Vukcan didn't begin building electric mine locomotives until approx 1915. This unit predates that era.

_________________
Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

That locomotive is cool but why use side rods. when every thing els is geared?

LOOK WHO IS BACK ON

OK that is a simple one. Take a good look at. That thing is on 18" gauge track probably. No room for an axle mounted traction motor since it has outside mounted wheels plus take into account for the cast frame.

You can not have gearing going directly from the axle to a ridgid mount traction motor as the spring in the axle goes up & down the gears will seperate. The only other way around that is to have a chain drive that gives as the axle moves from a ridgid mount motor. I also highly doubt those motors are original to that unit. It may have had a high horsepower single motor. Those side rods have had to lok really wild looking at the crosshead mechanism.

_________________
Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

hey thats a good point, pete. the three rotational axes do not lie in the same horizontal plane-the intermediate shaft lies above the centerline of the wheel axles. if you think about it, solid siderods would never work-the mechanism would bind. so the so the siderods have to have something interesting going on mechanically, like a vertical slot, to allow the crankpin's vertical motion to differ from that of the two wheel crankpins.

now i saw an actual picture of the complete locomotive, in the museum at this site, with siderods on the locomotive, so i know it had siderods. i didn't think about this issue at the time and look the picture close enough to see what the siderods looked like-i should have taken a picture of the picture.

this will be interesting to find out. i can't imagine why they would have done something so complex...

_________________
-Thou shalt not little vein-

I'm thinking there was a main rod to one axle and a side rod to both axles.

_________________
I don't have all the answers.
I don't even know all the questions!

I don't think the crank pins are long enough to do that

_________________
Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

It is definitely a strange beast. Is it possible that there was a crank pin on the side rod? Or can it be determined if the counter shaft pin and the wheel pins align?

_________________
I don't have all the answers.
I don't even know all the questions!

I think john is right. the side rod must have had a vertical slot in it.

Exactly. I have a picture that was just emailed to me from a fellow miner on the forum from New Zealand of this unit as it was in operation in Colorado. I will post it soon but still difficult to see those rods.

_________________
Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

nice eric, where is that?

_________________
Come over to the Dark Side....... We have Cookies!

Not sure exactly but its somewhere down ny Hazleton...Schuykill area

the third motor at Seldom Seen. not sure who manufactured it or where it came from. it is bigger (and heavier) than the other two. the 'truss' on either side of the motor work with the small wheels on the bottom of the battery box to make it easy to change battery boxes.

_________________
-Thou shalt not little vein-

Derailment at the Seldom Seen.... cant imagine who did this...

Here is the historic image of the mystery side ron mine locomotive. This was sent to me via email from Chris in New Zealand. Thanks Chris


Argo Mills Idaho Springs, Colorado

_________________
Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.