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Post by iompeveril on Aug 4, 2015 7:48:49 GMT
I've not been on the group for a while, but at the weekend a colleague and I were discussing the possibility of making a portable 5 inch gauge track to enable us to run our locos, and give rides, at some events here on the Isle of Man.
We could, of course, produce our own design for a track, but I was wondering if anyone could point us to a 'tried and tested' design that we could use? Our own thoughts were for a welded steel construction, with each section of the track (bar one) having a support at just one end with the other end of each section aligning with, and being supported by, its neighbour.
Any information, including details of any portable tracks that might be for sale, would be gratefully received.
Peter Jordan
Castletown, Isle of Man
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Post by ejparrott on Aug 4, 2015 8:03:09 GMT
Good to see you back!
Are you looking for raised track or ground level?
For Ground level, the GL5 track is unbeatable.
For raised, there's a description of one in the 1953 ME I was recently looking at when working on firehole doors.
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Post by Roger on Aug 4, 2015 8:39:25 GMT
I've helped to lay out the club portable 5" ground level track at a few fetes this summer and it seems satisfactory. The key thing seems to be to have a large area to spread the load over because grass is very springy. From memory, their track is laid on roughly 1 foot wide planks of wood that are about 10 feet long. the planks are pretty thick, I'd say at least an inch The rails are square section steel and the ends are drilled with a dowel being bonded into opposite ends like the old 'O' gauge track to locate them. There are cutouts in the wooden base to take threaded rods that pull the ends to the track together. They have huge baskets full of hardboard offcuts in strips and it takes about an hour to pack and level the track before it's usable. It's not a quick thing to set up and the track takes up a lot of storage space. You don't know what you're going to have to lay the track on and sometimes the gradients are challenging. Don't be tempted to use Aluminium rails because you probably won't have enough grip. It's bad enough on steel rails when there's a light shower. The club has a bucket of sand stone slabs that are rubbed on the track to sand it if the grip becomes an issue. I hope that helps. Here's a link which might give a better idea of the setup that the East Grinstead Model Engineers use on the biggest track they used this last year including a passing place and 800 feet of track.
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SteveW
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,383
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Post by SteveW on Aug 4, 2015 9:49:05 GMT
Peter, easily overlooked but you also need to consider how you transport and store the bits when not in use. It's very easy to go for sections that are either too long for your car or trailer or for where you need to store it. As a load, the track can turn out quite heavy.
Whether you are going for raised or ground level sites are rarely level enough at the granularity of your track sections. Consider this early in the design. I've seen a couple of tracks that come with a big sack of wedge shaped firewood and it usually all gets used.
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Post by iompeveril on Aug 4, 2015 10:00:52 GMT
Sorry, maybe I wasn't precise enough in what my original posting said. This would be a raised track, as neither myself nor my colleague find much pleasure in driving small locomotives for long periods on ground level tracks. Also having a raised track brings the models up to a better viewing level.
With regard to adapting/adjusting the track to suit varying ground levels, we thought of incorporating screw adjusters each side of the end supports so that this can be done easily.
And don't worry - we have already given consideration to the problems of transport/storage.
So does anyone know of a design that fulfils the above criteria - or have I got to get my drawing board dusted off?
Peter Jordan
Castletown, Isle of Man
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Post by ejparrott on Aug 4, 2015 11:20:31 GMT
Yes, that article in the 1953 ME was for a raised track, and that had screw adjusters on it's feet!
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Post by taycat on Aug 4, 2015 19:34:06 GMT
just read that other day as got loads of me going back years that club were going to bin as getting in way. now getting in swmbo's way instead.
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Post by joanlluch on Aug 5, 2015 8:53:17 GMT
For raised, there's a description of one in the 1953 ME I was recently looking at when working on firehole doors. Hi Ed, I am interested on this, but unfortunately I have only access to ME magazine issues from September 2012 (number 4438). I wonder if you or somebody could send me a scanned copy of such article on raised tracks, please contact me through PM. Thanks in advance.
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Post by iompeveril on Aug 5, 2015 10:25:57 GMT
I was just about to ask the same question as Joan Lluch - any chance of a scan of the 1953 'Model Engineer' article, please?
Peter Jordan
Castletown, Isle of Man
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,896
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Post by jma1009 on Aug 5, 2015 11:34:22 GMT
hi peter, may i suggest you find out what steel is available on the IOM and take it from there. most club portable raised tracks ive been involved in use steel channel or angle for the top members that also form the rails/track sections. running heavy passenger trains on the upturned ends of the channel will cause grooving and wear on the steel passenger trolley wheels. the track sections will require cross pieces welded to them and alternate overlapping plates on the ends to fit together like old model railway track. 2 holes in the end plates drilled with a jig bolt on the support bases which have corresponding jig drilled and tapped holes for 1/2" bolts. the supports often consist of 3 or 4 " diameter steel tube with a channel section welded to the top for said bolts, and a piece of channel welded to the bottom of the tube. length of track panels to suit transport and steel availability/cutting lengths. additional supports will be needed half way along the panels plus proper removable diagonal bracing. depending on the support design, anti tipping rails may need to be fitted, and all passenger trolleys should have side covers to protect legs, and covers over couplings etc. insurance will be required for public passenger carrying whether fare paying or not, plus a risk assessment etc. this is the IWMES portable track with John Helps in charge www.iwmes.org.uk/DSC_2776.JPGcheers, julian
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Post by Cro on Aug 5, 2015 12:43:25 GMT
Peter,
I will try find some photos of my old clubs portable track, it essentially is the design you describe with one end having swing down legs and adjustable screws in each leg which made for very easy levelling (we had an adaptor and a battery drill to adjust them before doing fine setting by hand). The opposite end had hooks that slotted into the previous section with one section that had 4 legs (2 each end). The one difference that you will find with ours over all the previously mentioned ideas was it was made from Aluminium U channel section. This made it extremely light and portable and easy to handle. I have my grandads old portable track and being all steel angle and so on makes it very heavy and a nightmare to move around.
Will try find some photos when home at the weekend,
Adam
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Post by iompeveril on Aug 5, 2015 13:20:50 GMT
Thank you Julian and Adam.
The aluminium track sounds very interesting, although no doubt more expensive than steel. But ease of handling and setting up has to be an important factor, so your aluminium design might be the way to go.
I look forward to seeing some pictures when you find them.
Peter Jordan
Castletown, Isle of Man
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Post by ejparrott on Aug 5, 2015 13:57:55 GMT
Hi Peter, I'll try and dig it out again in the morning but I haven't got a scanner at home, only at work.
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Post by penrose on Aug 5, 2015 18:30:24 GMT
This is ours setup a week or so ago at the Boconnoc Steam Fair - we run (nominally) commercially but it's an ex.club track. Construction is of steel angle and flat bar, bolted together with spacers to hold it to gauge. Every other panel is permanently fitted with A Frame legs and central legs with screw adjustment fit in the centre of every panel. Being of all steel construction each panel is heavy but manageable solo. Setup time for the complete railway (with shelter and fencing) is around two hours with two people. One of the longest tasks is tightening bolts at each join. Don't forget all the sundries - shelter, fencing, packing pieces, signs, banners, platform etc. Happy to let you have more detailed photos of the track when it's next out in a week's time if you wish. If you're feeling brave I can also list all the pitfalls of running a portable railway! Charlie
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Post by ejparrott on Aug 7, 2015 10:26:24 GMT
I've found the article, I've took some pictures, but I'm struggling to get photobucket to wake up so I can upload them!
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Post by ejparrott on Aug 7, 2015 10:33:36 GMT
Got it at last...
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Post by iompeveril on Aug 8, 2015 6:49:15 GMT
Thanks very much for digging that out and posting it. Interesting to see that the design actually originated as a club's running track. It certainly looks like a serviceable design and, with a few alterations, should form the basis of an excellent track.
Peter Jordan
Castletown, Isle of Man
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Geoff
Hi-poster
Posts: 169
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Post by Geoff on Aug 12, 2015 4:39:45 GMT
With our club track, it takes longer to load and erect the fencing than it does the track itself.
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