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User Pic by X7123M3-256
Clock Jul 05 2017 04:24 PM
Views 1211
Comments 14

  • SCM and YolosweggLord like this

Something I've been experimenting with
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Description I was wondering if there was a way to build Knex track with a narrower gauge than the standard SS, and this is what I came up with.

Granted, it has some serious drawbacks - not least of which is that there's very little room for any upstop wheels, so a ride utilizing this track might have to do without or rely on flanged guide wheels instead. Nonetheless, I thought it looked quite nice. I've been thinking of trying to build something with it, but I'd have to dismantle my S&S layout to do so.

 Comments 14 Comments
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KirbyCoast

That's looks pretty cool. I don't know much about SS but would it work to have the track transition from normal structure to this? Kind of like how Gerstlauer rides start out with the stronger tri spine track and then go to the more basic no spine track when there isn't as much stress on it.

  • Jul 05 2017 04:34 PM
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X7123M3-256

You couldn't transition from normal SS track to this - this track is slightly narrower, and the connectors do not leave sufficient clearance for the SS wheel assemblies.

 

But you can vary the strength of it quite a bit, since you can have anything from zero to four flexi-rods threaded through. I haven't actually tried to build a layout with this track (indeed, I haven't built a train to run on it), so I don't know how practical that is or if it would be beneficial.

  • Jul 05 2017 04:50 PM
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sean9782
You could try to widen the gauge a bit by adding orange tubing splices to the sides of the half moons. This looks really cool though, maybe it'd work for a kiddie coaster, or something small.
  • Jul 05 2017 07:06 PM
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X7123M3-256

The orange connectors were used before. They look like they'd be useful, but I don't have any of them, let alone in those kind of quantities, so that design wouldn't work for me.

 

I don't think I'll use this track as is though - it looks cool but the lack of upstops would be seriously limiting. It's just something I was playing with. I might still explore alternative designs, but I'd quite like to finish my existing model first.

  • Jul 06 2017 06:16 AM
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FrIeDeGgS

That looks really nice! For upstop wheels you'd probably have to break off half of that part of the piece below where the tubing is connected, but that can be hard to do without breaking off the whole thing and you pretty much would have a ton of mis-shapen elbow connectors. You could make a side friction roller coaster with this though since those don't have upstop wheels, but you'd probably have to use legos (bleh) or something since there are no K'nex wheels I know of that are that small.

  • Jul 06 2017 01:39 PM
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X7123M3-256

I've been playing with this some more today. I've rearranged the track slightly, flipping the connectors upside down and putting the tubing on the other side. In my opinion, this is inferior both aesthetically and practically, but it has one advantage - I already have a car that can run on it. So I built a short layout, and uploaded a video here.

 

I found the track to be nice to build with- it's light and doesn't require as much support, and I do like the look of it. However, this version cannot work with any form of upstop. I did come up with a version that could, but it requires the right-angle connectors that I don't have too many of, and it's very weak and difficult to make smooth.

 

 

For upstop wheels you'd probably have to break off half of that part of the piece below where the tubing is connected

 

That would work, but even a small model built with these would use up all my half moon connectors (this prototype uses every one that isn't currently on my other model), so I'm not doing that. I don't like modifying Knex parts permanently, as I don't have masses of them.

 

No upstop wheels is limiting, but there's plenty I could still do with it. I think it would work nicely on a wooden coaster layout, or a Schwarzkopf looper.

 

 you'd probably have to use legos (bleh) or something since there are no K'nex wheels I know of that are that small.

 

I'm not planning on using Knex wheels for this. The wheels I'm using are closely based on the ones found on CD models. They're made from aluminium and the axles taper to a point, so the contact area between the wheel and housing is tiny. This results in very low friction, which is perfect for a coaster model.

  • Jul 06 2017 04:51 PM
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FrIeDeGgS

I actually like the way that looks! It seems like it loses a lot of speed on turns though. Would love to see close-up pictures of the car you're using if you make a full coaster with this!

  • Jul 06 2017 05:16 PM
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frank

Hmm I think I've seen this somewhere,

 

1 Hour Later,

 

Here it is the SECRET PICTURE well not really. 

 

http://www.dutchdeta.../strshp_002.jpg

 

focus on the upper part,

 

this was made by Maxlaam from this thread,

 

http://www.sscoaster...erer-starshape/

 

that's all from me.

  • Jul 06 2017 05:58 PM
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X7123M3-256

It seems like it loses a lot of speed on turns though.

 

 

It does, but it's an older prototype. The wheel housings were made from aluminium rather than plastic (because I falsely assumed it would have lower friction - the reverse is actually true), and I didn't do a very good job of it. However, it was used for this test because it fit the track and the newer one doesn't.

 

Would love to see close-up pictures of the car you're using if you make a full coaster with this!

 

I've uploaded some pictures here. I was thinking of making a thread in the CD section for this, but I doubt anybody would be interested at this stage - all I have are these test cars, and CD doesn't seem to be very popular here.

 

 

 


Here it is the SECRET PICTURE well not really. 

 

http://www.dutchdeta.../strshp_002.jpg

 

 

Cool - I knew I'd seen at least one model with a custom track style before but I hadn't seen that one  - do you have any more pictures of it?

  • Jul 06 2017 06:16 PM
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frank

Sorry but I don't have any more pics...

 

unless... 

 

nvm.

  • Jul 06 2017 08:30 PM
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BGTKing

It seems to work quite well to me based on the video. Seem to have a decent bit of inertia with the weight of them.

  • Jul 07 2017 06:39 AM
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X7123M3-256

Today I decided to try another test. It's the same track system, but with a vertical loop. This car requires quite a large drop to get through the loop, but I think that's mostly because it's losing speed too quickly.

  • Jul 07 2017 12:53 PM
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YolosweggLord
This looks crazy, ambitious, but definitely awesome. It's great seeing that the ingeinuity you've shown in your RCT2 experiments being used in K'nex projects.
  • Jul 09 2017 09:33 PM
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X7123M3-256

Well, I've taken my other coaster down now so I'm pretty sure I'm going to construct something with this, but I'm not exactly sure what. The lack of room for upstops is severely limiting in terms of what I can build with this track style, and I have another Knex related idea which may or may not prove easier to realize.

  • Jul 10 2017 03:48 AM

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