North Carolina Transportation Museum
Train Wheel Steering Exhibit
North Carolina Transportation Museum
Train Wheel Steering Exhibit
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Train Wheel Steering Exhibit
I donated my 3D-printed wheel / track designs and consulting time to The North Carolina Transportation Museum and we turned it into an awesome kid-friendly museum exhibit! To this day I am still so excited that this exhibit is teaching folks about dynamic train concepts, all inspired by our original work.
Photos of the completed exhibit!
Exhibit guide in full detail.
Many trains perform most of their mild to sharp curve steering using a tapered wheel - imagine how a coffee cup doesn't roll totally straight on a table.
A Tale of Two Wheels
A Tale of Two Wheels
Notice how the right-side wheel's flange (in orange) makes constant rubbing contact with the rail through the curve, and how the entire axle does not stay perpendicular to the curve (left wheel makes more forward progress than right wheel due to steering issues).
When wheels aren't tapered for steering, this wheel flange ends up being the only thing keeping the train on the tracks - resulting in high wheel & rail wear, unpleasant noise, and many other issues!
This wheel was intentionally designed without a flange to show that healthier steering can be achieved through wheel taper instead of flange contact!
Tyler with Trains Magazine and I walk through the display at its first big break in Montreal, at the 2017 Wheel Rail Interaction (WRI) conference.
In my defense, this was the first and only take!
From humble beginnings...
From humble beginnings...
This exhibit began as a demonstration for WRI's annual Principles Course Seminar, which was one of my first tasks working with WRI and Advanced Rail Management.
More information on the WRI annual seminar can be found here:
https://www.wheel-rail-seminars.com
Adding epoxy to one of the first sets of wheels for additional strength and to smooth surface finish
Some of the very first 3D-printed prototypes, fabricated at Melbourne, Florida's Space Coast FabLab
An earlier design with threaded hub to allow for quick tread replacement for live demos
Wyman Jones and I setting up the first demo at the 2017 WRI conference in Montreal!
Chatting with some Chicago Transit Authority folks at the 2018 WRI Conference
Toni was looking dangerous with the drill!
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