2013 Trolley Build

[cenote]

Thought I would give some people here some other ideas other than lights for there display. Always loved trains, and always wanted one. So we decided to add a trolley this year to display. Started a few months ago, and now moving along nicely (I think). Dan Blickensderfer designed and built me a controller so it would auto reverse and have multiple random stops along the way and "do its own thing" at those stops. (To be revealed at a later post). Will travel along the front of my yard, about 60-70' long.

Here are some shots from the beginning:

[DanoNJ]

Great project! Next on my summer list!

[JerryPlak]

Chuck. ? How big will the track be and will you have an side track to store cars :-)


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[Javo]

Very impressive, nice work!!

[cenote]

Chuck. ? How big will the track be and will you have an side track to store cars :-)

Track is 8" wide and will have about 60'-70' of it (straight)
No side track, but going to need a small crane to pick the thing up every night! Probably pushing near 75 lbs with battery

[Donny M. Carter]

Looking awesome Chuck!

[Dougp]

Very Nice, I love it.

[mkozik1]

Is that a wiper motor? 2x4 or 1 by for the track?

Nice work Chuck!

[beeiilll]

Looking good Chuck.
I think that you might want to consider a switch in the track and then you can let the train "put itself away" each night if you wanted too! Just a temp closure of some form out of the way to allow a cover over the train and also a way to be able to put a charger so you can recharge the battery when the train is in the station.
After all if you are going to all this work to build it, you might as well go all the way and make it easier for you to maintain it over time.
Wouldn't take much more work to make a connector "port on the engine that could allow it to plug in to a charger when the train "parks" for the night.

But anyway. it will make a real statement for your display at any rate. I bet the kids will love to see it in action!

[Strother85]

Very, very cool! I would love to do something like this but my current yard is just not wide enoughI don't think. I would also be concerned with the havoc snow could cause it here in Michigan. what's your plan for dealing with snow that piles up around the track? Manual clean off or a track raised on a platform?

In regards to storage, it seems like it may be less of a task to make charging on track a possibility and build a cover to go over it after hours.

[DanoNJ]

. what's your plan for dealing with snow that piles up around the track?

He has a wife to dig it out every night. :)

[Strother85]

He has a wife to dig it out every night. :)

Lol that works. :thup:

[cenote]

Is that a wiper motor? 2x4 or 1 by for the track?

Nice work Chuck!

Of coarse it's a wiper motor with a Lawn Boy mower transmission hooked up to it.
It's PVC trim, 1x2

[cenote]

Looking good Chuck.
I think that you might want to consider a switch in the track and then you can let the train "put itself away" each night if you wanted too! Just a temp closure of some form out of the way to allow a cover over the train and also a way to be able to put a charger so you can recharge the battery when the train is in the station.
After all if you are going to all this work to build it, you might as well go all the way and make it easier for you to maintain it over time.
Wouldn't take much more work to make a connector "port on the engine that could allow it to plug in to a charger when the train "parks" for the night.

Finale plan, it will not need charging. I'm building into the track a charging system along the rails. Thought about a spur, but the way my house is laid at and where it's going, to difficult to add. I may end up making a cart for it like the one in Arizona does.

[mkozik1]

Really cool

[dmcole]

Sweet.

I especially like the rail-pushing wheels on the side to keep it aligned; very reminiscent of how Disney built its monorails (those wheels point inward toward a single rail versus yours where they point outward toward two rails).

I also like that it's a trolley as opposed to a railroad (not that I have anything against railroads). A trolley going back and forth is just like the real thing.

Seventy-five pounds does sound like you're going to need an engine hoist to get it inside every night.

Great work.

\dmc