Barnhart loader question

Gil Finn

Active Member
I have one and will lay rails on a flat to replicate it in operation.

What size rail would be best? HO or N ?
 

sumpter250

multiscale modelbuilder
Gil,
I have an IHC Barnhart loader, and a couple of IHC truss rod flats with the decks removed, and rails attached for the loader to travel on. I used code 70 rail (following the general rule in modelbuilding; err on the side of smaller, where possible).
If this is the one you are building from a Lionel loader, I'd think code 100 rail would be the smallest you would want to use.
Pete
 

Gil Finn

Active Member
No this is the IHC.

The ogauge loader I dont know yet but this IHC will be a good modle for making it.

I will make the ho flats from regular cars and deck them with popcycle sticks cut and split to fit.

Thank you for the suggestion.
 

sumpter250

multiscale modelbuilder
Gil,
Cool ! If you can post pics of the finished model, please do!

Silver,
As far as I know there is no kit for a Barnhart Loader in O scale.
Yeah there is, it just looks like sheet and strip styrene on the Evergreen rack right now!:D :D :D
 

wvlogger

New Member
I use N scale code 55 track, laid on either Bachmann ACF 40' log cars or 42' Red Caboose flat cars. I currently have an IHC Barnhart log loader which requires modification to ride on the wider rails prototypical to West Virginia logging companies like the Mower Lumber Company.

I am interested to see any ideas people have for kit bashing or scratch building projects relating to log loaders and flat cars modified to hall logs.

I will post some pictures of an in progress Bachmann kit bash to show how the code 55 rail appears on the log cars.
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Barnhardt rails

I have a Keystone Barnhardt (white metal-excelent detail, but too heavy) and two IHC Barnhardts in service on my DC, CC, & W RR.


I have Keystone log buggies which came with code 100 rail, but I used code 70 rail in stead. I have a lot of MDC shorty flats, which I used walthers Goo to glue code 55 rail to the decks . The goo is messy, but I have found that the excess can be cleaned up with rubbing alcohol on a Q tip very easily. I have used the same method to affix code 55 rail to a bunch of old AHM truss rod flat cars as well.

Here is a photo of the MDC shorty flats with the code 55 rail. The donkey is built from a Rio Grande model's dolbeer donkey kit, and the bark debies is peat moss that has been run through a blender, and attached to the flat with diluted white glue, like you' do ballast.

Bill Nelson
 

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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Some Barnhart pics

Here are a couple of shots on the old C&S of the IHC Barnhart at work. In use are MDC flats and I think code 70 track that Mr Bill Nelson graciously gave me.

Doc Tom:wave:
 

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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
I have one and will lay rails on a flat to replicate it in operation.

What size rail would be best? HO or N ?


It just struck me that we have been talking about the size of the rail by the code number, without explaining it. assuming that you would know what we are talking about, but since you ask about rail size by HO or N, you may not know what we are taking about.

The code is a numerical measurement of the height of the rail, and I believe it is equivalent with thousandths of an inch (my artistic oriented mind has trouble with numbers and such).

In any case most HO track is code 100. It is grossly oversize for most applications. I think some rail gets almost that big on the heaviest mainline sections in the Northeast.

Code 83 is smaller, with a scale cross section that is more appropriate for modern heavy use main line in Ho scale.

Code 70, is smaller still, and with a thinner cross section, appropriate for modern branch line or turn of the century main line. some N scale track is close to code 70 in size but has a different cross section

code 55 is smaller still useful for narrow gauge or logging lines in HO.

Code 40 is the smallest rail I have personally worked with, it is so small that a rp-25 flange uses the whole height of the rail as a flange way, leaving no room for spike heads. when I have used it I have made every fourth tie out of PC board, and soldered the rails down.

I use code 70 on my main, and code 55 on my sidings. I chose code 55 for my log cars because I thought it would look odd for the rails on the log car, sitting on the siding to be heavier than the rails on the siding.


Bill Nelson
 

Mountain Man

Active Member
It also has something to do with the profile of the track and how well certain wheel flanges will run on it, doesn't it?
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
It also has something to do with the profile of the track and how well certain wheel flanges will run on it, doesn't it?


the code is just a height measurement, the profile may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. I ran into a situation once building some code 70 dual gauge stub switches where the rails I was working with didn't exactly match. they were the same height, but one had a wider web at the bottom. It was driving me nuts, as the rail joiners would fit some rails perfectly, and had to be altered to go on the others. I like to never figured it out.


Bill Nelson
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
On a different note - how do you keep cars from uncoupling on that steep break in grade?



The grade itself doesn't cause uncoupling. the uncoupling occurs when the vertical curve, or the transition from level track to a grade, or from one grade to another is too steep. The problems with a steep vertical curve are increased with longer cars and locomotives.


As a safety precaution, locomotives are kept on the downgrade side of trains on the Mountain Division, regardless of direction of travel. Also. locomotives always face up hill to help keep water on the crown sheet. This precaution seems to work well, as in more than 40 years of operating on ridiculous grades, I have yet to have a boiler explosion from grade related issues.

Bill Nelson
 

Mountain Man

Active Member
The grade itself doesn't cause uncoupling. the uncoupling occurs when the vertical curve, or the transition from level track to a grade, or from one grade to another is too steep. The problems with a steep vertical curve are increased with longer cars and locomotives.


As a safety precaution, locomotives are kept on the downgrade side of trains on the Mountain Division, regardless of direction of travel. Also. locomotives always face up hill to help keep water on the crown sheet. This precaution seems to work well, as in more than 40 years of operating on ridiculous grades, I have yet to have a boiler explosion from grade related issues.

Bill Nelson

I remember that joke, only it was originally about Lion Powder used in New York...
 
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