want it to be prototypical enough that the car makes sense. Otherwise this one would be a hot tub and beer car.
Next, I grab the sketch pad and start drawing.
I've got a ton of sets of Grandt Line On30 SR&RL type trucks, so we'll use those as they have a small profile at 22", which adds to the eye appeal of the mining line. Smaller is better. This also helps save money since I already have them and will just have to pick up a few more sets. They are $12.50 each when I last bought them. Actually, they are very close to the prototype.
I keep a small sketching set in my desk. This consists of 9 x 12 sketch pad, an assortment of drawing pencils with different lead hardness, pencil sharpeners, erasers and other sketching tools.
First, I really want to understand the model. Sketching it gives me a quick feel of the model and how it would go together. I can already see that we really only have two pieces to cast: the ore bin and one car side as they are mirror images of each other.
While I'm not an artist, I can sketch well enough to give me what I need, and can do this in two minutes. Now let's take a look at molding the pieces.
For the ore body, I can see a two piece "squish" mold. This is a mold where you pour an amount of resin in the bottom and then insert the top part and squish the resin out of the evacuation ports. Special steps have to be taken to get it from warping during the squish, but it will be good enough for our project. I'll put in special "markers" to help line up the car side pieces so that it is all straight.
The car side is a bit tougher. We'll have to lose the bottom board under the coupler, so we'll plan to mold it separately. The first pass I did wouldn't work as it would trap the evacuation gate in the middle of the mold. So I redesigned it so the gates are where the mold sides meet. The gates will hit the casting at a place where they will not be seen (next to the ore bin) so we can sand them flush. That will work! This is just planning at this point!
I put all my sketches and print out in one folder for easy use, as I'll have other projects laying around at the same time. The next step...CAD drawings!
Bill Uffleman's recommended links:
http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=4452&forum_id=6&highlight=james+Sullivan
http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=2033&forum_id=17&highlight=chisos+tram
Let's go through the steps!
First, we need a prototype. We are using the Gilpin Tram ore cars, Phase 2 and 3 as the starting point. This is an imaginary railroad, but we want it to be prototypical enough that the car makes sense. Otherwise this one would be a hot tub and beer car.
Next, I grab the sketch pad and start drawing.
I've got a ton of sets of Grandt Line On30 SR&RL type trucks, so we'll use those as they have a small profile at 22", which adds to the eye appeal of the mining line. Smaller is better. This also helps save money since I already have them and will just have to pick up a few more sets. They are $12.50 each when I last bought them. Actually, they are very close to the prototype.
I keep a small sketching set in my desk. This consists of 9 x 12 sketch pad, an assortment of drawing pencils with different lead hardness, pencil sharpeners, erasers and other sketching tools.
First, I really want to understand the model. Sketching it gives me a quick feel of the model and how it would go together. I can already see that we really only have two pieces to cast: the ore bin and one car side as they are mirror images of each other.
While I'm not an artist, I can sketch well enough to give me what I need, and can do this in two minutes. Now let's take a look at molding the pieces.
For the ore body, I can see a two piece "squish" mold. This is a mold where you pour an amount of resin in the bottom and then insert the top part and squish the resin out of the evacuation ports. Special steps have to be taken to get it from warping during the squish, but it will be good enough for our project. I'll put in special "markers" to help line up the car side pieces so that it is all straight.
The car side is a bit tougher. We'll have to lose the bottom board under the coupler, so we'll plan to mold it separately. The first pass I did wouldn't work as it would trap the evacuation gate in the middle of the mold. So I redesigned it so the gates are where the mold sides meet. The gates will hit the casting at a place where they will not be seen (next to the ore bin) so we can sand them flush. That will work! This is just planning at this point!
I put all my sketches and print out in one folder for easy use, as I'll have other projects laying around at the same time. The next step...CAD drawings!
Bill Uffleman's recommended links:
http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=4452&forum_id=6&highlight=james+Sullivan
http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=2033&forum_id=17&highlight=chisos+tram
Sunday, December 15, 2013
078 The Navajo Mining Railway - More Roadbed and the Curve
Ok, now the REAL trackwork comes. Time to put in the curve and the elevations. This will be more challenging than just flat track.
I place the cookie cutter roadbed on the layout and test fit it again. Using just my hands I move the grades up and down and test them, watching for the boards to "rack" or twist. The grades are easy, with the inside track going down one inch to the base plate in the back which is at 0 elevation, same as the hidden track. The outer curve goes up 3", and the flat board on the right will be 1" of elevation. Looks like it will fit well.
This gap will have to be spanned with a slab of plywood, and a mounting block will need to be installed on the left side.
This is where the #5 left hand turnout will go, with the "normal" straight track going off to meet the hidden yard. This will be mounted to the frame and is the zero elevation. All elevations will reference to this zero point elevation.
The upper level may need to go on first, but I'm not sure. Better to stop here and go think about it, and come back later. Mistakes here can be costly.
Before I get too far with the roadbed, I better go change my HO plan to an On30 plan! We'll do that next.
Wizdom
1. Carefully plan your work. It will reduce mistakes.
2. Don't let planning become a hobby in itself. You can waste time overplanning.
3. Just because you plan something carefully doesn't mean it will work. You can't draw everything.
I place the cookie cutter roadbed on the layout and test fit it again. Using just my hands I move the grades up and down and test them, watching for the boards to "rack" or twist. The grades are easy, with the inside track going down one inch to the base plate in the back which is at 0 elevation, same as the hidden track. The outer curve goes up 3", and the flat board on the right will be 1" of elevation. Looks like it will fit well.
This gap will have to be spanned with a slab of plywood, and a mounting block will need to be installed on the left side.
This is where the #5 left hand turnout will go, with the "normal" straight track going off to meet the hidden yard. This will be mounted to the frame and is the zero elevation. All elevations will reference to this zero point elevation.
The upper level may need to go on first, but I'm not sure. Better to stop here and go think about it, and come back later. Mistakes here can be costly.
Before I get too far with the roadbed, I better go change my HO plan to an On30 plan! We'll do that next.
Wizdom
1. Carefully plan your work. It will reduce mistakes.
2. Don't let planning become a hobby in itself. You can waste time overplanning.
3. Just because you plan something carefully doesn't mean it will work. You can't draw everything.
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