# Gear boxes



## Moder (Jan 20, 2012)

Greetings All!

Hope to find some help here, I'm searching for a right angle gear box, single input, duel output, either a 30:1 ratio or a 50:1 ratio. I have two different motors, not sure which I want to use but both are very large compared to the original one that came in a Bachmann 4-6-0 Steamer. 

I'm a machinist so "making the fit" will be fun, not a problem! The gear box itself must be no larger than 30mm wide X 70mm tall. 

Needless to say, I'd like to keep cost down, since this is an "experiment". 

Any ideas out there?

Thanks


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Maybe something from Micromark? ...

http://www.micromark.com/SearchResult.aspx?deptIdFilter=0&searchPhrase=gearbox

I thought about McMaster-Carr, but I don't think they stock gearboxes that small.

TJ


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## Moder (Jan 20, 2012)

Thanks for the reply, it's appreciated!

I've checked the link that has been suggested and there are some possibilities there, but what I'm looking for should be a bit more "robust"? In other words metal gears, running in a lubrication bath of some sort. 

McMaster - Carr is a wonderful resource that I've used many times in the past, they're known to carry most anything, but for a price.... If you've looked in a Grainger catalog lately, they have displaced them in the price category.

One link I did run across is an outfit near NYC called "rhino", now they have some very nice items, but just a bit more than I want to spend on an "experiment" right now, but may be forced to go that route if nothing else is found.

I have two Pittman motors to chose from (and would actually like to try both at one time or another) and they are both LARGE compared to the OEM motor that came with the Locomotive.

I'm hoping to achieve a 153 +/- wheel speed RPM. The one motor in question turns 8700 RPM and to achieve the goal speed it would have to be reduced by a 56:1 ratio, or as close as I could get to that. 
The other turns 3700 rpm and to hit the target goal of 153 RPM, it needs a 24:1 ratio.

The target ratio is based upon the stock gearing with stock motor, 65:1 with a 10,000 RPM motor.

The ultimate goal is to have something more reliably, that can pull a line of cars and negotiate an incline doing it.

Now being a machinist, most of the fun will be fitting the parts together. I'm aware there are people out there that do this type of thing professionally, and do an excellent job. But with all due respect to them, I'm just not interested in a "drop in" solution.

Any other thoughts or ideas would be most welcome, and the end result, even if it's a burning hulk on the track in front of a line of RR cars, would be appreciated!


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## jbram (Mar 8, 2012)

Try looking at www.smallparts.com 

lots of idea inspiring bits and pieces.

john


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## Moder (Jan 20, 2012)

*gearboxes*

Thanks for the link, looked it up and they had some interesting things there...

Some time had passed since I posted the original request and I have almost completed a gearbox, just have to finish up the lubrication system. 

I bought a set of gears from Rhino and if I remember correctly they were about $70, but worth it, excellent quality. The gears are a 40:1 reduction and the casing I built is brass, everything rides on bearings. I've also installed trust bearings on the input shaft also to keep it from walking. 

With the time investment, I wanted to be sure there was as little a chance of failure as possible, so it will have a pumped oil lubrication system. The pump will be a plunger type with check valves driven off the back of main Pittman drive motor, this way it will pump oil if the motor is in forward or reverse. 

After a brief run in, I had it running on the bench and tried to stop the assembly by grabbing hold of the wheel axle..... big mistake! It about took the skin off my fingers and hardly slowed down...

If someone would be kind enough to tell me how to post pictures, I'll do so.

Everything here is stopping temporarily, going in for back surgery this week, so it may take a while to get this together....


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Glad to hear of the gearbox progress. Watch those digits, though ... make sure you start with 10, and end with 10!

Info to post pics, here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=2595

Quick summary:

Down below, click Go Advanced. There, Paper Clip icon to launch new window. There, Browse to your photos on your computer, then Upload to here.

Keep photo size under 1600x1200 ... 1000x800 or so is better.

That will attach pic(s) as a clickable link.

Once you've done that, you can also embed the pic(s) so we can see them directly in the post. Summary here:

HERE A QUICK REFRESHER LESSON ON HOW TO EMBED YOUR PHOTOS DIRECTLY IN YOUR POSTS ...

Once you've loaded an image, click on the little pic icon in the post. That will open the image in its own window. Highlight the full URL address of the image and Ctrl-C copy it to the clipboard. Then, back in your post, use the "little mountain icon" to Ctrl-V paste that URL address between "image tags". (Windows may prompt you to "allow scripted windows". If so, click the header bar to allow that.) Once done, we'll see the image directly in your post ... much easier than having to click on a bunch of little icons.

The "image tags" add a little code before and after the URL address of the photo, like this...










Regards,

TJ


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