WIP testing table

[Barduck]

Trying to created some sort of table where one can easily test the valvegear on a steamer without having to put tracks and follow it around. It's based on something I've seen being used in the modelrailway world and thought, that would be handy.

First version (more a proof of concept): 

Testing table - proof of concept by Barduck12, on Flickr

and a video of it in action:

 

Testing table - proof of concept by Barduck12, on Flickr

Now to design it so that

1) it's long enough to handle very big steamers

2) the parts where the drivers rest on can be slided to easily adapt to your needs

 

 

Edited December 19, 2016 by Barduck

[Barduck]

And this is how it would look when build: testing table by Barduck12, on Flickr

[jtlan]

Clever, but what advantages does this have over simply putting blocks under the frame to raise the wheels off the table?

[Barduck]

9 minutes ago, jtlan said:

Clever, but what advantages does this have over simply putting blocks under the frame to raise the wheels off the table?

well, when free spinning, that's what the wheels will do when the train is up on bricks, the wheels have no resistance and have it easier to make the valvegear spin. With this, they do have some resistance and often (so I found) the valvegear works just fine when freespinning but once you put the train on the tracks it locks up. Giving them a bit of resistance potentially takes care of that problem, makes it easier to see if they'd lock up when on tracks. Plus, it is a better display to put on a table

[koalayummies]

That is ingenious. Kind of like a dynamometer for Lego trains. The video of it in action is great. 

[jtlan]

3 hours ago, Barduck said:

well, when free spinning, that's what the wheels will do when the train is up on bricks, the wheels have no resistance and have it easier to make the valvegear spin. With this, they do have some resistance and often (so I found) the valvegear works just fine when freespinning but once you put the train on the tracks it locks up. Giving them a bit of resistance potentially takes care of that problem, makes it easier to see if they'd lock up when on tracks. Plus, it is a better display to put on a table

Rather than the resistance to turning the wheels, I suspect the culprit is the flexing that occurs when the axles are actually carrying the weight of the locomotive. Using larger wheels on the test rig would reduce the rolling resistance, make the rig quieter, and allow us to test the "weight-carrying" hypothesis.

[Barduck]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bx8YyfgX-Y56MENJMEptZUFBZVU

Link to the PDF and partslist