Designs that won't work

stonysmith wrote:

Anyone want to research some power for this?

Now, that I can power for you, no problem. Won't be easy or cheap, but it will work.

Okay... okay... but, is the front grill functional? If I find a small enough motor, will the grill allow enough air-flow through to cool the power source?

On top of Ferd's wish list for added, dealer installed, optional parts, don't forget an antenna or two, sun-shades, wipers, a self-contained toilet, and coffee mug holders in the cab.

I'm not seeing door handles and/or latches on any of the access panels. Oh, I know... they must be those fancy magnetic push-type latches.

TechRep wrote:

Okay... okay... but, is the front grill functional? If I find a small enough motor, will the grill allow enough air-flow through to cool the power source?

On top of Ferd's wish list for added, dealer installed, optional parts, don't forget an antenna or two, sun-shades, wipers, a self-contained toilet, and coffee mug holders in the cab.

I'm not seeing door handles and/or latches on any of the access panels. Oh, I know... they must be those fancy magnetic push-type latches.

Alex, you're all but impossible......must be why we all love you, you goof ball.

Didn't you forget the small portable electric fan to keep the engineer cool?

David K. Smith wrote:

stonysmith wrote:

Anyone want to research some power for this?

Now, that I can power for you, no problem. Won't be easy or cheap, but it will work.

David, Can you really power something that small and make it work right?

If so, that is pretty radical and exciting. Love the sense of adventure and intrigue you possess. Gotta see this happen. And if it does, well, there are folks out there who will most likely ante up the money for such a project as that.

We're all ears.

I've saved the internal dimensions provided by Stony. It won't happen quickly, but I'll make it happen all the same.

All,

Stony just completed the static model of the GE25T www.shapeways.com/model/308580/ge25t_locomotive___z_scale.html?gid=ug Outstanding!! Just ordered three. Doesn't come with railing but that is not an issue with me, I'll just add the railing, couplers and possibly MTL wheels after it arrives. I'm psyched!!

www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirr%20engines/LIRR399atMorrisPark.jpg

www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirr%20engines/LIRRGE25T398hoskinsc.1970'smorrispark.jpg

John

tealplanes wrote:

Alex, you're all but impossible......must be why we all love you, you goof ball.

Didn't you forget the small portable electric fan to keep the engineer cool?

Gee, Loren...

You are correct! I did forget the small, portable, electric fan. I'm sure Stony will appreciate you mentioning that little detail.

I have located all of the required parts, including correctly-sized wheels, all of the gears, and the motor. I have also confirmed that everything will fit within the available space, with no need for modification to the shell. The parts search was much quicker than I expected, and constitutes 50% of the hard work; the other half--assembly--has commenced.

David K. Smith wrote:

I have located all of the required parts, including correctly-sized wheels, all of the gears, and the motor. I have also confirmed that everything will fit within the available space, with no need for modification to the shell. The parts search was much quicker than I expected, and constitutes 50% of the hard work; the other half--assembly--has commenced.

WoW! A man with a mission... don't get in his way!

Bonus: there will be room for a working headlight.

Where did you find these parts? Spare parts drawer or supplier?



Zac

Mr. White wrote:

Where did you find these parts? Spare parts drawer or supplier? Zac

Probably not in the same drawer as the "Magic Water".

David K. Smith wrote:

I've saved the internal dimensions provided by Stony. It won't happen quickly, but I'll make it happen all the same.

This subject now begs the question......is there a possibility of production of RTR units? If so, will they come in less than the annual budget of Nicaragua, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Brazil, and a few other nations? In other words.......do I have to hock Karin's cats to be able to afford one?

Karin, do not read the above sentence....

All of the parts came from my parts supply. Not sure if it could ever become a "production" item; that would hinge on the ability to obtain various parts from a number of diverse suppliers in quantity. As for cost, they would not be astronomical, but they would be pretty pricey; one might wonder, for instance, why someone would spend twice as much for a 25 ton switcher as for an SD70M...

David K. Smith wrote:

All of the parts came from my parts supply. Not sure if it could ever become a "production" item; that would hinge on the ability to obtain various parts from a number of diverse suppliers in quantity. As for cost, they would not be astronomical, but they would be pretty pricey; one might wonder, for instance, why someone would spend twice as much for a 25 ton switcher as for an SD70M...

Come on now David, I think you already know the obvious answer to your last question.

There are fellows out there who will pay big bucks, just to have the very special, rare, or one of a kind.

Yes, twice as much as a SD70 is pretty steep, but none the less unique and special are terms that appeal to some.

You know, not every one on the block can afford a Lamborghini, but a few can and will pay that much.

If it is unique and runs well, there will be some demand for them.....betcha.

I appreciate the work of David, in general, it's always astonishing what and how he pull new things out of his jacket

Concerning the GE25T, I would have (for myself) a more conservative approach with rolling capability and ghostwaggon. Unfortunatly (and I'am also freak of Lajos creations) I can not use Lajos chassis because the wheelbase is to much tight, means 11mm is a no go for a car, for this you need 16-20mm. So, I will provide with chassis from Grob or 8816 or 8869x base.
For the GE25T, I would be interested into etched parts also, could be interesting to make a few sets. What about the searails project ? (If not indiscret question)

Loren, as much as I appreciate your optimism, I must unfortunately remain the pessimist, and to a degree because I've seen it happen time and again: a great new product idea gets all kinds of support on the forums; you see "I'll buy one!" over and over. But when the actual article arrives, you hear, "Oh, that's nice! But it's too much money."

Although I have a fairly good feeling this critter will work, I can guarantee it will not perform anything like the Lajos chassis. It will weigh almost nothing, so a single dust particle will make it stall, and if it can pull a single car, I will be astonished.

So, you really do need to be a little realistic about things. I have no firm idea what the price would be, but I can guesstimate it around $600-800. How many people are going to pony up that many clams for something that will stutter along some straight, level track a few inches before stalling? They'd rightfully ask why so much money for something that runs like junk (I can imagine Alex returning it the next day: "It won't make it around a loop of track!"). Well, for starters, it would cost me around $400 to replace the parts I've used, since they were removed from multiple commercial products including a steam locomotive, and some aren't even made any more, so those parts would have to be custom-machined for me. So, I'd need much more than just a few enthusiastic Z Scalers with deep pockets; I'd need a serious investor.

I'm doing this purely for the challenge. I have enough parts on hand to make two of them. If the first one works at all, I might make a second one assuming I have the spare time. Perhaps Lajos would be able to turn it into a real product; he's already announced his willingness to do so on TrainBoard, so it would be very interesting to see what he'd charge.

Stay tuned, the chassis (such as it is) is almost finished. I'm about to start on the single most difficult process: joining a brass worm to an acetal crown gear.

David K. Smith wrote:

(I can imagine Alex returning it the next day: "It won't make it around a loop of track!").

Gee... why single out me?

Loren gets easily excited. We need to tell Karin to hide the sugar.

I have to agree with the previous poster's comment, Mr. Smith... "it's always astonishing what and how he pull new things out of his jacket". I thought a magical hat would be big enough for pulling new Z things out of, but maybe a jacket is more versatile and fitting in your case.

TechRep wrote:

David K. Smith wrote:

(I can imagine Alex returning it the next day: "It won't make it around a loop of track!").

Gee... why single out me?

It's called a joke. I suppose I should have put a smiley there, but I can't stand them. (Sorry!)

Meanwhile, the motor is running and the gear train seems to be working. If it weren't for a prior obligation for the afternoon, I might have had it running tonight.