Budget DIY Moving Car System For Your Model Railroad. Part 1 - Proof Of Concept. 

You really need a geared motor. PS the 3 point turn when you changed polarity was excellent!

For the tension use one of the jockeys fixed inside the chain run by a weak spring attached to the board. You would need a U shaped bracket to attach to the jockey with enough room for the chain to run through it. I appreciate a drawing at this point would be useful…

You're doing what I have been thinking about for a while now. Recently, at the ventura train show, I saw a working concept of using a TV screen to imitate moving water with moving boats. I like your idea for the roads, but wear and tear on the road (let alone the autos) is something I consider as well. (I should add, the boats on the TV screen were actual models attached to a rolling motorized frame that was guided by an optic that followed a moving blank spot on the screen...it was pretty cool)

I did something similar with jockey wheels and a short chain with a control knob(wood disc) and used it to operate a scratchbuilt turntable. I admire your spirit of adventure. You always demonstrate the fun available by this hobby. Thank you.

Fumbling with making a comment, as they said in the movie ‘the graduate.. “plastic!”…. In this case if (big if) they make a Teflon tape that’s reasonably priced that might be solution to the chain friction issue.

I made a similar system a few years ago. I used a Takanawa 555 gear motor geared to around 40RPM. The 555 motor comes with a slotted shaft and is a direct fit for a jockey wheel. Simply screw in a small self tapper on the inside of the jockey wheel hole to fit in the slot. That way, it only turns with the motor. Also, those metal washer things on the jockey wheel - remove the bottom one. That way, the wheel sits at a better height on the base board without the teeth fouling the chain. I had one jockey wheel at one end, and another one at the other, to give a long loop. It gives the impression of two way traffic if you hide the turns at each end. Next i used some 10mm thick XPS board to build the road level up to chain height. You need to use 1mm thick magnets glued at your preferred spacings on top of the chain. 1mm card was then used as a road surface. Don't fix magnets directly to cars, because you're forcing the whole car down onto the road with too much magnetic pressure - make some 'sliders' similar to the Magnorail ones. That way the car just sits on the top under it's own weight. The whole system worked very well at a fraction of the cost of Magnorail. I intend to build another one into my next layout.

I felt like for a homemade magna rail and a first try it done a really good job.

That is FANTASTIC! That really works well! Thanks for sharing!

loved the different idea. i think if you use either bigger gears, or maybe 2 or 3 smaller gears to build a turn, that the cars will follow much better. or a much stronger magnet that really grabs on. Last idea would be to fix steering weels as the car now only wants to go in a straight line. ow and build in a speed reduction in some way as you dont need the full amount of RPM from the motor.

All my respect from the far Greece. Bravo again.

Dave fantastic works great

Nice work mate. Always been a fan of engineering my own solution to stuff and this looks like it'll work well. Looking forward to the Mk2. Ben.

Great concept. Maybe some strips of aluminium foil or waxed paper glued to the board under the chain will reduce the friction and noise? I think using tension to raise the chain will put too much pressure on the sprockets and you'll get other issues.

Brilliant !!! good work. I liike your videos. Thank you!

I have designed something for my Christmas village people somewhat similar about 8 years ago. Today I gave perfected my system. Instead of vehicles I use people. It has taken me a long time and my any versions to perfect it. Mine is dead silent much easier to put together.

very cool Dave

I have magnarail it a great system and it has everything you need start with cheap system add as you need 😉

I saw a video of a guy making this 3 years before Don did his, but it wasn't in English. But easy to follow

Use a plastic / pvc U channel as a chain guide gives less friction & noise reduction 😊

This will work better for o scale since it’s bigger and heavier. Gives me great ideas. Well done thank you

Love your creativity!!!! 🙌🏽 this is going to be amazing when it’s done!! 💕

I know you will IMPROVE this idea, and will be interested to see your Solution. As Scotsmen are PROFICIENT in Solving Situations. THANK YOU for Inspiring me with this for my layout.

So, if you shim up the chain, so its not touching anything, add extra jockey wheels, as has been suggested as sprung jockey wheel to add tension. Think derailleur. Make longer chains with soft links. Excellent proof of concept.

Fantastic‼️ Better with reduction. But you definitely have the idea

try a motor with a gearbox. It will give you more torque at lower rpm

Very interesting concept, I'm impressed with your ingenuity!

I’m doing this for a HO scale dark ride. My loop is comically smaller, and only 3 chain sprockets. My biggest issue is what to use as a ride car… The foam idea, with magnets, seems like a great option. But, I would use some sort of guide to make sure to keep everything on track.

Great bit of ingenuity from a fellow Scot. Cheers Euan

Great intro! Love all your intros actually. This is absolutely incredible. Great job. Seems to work well. All you have to do now is figure out how the car makes a right turn. Lol.

I was thinking, these tiny motors could push a car along an under-road coat hanger wire with a mgnet on the front to guide small cars. The cars could be looped through random routs and drive into a garage for rechsrging a small onboard battery.

Nice one!💯✌️

Sounds interesting...

Hi Mate, You may want to try with geared( with Reduction gear) motor so that you will get more realistic slow speed operation and better speed control.

Great video, love the concept. Cheers

Fabulous, well done

For those that do not know what 'uncanny' means, it means not tinned.

To use a smaller geared motor and Is a belt. If you're concerned about slippage you can always use a tooth belt and tooth gears. The point is a built's not gonna make the noise and a gear reduction. Small motor is gonna be much quieter than a larger motor running at low speed.

You have inspired me with your video, I am going to try this idea with plastic chain, and sprockets. Trouble is I am not up on electrics, so what motor is best and what mains controller do I need. Thanks Dave

I work for a company where some units use chain drives and the chain has a gutter type support to keep the chain level on unsupported areas.

A belt would me quieter, but I don't know how well a magnet could be attached to it.

Great explanation, thanks!

Lol back to the drawing board reduction gear for motor drive so motor spins in better running range and larger sprockets for chain corners so the transistion in direction is more gradual and as you pontificated a less resitant surface for chain to run on lol or plastic chain ... also properly mounted motor so its driving square to chain ... great idea needing more developement ... but also given an addition for my Z guage coffee table railway lol thumbsup for your efforts

Nice work Dave, just a thought when placing the magnets on the cars try to make the magnets level with the bottom of the tyers of the car and some kind of C channel to run the track in, I think as a tensioner I would just elongate one of the corner holes ? and maybe some form of lub as in INKOX may help ? ( something that won't affect the plastic channel) Cheers Mark

OH NO NONO you must have the curve of the wire follow the direction you turn the screw to tighten( clockwise) watch the black wire install but atleast your timmies order was correct

Nice A4 cabrio!

sorry sir , I tried to add something from your wishlist but it produced an error. Can't a glaswegian Buy a fellow glaswegian sumit fae Canadian Amazon?

Advice: At 12:40 - When attaching a wire to a screw connection - wrap the wire CLOCKWISE around the screw so it pulls the wire into the screw rather than pushing it out as you tighten it!

Looking good so far! Did you ever do part 2 are you coming to the port hope show this month?

Use an idler

Bravo Bravo Bravo🎉

I can see illegal drag racing starting soon

🎉🎉🎉🎉👋

You can install a tensioner

Dear Scott, cool experiment, proof of concept already achieved. Humbly think you’ll need a channel on both sides of the chain. Just enough to keep the steel pins of the chain from touching the wood. Next to that, am also wondering if such a channel can provide support for the motion of the chain with less cog wheels? Maybe even with some bearings adjusted to the height of the chain. Anyhow, love this project. Looking forward to your next episode. Cheerio

Beautiful, well done

You need a motor with reduction, so It have more force than speed, your motor is the opposite, it have more speed than force.

Ducting. Alternate cuts to curve Lego do a plastic chain Extra cog on slider to act as tensioner Glue magnets onto chain too

Cool video!

been trying to work this out in 0 scale

Nice idea, a lower ratio geared motor might help make it run smoother. Like the idea that the vehicle can be placed anywhere along the chain. I have used a plastic chain with magnets glued at various points. I found that by using clear acetate strips under the chain it reduced noise and friction. I also use sleds with pins which slot into different vehicles.

Love the plan, looking good.

Congratulation. You’ll get it figured out. 🎉🎉

Might be worth using the sort of channelling that is used for routing electric cables as your plastic base for the chain. Works for me! Greetings from Portugal.

I always wondered why I was saving a bicycle chain in my mechanics tool box for over 45 years. Lol. How about duck tape strips under the traveling chain to quiet it down. Need a thinner top material

What you could do for pulling the car along is a method similar to actual magnet rail track. They use a a little copper strip with the end turned up to put the car on and thin magnets on copper strip, not attached to the car. Making the copper strips would be easy. Just take a piece of solid copper wire from 14 gauge house wire and hammer it out flat. You might get 2 pieces from the same length strip of wire.

Hi, amazing work chap, but i just thought, have you ever tried lego chain systen and gears?? Take care and have a great day!

Foam double sided tape holding malamine strips down may do the trick. Rub a candle on the malamine to act as a lube. The chain may run better then.

Add a little spring chain tensioner to take up the slack

You need a real sprocket, those are just designed for keeping chains straight not torque.

hi ,you could try a spring loaded bracket from the motor to a piece wood under the chain.

LIke the concept..waiting to see how it develops

An excellent proof of concept Dave, it works, fine tuning to go, but I'm sure you'll nail it when it comes to putting it on your layout. All the best. Brian @ The Angels

You need reduction gears to run smooth mate.

Thanks for you video. I had the same idea a few years ago having seen magnorail and have been searching for a plastic chain, bit like lego use , but as yet no results. I was to be using a geared motor with a 1-2 mm pvc foam road bed 😊 Dave

A freaking genus idea! Everything on my layout will be moving!!🤣

Yup you've been here long enough double double and a Boston cream lol😂

Part 2?

That pretty cool 🤠

What a fun video and great idea!!! All Sub'd up, looks like a great channel! -Ken

where to get chain and gears?

Dave maybe you can make some C channel with the plastic making machine and then put some lubricant into it to quiet it down a bit????

Maybe the tension piece off of a bicycle would help take the tension up don’t know if it would be to big though???

Is it just me or what? does he look like Tucker from Grange hill, ?

Strong southern accent you have. Must be from Alabama.

Magnorail lawyers…………Cease and desist sir!

It good but by the time ⏲️ you spend the time and money 💰 to do that you could order a magnarail system from the states with all of the stuff you need in the box 📦 it would be about the same price or cheaper less headache