A weighty problem...

tramcar trev

tramcar trev

all manner of mechanical apparatus...
I must drive my trams toooooo fast especially on bends….. There is an annoying propensity for them to derail….




I have also noticed that despite all 4 wheels being driven there is still a lot of slippage especially on the 1:24 “hill”…. Having given it a bit of thought, current thinking is to add some weight, so I unscrewed the cast iron weights hung under the car, looked at them and thought, **** these are rough, so I made up a pair of wooden ones and made a mould into which lead shall be cast to make new ballast…. These shall be roughly twice as heavy as the iron ones…. No I’m not throwing out the iron ones just yet…. I may have to revert… This is purely experimentation..


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You need a Board of Trade inspection (or the Oz equivalent as was) to determine speed limits.:rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf:

But, seriously, the cast iron weights are rough. Is your mould high temperature silicone?
 
Interesting. I was thinking of re-casting some of the lead weights I've recovered from a couple of early LGB locos. I'd thought of making sand moulds (I've plenty of sand but not much heat resistant silicone rubber).

Any thoughts, anyone?

Rik
 
Lead can be cast in hardwood moulds, if that is easier, or plaster. if you want to be able to re-use a plaster mould just make sure that you make it slightly tapered to the exit (called draw) a few degrees usually is plenty. It might be easier to leave out the bolt holes and drill them later.
 
I just use ordinary silicone rubber, seems to work well enough with lead but looses elasticity after a few dozen pours...
I put the holes in the moulding as I have tried to drill lead and its truly painful to drill.....
I figured its better than super gluing sinkers to the underfloor.
 
ROSS said:
Trouble with plaster you have to make darn sure it's bone dry!!
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Same with sand.
 
Trev, you trams will run better with more weight. They will also have the rightkind of heft that they should have. looking forward to seeing results
 
Lead is good and definitely helps haulage, but it is good to acknowledge the importance of traction tyres too.

I have three LGB Steeple Cabs. One from the early 70s, came with a traction tyre. That pulls well, especially now that I have added around 2KG of lead split evenly between the area under the front and rear bonnets.

The two others date from the late 80s and late 90s/early noughties. Neither of these came with traction tyres, but both have had them added, plus the same amount of lead.

I mainly use these locos on my graded branch line. Without weight or a tyre they struggled with one coach. With weight they still struggled with one coach. With weight and a tyre they can manage three!

It is definitely the combination of the two that works, as my early 80s LGB electric works loco has a tyre, but little weight, even though I have added as much as I can in the chassis extension blocks. This can only manage 1 coach. Any more and it slithers to a stand.

So yes to weight, but yes to a traction tyre as well, if you have a gradient!

James

James
 
I use lead weights in my rolling stock. Just enough to keep the wheels on the rails through some sprung turnouts I have. It also helps with overall tracking.

On a cautious note about lead. Try not to do any machining to it such as drilling or sanding. Cutting it with a sharp utility knife is OK, as you're not making lead dust. SWMBO found out about my supply of lead and threatened to hijack it into never-never land. She's very adamant about such things.
 
James Day said:
Lead is good and definitely helps haulage, but it is good to acknowledge the importance of traction tyres too.

...........................................

So yes to weight, but yes to a traction tyre as well, if you have a gradient!

James
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But the Bachmann trams don't have any facility for traction tyres. I can only recall the R/C Big Haulers with this facility.
 
Madman said:
On a cautious note about lead. Try not to do any machining to it such as drilling or sanding. Cutting it with a sharp utility knife is OK, as you're not making lead dust.
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Drilling lead shouldn't make dust, only small chippings or longer swarf strands. I do advise care with it still, it should not allowed to escape but be cleared up and disposed of properly, and never sand/grind lead. Also when melting it do not overheat it, only heat it enough to make it just melt, overheating can cause noxious fumes.

Like most things, if used responsibly there will be no issues.
 
Just a thought; is "casting metal" as used for making "lead" soldiers either safer or denser? It still appears in the Hobby's catalogue under the "Prince August" brand name. Not cheap, though. "White metal" is another option - low melting point, supposedly safer than pure lead. Not sure of any difference between them but both in common use by modellers.
 
It's all about absorption of lead into the blood stream; so you need to take care to avoid breathing in fumes, or indeed getting pastes and the like on the skin.

White metal, while a very useful substance for some purposes and widely used in bearings and the like in the past, can contain not only lead (and tin) but also possibly cadmium, bismuth and antimony, none of which you really want your blood to have a close acquaintance with. So if you're using them in situations where dust or vapour is a possibility, a good quality respirator is really a necessity.
 
themole said:
All the local oz church roofs are now minus the lead! :rolf::rolf::rolf: nice one Trev.
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Fair suck of the sav... You damned Poms took all the lead back from our "ancient churches" and made us use local copper8|...
Another nearly as efficient way to use lead is to use lead shot (or small sinkers) mixed with just enough resin to make it a sticky mass and then you can cast it into blocks or spread it where you want the weight...

As to the cautions re lead, yes I always melt it outdoors but handling it etc is not really a health hazard. There are TRILLIONS of Anglers over the world and none of them seem to get high lead concentrations in their blood but people who live in the vicinity of lead smelters do... I also use lead free solder for this reason....
 
"But the Bachmann trams don't have any facility for traction tyres. I can only recall the R/C Big Haulers with this facility. "

Fair Comment,

The tyre grooves on the two most recent steeple cabs were machined into the wheels by a chum with a lathe and a fair amount of skill. Standard LGB tyres will fit these locos. I am not saying that the Bachamnn trams need a tyre fitted, as I don't have any, but if adhesion was an issue, particularly when climbing a grade and a tyre was available that could fit the wheel, then this worked for me on the LGB Steeple Cabs. You would just need to find someone to modify a wheel to take it.

Incidentally, I went to a local scrap yard to get a nice wad of lead flashings for a few pounds. They were very helpful. I cut it to size with tinsnips. I have nearly used the lot up, adding some carefully placed weight to The Red Steeple Cab, Lyn, Thomas, Percy, James, Emily and the Electric Works loco, all of whom now run more sure footedly.

James
 
A couple of things I found drilling lead with a fine drill - don't press hard or the bit will 'grab' the lead and snap. Also, if you are drilling a blind hole withdraw the drill whilst it is still rotating or it can also 'grab'.
Once a bit has snapped in-situ you will have a devil of a job removing it!
 
KeithT said:
A couple of things I found drilling lead with a fine drill - don't press hard or the bit will 'grab' the lead and snap. Also, if you are drilling a blind hole withdraw the drill whilst it is still rotating or it can also 'grab'.
Once a bit has snapped in-situ you will have a devil of a job removing it!
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Keith,
funny you should say this but it just happened to me less than ten minutes ago. I am well aware to be careful when drilling lead due the 'bite' factor. I was carefully withdrawing the drill to remove swarf at each 'plunge', but then SNAP!!!!! Fortunately, the drill snapped off flush with the surface. I was drilling a hole to insert some piano wire as reinforcing when joining two pieces together (I shortened a stock LGB lead weight block from a Stainz). The drill bit will make an admirable reinforcing piece for the join. Unfortunately, I am now without a very useful drill bit size.
 
Drills sharpened for wood are the best for drilling lead or copper.... Use plenty of lube, I find a squirt of silicone lube is very good....
 
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