The Claymine Branch - tiny indoor G gauge

[gregh]

Really great video showing your indoor line in action, Greg. Just wondering if you need a brake van for the descents ......

Rik

Yes, but I'm waiting for the round toit to be delivered.

There you go Greg I have a spare one I can pass on to you.
a_round_tuit.jpg

Well thanks EX-friend. Now I don't have any excuse. And I bet it wasn't your spare, you just wanted to get rid of it.

[GAP]

Really great video showing your indoor line in action, Greg. Just wondering if you need a brake van for the descents ......

Rik

Yes, but I'm waiting for the round toit to be delivered.

There you go Greg I have a spare one I can pass on to you.
a_round_tuit.jpg

Well thanks EX-friend. Now I don't have any excuse. And I bet it wasn't your spare, you just wanted to get rid of it.

Anything to help Greg

[gregh]

Having been given the Round tuit by Graeme, I had no excuse but to get experimenting.

The problem to be solved is that on my tiny indoor layout there are grades as steep as 1:12 or so. I have to keep my wagons as light and free-running as possible to get up the hill, but when descending, they tend to bunch up and then lengthen out again. Note that I use chains as very loose couplings.

So I needed a van with brakes that could easily be manually applied and taken off.
Now my mechanical skills are about zero, but I tried an experiment of forcing a flat piece of styrene sheet onto an axle of a 4-wheel wagon. By making the axles 9mm dia and using some pieces of a rubber band I got enough friction to seem to work. ie it would hold the wagon chains taunt all the way down the hill, but with the wheels still turning.

I knocked up a simple chassis and tried out some ideas.
This video will make it clear (I hope).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTbsIs9b6NI

Experiments continue........

[GAP]

Greg,
Have you given consideration to a rolling weight eg ball bearing or round lead sinker too apply pressure to the "brake" mechanism.
Going down hill the weight rolls forward and applies the brake and going up hill rolls off the brake. Maybe 2 mounted in opposite directions so that orientation is not an issue.
Makes the brakes automatic.

[gregh]

That's a good suggestion. But....
1. I need about 100g weight on the 'spring' to apply enough brake force (five 50c pieces). It's the reason I went for the cam idea.
2. the ball doesn't roll off the brakes going uphill unless the wagon is turned around!

I don't have any ball bearings and the only cylinder I have on hand is copper pipe at 5g/cm. As I can only fit in 2cm, it ain't going to fly as a test.
So I can't test your idea. I bequeath it to you!.
Yours is the 2nd suggestion for automatic application - the other was for a trackside arm to turn the rod/cam. A bit more possible.

But I am happy to apply the brakes manually at the top of the grade - at a 'Brakes' sign and release at the bottom.

[gregh]

I have now completed the brake van to hold the train on the steep grades.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKgrCmNCSqA

[gregh]

It is a rainy Christmas Eve, so I ran a few trains on the pottery shed line.

[Peter Butler]

Nice one Greg, very watchable.... Merry Christmas.

[GAP]

Another fine video Greg, keep them coming.
Love the jolly swagman.
Merry Christmas.

[ge_rik]

Always a delight to see your railways - both indoor and outdoor. Looking out of the window now and seeing yet more rain lashing down, the lure of an indoor line seems even more attractive.

Rik