Beer Train?

Has anyone ever made a garden train capable of carrying loads? I'm thinking something that could pick up beer at a fridge (and yes, an automated method of loading the train), and bring the beer to the poolside. Not that I have the time or money to do this right now, but I'm just curious if it could be done. BTW -- How much load can a G- Train pull?

John

Reply to
julvr
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On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 10:46:20 -0800 (PST), I said, "Pick a card, any card" and julvr instead replied:

These are serious engineering questions that must be dealt with in steps.

  1. Beer is heavy for a train so put it very near the engine. Pulling empty cars and then a heavy load followed by empty cars makes negotiation of curves tricky.
  2. Dampen the delivery of the beer to the load car to minimize foaming, breaking of bottles or denting of cans.
  3. Biological beer delivery is also possible and highly recommended.
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  4. Security along the track is paramount. Imagine your neighbor looking over the hedge. Could be disaster.
  5. Assuming you have the ability to do the logistics of loading the train without knocking it off the rails, there remains a question of need. A small bar fridge located in the back yard is much easier.

Now, about recycling the beer later. No advice on delivering a urinal comes to mind.

-- Ray

Reply to
Ray Haddad

A gondola or logging wagon should have no problem carrying a can of beer, although a can rolling down a 45 degree ramp from the top of a fridge would probably send the rolling stock flying! If you want spirits perhaps an LGB tank wagon with operating spigot would be better than trying to load a large bottle onto a wagon.

The load is dependant on the usual railway factors of loco tractive effort, curve radius and gradient. However, a little LGB 0-4-0 should have no trouble in pulling a couple of wagons with a beer can each. If the worst came to the worst you'd just have to operate a regular service, or a big Diseasel with a heavy drag, or an Express service. You might even need a big yard by the pool to hold all the loaded wagons, or perhaps you'll want to run a "just in time" service.

It strikes me that you're going to need thermos wagons to keep the cans cool if you need the big railway yard, plus ice wagons and tippers to take the empties away. This is the sort of project I could get enthusiastic about!

Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg Procter

Automated control of the trains would be advisable - human operators control abilities might well degrade over the period of an operating session.

Reply to
Greg Procter

For guys, the whole world is a urinal. :^)

Reply to
Whodunnit

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Ray's suggestion #3 would quickly divert my mind away from a beer train idea.

Bill

Reply to
Bill

julvr wrote in news:303c5cde-954f-413d-bad3- snipped-for-privacy@j78g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

I had thought about carrying produce in from the garden, but whatever floats your boat. You could use insulated tank cars to transfer your beer in. An automated system would stop each car under the fill spout, fill the car, and then fill it. The train would then come out to where you are, and stop. You'd put your glass under the tank car, and press the release lever. Your glass then fills, and the train departs (or pulls the next car over the unloading dock.)

It'd work for other things too... Coffee and teas might travel better by virtue of being uncarbonated.

Oh, and metal wheels are going to be a must. You want as much weight down low as possible. Derailments involving perishable and hazardous liquids are to be avoided!

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

A recent Model railroader magazine review of a G-guage locomotive (January

2008) indicated that the average G- locomotive has a 20-ounce horizontal drawbar pull at wheel slip. That should be adeqauete to carry a gondola of your favorite beverage, along with ice.

And some locos are much higher than that -- the particular loco reviewed in that article (Aristo-Craft Trains 1:29 E8 diesel) had a 48-ounce drawbar pull.

____ Mark Mathu Whitefish Bay, Wis.

Reply to
Mark Mathu

">

On the old Jackie Gleason show (Where the honeymooners started as one of the acts) Jackie did a character called Reginald van Gleason a wealthy black top hat and cape type who drank too much. In the Christmas show one year he has his Lionel Train deliver a cocktail to him from across the room and remarks - "Drinks go swell with Lionel"

Val Kraut

Reply to
Val Kraut

I'll bet the Lionel wasn't running after him to get the rights to use that slogan in their advertising.

Val Kraut wrote:

"On the old Jackie Gleason show (Where the honeymooners started as one of the acts) Jackie did a character called Reginald van Gleason a wealthy black top hat and cape type who drank too much. In the Christmas show one year he has > his Lionel Train deliver a cocktail to him from across the room and remarks - "Drinks go swell with Lionel"

Reply to
newyorkcentralfan

Fantastic, that character is classic. Probably the best character short of Ralph Kramden. I love the skit where RVG installs a moon rocket in his mansion but as soon as his girfriend finds out and decides they should blast off to start a new life on the moon and he could get a job there and settle down, he immediately sticks her in the rocket alone and blasts her off.

Reply to
Mark Mathu

"> Fantastic, that character is classic. Probably the best character short of

He had a few classics - I used to love Charlie Bratten - he comes into the bar sees Clem Finch (Art Carney) eating something and starts describes his food as a Toupee with eyeballs floating down the East River. Clem gets ill and leaves - Charlie finishes it. Other favorite - RVG says to his mother "o Boy you are FAT!

Val Kraut

>
Reply to
Val Kraut

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