Animated icing platform - 2
and figured it would accommodate a removable icing platform
standing above it. But how does the ice get up there?
Atlas-O makes a very handsome icing platform kit (A-6905), but
it stretches 37” long, too long for the space I have. It also has a
non-working conveyor belt from a lower platform and I wanted
a working conveyor. I considered kit-bashing the structure to
make it fit my layout, but then decided that I could do better.
I would make an animated conveyor, up to my custom-made
icing platform, to be placed over my existing wooden loading
dock. I decided to make the icing platform and conveyor belt
separate, removable pieces for flexibility in use of my layout.
I have not used small motors for animated layout scenes
before so I began investigating my options. I came across Al
Margolis, at Hobby Engineering, in nearby South San Francisco.
After describing my wishes to him, Al suggested a small kit by
4: I used the Tamiya track & wheel set shown as the
starting point for the ice conveyor.
4
Tamiya which can be assembled to give one of four different
gear ratios and runs on 3 volts DC. He also recommended a
track and wheel set by the same company, with a rubber tank
tread and sprocket wheels that fit on the motor shaft, making a
fine conveyor belt. Adding a holder for two AA batteries and a
switch, I was set to give it a try (3 and 4).
While studying the various sizes of treads to be snapped
together in various combinations, I decided that one large and
two medium-sized treads could make a conveyor belt about
6” long. I cut two Plastruct 3/8” H beams 5-1/2” long and
drilled four 1/8” holes in each of them to hold axles. I used the
3: The Tamiya 4-speed gearbox that is the heart of the
working conveyor.
3
MRH-Aug 2013
