# Track inspection car



## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

I am sure that many of you have seen and or used a clear plastic track inspection car. I have found it to be very useful when try to figure out why the turnouts are not working correctly. It provides an opportunity to see how the trucks and wheels are performing as the car moves through the turnout.

Over the weekend, I put one together and thought it might be of interest to the new folks on the site.

I used 1/8” thick clear plastic cut to the size of a 40' boxcar (length and width). I added to small 1/8” thick strips on the underside as the bolsters for the trucks. Then I added some trucks with wheels.
I had found a clear plastic clip board that was 1/8” thick and used that as my material.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Neat idea, never thought of that. 

In a similar vein, we did make a 21" wooden board car at our club that is used to simulate a 90' passenger car. If that makes it through the curves without hitting, the passenger cars will to.


----------



## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

John....that is a great idea to run a wooden board car to simulate 90' passenger car to make sure you have enough clearance. Might be a thought, due to increasing car lengths (greater than 40'), to run a wooden board car to ensure clearance.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We only thought of it after one of the club members brought his 21" cars and hi-centered on one of the curves. That's then the idea was born.


----------



## aircooled (Jan 28, 2013)

VG idea Carl.
I take it you run this around by hand?


----------



## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Yes, by hand.

If I may, I would like to expanded on John's point. We build a layout and then as time goes on, the manufacture's provided us with longer freight and passengers cars. So we rush out and buy them, but maybe they require larger radius curves and find that out after we place the new car on the layout. I would suggest, for your consideration, that if you have a concern about new car performing on your layout (overhang, etc.), make a model of the new car you have in mind(cars with and length), maybe use heavy cardboard, thin sheet of plastic, or 1/32" thick balsa wood sheet. Mount some trucks with wheels and push it around the layout to see how it will perform in the curves.

Just my thought.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You can do what we do on the club layout, we tow it with a locomotive. You can't reach all the places easily, so it's a lot easier to tow it around and just watch. I'd also make it about 1/8" wider than the largest car you want to run. On a final point, keep in mind the pivot point of the trucks, they aren't all the same.


----------



## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Carl great idea, I really could have used that a few times allready. I will be making one in the future. Thanks for sharing the idea!


----------

