BUCYRUS ERIE 50-B

STEAM SHOVEL

Part six - making tracks - by Alberto Celot

The work continued with the construction of the lower part (Truck Frame) equipped with the crawler tracks. The tracks are very complex, as are the traction wheels. After examining the various possibilities for their manufacture, such as casting or rapid prototyping, I opted for milling from solid, which ensures maximum strength and quality.

I used a company to make the wheels and other pieces, all made in C40 steel by milling from solid; the grey colour is due to blasting.

Let's start with the tracks: there are 56 pieces, 28 on each side:













The tracks are driven by the driving wheels via two hubs which are inserted manually. The photo shows the drive wheel and hub with a track piece:

One of the four supports for the intermediate drive shafts of the wheels:
As for the frame, it is robust and made by welding pieces of rectangular tube 3 mm thick. The 3mm iron support plates will be set above and below. The dimensions of the frame are: 430x211x40 mm. Here's a picture before assembly:
I finished Truck Frame and tested it successfully. The weight is 36.4 kg, a good guarantee for stability of the completed model.
Two images of the drive wheel and the wheel connected to the axis of the tensioner:












The two pictures that follow show the toothed coupling which couples the drive wheel to the motor shaft. In the first image the joint is in the disengaged position, while in the second it is in the engaged position.

The manual lever that is seen serves both to help the coupling, and to lock the coupling once engaged.













The four photos below show the underside, the gear transmission and the stretcher’s axis which can slide on the guide rails and be locked in the correct position to ensure the correct tension on the tracks.

The motor axis is driven by the Main Engine; the total reduction ratio of the gears is of 25.7.


Part one   part two   part three   part four   part five  part six  part seven  Part eight

part nine   part ten   part eleven  part twelve  Conclusion


 




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