MyFord Boy Traction Engine

Hi all

Having built several stationary engines I would now like to build a simple traction engine. Looking around the MyfordBoy one seems to be a good one to start with.

However, and this will probably upset the purists, I would like it to be battery powered.

Initial thoughts are that the motor, probably geared type, could be fitted in the boiler tube, with drive to the crankshaft via belt and pulleys or shaft and bevel gears. With the batteries and speed controller in the tender.

Does this sound feasible and have any of the forum members done this, and if so any advice on modifications, also motor type, speed and power.

Geoff

Cunningly arrange a solenoid or 2 inside the cylinder and put the batteries in the boiler?

Dave S beat me to it ! That would be my first thought, but it depends on scale ? 3/4" would work, 1.5" might be a bit to big for the solenoid idea. Noel.

I take it you will be fitting a sound module? Can't have a traction engine without "chuff, chuff, chuff", can you? Also, realistic smoke timed to the "chuff".

See this thread by Ron Laden

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=138699&p=1

On that little engine I would go with a gear head motor in the boiler barrel with either an 90deg box or pair of bevel gears to turn the drive across the engine to pick up one of the gears. Retain gear train and have it drive the motion but don't fit a piston so you get the look of moving parts

Speed control circuits are easy to come by on ebay so put that in the top of the tender and Lipo batteries below.

If you are going for radio control then consider an ESC and steering can be done with an inverted servo inside the front of the firebox with chains going back to a large servo horn

Thanks all for your replies.

Dave and Noel, must admit I hadn't thought of a solenoid, but still like the idea of a motor.

Lee, lovely idea but don't know if my very limited electrical knowledge will stretch to a sound module and timed smoke.

Dennis, have read that thread thanks.

Jason, any idea what output speed motor I should be looking for? Hadn't considered radio control, see above for my electrical knowledge!

Geoff

It is really going to depend where you decide to connect into the gear train, if you go straight to the crankshaft then you will need a faster output from the motor than you would if picking up the second shaft and even slower if picking up the axle. Throw in any bevel gear and or belt reduction and there a lot of variables.

Probably best to contact Myfordboy (Enginebuilder on here) if he does not post in this thread and ask what sort of speed the crankshaft is running at when the engine moves at walking pace and if he can give you the gear counts then you can work it out from there.

This shows how slow a cheap e-bay gearhead motor will run compared with a standard motor fitted to a pump frame when run on an e-bay variable speed unit

Thanks for that Jason. I should have realised it will depend on where the connection is, obviously my brain isn't properly switched on yet this morning.

Will contact Myfordboy.

Geoff