# Cog Railway



## Bayaar (Apr 20, 2008)

Can anyone help me in finding a G Scale cog railway system? Thanks for your help!! 

Lon


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Dear Mr Lon - the only folks who do a large-scale rack railway are still LGB. They used to make a little electric loco in a couple of colour schemes, and are still the only company to make a model of the 0-6-0 Ballenberg railway steam loco, with two sets of superimposed valve gear. LGB also make track toothed section inserts and specially modified couplers to avoid 'grounding' the couplings on the transition track and the train coming apart. 
I have given up trying to find out how much things are on your side of the pond, but figure around $400-600 or so for the electric locos and around $800 for the steam loco and you won't be too far out. 
Welcome to the forum, BTW! I'm sure you'll get better advice than mine, in fact....here it comes./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif" border=0> 
tac 
www.ovgrs.org


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## Don Howard (Jan 2, 2008)

TAC is correct about LGB. 
It was the rack locomotive that got me into large scale. I now buy only 2 scales-1:22,5 for the rack section, and 1:20.3 for everything else. 
I _thnik_ there were some other small manufacturers in Swizterland. 
LGB rack system started out at 1:22.5 scale so the distance between the rails is 1 meter. 
The following are LGB parts numbers I have cut and pasted from various dealers: 
10210 - the rack section - 300 mm, 12 pieces 
10220 - the special holders to keep the rack section centered between the rails. 
2046 - rack locos in red and blue varations. 
24460 Great FO Rack electric locomotive. 
64462 LGB Rack Coupler Hook, 8 pieces are the special couplers TAC is referring to. They are grey. 
21470 LGB SBB Brunig HG 3/3 Rack Steam Loco 
21471 LGB SBB Brunig HG 3/3 Rack Steam Loco with MTS and more expensive. 
31330 LGB SBB Brunig 3rd Class Passenger Car 
There are others. 
I suggest you do a Google search with "LGB rack locomotive" as your search term. 
It found http://www.legacystation.com/LGBSteam.htm with this description for the 21470 

Between 1910 and 1926, the Swiss Locomotive & Machine Works (SLM) built 17 gear-driven rack steam locomotives for the Brünigbahn. Loco Number 1068 was one of these and operated for many years on the famous Interlaken-Luzern line. Together with the matching LGB wagons (31330 and 41330), you can now model a complete SBB narrow-gauge passenger train on your LGB layout. This LGB model has a fully functional gear drive mechanism, but it can also be used on conventional track sections. It also features automatic directional lighting, a smoke generator and DCC decoder interface.


Did you have a particular prototype railroad in mind to model? 
Mt Washington? 
Pikes Peak? 
FO, MOB, and other Swiss lines? 
There are 2 in Spain that I know of. One due north of Barcelona, and I have a book in Catalan describing it. The other is at a Monastary towards Madrid from Barcelona. 
There are also some French and at least 2 German ones, too. 

Best book I have is called "Zahnradbahnen der Welt" and covers almost all cog systems.


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## Bayaar (Apr 20, 2008)

Thanks for the replys...........my son-in-law and I would like to model after the Pikes Peak or Mt. Washington. We are just in the brain storming stages, and will be a secondary layout.


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## Jim Kelly (Jan 2, 2008)

This posts isn't quite over, and you may tell me the answer to my question is trial and error, and I'm pretty good at the second half of that. I searched on LGB rack and this very recent thread came up. I'm going to build a short out-back rack based line and having trouble with the track transition. The old Allied Model Trains store in LA had a layout that included a pretty steep section, I would guess almost 3 foot of rise in 12 foot of run. I hope someone here can share how to get smooth track transition as you begin and end the climb. I'm not worried (yet) about the roadbed, just the track and I'm wondering if you kind of have to bend it up or down, hollowing out a bit using a Dremel. Appreciate all ideas, encouragement and experience doing this!


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## Don Howard (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim, 
LGBoA has an old PDF(aboiut 6MB) and on page 76 has the instructions to use the short track sections 10150 to transitions. 
There is a diagram, too, and looks like the one from my 2046. 
http://www.lgboa.com/data/downloads/00559interim.pdf 

My steepest grade is 8% at the moment. Need more rack sections for an extension. 

Let us know how you are doing(we love pics).


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## SlateCreek (Jan 2, 2008)

If you're doing the Mt. Washington cog, there is no transition ... the equipment is all cog, all the time. Jeff Damerst at www.shawmutcarshops.com has built a few MWCR cog engines, generally wheel powered tenders pushing the loco model .... the cog in this case would be strictly decorative. A couple of traction tires on the tender and you might have enough to shove one car up a steep grade.... but I doubt you'd be modelling Jacob's ladder! 

Matthew (OV)


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## SlateCreek (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh, and as an afterthought ... eaglewings ironcraft makes a cog system. 
http://www.eaglewingsironcraft.com/view_item.php?img=./img/grp/cog.jpg&desc= COG - Straight modules $15/linear foot. 4 ft Transition Ramp (not more than 25 degrees) $105. 5 ft-diameter curve 90 degrees $75. 5 ft-diameter curve 45 degrees $45. 
And, as you can see, they have transition ramps and all that. 
Matthew (OV) 

I think the link may work better as: 

http://www.eaglewingsironcraft.com/view_item.php?img=./img/grp/cog.jpg 

If not use www.eaglewingsironcraft.com and it's under "Bridges."


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## dwolson (Oct 17, 2008)

Good morning...I wanted to revive this thread. I have been doing some reading about the LGB Gog/Rack stuff and recently purchased a 2046 Rack loco and some LGB rack sections. In this thread, there is a link to LGB for the transition, but the link is no longer valid. Has anyone saved this PDF that they could post or email? Any help wouldbe appreciated. Thanks.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2008)

does this help? 
if you need the whole thing, send me a PM with your mail address.


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2008)

as i was not able to send the file to dwolson, i uploaded it. 
if anybody is interested, just take your copy! 

http://supersol-chaco.net/kormkormsen/lgb-schaltungen.pdf 

(note: due to the size of the file, i will take it out of my webspace again, during the chrismas holidays)


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

It is imperative that you use transition tracks. Each track section should take up 2-4 degrees of the total grade difference. The 1015s will work fine for two axle cars and short wheel base engines (like the two LGB cog locomotives). If you want to use 4 axle cars in your train I'd use LGB 1000 sections (1 foot) for the transition tracks. Back when I had a rack on my railroad in Denver, I also beveled the two end sections. I tapered the rack for the first 1.5 inches. There was a noticeable "clunk" when the gear on the engine made contact with the rack. Tapering the the first part of the rack section made all of the difference. Rather than using the special hooks on the LGB hook and loop couplers, I cut off the part that hung down and hit the rack, since I had a set push pull train that went up and down the grade. If the grade is too steep, you might have to wire the couplers in place as they tend to ride up over each other. 

I enjoyed having the rack. I had the overhead wire connected to the transformer (with a reversing circuit) so I could run the engine through the pantagraph. 

If you have a significant grade on your layout a cog RR is a neat addition. Unfortunately, my present yard is flat and I would have to make a mountain out of a mole hill.


Cheers,

Chuck N


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## dwolson (Oct 17, 2008)

I use Aristocraft Stainless Steel track outdoors and have some 4.5' lengths of that. Do you think I could gently bend these tracks for the transitions instead of using many small pieces of track? If so, has anyone tried bending SS track like this??? Any input is greatly appreciated.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I think that a single long piece of track would be better than a series of short tracks. The change wouldn't be nearly as abrupt. Just spread the curvature over as much of the track segment as you can. I don't use SS track so I have no idea as to how difficult it would be to get a controlled bend in the vertical, rather the the horizontal.

Chuck N


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

I can't imagine that this would not be possible, albeit not easy. I would suggest using a propane torch to heat it (after removing the ties, of course.) Then bend it around a template made of plywood.

Keep us posted!
Matt


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## SailorDon (Jan 6, 2008)

I really should stay more current with reading the posts to these forums. I just saw the Slate Creek response about transition track and the statement that Mt. Washington cog railroad has no transition. I realize that was several months ago. Now I feel the need to post a couple of photos from my motorcycle trip to the top of Mt. Washington from a couple of years ago.



















I let y'all decide if that is transition track (or not).

Obviously, the live steam locomotive has to stay on the incline to prevent the water from leaving the crown plate in the boiler.

That would be really neat to model the Mt. Washington cog railway. If anyone finds a manufacturer or supplier for a G-gauge model of the Mt. Washington steam cog locomotive (and passenger car), I would be interested in buying one. Of course, compatable rack gear for the track is also required.

To model the entire 3 mile route, one would need a 160 foot change in elevation (assuming 1:22 scale). I would settle for modeling a small part of the route.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I can't say anything about transitions tracks on Mt. Washington, but one thing that I remember is that there were no couplers between the engine and the passenger car. Gravity held them together throughout the trip.

Chuck N


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## SailorDon (Jan 6, 2008)

Chuck N,

You are absolutely right about the "Gravity Couplers". 

I was more interested in the steam locomotive than the "coupler" when I took this photo, but if you look to the far right, you might notice there is no coupler.










Since I rode my motorcycle up the road to the summit, I never got to see the train yard at the base of Mt. Washington. I wonder how they move the passenger cars around on the level in the train yard. (Assuming the train yard is level.) I guess they can only push and shove. No pulling.


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## Guest (Dec 22, 2008)

looking at that pic, there is something, that could be the head/grip of a pin. 
might it be a link and pin coupling? 
(it is hard for me to believe, that security inspectors would allow simply no coupling)


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

When I took the Mt. Washington train back in the dark ages (about 1963), there was nothing connecting the engine with the car. The engine pushes against a iron"?" plate on the end of the car. 

It is a very steep incline, and there is never any place along the route where there is level track. 

Chuck N


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## DeanoFloridaKeys (8 mo ago)

Don Howard said:


> TAC is correct about LGB.
> It was the rack locomotive that got me into large scale. I now buy only 2 scales-1:22,5 for the rack section, and 1:20.3 for everything else.
> I _thnik_ there were some other small manufacturers in Swizterland.
> LGB rack system started out at 1:22.5 scale so the distance between the rails is 1 meter.
> ...


Hello,
What is the max slope for a rack/cog g scale?
Thank you,
Dean


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