Build a Toy Train to Fight for What's Right

Step 11 Construct the Wheel Carriage

NOTE -- 3 photographs.

The wheel carriage must take great weights; the industrial world rides there. I used hardwood for the wheel carrriage -- in all honesty because I had a use for some scraps I had. But also -- the mahogany looks really nice when sanded; then I got the idea: don't paint it! And I didn't.

1. Measure for, design, and plan to "specs" (ha!) the wheel carriage. Make two for engine and carriage. Make it so that the wooden wheels will just fit UNDER the width of the flatbed that will come next. This is very trainlike.

2. Radius the ends to ride over obstacles to be found on any American carpet.

3. Drill holes for axle pins (after doing measuring/laying out stuff. I'm getting tired. You know what to do, or you have the will to figure it out if you came with me this far).

4. Sand the parts. Then roughen the areas to be glued with 40 grit sand paper or rasp.

5. Make the flatbed. Provide for a geometry that will let you attach the carriage to the engine and turn corners afterward. Said simply, taper the end of the carriage like a trailer tongue.

6. Drill holes in the flatbed to take long wooden pins and a rail to hold the stuffed animals sure to be loaded on the flatbed for adventure travel. Do this by first cutting rails, clamping the rails to the edge of the flatbed, then drill through both at once (mark which side is which on the rails so holes will match well). Later you will thrust the long wooden pins through the rails and glue them, then thrust that assembly into the carriage bed holes, glue, and adjust it all before glue sets.

7. Glue wheel carriage to flatbed. Let dry.

8. Re-drill wheel axle holes to insure they will spin easily on the axle pins (some will, some won't). (Note to self: it is axle, not axel. Do the Brits spell it axel? Half my spelling comes from Brits, the other half from Yanks; life is hard).

9. Glue in the axel/axle pins to the wheel carriage but not wheel to axle.

10. Get that lawn chair, brew pot of coffee, and sit by the project, turning the wheels every 15 minutes for the next 6 hours to make sure glue did not get in the wheel holes.

11. Let me know if you did step 10 as I said or discovered a better way that ensured the same good results. Just curious.