Trackmobile, capstans, and front-end-loaders

Dear ???

There appears to be a yellow trackmobile nearby (NE, follow the curving spur),
engaged in positioning centrebeam flatcars

https://goo.gl/maps/kRXEQ

Remember that capstan car-moving is always any option
(there appear to be grey boxes trackside that could be capstans),

as is press-ganging a front-end-loader into service either "poling" or "chain-dragging" cars about...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS I think the Highrailers shown closer to the woodchip loader
https://goo.gl/maps/ZMkRo

aren't actually related to the sawmill/chip plant, and are more-likely just trackwork vehicles trying to "keep off the main"

hmmm...

I looked around the aerial views and I don't see any evidence of a car puller, so my guess would be that they use a loader or forklift to move them. It was probably off doing other chores at the time of the photos.

Bing

Bing has some alternate views of the site. No sign of a trackmobile that I can see.

http://binged.it/1lPHXrG

On Google Maps, it looked like there might be a track mobile hiding under the trees.

I just learned something

I just learned something interesting about Google Maps.  Apparently there are different "versions" that you see depending on how you access it.  Prof_Klyzlr mentioned seeing a trackmobile and for the life of me I sat there staring at the picture wondering why I wasn't seeing it.  Upon opening the link in a different browser I was given a different satellite image that clearly had a trackmobile in it.

Anyways the mention of capstans and such lead me to go in search of some better photos.  I had remembered seeing these woodchip cars on a flickr group somewhere and was hoping I could find one that had a better shot of the equipment near the rail.

In the process I think I found the answer to my original question.  On one of the photos the photographer added a note:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/freightgraffiti2/3879293337/in/pool-2130346@N22/

So while I still haven't seen the capstans I guess that answers who and how.  I'm going to assume this is probably the norm for woodchips that the customer handles loading in the case of a single-car loader.

As an aside, this seems like a difficult situation to model (a front-end loader pulling cars via a chain/capstan).

Do-able, if you're keen...

Dear ???,

Modelling rubber-tyred car-pushers is certainly a challenge. One answer which a few companies have tried RTR is to do "rubber tyres" which are simply "excessively wide treads" on normal flanged wheels. (the BLI and B'mann "high railers" come to mind as examples).

However, some recent work by a close friend of mine down here to model an incline railway prompts a possibility. If you could:
- find a suitable donor forklift/front-end-loader model
- bore-out and install fairly frictionless metal axles+bearings
- mount mechanically long-wearing and visually-acceptable tyres
(the visual may be harder to achieve than the mechanical!)

and mount a rare-earth magnet to the underside of the fork/loader,

it could well be possible to use the Tamiya RC chain and sprocket range,
with rare earth magnets mounted to the chain,
and a low-speed/high-torque quiet drive,

to provide a fork/loader which:
- sits just off and clear of the track
- allows the cars to be initially spotted just past it
- moves forward "over the tracks" and shoves the cars thru the loader
(sync with IR detection or similar if you want semi-automated "pushes a car length,
waits 30 sec for loading,
then shoves the next car" in a rake)

- and then backs-away back into it's "parking pocket", again clear of the track,
so the next local's loco consist can couple onto the last car, and pull the entire rake of (now "loaded") cars off the spur...

EDIT: something like this

(and check the tiny fork struggling for it's life @ 1:20!)

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS the above system will take quite purpose-specific install and engineering of the scene, benchwork, and roadbed. However, it would be simpler and more reproducible/reliable in the long term than many alternatives I'm aware of...

PPS yes, both BING and GoogleMaps have recently been undergoing some UI "updates" which are arguably not quite as friendly as previous iterations. The sat imagery is also subject to change, so if you find a paticularly useful sat image, always remember that the "Print Screen" + "CTRL + V" button combination is your friend!

That was an interesting

That was an interesting video.  If the loader wasn't enough the forklift was almost unbelievable.

For anyone else who's interested in all this woodchip loading business, I did a little more searching around and found a 2nd woodchip loader visible from streetview in Prineville, OR.  This one has the pulley system in clear view:

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.348309,-120.905172,3a,15y,235.55h,79.78t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sWwvujdjO6Sms0mqUAPNv6w!2e0

There is a pulley on both sides actually.  I believe the mint green 'thing' near the loading tower is most likely a winch that is used to position the car in both directions.

do-able

I recall seeing someone modeling an HO loader operated by a stiff wire along the tracks that would push cars out of a loading facility. I plan on doing something similar in the next paper mill with the rotary dumper. (maybe)

Some bright bulb at MB Hydro that made way more money than me decided that we could pull a string of coal cars with our front end loader so he fitted it with a coupler on the rear. Worked great right up until the 2% grade and the cars went out of control and pushed the loader sideways right down to the bottom! (we had to clean the seat)

Prof that forklift operator was on a suicide mission, unless I missed it no one was riding the brake on either car? Yikes!

Me Too!

That was my thought about the forklift too, Rico!

George