Cable Car stations

Hi,
 
I am currently building (ok, trying to!) some cable car stations out of ply (pictures will follow) for my Rigi Duo set and I was wondering what the best method of making them a bit more resilient to the great british weather.
 
Any ideas welcome.....
 
 

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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I would think a good soaking in wood preservative and lashings of paint on a regular basis! you could try Marine ply for added longevity................

"Most garden railwaymen are ordinary folk - Albeit as nutty as fruitcakes"...D. Rowlands

interesting thread cant wait to see how they turn out been thinking of getting some myself

regards

 
 
 
 
Ours at the CFR have been in use for five years. During construction and after completion they were given many coats of preservative. They were then painted as necessary.

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Casey Jones Snr

If it looks right, it is right.

Just a couple of quick photos taken on my phone. Nowhere near as good as the CFR but done on the cheap using the remains of my wife's old childhood dolls house. Scale purists look away now!

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You'll also notice that I've used one of my favourites, a £2.48 Wilko solar light inside the cable cars. These Wilko lights are great when taken apart and I now usethen to charge the batteries in all my buildings

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Like the concept of rachargeable batteries from old light fittings. I have a few kicking around that have gone pop. I assume that it os probably only the batteries so will try to reuse them in buildings as you have.

Possible option for the buildings is to try one of the following

1 - Old bits of decking covered with lolly pop sticks held in place with PVA and Nails then stained with clear matt varnish.

2 - Us off cuts of Soffit Material to make up the building. Can be skewed or pinned together to make a building not unlike Andy's.

In both cases I would use Roofing Lead for the roof, scribed to give tiles.
JonD

dunnyrail

In both cases I would use Roofing Lead for the roof, scribed to give tiles.
JonD

 
What a good idea, I have some roofing lead someplace.....
 

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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My buildings were made very quickly and look better in real life...honestly. I too will use some lead at a later stage. My roofs are removable and attached with outside strength velcro. The £2.48  wilko led units are a steal and I use the circuit board and replace with those I get from TM models. I also attach more batteries to the circuit and use the wilko solar panels to charge them during the day.

Heres some more pictures

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Scott
Holy frijoles! That thing runs faster than me
GCR - Rothley Station - CFR
http://charnwoodforestrailway.webs.com/

Well, today I have strung the cables and have a running Cable Car system.  Will need to mark up the roof angles for the upper station so that I can get a roof on it - well thats the plan for tomorrow when I'm not watching the British GP.

I promise to take some photos. 

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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Well I have now marked up and cut the angles and roof for the upper station.  And I managed to take some pics....
 
First of all some general pictures....
 
Upper cable car satation, on top of te conservatory roof

 
Cable cars on the wire - I have strung 2 running cables, the cars are pulled along these.

 
 
Location of the bottom station - building design yet to be confirmed.

 
 

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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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The running cables come into the shed and are run over pullys to anchor bolts which cn be adjusted to provide the correct tension.
 
The control cable also enters the shed and over pulleys to the motor mechanism which is attached to the shed wall.
 

 
I removed the timer and motor control electronics and replaced them with a decoder.
 

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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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To the upper station building....now with angled roof!
 





 
Tis glued and screwed together.
 

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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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It is bolted to a plate (an offcut of plastic facia board) that is fixed to the conservatory roof.
 

 
Here is the view back down to the lower station (after I had carefully let the wires down)
 

 
And one of our cats playinf with the cables, which by the way is 60lb fishing line.
 

 
Next job will be to give the wood some weather protection.

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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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My My somebodys been busy Mark.

Running wire as well. Have you used anything in the beam as a wear strip?

Landquart Grusch Bahn
Running RHB on Massoth
I'm the boss in our house. SWMBO gave me permission to say so!
 
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Philbahn


My My somebodys been busy Mark.

Running wire as well. Have you used anything in the beam as a wear strip?

Not at the moment, but I think I will try and obtain some teflon bearing sheet, if that don't work I will attempt to cut out the molded end wheels and replace them on with brass pulleys. 
 
 

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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What about thin copper?

Landquart Grusch Bahn
Running RHB on Massoth
I'm the boss in our house. SWMBO gave me permission to say so!
 
Openday 23rd June

1.5mm teflon sheet found on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310229424176 and a couple of sheets ordered.

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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Futher progress has been made over the lase couple of days.

The Upper station has a couple of windows cut out and varnished with yacht varnish.  Then painted with masonary paint inside and out (but not the roof).  On the outside the paint was sprinkled with ground oyster shell for effect.

Located some old flashing lead and covered the roof.

On the car font, the teflon sheet arrived and was cut to shape and fitted to the draw bar.
I also fitted Solar LED lighting into them.  I will have to strip one unit out tho as it would seem that it is not functioning (it was the first one and I didnt check everything as I went along).

Tomorrow I must add some interior lighting (solar) and guard railings to the upper station - dont want the visitors falling off do we.

Will post some pics tomorrow.  

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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Almost done with the upper cable car station....
 

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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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And in position....

 
Yet to be fitted railings....

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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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And to the cars themselves.....
 
The underside of the drawbar with the teflon insert...

 
Solar roof panel...

 
The lighting electronics and battery are hidden inside the car

 

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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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Looking better each day.

Up here not much progress. Todays a better day . So this morning it's the indoor meeting then it's back to the cable cars.Think the best solution to the auto unit is to mount loco magnets under the cars

Landquart Grusch Bahn
Running RHB on Massoth
I'm the boss in our house. SWMBO gave me permission to say so!
 
Openday 23rd June

I use nylon shark fishing line, for the cable works a treat. From all good fishing tackle shops. Alyn

Best wishes Alyn, North Worcestershire. Land of the mole and mole hills. Also a burrow in France.

After some testing yesterday with destinguised visitors from the PBMM and Beckside works, it was determined that there still is too much friction on the running wire.   The cable cars have temporary been removed from service and the drawbars have been transported to the PBMM workshops for modifications that will entail free running - that is they are having some pulleys fitted.

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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Brilliant Mark

The solar power bit is very neat ,another idea to store

Steve

When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car. 
 
4 wheels move the body. 2 wheels move the soul.


Head of Utensil Organisation, Matinence, and Distribution
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Well the Cable cars were returned from Beckside works last year and stored in the workshop.
 
managed to make a start on the lower station.  Restrung the cables and made a little vid....
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84agJK2SAPA
 
Scince then I have added magnets to the cars and temporary located some reed switches to trigger the slowing down and stopping of the cars.
 

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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One of the light units has failed so another job to do is work out why and possibly fit brighter LEDs as you can hardly tell that they are on (probably due to the green windows.

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
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Like it! Certainly a departure from the usual cab views!

Mick - always learning something new (then forgetting it).

The lower station is almost complete, just needs doors and railings.  It has interior lighting (solar powered of course).
The cars have magnets attached to the top of the support frame where it pivots on the draw bar to trigger reed switches which in turn tells the Massoth 1200Z (via a feedback module) to stop the cars and reverse direction after a 30sec period.
 
I will post some pictures at some point.

Mark
Running trains powered through the rail with DCC from Massoth.
STOP PRESS: A announcement regarding "Blue & White" boxed electronic gizmos is comming soon....