Ride on Truck 5" Gauge

[mott]

Hi, folks, I am starting soon to make a "ride on" truck for elevated track in 5 " gauge. The Trade seem to concentrate on ground level ride ons. Has anyone come across drawings for such truck or even know where I could buy one, new or second hand.Must be suitable for elevated track but something small for one adult and a child. Mott

[JohnP]

Mott,

Most people seem to make their own riding trucks. Some things that you might want to consider are:-
Do I want to use it at more than one track? - It pays to keep clearances between the side boards/stirrups and the track support generous, just in case you go for a run somewhere else and can't fit over their wider track.
Do you want to run on ground level ever? Although a convertible truck needs more thinking about, it's less work than making two!
I'm building a riding truck based on David Hudson's design which was published in ME a few years ago. It's suitable for elevated and ground level but doesn't hold more than one person, so it doesn't meet your requirements.
I have seen driving trucks made without suspension, but in my opinion that's asking for derailments! It's really important that the wheels can fall into any depressions in the track so that the flange doesn't ride up onto the rail.
Hope this helps a bit at least.

JohnP

[greasemonkey]

HI Mott
Both the modelworks and Polly riding trucks are capable of being used on either ground level or raised tracks and I know peole who use both in both modes. You could alternatively buy a set of bogies from someone like the engineers emporium of Ride on Railways and then make your own chassis to go between them to what ever length you want. Like John I am making a David Hudson riding truck, Dave Noble markets the design and a few clubs have built paasenger trolleys to the same design principals so I might be worth a chat with him
regards

Andy

[Malcolm]

Hello Mott. I wanted a quick and easy riding truck. I used four standard self-aligning ball-bearing plummer blocks, with small rubber balls in compression as suspension (toy shop). Standard 4inch cast iron wheels, steel discs on the axles with standard cycle caliper brakes. Frame was handy angle, with a padded wooden top. Not particularly elegant, but it works well and gives a good ride. It will take one and a child, and if made a bit longer would take two. Malcolm.

[NigelMuskett]

From memory I did see a truck on the 2 1/2 gauge society stand at the Midlands exhibition to be produced in flat pack form.
Nigel

[Steve M. W]

Hi Mott
Try tlhis link www.model-engineering.co.uk
They seem to have a range of trucks- I have no connection just found them on the net

Steve

[mott]

Hi, thanks for useful suggestions. I am trying to track down David Noble who has a design of driving trolley see Greasemonkey's comments. Can anyone give lme a phone number or e mail for him please -I can't find him on Google.Mott

[gwrfan]

Hi Mott,

Here's Dave Noble's website:

www.davenoble.co.uk/Pages/main_menu.htm

Geoff

[the_viffer]

So far as I know Bexhill ie www.model-engineering.co.uk only do ground level ones. I've got one and like it but it would need modification to suit raised tracks. Doug Hewson I believe does a truck that suits ground level and raised. I'm not sure that he gives his trucks the beating we do. They seem nice for a gentle Sunday round the park but for heavy work they might be a little delicate. I understand that there are or were a couple of errors on the drawing with frame stays fouling wheels and the like.

[mott]

Thanks guys, I am in conversation with View Models to buy a part completed driving truck. This should settle the problem for me. Really useful views! Mott

[chameleonrob]

just found this on ebay:
cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-Gauge-riding-car-Live-steam_W0QQitemZ6034347327QQcategoryZ14737QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[dscott]

Lots of tea break chat during the building of the new Tiverton track resulted in me building a pair of bogies for a trolley. Now getting technical I incorporated a diff system on the wheels and was quite suprised what a diference this made on the curves. the wheels advancing at least a 1/4 of an inch on the axle. The other advantage of my design is that there are no castings involved and being me quite cheap and easy to build. Yes there are brakes to the front. An esential safety device.
A photocopy of the drawings are avalable if you lor anyone else is interested.

David Scott

Devon.

[jackrae]

Hi david
I'd certainly like a copy of your drawing.
If you are using some type of differential how does this permit the self alignment of coned wheels work. Our club bogies were replaced several years ago with ones having free running wheels (bearings pressed into wheels on a fixed axle and despite my repeated concerns about the lack of self-centring ability they are still used. Wonder if that's why we have so many derailments since they were introduced !
My home e-mail is [e-mail]
kind regards
jack

[chameleonrob]

are far as I'm aware, if you use a differential or independant wheels the cone can't do anything, only the flange keeps you on the line (normally the cone centres you on the line with the flange for emergancies). how much differance this will make in the scales we work in will depend on lots of factors including wear of wheels, quality of track accuracy of wheel profile, running speed, radius of corners etc. the more effect you get from the cones, the slower the wear on you wheels and track and the smother the ride, having seen the huge amount of metal lost of the flanges off the leading outside (as going round the a circle) wheel of the club loco (7 1/4" thomas II 3 years old) I wouldn't even consider a differential., yet me know if I'm either wrong or you've found a way round it.

rob