# 17 inch high windmill



## SailorDon (Jan 6, 2008)

About a year ago, I bought a model windmill. It placed it in my garden railroad in the suburbs of Houston. The backyard was sheltered from the wind by a privacy fence, and when the wind did get to the windmill, it was turbulent and it didn't work very well.

Since then, I have moved me and my trains to Lake Livingston, Texas. Much better wind from the lake. Here is a video I took this morning. Too windy to run trains. The wind gusts would blow the cars off the track.


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## Jethro J. (Apr 4, 2012)

Works good now, AAAAAAAAAAAA


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## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

I had a thought the other week with the post of the solar powered locomotive... I wondered if it would be possible to create a wind powered car. Unlike sailing the course is fixed but one of these days I might fit a car with a sail and RC servo to control the angle of attack for the sail and see if it would be possible to go around a layout using nothing but wind power...


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## SailorDon (Jan 6, 2008)

Posted By Brandon on 31 Aug 2012 10:24 PM 
I had a thought the other week with the post of the solar powered locomotive... I wondered if it would be possible to create a wind powered car. Unlike sailing the course is fixed but one of these days I might fit a car with a sail and RC servo to control the angle of attack for the sail and see if it would be possible to go around a layout using nothing but wind power... 

If you use a sail to harness the power of the wind to drive a train, the problem will be to power the train directly into the wind. If you use a wind turbine to power the train, theoretically it should be able to power up into the wind, but I think the limits of bearing friction prevent any real-life application of this theory.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

I have the same windmill it looks and spins great but i would not want to build another one for nothing. To many little bolts and nuts and at the top if were not for our grandkids with little fingers it would not have been put together.


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## SailorDon (Jan 6, 2008)

Posted By pete on 01 Sep 2012 07:04 AM 
I have the same windmill it looks and spins great but i would not want to build another one for nothing. To many little bolts and nuts and at the top if were not for our grandkids with little fingers it would not have been put together. 

Definitely tweezers and lots of patience required for assembly. I assembled 4 of them. Some for me, some for gifts to friends.


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Posted By pete on 01 Sep 2012 07:04 AM 
I have the same windmill it looks and spins great but i would not want to build another one for nothing. To many little bolts and nuts and at the top if were not for our grandkids with little fingers it would not have been put together. 

I put one of those together several years ago and spent a whole frustrating evening working on it. I have a friend who tried to put one together recently and he finally called me and asked what the secret was. Darned if I know. 
Bob


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

The "secret" is stickum on the flat of a long bladed screwdriver


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Bob in Kalamazoo on 01 Sep 2012 08:36 AM 
I put one of those together several years ago and spent a whole frustrating evening working on it. I have a friend who tried to put one together recently and he finally called me and asked what the secret was. Darned if I know. 
Bob




The "secret" is to get your wife to do it. They tend to have smaller fingers.


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## K.A.Simpson (Mar 6, 2008)

Anyone got plans to actually pump water to circulate a small garden pond. I saw one some years back, but no one seems to have them around any more. It was about the same size as this one. It would not only look good but be functional as well. 

Regards from Andrew 
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

A sail powered train was tried back at the beginning of (real) Railroading. The drawing I have seen of it was that it looked like a huge wicker basket in the shape of a boat. But since it didn't have a KEEL, it needed more ballast in the bottom than it carried in the way of passengers. It was still feared it would blow over in a cross wind and was never put into use.

Using wind to pump water only works if you have lots of wind but don't need to move lots of water.

A tiny wind turbine might be able to charge a battery over night enough to run a small train around for a few minutes.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

My wife has told me that i need patience and i told her , doctors and hospitals have patience she did not laught.


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

I just bought one, $5 at a thrift store. I'm starting to figure out why it was there... 

Robert


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Posted By toddalin on 01 Sep 2012 12:28 PM 
Posted By Bob in Kalamazoo on 01 Sep 2012 08:36 AM 
I put one of those together several years ago and spent a whole frustrating evening working on it. I have a friend who tried to put one together recently and he finally called me and asked what the secret was. Darned if I know. 
Bob




The "secret" is to get your wife to do it. They tend to have smaller fingers. 


It would cost me too much in the long run to have my wife do it. I'd have a better chance of having my 3 year old grandson put it together, but he's better at taking things apart.








Bob


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

You have just the spot for wind power Don!!! 

check out this real line with a similar location:


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