Garden Railroading News has just published an article I wrote about my G-Scale Funicular titled: "Building a G-Scale Funicular Garden Railway" page 18.
The funicular now has a reason for being. I've connected the upper station to a 104 ft. long (at 1:24 scale) suspension foot bridge that leads to the re-modeled Treehouse Complex. The two supporting cables of the bridge run through holes drilled in each plank, and are attached to steel disks on the station by magnets to prevent any damage to the station from a heavy falling branch or strong winds. If the bridge is overly stressed, it will automatically disconnect and protect the station. The other end of the cables are attached to the elevator boarding platform at the tree house with miniature turnbuckles for adjusting tension and extension springs to allow for slight motions. The stainless steel cables are the same 1/32" stainless steel cable used in the funicular. The tree house along with a restaurant, salon, gazebo and lodge now has a new Victorian elevator to travel between levels, and it really works!
Here is a helpful diagram showing three basic types of funiculars. The earliest ones were four rail (two track) funiculars, but they are the costliest to build because rails are expensive, they take up a lot of space, and they need double stations. More advanced three rail funiculars are less expensive but a little harder to build because they require a passing switch. The least expensive is the modern two rail funicular. They use less iron rails, don’t need double stations, and occupy less real estate, but have the harder to build passing switch. This unique type of funicular was invented in 1890 by Swiss engineer Carl Roman Abt (1850–1933) for the Giessbach Hotel funicular which is still in operation. It was made possible by his innovative and revolutionary ABT passing switch - the only railroad switch without any moving parts! Abt called it the “automatic turnout” solution. It became an instant success and most funiculars constructed afterwards use the ABT design to this day
This is our last and best funicular garden railway video that contains many short clips edited together- some with onboard video. Makes you feel like a passenger!
We worked real hard on getting the perfect angles, lighting and editing.
Filming it was a good distractive quarantine project.
Thanks to all for your kind comments. I'm so glad that all you experts liked my work. That helps to make it all worthwhile.
I have been keeping sane distracting myself by making several cool G-Scale funicular railway videos including the very first known ONBOARD video of a model funicular!
We’ve really tried to do a good job of filming using the GoPro camera and special lighting effects.
Here is a photo of the little funicular movie camera car that we used for the onboard shots. Note the cable hook and flange-less wheel.
What you can't see are the 453 grams of lead weights underneath the car! The total weight of the camera car exactly equals the 753 gram weight of the passenger cars. (for cable weight balance)
We published all the funicular videos in SD in a playlist on You Tube located here:
Yesterday, after 10 months, I finished installing the funicular outside within the Cholla Patch Railroad layout. It now has a new mountain range to climb. Most of the iron support structure is buried within the mountain. The entire mountain (except around the plants) is coated in a 2:1 water/Titebond III solution which solidified all the small particle sand and clay. This controls erosion and makes cleaning the leaves off easy with a leaf blower without all the sand blowing away. I use the same Titebond solution on my track ballast- like the HO guys do. I've designed and built a passenger boarding area with lots of anxious travelers and an ornate Victorian ticket booth (modeled after the precious upper tramway station booth at Saltburn Cliff Tramway in England- saltburn cliff tramway - Bing images ). This summer, I'll make a suspension footbridge from the upper station over to the Treehouse behind the mountain.
I'd like to add to my lists of Funicular Suppliers and Funicular Tips, but the "Edit" button has disappeared from the posts even though I am signed in. Is this happening to everybody's posts or just mine I wonder?
Here are a few things that are important to know when designing a functional model funicular that’s driven by a motor. See separate list of Parts Suppliers. Consult design drawings to see where the parts go.
Power Source Selection: Use a 12V DC constant power source made for outdoor use. This voltage is more than adequate for the slow moving cable system, controller, sound module, and lights. It stresses the light bulbs less than a 24V source. A 35 watts output is more than enough.
Motor Selection: Use a small high torque 12V DC motor with integral gears. 60 rpm works great. If motor has integral gears then you will be able to use fewer reduction gears for a simpler system. Only use motors that can be securely attached to a motor mount of the correct size.
Gear Selection: To reduce friction, jamming, excess noise, over-complication, and headaches, use the fewest number of gears that will give you your desired gear ratio. With my system, only two gears are needed! Use only Metal Gears. Meccano Gears are the BEST! Keep gears greased and oiled.
Pulley Selection: There are two types of uses for funicular pulleys: 1) The big Drive Pulley (also called “drive wheel”) moves the cable. You want to maximize friction between the cable and Drive Pulley so that the cable won’t slip which causes jerky movement or no movement. It should have a “V” groove and be as large as possible (3” diameter is good). The cable should be in contact with the pulley along as much of its circumference as possible to maximize friction. To do this use two directional pulleys close together and close to the drive pulley. I call these two “pincher pulleys”. Use the Meccano 19b pulley. Don’t use plastic pulleys. 2) Directional Pulleys change the direction of the cable. You want to minimize the friction of the cable against directional pulleys. To do this, avoid large angle changes to the cable when you design your system. Pulleys with ball bearings have less friction on the pulley axle. Don’t try to minimize cable friction by using light weight cars! Model funiculars work much better with heavy cars of equal weight because they add friction between the cable and the Drive Pulley. Don’t use plastic pulleys.
Car Wheel Selection: Use the biggest and heaviest steel wheelsets you can find. Don’t use plastic. This helps keep a low center of gravity in the cars. Grind off the flange on one side of each set. Epoxy a ½” steel fender washer to the other wheel of each set to create a double flanged wheel. Remember, heavy cars are a good thing!
I'll add to this list as I think of other things..
This is a partial list of the most important parts used in the construction of the G-Scale Funicular by John Carmichael. I recommend using these parts for ANY type of G-Scale funicular. J.C.
Circuitron 5401 AR-2 Auto Reverse Circuit with Adjustable Delay- $49.99 requires a 12-18 volt AC or DC power supply. Will work with a reed switch for detection rather than IR detector.
Nextrox Mini 12V DC 60 RPM High Torque Gear Box Electric Motor- $11.99 60 RPM |Torque: 30 N*cm |Diameter: 37mm |Shaft length: 21mm |Total length: 68mm. All Metal Construction. 100% metal gears, designed with high temperature-resistance, high abrasion resistance, more sturdy and durable.
uniquegoods 6V 12V 24V 28V 3A 80W DC Motor Speed Controller (PWM) Speed Adjustable Reversible Switch 1203BB DC Motor Driver Reversing- $8.45 "for 12v motor speed controller" Item size: 1.3 x 2 x 0.4 inches; Net Weight:1.13 ounces
I've moved the funicular outside to the garden railroad and footings are on the 10" deep large crushed gravel foundations. After the Thanksgiving storms, I'll start landscaping, install the buried electrical conduit, and build the ticket booth and stairs to the lower platform.
I moved it to my garden railway yesterday for permanent installation where I'll build a mountain around it. It features automated station stops, delay, and auto reverse- all programmable. Speed is adjustable if necessary. Also has an automatic warning bell, and extensive cabin and structural lighting. This is a rare two rail G-Scale Model Funicular with the ingenious and revolutionary ABT Passing switch. (the only railroad switch without moving parts! In fact, I know of no other G-Scale version in the United States.
Most of the people I talk to- even railroad aficionados, don't even know what a funicular is. This is understandable since very few exist in the United States. But there are some incredible ones in the rest of the world.
My funicular features automated station stops, delay, and reverse- all programmable. Speed is adjustable with a throttle. It also has an automatic warning bell just like the real ones, and extensive cabin and structural lighting. Controls are conveniently located outside of the rear of the Gear Room.Everything is weather resistant for outdoor use.
To make a fully functional G-Scale model I had to teach myself everything about it since there is almost no information on modeling a funicular on the internet or railroad magazines. Everything, including the crazy tracks, had to be designed by just using old photographs of real funiculars. I is the biggest railroading challenge I have ever met. Precision in all parts of the design and construction is imperative. The split-level cars must stop exactly in line with the boarding platforms. The cars had to travel at 3 inches/sec. And I had to teach myself all about gears and gear ratios and how to do the calculations knowing the motor's RPM. Difficult but lots of fun!
I’m making these full design drawings, electrical diagrams and construction photos available to everybody hoping that more will be built. This way, future modelers won’t suffer the learning pains and design errors I had to solve teaching myself how to make it, since funicular modeling information on the internet is almost nonexistant. See here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlcarmichael/albums/72157711889718966
Meanwhile here are some of my diagrams and drawings for a quick overview:
I'll also post another video after outside installation. I'd like to write an article for Garden Railways Magazine after final installation and landscaping is complete.
My Funicular was inspired in part by a G-Scale demonstration model of the Horseshoe Curve funicular that was made in Barcelona Spain. Although his model is a little “rough around the edges”, it proved to me that an ABT Passing Switch was possible on a G-Scale track. I took his idea and made several improvements. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL0XYKtTEHw
My thanks go out to him and to Mr. Steve Worack, the man who designed and sold me the Circuitron AR-2 auto reverse & delay controller. His helpful connection advise was critical to the sucess of the project. It works perfectly. Thank you Steve.
If anybody has any questions, just ask. But please be patient as my reply may take time. I'm very busy trying to get thefunicular landscaping done before our Christmas party.
I think you're right about the crane for raising one end of the barge.
At 58 seconds into the above Hudson river video there is a very clear but quick overhead shot of the barge/dock rail union. You need to pause the video to have enough time to study a still photo. There are clearly no rail joiners at the rail unions just before the cars pass over.
The HO guys seem to have a lot more experience in building car floats than the large scale guys. (There are even model kits in Walther HO). On You Tube you can see lots of videos showing scratch and kit built ones. There also more videos of actual ones. Seems that most of the scratch built ones are made from plastic or styrofoam. See videos here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=railroad+car+float
I found this video/webpage that clearly shows the devices that align the barge with the rails. They are big steel pins that side forward from the dock and pass through hoops on the barge. It's a little hard to see clearly the place where the rails meet, but I don't think I see any rail joiners at all. But I do see wheel flange guiding rails on the inside of the main track rails on both the barge and the dock tracks. Since the barge rails must be at the same height as the dock rails guessing that the height of the barge can be adjusted by filling the barge hull with water (to lower) and pumping out water (to raise). see: https://untappedcities.com/2017/02/02/behind-the-scenes-at-the-floating-freight-rail-line-that-crosses-the-hudson-river-in-nyc/
Have you given any thought as to how the rails on the barge will connect to the rails on the dock? Wouldn't it have to be some sort of joiner that is temporary? I wonder if the real rail barges use something like a life size Split Jaw joiner? Do you know what they use?
Since reading your first reply, I investigated your Mirbou hardwood which confirmed all you said about its great durability and strength. My research lead me to a great website of a company in South Carolina that specializes in imported exotic hardwoods that are especially good for things like outdoor decking, siding and railroad ties, and flooring. see http://www.eastteak.com/
Perhaps you or some of the forum guys would be interested in my findings:
I was looking for woods that have a very dark color (like railroad ties- you call them sleepers) and resist termites and rot. And I found many good candidates.
Might be interesting just to call East Teak for prices. ( I bet they are all horribly expensive!) I wonder how they compare to Redwood?
I also did a lot of research on deck sealers and stains. (I have only used Minwax stain on my trestles, but no sealers). I was going to use clear Thompson's Waterseal, but the trend now seems to be towards sealers that stain too. You want longevity of more than a year before needing to re-coat. And you want UV, termite and rot resistance. For years the popular "go to" sealer was clear Thompsons Waterseal. So I was surprised with the horrible reviews Thompson gets. People say it doesn't last and doesn't resist mildew and rot.
On this website for the decking trade it lists the top five sealer/stain brands that they have tested and recommend. (I imagine that you would want to stain and seal railroad ties and trestles the same way you treat outdoor decking.)
I ordered a gallon of transparent dark oak TWP 100 “Total Wood Preservative” to try out on my trestle walkways which need re-staining anyway. It appears to be the number one choice for the best quality stain & sealer.
Great reply- full of useful tips. Love your philosophy of longevity and strength. That's mine too. I also used thousands of brass escutcheon pins in the three miles of wood in my redwood trestles, so your tie pins will match what I have. I didn't realize that scolloped nail punches were even available. That was news to me. So I searched the web and they are indeed hard to find. I only found one supplier who makes them for gunsmiths. They call them "cupped" punches https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/punches/cup-tip-punches-prod656.aspx
Since we don't have Mirbou wood, I'm not sure what I'll use. My trestles are made out of redwood which has held up very well, so I might use that. The only changes that I think I'll make to your method is that I think I'll rough up the ties a little bit and slightly round the corners just to make them look older more rough hewn, and I think I'll stain them. Otherwise I really like your system and the materials you are using. Thanks!
Jerry: Do you also drill spike holes into the foot of the rail the way Grant does? Or do you also use the Micro Engineering tie plates? Or do you just put the spikes next to the rail directly into the ties? Do you only put them on the outside of the rails? Do you have problems of them coming out over time? What kind of wood do you use?
For years I have toyed with the idea of replacing the plastic LGB ties on my LGB flex rails with homemade wooden ties. Seeing all your photographs showing your beautiful wood ties on your track has inspired me to write you.
Would it be possible for you to post some closeup photos of the assembled track showing the "spikes" you used to attach the ties to the rails? I am good at woodworking so I think I can do it. But do you see any problems with me using my existing LGB brass flex rails? Can you give me (us) any tips for how you inserted the spikes? (for example, did you use a small hammer or some sort of hand held squeezing devise?) Did you need to drill pilot holes? And finally would you mind sharing the name of your spike supplier?
You're welcome Larry! Let me know how they work for you. Ever since I shorted out an engine from slider drop, I just don't want to risk it again by depending on the sliders being perfectly aligned since the only way to test them is to run them over the frogs. With the inserts, I NEVER have to worry.
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G-Scale Funicular
in General Discussion
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Garden Railroading News has just published an article I wrote about my G-Scale Funicular titled: "Building a G-Scale Funicular Garden Railway" page 18.
See: https://dl.orangedox.com/2022.4GRNews.July-Aug.2022