Tidal Adjustment

Waterboard for Bronx Terminal

When I designed and built the benchwork for the terminal I made a slight miscalculation on the water level. I took a guess at the distance from the ground level and the water level, and I got it wrong by about 3/4″. The water ended up being too low.

After doing a bit of research about tides along the Harlem River and reading a few articles on float bridges I confirmed that what I built would be okay as there could be quite a difference between the level of the float and the level of the ground, depending on tidal changes and the load on the floats. This difference was taken up by the float bridge, a pivoting bridge connection between carfloats and terra firma. Sometimes the float bridge could be an incline, sometimes it could be level or a decline. What I am aiming for is either level, or a slight decline. The water level as it currently is would result in a very noticeable decline, and while technically correct, I thought that would be a bit distracting.

This error was apparent shortly after I set the first carfloat on the water section and I have been debating on how to fix the issue for some time. I decided to have a new piece of plywood cut to fit precisely over the original water section. I also decided that since I am designing a new piece I might as well make it wider so it could accommodate two carfloats sitting side by side, a scenario I have seen in many photographs. Having two float moored together at the float bridge would provide storage for 34 cars! And look good too…

Using two floats means I could simply swap them to generate a fresh set of cars for the terminal.

Having designed the entire layout in 3D CAD means that I could return to the original files to extract the necessary information to have a new piece of plywood cut. Theoretically it would be a perfect match. I created a simple 3D model of the carfloats and inserted them into the design to confirm they would fit well. I wanted to have a couple of inches of modeled water around the floats, and also create a wavy edge to the layout at the water. In photographs I didn’t want to have straight edges at the water, they stand out too much.

Virtual model of the Bronx Terminal.

Once I had the design finalized I sent the files to Brian, my friend with the CNC router who cut out all the parts for the layout two years ago. I went over this afternoon and we cut out the new section. I should have brought the video camera, it is very cool to watch.

This is the new piece, cut from a single sheet of 5/8″ sheething. To keep it as light as possible, I created pockets in the bottom to remove as much material as possible.

This is where having the entire layout designed in 3D really pays off. I was able to keep the pockets precisely where they should be by designing the part virturally in place on the layout. The CNC router simply follows the lines I drew.

Of course the other advantage of having designed the layout in 3D is that it fits together like a puzzle.

It fit perfectly, added some more space for the second float and brings the water level up so the float bridge will only have a slight decline grade on it.

The pockets line up precisely with the original edge of the layout. The other pockets will be hidden under the new “waterboard”.

The float bridge will occupy the space between the track and the carfloat.

Two floats side by side. The hull of a steam tug sitting next to the float. I am not sure where I will put the tug yet, but I do want to incorporate a tugboat into the layout.

This should look great!

Ignore the boxcar missing a set of trucks….

Will look better once there is actually some water modeled, but so far I am happy with the addition. Adds about 6″ to the width of the layout, but that isn’t an issue.

-T.

On to Next Section…

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 03-08-2009 | 10:03 PM
Posted in: Benchwork Construction | Latest Posts | Comments (7)

Sergent Couplers

Testing Sergent Couplers for the Bronx Terminal

all images are clickable for big’uns

HO Scale EN87A Narrow Shank pre-assembled coupler

I have been testing various types of couplers for use on my Bronx Terminal layout, trying to find a good mix of appearance and performance.

The uber tight radiuses on this layout really tax couplers. Until now I have always used Kadee #5’s or #58’s on all my equipment. They work very reliably and look ok. On the tight curves of the terminal the self centreing action of Kadee couplers can be a bit of a hindrance. In order to couple reliably, some handling has to be done, I can live with that if I have to. I figure if I have to handle the couplers anyway, perhaps I should look into some other options.

One alternative is to use truck mounted couplers. Truck mounted couplers will always be lined up relative to the trackwork. I am not too concerned about how well this would perform, as long as trucks are free rolling, pivot properly and the cars are weighted properly they work fine. Most equipment in N scale has truck mounted couplers and the equipment does not suffer from it. However, replacing all the trucks on the cars would be quite an investment, so I would rather not have to do that.

I decided to take a closer look a Sergent Engineering Couplers, so a couple weeks back I ordered a sample of the two types they offer, EN87A narrow shank, which come pre-assembled in a draft box and some EC87A with compatible shank, also pre-assembled. The EC87A are a drop in Kadee replacement while the EN87A are designed to be mounted to the car.

HO Scale EC87A Compatible Shank pre-assembled coupler

There is no question that these couplers look great. They are scale, and noticeably smaller than Kadee couplers. But they are also completely incompatible with Kadee couplers, so its an all or nothing decision to use them.

But geez, look at them. They look fantastic.

Mounted on a couple of cars they look even better.

The car on the left has a Kadee #58 scale coupler on it, the right, a Sergent Coupler. A bit finer in detail than the Kadee #58

So we’ve established that the look great, but how well do they work?

They work well.

To uncouple the cars, a magnetic uncoupling wand is used. On the end of the wand is a small magnet that is simply touched to the top of the coupler releasing the knuckle and opening the coupler.

I forgot to order one of these!

Fortunately I was able to improvise by using a small rare earth magnet attached to the end of an Allen wrench. While not as functional as the uncoupling wand from Sergent, it works well enough to test the couplers. The Sergent version also includes a small hook to open a closed coupler should it get closed after uncoupling from another car.

One trouble area I find is that they can occasionally be hard to get to reliably couple. Seems that a bit more force than normal is required to get the knuckles to stay closed.

I have found that polishing off some of the rust finish with a rotary tool helps quite a bit, but still they can be occasionally hard to close. Not sure how irritating I would find that.

I have shot a few videos showing them in action.

Watch them in HQ if you have a fast connection, it will look better.

Sergent couplers in action. They couple in a manner similar to the prototype. Only one knuckle has to be opened to couple.

Taking a couple of couplers for a spin. They work well and look great!

From the preliminary tests I have done so far I really like these. Since I only have a fleet of about 35 cars so far changing them all over isn’t a big issue. One concern is whether or not I can successfully mount one on my CNJ 1000 Brass Loco. Mounting a Kadee to this engine was a challenge, not sure if I can change it over or not. That will likely be the deciding factor whether or not I settle on these.

Apparently couplers are a passionate subject. A recent thread about Sergent couplers on the Model Railroader forum was locked as, like always, opinions got the best of people. That said, I would love to hear from modelers who have actually used these in a serious way.

-T.

Posted by: Tim | 03-06-2009 | 03:03 PM
Posted in: Latest Posts | Sergent Couplers | Comments (18)