GeoffB sent a photograph of his 5" gauge Flatrol.
This was built from scrap materials, and Geoff uses it as a riding car. It is a hybrid of two different LNER flatrol designs.
I'll let GeoffB give further details...
Richard
GeoffB's Flatrol
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richard
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GeoffB's Flatrol
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- GeoffB's 5" gauge Flatrol, which he uses as a riding car.
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Richard Marsden
LNER Encyclopedia
LNER Encyclopedia
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GeoffB
- NER J27 0-6-0
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- Location: Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, UK
GeoffB's Flatrol
Hi All.
In response to Richard's intro, the flatrol came about due to a misspent youth leaving me with a knackered hip!!
Having spent some 2 years building a GL 5" railway in my garden, I found that I could no longer sit astride my riding truck due to a worn out hip.
After much disappointment, the following day I was kneeling down, rumaging around under a bench in the workshop - sat back on my heels and found "that's a comfortable position - wonder if I could ride like that"?
After a little experimenting, I worked out that a couple of knee pads (from Wickes) and a little seat and I'm in business. But I need a chassis!
An old (rough) bogie truck I had been given with the second hand track I bought, that had been residing at the bottom of the garden for the last couple of years, was retrieved from the undergrowth. I had aquired it because, basically, it didn't ride very well and had a tendancy to derail without warning - handy!!! Hence it being left in the undergrowth!!
I reckoned that if I could get that running properly, I could cut out the centre and lower it - like a sort of flatrol - a weekends work and I'm rolling!
To cut a long story, I wasn't at all happy with the old chassis - it was completely out of true, wider at one end, twisted, etc and as it was cut, it was so stressed that it sprang in all directions.
So, out came Peter Tatlow's "LNER Wagons" book and a rumage through gave me the ideas I wanted. Reading through the relevant sections, it became apparent that not all the flatrols were listed - some were made for special assignments and others were hybrids to suit the needs at the time. As my need was a special one (a railway "invalid" carriage as a friend put it - some friends!!) a hybrid was what was called for.
Taking two basic designs, mixing and matching for the need a special was drawn up loosly based on the Flatrol D.
As the original chassi was so rough (and rusty) the whole thing was binned, leaving me with a pair of bogies that needed a lot of attention. So a new one was built from some decent scrap steel that I aquired. The buffers were turned up in the lathe and using a homemade jig, ground to the oval shape on a 6" bench grinder. They were made slightly oversize (width wise) to accomodate for the tight curves around the garden and stop buffer lock occurring. The draw hooks were made from steel - the pattern was taken from a scan of an'O' gauge hook and suitably enlarged in the computer. The links were made from some chain that was used to secure the welding bottles to the wall (the extra excess lengths - before you ask!!!).
The rivetted flange detail on the sides were made from strips of 20 gauge steel. A rivet punch/anvil made up to fit a hole punch unit that I aquired a number of years ago (we utilise anything here!!) and the finished strips were "Araldited" to the frame sides. To braze or silver solder would have put too much heat into the chassis, resulting in distortion. Since they were only cosmetic, glueing would work OK. The rivet detail on the tops of the chassis were made from .015" brass sheet, cut into strips, punched and bonded in the same fashion.
The bogies were "sorted" - found to have been put together completely wrong at some time - new spring spacers, etc machined up and cosmetic, dummy side frames made to represent the original LNER style bogies were added. The only thing that remains to be done is a pattern to be made (when I get time - concentrating on the 'O'Gauge at the moment)for casting cosmetic axle box covers in resin, to fit over the ball bearing covers, to complete the look.
The top and end plates were also made from 20 gauge steel, rolled and folded as required, rivet detail added and secured with 12BA round head set srews - the head suitably machined down to rivet size and set in the position of one of the rivets in the line.
The whole lot was then sprayed in cellulose etching primer (better keying) then finished in cellulose satin black and lettering of scale size in white vinyl, made for me by a local signwriter, was added. I use celly because it is quick, drys fast and is extremely hard wearing when the paint matures.
The planking was made from a nice, dark, fine grained, 12mm ply with the grain running crosswise on the chassis. The planks were represented by routing a "V" cut into the ply at scale plank width intervals. Weathering (using black cement dye and pencil lead in the grooves) was rubbed in and then sprayed with a matt varnished to give a nice used look. These are secured to the chassis with screws from underneath.
The seat/kneeling board, made from ply and steel angle section, is removeable, fitting into the chassis by location pins made from 5/16" bolts through top hat dowels and "R"clips hold it in place from underneath. A removable hand rail and coal bunker/water tank, fits on top of the front bogie platform, using a similar method as the seat.
As you can imagine, the weekend's work turn out to be about two and a half months!!! But well worth it in the end.
The Flatrol runs a treat, is very stable and comfortable to ride on and I can now enjoy the fruits of my labours on those lovely, hazy, warm sunny summer days.
GeoffB
In response to Richard's intro, the flatrol came about due to a misspent youth leaving me with a knackered hip!!
Having spent some 2 years building a GL 5" railway in my garden, I found that I could no longer sit astride my riding truck due to a worn out hip.
After much disappointment, the following day I was kneeling down, rumaging around under a bench in the workshop - sat back on my heels and found "that's a comfortable position - wonder if I could ride like that"?
After a little experimenting, I worked out that a couple of knee pads (from Wickes) and a little seat and I'm in business. But I need a chassis!
An old (rough) bogie truck I had been given with the second hand track I bought, that had been residing at the bottom of the garden for the last couple of years, was retrieved from the undergrowth. I had aquired it because, basically, it didn't ride very well and had a tendancy to derail without warning - handy!!! Hence it being left in the undergrowth!!
I reckoned that if I could get that running properly, I could cut out the centre and lower it - like a sort of flatrol - a weekends work and I'm rolling!
To cut a long story, I wasn't at all happy with the old chassis - it was completely out of true, wider at one end, twisted, etc and as it was cut, it was so stressed that it sprang in all directions.
So, out came Peter Tatlow's "LNER Wagons" book and a rumage through gave me the ideas I wanted. Reading through the relevant sections, it became apparent that not all the flatrols were listed - some were made for special assignments and others were hybrids to suit the needs at the time. As my need was a special one (a railway "invalid" carriage as a friend put it - some friends!!) a hybrid was what was called for.
Taking two basic designs, mixing and matching for the need a special was drawn up loosly based on the Flatrol D.
As the original chassi was so rough (and rusty) the whole thing was binned, leaving me with a pair of bogies that needed a lot of attention. So a new one was built from some decent scrap steel that I aquired. The buffers were turned up in the lathe and using a homemade jig, ground to the oval shape on a 6" bench grinder. They were made slightly oversize (width wise) to accomodate for the tight curves around the garden and stop buffer lock occurring. The draw hooks were made from steel - the pattern was taken from a scan of an'O' gauge hook and suitably enlarged in the computer. The links were made from some chain that was used to secure the welding bottles to the wall (the extra excess lengths - before you ask!!!).
The rivetted flange detail on the sides were made from strips of 20 gauge steel. A rivet punch/anvil made up to fit a hole punch unit that I aquired a number of years ago (we utilise anything here!!) and the finished strips were "Araldited" to the frame sides. To braze or silver solder would have put too much heat into the chassis, resulting in distortion. Since they were only cosmetic, glueing would work OK. The rivet detail on the tops of the chassis were made from .015" brass sheet, cut into strips, punched and bonded in the same fashion.
The bogies were "sorted" - found to have been put together completely wrong at some time - new spring spacers, etc machined up and cosmetic, dummy side frames made to represent the original LNER style bogies were added. The only thing that remains to be done is a pattern to be made (when I get time - concentrating on the 'O'Gauge at the moment)for casting cosmetic axle box covers in resin, to fit over the ball bearing covers, to complete the look.
The top and end plates were also made from 20 gauge steel, rolled and folded as required, rivet detail added and secured with 12BA round head set srews - the head suitably machined down to rivet size and set in the position of one of the rivets in the line.
The whole lot was then sprayed in cellulose etching primer (better keying) then finished in cellulose satin black and lettering of scale size in white vinyl, made for me by a local signwriter, was added. I use celly because it is quick, drys fast and is extremely hard wearing when the paint matures.
The planking was made from a nice, dark, fine grained, 12mm ply with the grain running crosswise on the chassis. The planks were represented by routing a "V" cut into the ply at scale plank width intervals. Weathering (using black cement dye and pencil lead in the grooves) was rubbed in and then sprayed with a matt varnished to give a nice used look. These are secured to the chassis with screws from underneath.
The seat/kneeling board, made from ply and steel angle section, is removeable, fitting into the chassis by location pins made from 5/16" bolts through top hat dowels and "R"clips hold it in place from underneath. A removable hand rail and coal bunker/water tank, fits on top of the front bogie platform, using a similar method as the seat.
As you can imagine, the weekend's work turn out to be about two and a half months!!! But well worth it in the end.
The Flatrol runs a treat, is very stable and comfortable to ride on and I can now enjoy the fruits of my labours on those lovely, hazy, warm sunny summer days.
GeoffB