Since our last meet up, the Moel Rhos has taken delivery of the parts for a Kerr Stuart 4415-type, designed and manufactured at the RVM workshops and now being assembled by Moel Rhos’ engineering department, who try to make up with in enthusiasm what they lack in ability.
Here is the chassis out on a test run. It is a chain driven 6WD but we think one or more of the chains are slipping. Once it has run in a bit, the engineering dept. will attempt to remove one more link from each to tighten them up and prevent the chain coming off or any slippage.
Are the chains the Delrin type? I had trouble with these with one of my power bogies on the green railbus and found them quite tricky to adjust to a nice fit. Better to have them slightly loose rather than too tight though. Or possibly one of the chain gears is slipping on its axle – I think they are mostly a friction fit?
Here’s a pic showing the chains.
No Mike it is metal chain. The chain wheels are friction fitted but they are pretty tight on the axles. The chain is a bit sloppy until it has freed itself up after some running. The prototype runs really well now the chains have been tightened. One of the initial problems I had with it was that slack chain was picking up rubbish from the track which was getting into the mechanism. It is OK now the chain is tight enough to keep it off the track.
Ah, that’s interesting! I think a number of my chain derailments have been caused by the chain picking something up and the detritus pushing the chains off their wheels and so causing everything to lock up. Glad to hear that will be alleviated by tightening.
Besides that issue the chassis is quite capable of completing a full circuit so there is definitely no issue with the 38″ radius curves.
Oh and well done Simon! Progress is being made.
That all looks quite robust compared to Delrin, which I always think may be about to break when I’m fitting it!
Interesting drive system .