Author Topic: Getting the passenger car back inside  (Read 10621 times)

Brian Strait

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Getting the passenger car back inside
« on: February 25, 2019, 09:09:03 PM »
I have been sitting here, thinking.  Now that's normally a dangerous thing to be happening.  No idea if this is one of those times.  In this case i was thinking about ways to get the passenger car back to being stored inside.  There is a lot of space on the middle car barn track between the box and the railbus. If we took the railbus off the tracks and stuck it between the different tracks (kind of like that piece of machinery next to the flanger) could the stuff the caboose, box, and passenger car all on that track?

John Kokas

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2019, 09:19:56 PM »
Maybe like minds are thinking again.  Was having the same thoughts;  if we need 'high density" storage for the next couple of years, have we examined the option of installing a couple of temp switches on tracks #1 & #3 and running two extra storage tracks for equipment that we coupld consider "skinny"?  Or at least one extra track.  Just think'in out loud - and realizing this would be a temporary fix.
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Brian Strait

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2019, 09:26:32 PM »
I think the long term plan is the expansion of the car barn, this year?  And I thought that the rail car would be good because it has that inbuilt lifting mechanism, and is thin.  it would by no means be a good long term plan but it would be nice to keep the refurbished stuff from languishing outside while storage is expanded.

Mike Fox

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2019, 12:30:51 PM »
There really isn't room between the tracks to store carts, and would take a lot of extra effort. The shortage of storage is only temporary. We should have room next winter to put things back under cover.

There is also a plan to add a track for the 4 wheeled cars and other storage. Once this is completed, along with the addition, the storage can get sorted out..
Mike
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Pete "Cosmo" Barrington

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2019, 09:42:58 PM »
Golly...  :o
we're gonna have one HECK of a yard when it's all said and done!!  :-*

Bill Baskerville

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2019, 02:59:11 PM »
... There is also a plan to add a track for the 4 wheeled cars and other storage. Once this is completed, along with the addition, the storage can get sorted out..

Mike, Does this mean that the track for the 4 wheeled cars will be under cover or just on the proposed track to between the garage and the restrooms?
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Mike Fox

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2019, 08:12:02 PM »
We started talking well over a year ago, and Jason had a fantastic idea for a frogless switch for the lighter equipment. This would have enabled a small addition to the west side of the car barn to cover the carts, and things like spare trucks.

But, now a revised old idea has resurfaced. Some of us had talked about a track against the tree line, just loosely, and now there is a plan to put that track in eventually, with room at the end of the track to display a car next to the restroom. But we have some underground drainage to install before the track can go in..
Mike
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Ken Fleming

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2019, 12:32:45 AM »
Maybe we could use a Chinese one point switch for 4 wheel cars.

Gary Kraske

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2019, 01:07:18 AM »
[quote Ken Fleming
Maybe we could use a Chinese one point switch for 4 wheel cars.
[/quote]
Please educate me!

Bill Baskerville

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2019, 10:26:51 AM »
[quote Ken Fleming
Maybe we could use a Chinese one point switch for 4 wheel cars.

Please educate me!
[/quote]
Single point switches are common in street trolley tracks.  One of these is from a 2 footer in New Zealand (I think).

We would still need guard rails at the frog, but wouldn't need any additional track work at the point other than careful machining of the point.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2019, 10:30:42 AM by Bill Baskerville »
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Graham Buxton

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #10 on: March 01, 2019, 11:29:32 AM »
Chris Walker (a regular at the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum)  has a backyard 18" gauge railroad (in New Zealand) and uses a variety of temporary track switches.   Some of those are rather interesting for occasional  use switches.   

One of his "switches" is this temporary turntable: https://flic.kr/p/HhjdZA

Note that the "mainline" track is not cut or altered to use the "switch", as it simply sits on top of the existing track. My understanding is that turntable is simply moved either out of the way (to pass by on the original track), or to a new location as desired.

Even though a similar WWF  24" track turntable would be heavier, it should still be relatively easy to place/remove with sufficient hands, or a forklift, loader, Ichabod, etc.

Chris has a lot of other photos of his railroad on Flickr, here: https://www.flickr.com/people/99808406@N07/
« Last Edit: March 01, 2019, 11:43:05 AM by Graham Buxton »
Graham

Wayne Laepple

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #11 on: March 01, 2019, 12:50:10 PM »
I remember several years ago, before the runaround at Sheepscot was completed. The former team track/shop 1 track frog was removed and used at another location. A short piece of rail was inserted in place of the frog and had to be moved from one place to the other depending on which track needed to be accessed. If the proposed track up along the restroom building will only be used occasionally, that may be a solution.

The other option would be a "jump over" rail. Basically, a short piece of rail with the base and web cut out, leaving only the head. It would fit over the stock rail as needed mating to the curved stock rail and the outer rail without the need of a frog. It just depends on the amount of traffic going over the switch whether a jump-over or a fill-in rail or a frog would be the best solution.

Gary Kraske

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #12 on: March 01, 2019, 02:13:36 PM »
Thank you Bill, Graham and Wayne!!

Mike Fox

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2019, 02:18:36 PM »
I think it will have its own switch. You never know what will be on that storage track, and if you had to switch it out, much easier with an actual switch. But all that is just the finer details..

Mike
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Bill Baskerville

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Re: Getting the passenger car back inside
« Reply #14 on: March 01, 2019, 05:37:09 PM »
I agree.  It would be nice not to go through a year or so of unbolting and re-bolting track, or using angle iron on 2x3's as switch points like we did for the woods track and track 2 & 3 when we first built the north yard.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2019, 10:20:59 PM by Bill Baskerville »
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