Coal Mine Animation is Unveiled!

Jul 24, 2014 by     Comments Off    Posted under: History of R&R, New Events, Parties at R&R, Rails, Roads, Roads & Rails Blog
Coal Crusher with Moving Coal Car

Coal Crusher with Moving Coal Car

We’ve unveiled the animation, and quite a ride it’s been. I had to change a large part of the design when the Tortoise ™ servo motor failed to move the attached arm reliably. Changing to a rotary arm, I then had to remove a relay and a timer from the electronic aspect of the design, since the new arm does not need to change direction.

Tortoise ™ switch machine stopped working when real work needed to be done. Pretty though, ain’t it?

Car Move Mk II- When in Doubt, Use a Geared Motor. I was able to re-use the mount I built for the Tortoise.

This is what it looks like from the inside. The fishing line guides the car up and down the ramp to the coal crusher/loader.

This is what it looks like from the inside. The fishing line guides the car up and down the ramp to the coal crusher/loader.

This geared motor rotates an arm slowly, pulling and releasing a fishing line that moves the car.

This geared motor rotates an arm slowly, pulling and releasing a fishing line that moves the car.

One Timer and one Relay does it all. Wires go to the button visitors push.

The coal car is moving reliably now, with only one bug solved by adding a little lubrication to the meeting point between the fishing line and the rotary arm. It’s so reliable I find myself wondering of I could pull every train on the layout with fishing line! A pipe dream…

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