Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

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Dr. Bond of the DVLR
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Post by Dr. Bond of the DVLR » Thu Apr 23, 2015 5:24 pm

Good to hear that it has worked well. I was amazed, as you where, by the difference. Of course the idea has been around for as long as 16mm modeling has but this little German toy has made it an awful lot easier - the axles are the right length and dia and the wheels a straight swap for IP ones. The only down side is the very short wheel base.
With regards product I've often thought this would be the sort of thing HGLW would produce.
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Post by Keith S » Thu Apr 23, 2015 7:40 pm

I've just posted another video on my thread in the video section. I realized that on my perfectly-flat workbench, it was difficult to see the difference, because even with the regulator just nudged open, the locomotive does not encounter any obstacles. Therefore, other than a slightly faster acceleration, it is possible for it to perform almost as well without the momentum wagon.

Therefore, I built up a "lump" in the middle of the test track, to simulate some uneven terrain or poor track, or what have you.

In the second video, it is easier to see what the momentum device is doing.

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Post by tom_tom_go » Thu Apr 23, 2015 8:05 pm

:D

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Post by rebelego » Fri Apr 24, 2015 6:43 am

I follow this with great interest. I bought a Zecar in September after reading Mr Bonds first post about it, but it just collects dust on the shelf.
Mr. Bond of the DVLR:110370 wrote:The only down side is the very short wheel base.
Why keep the wheel base? The flywheel works on one axle only.

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Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Apr 24, 2015 9:06 am

rebelego:110386 wrote:Why keep the wheel base? The flywheel works on one axle only.
That's interesting as that is the only thing that puts me off this idea as the wheelbase is very short.

When I get mine I will see if it's possible.

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Post by laurence703 » Fri Apr 24, 2015 9:40 am

it may have a small wheelbase for a normal 4 wheeled van. wagon etc, but it'd make a great bogie if someone were to design a frame for it to sit in.
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!

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Post by AFGadd » Fri Apr 24, 2015 11:01 am

Been equally impressed by what I've seen & read, to that end I've bought a ZeCar.

I have also bought myself some 1/8" bore Delrin gears & chain. I want to build a longer wheelbase (at least that of the ZeCar) with "4WD"...

I'm assuming that if one axle works well, two can only be better?
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Post by Keith S » Fri Apr 24, 2015 12:22 pm

I find the wheelbase short too, there's no reason the "zecar" couldn't be installed vertically with just the one end protruding from under the wagon lined up with one axle.

I considered doing this, to retain the stock wheelbase. There reason I decided not to, is that the way Mr. Bond set it up, the zecar is only touching the wagon body by its axles. I had an idea that this might be why it is fairly quiet: it's not touching the van body therefore doesn't transmit much sound to the wood.

But there are other ways to insulate the van body from sound, such as rubber mounts or something. You could even put the zecar inside the van altogether, with a gear on its axle, driven by one or both van axles via a chain... or turn the whole thing into a bogie as Laurence suggests.

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Post by philipy » Fri Apr 24, 2015 3:28 pm

Angling the zecar, so that you only use one axle on the rail, sounds OK to me, but I'd have thought that adding gear trains and/or chain drives would vastly increase internal resistance to the fly wheel mechanism, not sure it would work as well? I'd be happy to be proved wrong though!

One other thought that occurred to me is that from looking at the pictures, at least one of the gears appears to be plastic of some sort, I do wonder if something that is basically a toy will stand up to some fairly heavy duty running? Only time will tell I guess.
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Post by Keith S » Sat Apr 25, 2015 12:04 am

Yes one gear is plastic, looks like nylon to me, the other gears are metal. Others will have to assess its durability: I haven't begun building my railway yet. Testing this wagon is the most running my loco has done in years.

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Post by philipy » Sat Apr 25, 2015 12:41 pm

Having now seen Alan P's video of his delrin chain 4-w drive version, it seems my fears were unfounded. Well done chaps.
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Post by McRuss » Sat Apr 25, 2015 6:07 pm

Could someone tell me the diameter of the Zecar axles?

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Post by AFGadd » Sat Apr 25, 2015 6:13 pm

McRuss:110417 wrote:Could someone tell me the diameter of the Zecar axles?

Markus
Hi Markus,

They're about 1/8". I say about, as IP Engineering wheels are almost a rattle fit on the axles...

The axles are also "crimped" at the ends, the ultimate solution would be to make plastic bushes to go over the ZeCar axles and bore out your wheels to fit the plastic bushes.
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Post by Dr. Bond of the DVLR » Sat Apr 25, 2015 6:21 pm

I found that, using the IP insulated 45mm wheel sets, the wheels where a good fit on the axles. Then again my zecar was bought about 6 years ago so they might have changed a few things.
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Post by Keith S » Sat Apr 25, 2015 7:17 pm

I just used a drop of glue to secure my IP wheels onto the axles. They are a close enough fit that the glue secures them.

I filed the ends of the axles smooth so they would run in the brass IP bushings.

It all seems to fit pretty well...

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axles

Post by cheshire » Sun Apr 26, 2015 8:01 am

The axles are also a perfect fit for W&L Accucraft wheels too. I have mounted the Zecar so that only one axle is used, moving the old axle boxes in by exactly the width of 2 coffee stirrers per side so the axles of the Zecar can sit in the bearings. Its revolutionised my Silver Lady which always raced away and stalled on curves. As an aside, all my wagons are heavily weighted with lead, so you don't get the wagon pushing the train as much, its just like a brake on straights and an extra help on tight curves. Thanks for the idea, one of the best £14 I have ever spent!! Any ideas now what to put on the top of the flat wagon to disguise the flywheel? Needs to look good with freight and passenger trains? Thanks
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Image[/img]

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Post by philipy » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:21 am

How about disguising with a furniture container? BR had many types in the 50's and one chained down on your flat would look good in any train.

Plenty of info here:
http://mike.da2c.org/igg/rail/5-unit/unitload1.htm
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Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:46 am

That is good suggestion by Phil, would look just right:

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Re: axles

Post by Andrew » Sun Apr 26, 2015 10:59 am

cheshire:110434 wrote:Image[/url][/img]
Oooh, that looks good! How have you supported the end of the Zecar's body to keep it at that angle?

I reckon I'd go for some sort of crate to hide the mechanism too...

Cheers,

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zecar

Post by cheshire » Sun Apr 26, 2015 12:53 pm

The wheels are held in the axle boxes and the body is epoxy glued with a coffee stirrer on the top of the wagon. Much of the railway is fixed / mended / built with a coffee stirrer!!

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