Oil Column
This was a fall-off-a-log simple project that popped into my head well into building the White River & Northern X. I've no idea why I hadn't thought of it before, but the fuel oil column (background, below) could easily be animated to swing out over the locomotive and back.
First, I replaced the lower two-thirds of the casting with brass tubing. Then I drilled a hole in the bottom of the remaining casting and bonded a rod in place.
To the other end of the rod I attached a small styrene lever, which I linked to a crank on a geared motor with brass wire. The action is triggered by pushbutton; it has no index, so it must be stopped by eye.
I completed the project in about 90 minutes on the morning of 23 June 2021.
|
|
The oil column currently resides on the Where She Sleeps diorama.
|
|