MOC: Ewings Steam Monorail Loco for the Kotanga Valley Posthole Co.

[Locomotive Annie]

Yesterday I wasn't feeling well at all so rather than lie in bed and be miserable I decided to see if I could give myself a Lego project to take my mind off it. I've always been fascinated by the Ewings System steam monorail locos, the most famous and well known being the surviving and fully operational locomotive that formerly belonged to the Patiala State Monorail Trainways.

When I dreamed up the Kotanga Tramway back when I was still modelling in 16mm scale I started to build a Ewings System loco for the Kotanga Valley Posthole Co. for working trains to and from the posthole mine. Only I got too clever and managed to work myself into a corner with the model and it's still sitting in its box awaiting the day when I might feel inspired enough solve to its problems and finish it.

For this loco though I decided to move away from building a loco with a spindly and lightweight appearance and build something fairly chunky that looked like it was used on a mining company branchline. On completion I discovered that I'd built myself a 15 wide loco, but one that seemed to be quite nicely balanced over its double flanged wheels. Oh and I cheated because I originally built it as an 0-3-0, only I couldn't get sufficient sideplay to allow it to negotiate Lego 12volt curved rails so I took the centre wheel out and left the axle and outside cranks in place. It's just about impossible to see if the centre driving wheel is there or not when the loco is sitting on the track so I'm not going to worry about it.

This is the wheel that I used as driving wheels...... http://www.bricklink...Item.asp?P=2994

I found that I could fit two thin section O rings into the groove between the two flanges without raising the flanges too high relative to the rail head. I did try a single thicker O ring first, but this was nowhere near as effective as the two thin section O rings.

A 4.5volt motor lives in the wider sidetank and drives through a worm gear to a two stage drive to the rear driving axle. The final drive gear is visible as I wanted to represent a geared type locomotive with the cylinders somewhere in the cab which has the added benefit of not having to fit connecting rods and visible cylinders in the traditional place.

The loco is pretty much complete now apart from having to sort out some spacers for the coupling rod pins, but while I was building it I was having real problems finding enough 1x2 black bricks as well as black slope pieces for the boiler. I know I've only recently built five black steam locos all with classic Lego octagonal boilers, but I'm sure I had more bricks that that. Oh well, time to put in an order for more bricks (sigh).....

[Spitfire2865]

Very nice. I still dont understand how locos like this negotiate points. Haha

[Locomotive Annie]

Very nice. I still dont understand how locos like this negotiate points. Haha

It's actually surprisingly simple Spitfire

[Spitfire2865]

I mean the outrigger. Does it just hop over the other rail on points. Because it would be a considerable bump.

But yeah. Im just an idiot who cant imagine the wheel going over the rail.

[Locomotive Annie]

I mean the outrigger. Does it just hop over the other rail on points. Because it would be a considerable bump.

But yeah. Im just an idiot who cant imagine the wheel going over the rail.

Being such a large diameter wheel it rolls over quite easily and as well as that I suspect that the rail is partly inset into the wheel track to minimise the bump.

[alainneke]

That's a nice build, 'Locomotive Annie'! Don't forget to remove one rail of the display track though :)

Edited April 8, 2013 by alainneke

[Locomotive Annie]

That's a nice build, 'Locomotive Annie'! Don't forget to remove one rail of the display track though :)

Thanks Alaineke

I had a lot of fun with this build and eventually this loco will have its own branchline and interchange siding to run about on. When I came to take the photos I had a look for some 2x3 plates in either tan or brown for making up a piece of display track, only I couldn't find where I'd put them. Most probably tomorrow when I'm not looking for them at all I'll find them

[Locomotive Annie]

Just a further note on laying track for my Ewings system loco. With the aid of a much bemused band of permanent way dept staff a few lengths of light grey 12volt rail without notches and an assortment of 2x something plates the conclusion was reached that 2x6 plates look best. The 2x3s that I was planning to use don't look very good at all and 2x4s aren't much better. I will take some more photos tomorrow, but I will leave you with this thought; - 12volt rails go twice as far when used as monorail track. That fact could end up making a serious Ewings monorail fan out of me and the planned short branchline could end up being the mainline!

[Spitfire2865]

Also 12V rails give a monorail 2 different radius curves! Something rarely seen with Lego!

[LEGO Guy Bri]

That's an interesting engine! I've never seen one before, let alone know they exist. You did a wonderful job recreation it

[Electricsteam]

I would love to see some coaches for your tram way! I always been wanting to make a Tri-rail tram way. It has a really funky carrage-steamlocomotive hybrid!

[Locomotive Annie]

Also 12V rails give a monorail 2 different radius curves! Something rarely seen with Lego!

Yes I forgot that one Spitfire One major advantage of the Ewings system was that very tight curves could be used without any problems.

That's an interesting engine! I've never seen one before, let alone know they exist. You did a wonderful job recreation it

Thanks LGB If you do a search for unusual locomotives on the internet you'll find all manner of amazing and peculiar prototypes

I would love to see some coaches for your tram way! I always been wanting to make a Tri-rail tram way. It has a really funky carrage-steamlocomotive hybrid!

I'm going to build a coach fairly soon ES. One problem I have is that I've only got two more of those wheels I'm using so I will have to find some more before I can put together a proper train of wagons for my loco to haul about.

What's a Tri-rail tram way btw, - I haven't heard of those before.

Update picture. The permanent way gang are hard at work.......discussing the best way to lay, 'these damn fool monorail tracks'. I'm sure they'll sort it out

[Electricsteam]

Here is a tri-rail. http://www.douglas-s...nten/centen.htm And I think I'll try at building my own mono-tram!

Edited April 9, 2013 by Electricsteam

[Locomotive Annie]

Here is a tri-rail. http://www.douglas-s...nten/centen.htm And I think I'll try at building my own mono-tram!

Oh yes of course I know the one you mean now. It was just that I hadn't heard it called a tri-rail before.

[zephyr1934]

The prototype is simply insane, but the model does a great job capturing the spirit. Well built. You could even use a 12v switch to let the monorail into dual gauge track shared with normal six wide gauge.

[Electricsteam]

I just finishd my 6 wide mono-steam-tram! It is more basd of of this! http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/lisbontramway/lisbontramway.htm than the Patila monorail.

[Locomotive Annie]

The prototype is simply insane, but the model does a great job capturing the spirit. Well built. You could even use a 12v switch to let the monorail into dual gauge track shared with normal six wide gauge.

That had crossed my mind Zephyr since my Ewings loco nicely straddles L gauge track. I'm working on the transhipment sidings at the moment and I may need to use that particular trick up my sleeve before it's complete.

Yeah it is a pretty insane prototype, but the system was used with success for contractor railways during the Victorian era.

I just finishd my 6 wide mono-steam-tram! It is more basd of of this! http://www.douglas-s...sbontramway.htm than the Patila monorail.

Great, you've based your model on the Lisbon tramway, I was tempted to try that, but the Ewings system was my first love when it comes to things like unusual railway prototypes

Edited April 9, 2013 by Locomotive Annie

[Kivi]

What an extraordinary engine. Maybe a bit wide when placed alongside 'ordinary' rolling stock, but you compensated this with all those interesting details. Good job!

[Electricsteam]

Here is the 1-2-1 Es. Co. MonoSteam!

[harnbak]

Nice variation!

[Locomotive Annie]

Oh well done ES I like the outside cranks for the driving wheels and the way the coupling rods fit neatly over large balance wheels. I didn't think to try using the standard RC motor bogie wheels like that either.

So when will we be seeing a layout based on the Lisbon Tramway? - go on, you know you want to do it

What an extraordinary engine. Maybe a bit wide when placed alongside 'ordinary' rolling stock, but you compensated this with all those interesting details. Good job!

Thanks Kivi I wanted this loco to be chunky and a complete contrast to my other locomotives so that's why it's so short and wide. Originally I had the idea to build it more as an experiment than anything else, but now the strange wee thing has become very much a favourite MOC.

My layout is in a big mess at the moment while I rebuild the goods yard area and move the township buildings to make way for the new station building, but as you can see my Ewings system loco has at least got its own piece of track to stand on. This small space will become a basic loco servicing area for this strange wee engine of mine. The posthole mining company only has the one loco so everything is done in a much more simple fashion as compared with the Kotanga Tramway next door.

When I first started to set up my layout I said I wasn't going to use the 'everything-covered-with-baseplates' approach, but now I've come to see the usefulness of this method. I'm going to have to get a lot more baseplates though as it's amazing how a layout just swallows them up

[Electricsteam]

I would make a layout if I could figure out ow to keep the stablizing pannels on the side of the rails for the curves. and I only have 4 blue straight rails.

[Locomotive Annie]

I would make a layout if I could figure out ow to keep the stablizing pannels on the side of the rails for the curves. and I only have 4 blue straight rails.

I spent quite a while yesterday evening trying to find a way to neatly lay tiles in curve when I was working on the Ewings loco's servicing area. Then I discovered that BBB XL blind drivers don't mind rolling over a studded baseplate so I took all the tiles away and everything was just fine. I may yet make up some wheel track stickers to lay over the studs so as to capture the general appearance of a permanently laid Ewings monorail track, but they won't be essential to the good running of my loco.

Further along my layout board (no pictures yet) I've laid the monorail track along the edge of road baseplates and the blind balance wheel runs on the road surface which is entirely prototypical.

And as to the sad state of your blue rail ownership I'm appalled, - only FOUR! Go and buy some more at once, - no excuses now

[Electricsteam]

And as to the sad state of your blue rail ownership I'm appalled, - only FOUR! Go and buy some more at once, - no excuses now

I would if I understood how to use bricklink. And I have a lo of curves from the 2 sets of 111 I own. And I have started to work on passenger coaches and then are really funky design.

[Locomotive Annie]

I would if I understood how to use bricklink. And I have a lo of curves from the 2 sets of 111 I own. And I have started to work on passenger coaches and then are really funky design.

Almost all of my blue track came from ebay. Provided you're careful and watch out for traders who think their old blue track has a gold content it's possible to find some good deals on blue track on ebay. I'm looking forward to seeing your passenger coached btw

This is a test layup for what will be the transhipment area of the goods yard with the monorail track on one side and the Kotanga Tramway's track on the other. The only road plates I own are four modern city road plates which I've found to have a too wide road space for what I want. I've just put in an order for some of the older style light grey road plates which will be more suitable and will make it easier to get the track alignments closer to how I want them. The older roadplates just look better anyway and are more suitable for a country town. Anyone want to buy four modern city roadplates?

Eventually the monorail track and the road will cross via a curved bridge to the next baseboard which should make for an interesting feature.