Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

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LNR
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Post by LNR » Wed Aug 10, 2016 11:23 pm

A lovely loco, well handled, and on a superb line. Congratulations all round.
Grant.

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Post by ge_rik » Thu Aug 11, 2016 7:16 am

Yes, it was a great afternoon. Really enjoyed seeing (and smelling) a bit of live steam in the garden - I'm being seduced as you can see from my thread in the 'wanted' section.

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momentum

Post by cheshire » Mon Aug 15, 2016 1:46 pm

Has anyone else found their zecar has stripped its gears? Mine has, so its not working at all.

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by CSL » Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:22 pm

Hope it's OK to bump this thread back onto action...

As luck would have it, we have a friction-drive Greendale Rocket as illustrated on page 1 of this thread (23rd April 2015!), which when dismantled should yield one of these:
https://gardenrails.org/forum/myff/1875 ... 351+LR.jpg

But what wheels and method of fixing them to the axle should I use?

(Solutions requiring basic tools only please!)

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Andrew » Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:56 pm

Hello!

I suppose it depends on the diameter of the axle. If it's 3mm or close enough, you could use Binnie wheels, as I think most of us using ze-cars did - then you can use Binnie axleguards too... Mine was a small wagon (too small really, not enough weight) so I was able to do the same with the axle that wasn't connected to the mechanism, whereas others created a new real axle.

Good luck with the project,

Andrew.

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Re:

Post by CSL » Mon Jul 16, 2018 6:41 pm

Thanks, Andrew. Is it just a superglue or similar to fix the wheels to the axle?
Tony Bird wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:27 am For anyone here in the UK the B&M Discount stores are selling Postman Pat Greendale Rocket toys for £6.99 which are friction powered and will be a lot less work to convert that the electric version I altered. I bought this one yesterday.

Image
Next silly question: Is anyone able to tell me whether it is necessary to destroy the toy to access the drive mechanism?

I never like wrecking things if I can avoid it, but it isn't obvious how the cab roof and smokebox come off with out force or sawblade...

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Andrew » Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:08 pm

Hello!

If the axle is the same size it might be a push fit. Binnie wheels push fit onto Binnie axles, and I think that worked for the zecar mechanism too. If it won't stay put of its own accord but is close I think I'd go for 5 minute epoxy, to ensure a little time to get it just right...

Don't know about the Greendale loco - I thought of Tony B's article, but I see you've already found that...

Good luck with the project,

Andrew.

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by TheChestnutLine » Fri Feb 08, 2019 11:49 pm

Is the flywheel for the zecar made of plastic? How much of it is made of metal?
James

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Andrew » Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:00 pm

Hello!

Just checked mine - the flywheel and most of the rest of it is metal, with one of the gears in plastic of some sort. Hope that helps?

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Garethh » Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:25 pm

Came across this thread a while back and liked the idea of a momentum wagon as a temporary measure while I wait for my slomo to show up. Wanted to make it reversible as I have limited space for stock so in the future it can revert back to a normal wagon. It’s an accucraft l&b open wagon and I’ve just bolted the zecar to the top and driven it via a delrin chain and sprocket from the axle, may add another to the other axle to make it 4wd. Haven’t had a chance to test it on tack yet as it’s raining pretty hard, seems to work ok on the bench though.
F5ACCDBA-02B5-4B98-ABDC-08795EAC730E.jpeg
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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Peter Butler » Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:00 pm

What a brilliantly simple solution to fitting the Zecar to the chassis. In most instances they have been used by just swapping the wheels but making it a very short wheelbase. When I made mine in 2014 (I can't find a picture) I extended the chassis and built a box van around it. Although it worked well the noise generated by the hollow van was so loud I had to fill it with foam sheet, which helped but not completely.
Details are at the bottom of the page shown below......
https://gardenrails.org/viewtopic.php?f ... &start=120
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Garethh » Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:10 pm

Peter your van looks brilliant, I did consider attempting something similar but having a young family means free time is at a premium so I went with the quick and simple solution. Also means I can swap between 32 & 45mm easily if visiting other lines. I was concerned about noise so I’ve mounted it on a rubber washer, may follow you on the foam route if it’s too noisy when I get a chance to run it.
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It’s still raining so it’s now got 4wd, don’t think it’s too intrusive

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Old Man Aaron » Sat Aug 22, 2020 1:36 am

That's extremely tidy, Garethh. Will have to keep that arrangement in mind..
Would love to see it running when you get the chance. ;)

Might as well throw mine into the hat..
I built mine back in 2016, almost certainly lurking on this thread for reference. Figuring a guard's van wouldn't be out of place on most trains, I cut down an IP Rheidol kit, to make something vaguely based on the Innisfail Tramway's guard's vans.
The body and chassis are fixed together via the couplings' mounting studs. The axleboxes carry the wagon's weight in the usual manner, taking care to ensure no part of the mechanism touches the chassis or body, and enclosed the "machinery" from the bodywork to help prevent the body from becoming a sounding box.
It hasn't had a whole lot of use, as for the most part I've had nowhere to run. At around 800g it's quite effective, as we've come to expect of the Zecar.
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Here it is running on an indoor test loop years ago.



I've plans for another two momentum wagons, as rakes of sugarcane trucks don't have guard's vans attached. Ordered the Zecars from the US four months ago, and by now can only presume they've been lost somewhere. I've just contacted them about re-sending the order.. One of them will become a navvies' tool wagon, based on this ex-Moreton sugar mill example now stored at ANGRMS. I don't remember what I had planned to build with the other mech.
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Regards,
Aaron - Scum Class Works

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Andrew » Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:02 am

I'm a sucker for brake vans, but I really like that cut-down IP one, inspired stuff!

I've got a medium term plan for a "might have been" NWNGR 4-wheel passenger brake, which I'm now thinking could incorporate a Zecar mechanism... Upthread somewhere there's details of the little mineral wagon I made, which was fun to do but I couldn't get enough weight into it to make a significant difference to operations...

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Old Man Aaron » Tue Aug 25, 2020 10:52 am

Cheers, Andrew. It's certainly an attractive prototype.
Andrew wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:02 am a "might have been" NWNGR 4-wheel passenger brake, which I'm now thinking could incorporate a Zecar mechanism
Aye, do go for it! That little coal truck you mentioned did look quite nice, though..
Regards,
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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by GTB » Tue Aug 25, 2020 12:19 pm

Old Man Aaron wrote: Sat Aug 22, 2020 1:36 am I've plans for another two momentum wagons, as rakes of sugarcane trucks don't have guard's vans attached.
Given you are near the old Moreton Mill, you could look at putting the Zecar mech in a little water gin for use on the steam hauled cane trains. The chassis and sound barrier of the dunny van looks about the right size.

The Krauss Moreton used to run around with a dinky water gin with a square tank, often with a few bags of extra coal on the top. Still runs with it in 'preservation' I think, even though the poor old thing now has a diesel engine parked where the sun don't shine..... I've also seen photos of Valdora with both a 4 wheel water gin coupled at one end and a dinky wooden coal 'tender' at the other end.

Lead flashing makes a good acoustic barrier, as well as providing the weight needed in a momentum wagon.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Garethh » Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:21 pm

Managed to get out in between showers for a quick test run, tricky driving with one hand a filming with the other, but should give an idea. Definitely calms her down a fair bit, especially considering the gradients and curves on my line are pretty severe. Is a bit on the noisy side but I live next to a main road so in the flesh it’s not really noticeable.


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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by tom_tom_go » Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:40 pm

When I built mine years ago I had to weigh the wagon down a fair bit to achieve a good result:



I don't have a video of the finished wagon running unfortunately.

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Garethh » Tue Aug 25, 2020 5:23 pm

Yours looks like it works nicely. Mines at around 6-700g at the moment, may experiment with a bit more weight

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Re: Zach Bond "Momentum Van" project

Post by Old Man Aaron » Wed Aug 26, 2020 3:30 am

Water tank, there's an idea..
Aye, the one behind Moreton had a proper little coal & water tender built in (I think?) the early 20's. It's now privately preserved along with the Fowler Coolum. From memory, Moreton's current tender is made of plywood, housing the diesel engine, driving an ex-Burrunjuck Tramway bogey.
Valdora's funny little tender was just a cane truck with sides added!I know the photos showing the water tank you mentioned; looking at it now, it's mounted on a Binnie erm, wait, Hudson skip frame, and has no water connection to the loco. I believe Valdora was the navvy loco during the slack season, and the water tank used in that work. You've given me something to think about..

Thanks for showing us your van running Garethh. My first line was like yours in it's grades and 2ft curves. Had I van like yours at the time, the line would've had far more use. Also loving the grass and weeds encroaching on your track.

Regards,
Aaron
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