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Railroad handcar.
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...ad_handcar.jpg
Previously:
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...646#post104908
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...608#post159136
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...229#post145964
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...976#post137677
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...634#post128521
Not exactly lightweight, yet there's evidence of weight reduction. Notice the wheels are 3 different sizes? Appears similar to child's pump car, and probably has ability to coast, so remaining weight stores inertia.
PS. If a compact, 60's era Renault had only 3 lug nuts per wheel, why does the hand car outboard wheel get 6?
obviously a sit down rig but where did they rest their feet?
Paint is worn off of triangulating rod to outboard wheel, so probably, supported left foot. Right foot???Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank S
Could be that outboard wheel was repurposed from another cart of sorts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Toolmaker51
The right foot would be for the flintstones braking featureQuote:
Originally Posted by Gadgeteer
Right foot support. Click on photo to enlarge.
Well it is the braking feature just not quite flintstonesQuote:
Originally Posted by Gadgeteer
I can just imagine the guy pumping the tillers and using his feet as support and something to push against all the while every time he pushed with his right foot he would halt any progress made by his arms
On a deeper dive it appears that the foot pegs are to add a bit of assist to the hand/arm power-application lever.
Braking is, probably, accomplished by use of the hand lever to the rear and side of the seat. Parking brake, too.
That would be the only way the thing could make any sense. much like the 2 man hand cars one guy pumps down while the other guy pulls up and vice versaQuote:
Originally Posted by Gadgeteer
why would you not employ your most powerful limbs while sitting down
Yeah, if it weren't for an independent braking system, I could see someone getting beat to death by the hand levers on a downhill run. Yikes!Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank S
This subject has renewed my interest in transforming my motorized recumbent bike into a rail bike for exploring the backcountry.
While researching info about the velocipedes I ran across this old photo of Annie Oakley, carrying an AR-15 in her backpack.
Jump to 1:40 to see it running. Lots of leg power as well as arm power.
(This first photo is from way up the evolution of personal rail vehicles.)
https://youtu.be/WMAN52azAr8
I have an exercise machine rigged up like that. Foot rests on pivot attached to the handlebars. The handlebars/feed raise and lower the seat with a car shock to add resistance. So, the bigger you are the more you have to work.
On display at the Saskatchewan Railway Museum.
Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...m_fullsize.jpg
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...way_museum.jpg
Something wrong with the way this one is set up. There is a foot peg on the near side for the left foot but the arm to the outrigger wheel is directly in the way of that foot peg. In the two following pics (from the opposite side) you can see the attachment point of the outrigger is back with the arm angling forward from the main frame and no "stabilizer" rod. Looks like the arm in the first photo should be flipped and attached where that rod is mounted?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon
Also, not sure how much "coast" you would have? Looks to be direct gear drive to me.
Perhaps the paint worn off of the angular support rod is evidence that the left foot peg was not used, since the left foot was placed on the rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoosiersmoker
Hmmm, no seat belts on the bench. But, it does look like there is a foot brake for each pedaler, and seat-retention cables for the pedalers' seats. Also, there are front bumpers, just in case a large animal is encountered, while rolling down the track. It appears that the pedals are in sync, so that the people providing propulsion apply force in tandem.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon
But who steers? :)
The man, of course!Quote:
Originally Posted by jdurand