Boston Mountains Sub-Division

Discussion in 'N Scale' started by Joe Lovett, Jul 15, 2015.

  1. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    I spent part of the day working on the winches, additional structure on the lift towers, counterbalances and cables.

    Sadly our oldest dog, Nina, passed away this evening after a week long illness. She was asleep at the time and was 18 years 2 months old. Had a long fun full life.

    Joe
     
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  2. Sorry to hear that joe.

    your bridge project I’d terrific. Keep it up.
     
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  3. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Today is Cynthia's birthday so I only worked on the layout for a couple of hours. First thing I did was paint eight #24 telephone wires brown to represent the lift cables. Two each were used to wrap around each winch and the other were used to hang the counterbalances. Still have to connect the ends to the main span, will do that tomorrow. Second project was to install winch end plates to the building in the center of the main span. Last project, I removed some track from module 06 so I can install a turnout for the new coal trestle which is my next project to scratch build. Decided to build a new one because the one on the old module 05 would be too hard to remove.

    Joe

    IMG_20200330_212203.jpg IMG_20200330_212211.jpg IMG_20200330_212244.jpg
     
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  4. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    I've decided to replace all of the peirs because they are too narrow, will do that when I do touch up. Have a couple of other projects to do first, install the turnout for the coal trestle on module 06 and draw the bents for the trestle to get ready to sracth build it. The coal trestle is a great project to work on in my recliner on a TV tray. Need a project that I can sit down right now, my legs are giving me a problem today. Hope to work on the winches and counterbalances a little later.

    Joe
     
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  5. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Tonight I made a new set of piers and got them painted, also drew the pattern for the bents to the coal trestle. Decided not to work in the hobby room today because my legs are hurting. Hopefully will be able to work on the layout itself tomorrow evening.

    Sorry for the photos being so dark.

    Joe

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  6. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    We went to Top Shelf Hobbies in Owasso this morning and I bought some styrene packages one of which will be the cross braces on the coal trestle. To make the job of cutting the piles easier I made a small jig with a stop. It worked great. Below are some photos of the piers, pattern for the bents and the pile jig. This time the photos are not dark like the ones in my previous post. Tonight I'm going to build the coal trestle instead of working on the layout, will work the layout tomorrow afternoon. IMG_20200401_180745.jpg IMG_20200401_180758.jpg IMG_20200401_180816.jpg

    Joe
     
  7. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Last night I only got one bent done, got interrupted when I went to a good friends house to visit for a couple of hours. It was late when I got home so I decided to call it good for the night. Today I'm working on some other pulleys for the bridge and will install the turnout for the coal trestle on module 06. Later tonight will work on the trestle.

    Joe

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    .
    Edit: Spelling.
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2020
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  8. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Just finished installing the turnout and track for the coal trestle. There is a slight S turn going into the trestle siding but all of the hoppers are going to be 33 feet long. I think it will be ok, the mainline radius is 19 inches with a easement at the area of the turnout. What do you think?

    Joe

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  9. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    It will be fine.
     
  10. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Thank you Keith for your knowledge!!!

    Joe
     
  11. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Can't work on the layout today but I thought you guys might enjoy the model next to a portion of the real bridge. The real bridge is over a 1,000 feet long and has around nine spans.

    Joe

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  12. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Joe....
    For the love of all things Frisco. Please, get rid of those O scale cables for the counter weights, pulley's and all. In N scale, a heavy nylon dark brown thread would be much better. I never suggest a model is in need of correction, until now. Use some small eye bolts screwed into the top of the counter weights so it does not sway to one side maybe.
    A great build Joe, not taking that away, but those cables are giving me gas.
     
  13. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Thank you for your thoughts Tom!!! I will fix the cables, we are going to Walmart here in a few minutes and will buy some nylon thread. If there are any other suggestions please let me know. Want the bridge to look close to the real bridge photo. Decided to cut the handrails off the main span and use them in other locations.

    Joe
     
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  14. Incredible build Joe. I agree with Toms thought on the cables. Especially considering it is N scale. Either thread or maybe even fishing line?
    For eye bolts check any place that sells stuff for making jewelry. There are multitudes of sizes. If you can’t find any thing lmk, I might have some that would work?
    Keep it up, your progress is impressive for all you guys have been through!
     
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  15. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    We went to Walmart tonight and they didn't have the heavy nylon thread so I will try Michael's tomorrow afternoon.
    I agree with you guys about the wires for cables. The counterbalances have a lifting lug on each side, won't need to put eye bolts on them. Or do you think it would look better with eye bolts?

    Joe
     
  16. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Joe,

    Recommend removing the spool like device and wire between the outer lift pulleys on each end.

    On the prototype the pair of pulleys on each tower are independent and not connected to one another. Lift cables run from the center machinery house through pulleys on the bridge arch, then to pulleys on the lift span bridge ends, then up to drive the tower pulleys, which in turn are connected to the counterweights.

    The lift system rigging is quartered. Longitudinally the left and right hand half are independently driven on each side at each end.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2020
  17. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    That is some great info Mark. I blew the photo up and see what you are referring to.
     
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  18. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Yes Mark, your post explained how the bridge works, thank you for posting.

    I finished the 8 smaller pulleys that go on the bridge. They started out as sewing bobbins that I glued to a 3 inch piece of dowel rod in the center hole with the bobbin at the end of the rod. Next step put the bobbin with the rod in a cordless drill then using a coarse file make the bobbin smaller. They were 0.80 inch in diameter and I filed them to 0.60, the drill makes quick work. After that I used a razor saw to cut the excess dowel rod so the pulley has the center hole plugged and flush with the outside of the end plates. I then drilled a 0.098 hole all the way through in the center of the bobbin dowel rod assembly. Now you have a finished pulley ready to paint. Will paint all 8 white this morning and install them on the bridge.

    After that will go back to the coal trestle project.

    Joe

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    Last edited: Apr 5, 2020
  19. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Yesterday I painted the pulleys and cleaned up the winches to get rid of the wires. This afternoon I went to Walmart and bought a spool of nylon string that is 0.0 394 inches diameter and have eight feet painted brown. Tom is the guy who suggested the string and I want to say a huge Thank You. It's going to be perfect for the cables.

    The other thing I did this afternoon is to install a one ounce fishing weight inside each counterbalance. After dinner I going to work on the coal trestle. IMG_20200405_133549.jpg IMG_20200406_174216.jpg IMG_20200406_172146.jpg

    Joe
     
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  20. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    I installed the brown string on the winches, it's perfect for the cables. It's a little big if you measure it to N scale but if it was smaller it would be harder to see. That was what I could tell looking at 0.015 thread, it was definitely too small.

    Joe

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