Funicular goods railway - help!!
Discussion
t - how wrong was I about the chain!! 
The funicular looks fantastic and I wish you the very best of luck getting it working.
I have only scanned the thread, and it is hard to tell from pictures alone but is there no option to build a road up to the house? Normally I would believe inclines that steep are beyond what is suitable for a car.
However my recent holiday in Lake Como I was amazed to see some of the private roads they have built to get access to land that to a lot if us would be completely unsuitable for building on. The place where we stayed involved a fair bit of commitment in 1st gear to get up and if you stopped, it involved reversing to the bottom and starting again. With practice over the week it became 2nd nature and completely normal.
That's enough of my ramblings. I'd prefer to see you get it working but if you draw a blank, maybe a bunch of Italians could provide the solution
I have only scanned the thread, and it is hard to tell from pictures alone but is there no option to build a road up to the house? Normally I would believe inclines that steep are beyond what is suitable for a car.
However my recent holiday in Lake Como I was amazed to see some of the private roads they have built to get access to land that to a lot if us would be completely unsuitable for building on. The place where we stayed involved a fair bit of commitment in 1st gear to get up and if you stopped, it involved reversing to the bottom and starting again. With practice over the week it became 2nd nature and completely normal.
That's enough of my ramblings. I'd prefer to see you get it working but if you draw a blank, maybe a bunch of Italians could provide the solution
eliot said:
oliverhanmer said:
Yes I took the motor to a specialist who told me it couldn't be fixed.
And what couldn't be fixed about it? Considered getting a 2nd opinion?Have you had a Google of Bridgenorth's Funi railway?
That motor doesn't look too bad from the outside but I would of thought it could be re-wound and repaired, I on average send 3 or 4 away per week to be rebuilt, it is usually only the atex rated stuff that is beyond repair. Also that motor looks very much like one that you would find on a large roller shutter door, single phase brake motor. I would be wary of using a 3 phase 240/415v motor with an inverter as you will need a single phase brake, the 3 phase motors usually use a little half wave rectifier for the dc brake and it will not work with single phase.
You may be able to find a similar motor and fit the brake off the old one to the new one, depending on how much you want to spend you can also go to any good motor specialist and spec exactly what you want and they will build it for you. Make sure you keep the pinion off the old motor shaft or you will be stuffed and end up having to get a new gearbox if you lose it or pay for a new gear to be cut. Good luck with the project.
You may be able to find a similar motor and fit the brake off the old one to the new one, depending on how much you want to spend you can also go to any good motor specialist and spec exactly what you want and they will build it for you. Make sure you keep the pinion off the old motor shaft or you will be stuffed and end up having to get a new gearbox if you lose it or pay for a new gear to be cut. Good luck with the project.
dickymint said:
eliot said:
Fishtigua said:
When leccy motors are shagged, they're shagged. No coming back.
What scenario would it be shagged? surely the windings, brushes and bearings can all be replaced. So that leaves a cracked casing maybe?
It's surprising how much stuff is fixable if you have the time
The motor/box is an off-the-shelf unit as far as I can tell, the manufacturers still exist, there should be no issue getting direct replacement parts or a refurb.
I posted a possible address above. If that is defunct, you'll have to speak to foreigners, but I'm sure it can easily be fixed/replaced!
I posted a possible address above. If that is defunct, you'll have to speak to foreigners, but I'm sure it can easily be fixed/replaced!
Thanks again everyone. I am looking into getting the motor refurbished and have been put in contact with Robson and Francis rewinds.
I will have a better idea about what needs to be done when people with significantly more technical expertise than me have a look at all of this on Saturday. If I ignore anyone's question it is most likely that I don't understand it than me being rude! I will post more as and when I have anything interesting/useful to report.
I will have a better idea about what needs to be done when people with significantly more technical expertise than me have a look at all of this on Saturday. If I ignore anyone's question it is most likely that I don't understand it than me being rude! I will post more as and when I have anything interesting/useful to report.
oliverhanmer said:
Thanks again everyone. I am looking into getting the motor refurbished and have been put in contact with Robson and Francis rewinds.
Lol - I was reading their website last night in relation to this thread and thought they seemed like the perfect company for this - and hence why I wanted to know why it was consider repairable by the first people you tried.Hello All
Update as promised. An enormous thank you to PHers Phil and Mark for their time today and their diagnosis of the problem and proposals for the solution. Their assessment is that everything is fixable or replaceable and relatively easily so. The motor will be sent off to be rewound, new electrics, new chain for the track and various bits of wood and railway sleepers to secure the track and repair the engine room etc are needed. All of the machinery will be stripped and cleaned and painted.
The good news is that the gear box is in good working order and the braking system to stop the trolley careering down the tracks is functioning. The track too is solid. The chain mechanism whilst rusty is all working.
So all in all it's pretty positive. Next steps are to clear the track etc of any remaining vegetation and to have it jet washed to remove years of dirt and to get all the hardware ordered or repaired.
I'll send photos as work progresses and thanks again to you all and particularly Phil and Mark. They have been amazing. I'm sure that they will add their own comments to this thread, if they have anything technical to offer that might be of interest.
Update as promised. An enormous thank you to PHers Phil and Mark for their time today and their diagnosis of the problem and proposals for the solution. Their assessment is that everything is fixable or replaceable and relatively easily so. The motor will be sent off to be rewound, new electrics, new chain for the track and various bits of wood and railway sleepers to secure the track and repair the engine room etc are needed. All of the machinery will be stripped and cleaned and painted.
The good news is that the gear box is in good working order and the braking system to stop the trolley careering down the tracks is functioning. The track too is solid. The chain mechanism whilst rusty is all working.
So all in all it's pretty positive. Next steps are to clear the track etc of any remaining vegetation and to have it jet washed to remove years of dirt and to get all the hardware ordered or repaired.
I'll send photos as work progresses and thanks again to you all and particularly Phil and Mark. They have been amazing. I'm sure that they will add their own comments to this thread, if they have anything technical to offer that might be of interest.
Hello All. Sorry for the radio silence I've had a few things going on that has limited progress on the funicular. But just to provide a quick update - we reckon the motor might be ok - it has an electric brake that needs to be activated through the circuitry that operates the whole system. PHer Mark is working on repairing/ updating the board so we can test the motor. We will need new switches etc. Otherwise the motor will be sent off to be rewound. 125m of roller chain has been ordered as has a load of sleepers and timber to shore up the track and rebuild the roof of the engine room. PHer Phil has taken all of the metal work away to derust and repaint.
In terms of history we have been able to establish that the funicular was installed in 1995 by a specialist lift manufacturers. This is consistent with some of the views expressed in this thread about the motor and braking system.
I reckon therefore that in 2-3 weeks we will be good to go with reassembling it all and hopefully getting it working.
I am as ever hugely indebted to Phil and Mark for their expertise, time and efforts.
I'll keep you apprised of progress and will post pictures as we start to put the railway back together again.
In terms of history we have been able to establish that the funicular was installed in 1995 by a specialist lift manufacturers. This is consistent with some of the views expressed in this thread about the motor and braking system.
I reckon therefore that in 2-3 weeks we will be good to go with reassembling it all and hopefully getting it working.
I am as ever hugely indebted to Phil and Mark for their expertise, time and efforts.
I'll keep you apprised of progress and will post pictures as we start to put the railway back together again.
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