Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

I thought, perhaps, 10 years after publishing the article in GardenRail magazine it was worth putting an update on here.
A couple of years ago (2021?) I took the original Momentum Van to the Peckforton Light Railway where it finally failed. The original mechanism failed as the brass gear wheel on the flywheel axle has been eaten through by the steel idler gear.

IMG_20250407_214134.jpg (2.16 MiB) Viewed 34693 times

Fig. 1. original mechanism showing the gear has been eaten through.

Not having a railway at the moment I didn't get round to fixing it until this week. Zecars are still available and still the same design so I bought a replacement mechanism while I sort out the original one. Since the original I wonder if the plastic bushings in IP's insulated wheel sets have a marginally wider bore or if the zecar axles are slightly thinner as the IP wheels were slightly looser going onto the axles than the original. A drop of loctite gapfilling superglue seems to have done the trick but I did need to carefully adjust the wheels to get them to run true as the glue set.
Anyway the van should now be good for another 6 years or so of en-docilificating errant manual locos.

IMG_20250407_214236.jpg (3.05 MiB) Viewed 34693 times

Fig. 2. New replacement mechanism. It was the work of 10 minutes to tap the wheels off and put on some IP engineering insulated wheels. The underside of the original van can be seen - it really was a rough old bit of work but it did the trick! Coinsidentally the original AnDel resin axleboxes are in really good shape

I've really enjoyed watching this thread over the years and seeing all the variations in design. I hope that the various momentum vans out there have brought the pleasure of controlled running to your railways and will continue to do so.

[ge_rik]

I hasten to add that the PLR was in no way responsible for the demise of the original momentum wagon, though I do now get visitors to sign a form saying they take full responsibility for any losses, breakages, injuries, tariff fallout, terrorist incidents and natural disasters ......

Rik

[Old Man Aaron]

I hasten to add that the PLR was in no way responsible for the demise of the original momentum wagon, though I do now get visitors to sign a form saying they take full responsibility for any losses, breakages, injuries, tariff fallout, terrorist incidents and natural disasters ......

Rik

Thanks for the update, Zach. Wear is something I've wondered about.
I do plan on at some distant point, homebrewing my own loco-mounted slomos for convenience with my light 4-wheeled cane stock..

[Lonsdaler]

I hasten to add that the PLR was in no way responsible for the demise of the original momentum wagon, though I do now get visitors to sign a form saying they take full responsibility for any losses, breakages, injuries, tariff fallout, terrorist incidents and natural disasters ......

Rik

That might be a document worth making available to all members who host visitors!

[Lonsdaler]

I thought, perhaps, 10 years after publishing the article in GardenRail magazine it was worth putting an update on here.
A couple of years ago (2021?) I took the original Momentum Van to the Peckforton Light Railway where it finally failed. The original mechanism failed as the brass gear wheel on the flywheel axle has been eaten through by the steel idler gear.
IMG_20250407_214134.jpg
Fig. 1. original mechanism showing the gear has been eaten through.

Not having a railway at the moment I didn't get round to fixing it until this week. Zecars are still available and still the same design so I bought a replacement mechanism while I sort out the original one. Since the original I wonder if the plastic bushings in IP's insulated wheel sets have a marginally wider bore or if the zecar axles are slightly thinner as the IP wheels were slightly looser going onto the axles than the original. A drop of loctite gapfilling superglue seems to have done the trick but I did need to carefully adjust the wheels to get them to run true as the glue set.
Anyway the van should now be good for another 6 years or so of en-docilificating errant manual locos.
IMG_20250407_214236.jpg
Fig. 2. New replacement mechanism. It was the work of 10 minutes to tap the wheels off and put on some IP engineering insulated wheels. The underside of the original van can be seen - it really was a rough old bit of work but it did the trick! Coinsidentally the original AnDel resin axleboxes are in really good shape

I've really enjoyed watching this thread over the years and seeing all the variations in design. I hope that the various momentum vans out there have brought the pleasure of controlled running to your railways and will continue to do so.

I recently built one for a friend, and was surprised by how much the price of a Zecar has risen. I wonder if their are other 'friction drive' toys out there that would be suitable for adaptation?