Chris's N Scale Crew Speeder build

[narrowminded]

As for scale fidelity just remember I guess all the dimensions 

... But you have "the eye".  

Speaking of which, the crank.  .008" or .010" wire?  It's .008" in the picture above.

[Chris333]

In HOn30 I used .0125" Tichy wire so .00679" in N ?

[narrowminded]

In HOn30 I used .0125" Tichy wire so .00679" in N ?

The way I arrived at it was, I guessed a crank handle at 1 1/4" to 1 3/8", a reasonable grip diameter, which split puts me right at .008".  But it also pretty much disappears (to my eye).   So I was thinking of going to .010" which would be closer to 1 5/8" which in reality is probably a tad fat.  But I'm not sure that it would look out of place, maybe even better as it would be just that more visible.  This is where my inexperience in these matters bites me.

Edit add:  I think I just talked myself into .010".    Then again, maybe the paint will take care of this.   "MOM, Daddy's being anal again!"

[randgust]

11-104 wheels are more like 42" and they won't fit into the 11-105 truck.

I'm measuring on the face of the 11-105 wheel and it's smaller than 33".   No matter how you look at it, it's smaller than a regular freight wheel.

The 11-104 five-pole motor is just phenomenal, particularly if you put the smaller wheels on the 11-104 axles.  Reduces the speed quite a bit.  I've put that five-pole motor in a couple other applications as replacements to Trix three-pole U28 motors. 

Here's a prototype vintage 'crew car' operating in excursion service now:
http://timberheritage.org/ride-the-rails-on-a-historic-speeder-crew/

That's up at Eureka (Samoa shops).

[narrowminded]

New bodies arrived today, two days early!   They look good.  Back to original length, maintained the width for N gauge wheels, and beefed up around the crank hole.  This should work and look GOOD!  Thanks, Chris.

Might get them in the soak tonight.

[Chris333]

One of the HOn30 guys started putting doors on his model so I whipped one up with doors:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/B5FAFR2AH/hon30-track-speeder-with-doors

[up1950s]

So with my build in order to stop the stop and go I added an all wheel pick up combine . I can now go about 10 SMPH without a hitch , and as slow as walking speed or whatever 2 or so rps of the motor is , but that is too risky to dead spots .

To add some momentum I made a brass tube laminated thing , but it is small and light .

I am using birdshot for weight and need to add some to the front end of the combine . I had some but was removed when redesigns happened .

The tread width and flange depth was reduced on the speeder , and the tread width , wheel diameter , and flange depth was reduced on the Shorty wheels under the combine .

PB whiskers added to both units and an effort to maintain truck side plate mobility was done The screws on the side holding the side plates and whiskers where wheels would go are not tightened , but are there as a guide way .

Not near done but the tricky R&D is done .

[narrowminded]

Nice progress.  I like it!  Nice solution to pickup issues. 

I'm working on the chassis design for mine as we speak.  After all of the time I've been working on this it's exciting to be at this point, putting something together.  Very curious, do you have a weight measurement for it?  That's always a challenge in things this small.  And Chris, if you catch this, do you have a weight measurement for your HO model?

[peteski]

That is very clever design Richie!

I know it is a bit late, but if you placed the PB wire pickups over (not under) the axles, and made the axle bearing holes slight oversize, that would  have created a soft suspension which would allow positive contact of all 4 wheels with the rail.  As an added benefit, the entire electric pickup assembly would be hidden inside the body. Just a thought . . .

[up1950s]

That is very clever design Richie!

I know it is a bit late, but if you placed the PB wire pickups over (not under) the axles, and made the axle bearing holes slight oversize, that would  have created a soft suspension which would allow positive contact of all 4 wheels with the rail.  As an added benefit, the entire electric pickup assembly would be hidden inside the body. Just a thought . . .

The PB whiskers are holding the wheels in place as the tits that are supposed to do that barely do because of all my need to remove and replace them .

[peteski]

The PB whiskers are holding the wheels in place as the tits that are supposed to do that barely do because of all my need to remove and replace them .

Aha!  Carry on then. 

[up1950s]

Nice progress.  I like it!  Nice solution to pickup issues. 

I'm working on the chassis design for mine as we speak.  After all of the time I've been working on this it's exciting to be at this point, putting something together.  Very curious, do you have a weight measurement for it?  That's always a challenge in things this small.  And Chris, if you catch this, do you have a weight measurement for your HO model?

 The combine is to get more front end weight , but as it stands now the weighted roof and body with under carriage  is 17.5 grams / .63 oz . The powered Chris designed unit is 18.4 grams / .65 oz .

[narrowminded]

The combine is to get more front end weight , but as it stands now the weighted roof and body with under carriage  is 17.5 grams / .63 oz . The powered Chris designed unit is 18.4 grams / .65 oz .

Thanks.  Not bad for something this small.  

That's an area I spent a lot of time on knowing how important it was and then how terribly small some of my desired locos were.  I'm hoping for a little more due to my chassis design but don't know yet.  The design is pretty dense with material but it's also pretty small so not many cubic inches.  I think I'm going to have a pretty clear area through the open sides without the motor sticking up in there but that's also dead space with no parts of any kind.  I may be able to put a bench or toolbox looking thing in there made from solid brass which should help a lot.  Just don't know yet.  I'm also scheming on ways to do lights without having the parts obtrusive.  Whose idea was it to make things this small anyway?

[narrowminded]

Chassis design is going excellent.  All of that R&D/ test time is paying off.   I have a couple of revised parts going into this but they are revisions to stuff I've already tested and should be fine.  So this one will be a test unit too but I'm pretty positive that all will be good.  Honestly? I'm excited! 

[narrowminded]

And a question.   How far above rail height do folks feel would be appropriate for the steps/ running boards?  I seem to recall a government spec that was max 24" above rail height but not sure of that.  That looks a bit high at .15" and if my memory is correct that's still a max number, not an absolute.  I'm more inclined to go about 10" or .060" and maybe even .050" or 8".  That's still not too close to the ground but...  Should it even be less?