[ohioriverrailway]

Any thoughts about this: http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16300 as something that would fit between the wheels and be geared to the axle to power a trolley or similar light-weight unit?

 

[East Broad Top]

At 1.42" long (exclusive of shaft, I'd imagine) I think you'd be hard pressed to fit it between the wheels (1.57"). However, mounted between the frame and rigged to the axle via a chain drive, I think it's got potential.

Later,

K

 

[armorsmith]

Rick,

You might also look into the Northwest Shortline 'Magic Carpet' drives.

Bob

 

[K27_463]

That goldmine unit has a gear head of 279:1. With that much reduction, your speed will be VERY slow, unless you actually gear it up with a chain and sprocket of some sort.

Jonathan/EMW

 

[Hagen]

I'd recommend browsing trough this thread for other alternatives, by no means complete, so anyone who knows of gearboxes are encouraged to expand on that thread

 

[Jerry Barnes]

itUncle(guy that does the paper trains) uses a small motor and a Tamiya gearbox. Might look at his articles. I've used VCR motors, usually with sprocket/chain drives. itUncle also puts a gear over the axle and has the motor attached to the truck frame. Hartlands little one axle drive/gearbox

is what I used on my Rocket Car project. The wheels pull off so you could put on the size wheels that you want, would do a streetcar, if that is your plan. They are only $25 or so. White spot is the gearbox between the wheels. I put on larger wheels.

 

[pdk]

I have some experience with gearhead motors like that, and they are surprisingly noisy.

 

[ohioriverrailway]

Thanks for all of the links and thoughts. MC drives are way too expensive and noisy. If I'm going to have noise from the gearhead motor, at least it will be "inexpensive" noise. Am getting some #25 roller chain and an assortment of sprockets. Details to follow.

 

[pdk]

Good luck. Here's how I did mine btw. Like I said, the whine took the fun out of it.

 

[Jerry Barnes]

Looks neat Pete! The Rocket Car is not very noisy.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

That little railtruck is really cool. Where did you get the spoked wheels?

 

[pdk]

Thanks Jerry. You're right. The old standby, worm gear and bull gear provide lots of reduction and very quiet too. Ray, the wheels are just LGB, off some four wheel euro passenger coaches.

In the end, I went with an Aristo/Delton powerbrick, for reliablility, pulling power, and silky smoothness.

Not trying to discourage anyone from tinkering with sprockets and chain. It can be lots of fun.

Not to hi-jack this thread, but in the experiments leading up the railtruck I also tried the Tamiya gearbox kit...

...and servo drive

I've heard good things about the Hartland unit in the rocket car.

 

[ohioriverrailway]

That's a cute critter. It seems like there might be a market for some sort of mini-brick for powering non-locomotive contraptions.

 

[Jerry Barnes]

I used a motor from a VCR I parted out and a sprocket/chain setup on my one cylinder shay and it's pretty quiet. So, junk out that VCR you no longer use for parts. I did try the belt drive that was on the VCR but it slipped, the chain/sprocket did the job real well.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

What made you decide against the servo and the Tamiya gearbox?

I have some interesting small vehicles planned, so any info I can get about this kind of stuff may save me some time.

 

[ralphbrades]

I don't know if this is any use to anyone in the US -but this is where I normally go in search of cogs, gears and motors etc...

http://www.mfacomodrills.com/

regards

ralph