Looking for Wood Coaster Plans

I'm building a scale model wood coaster. Although I've already drawn blueprints from my own design based on a bunch of research, I can't seem to locate a real blueprint from any old (or new) wooden coaster. I'm interested in dimensions of the track and bents so if anyone know of how I can get some, email me at drector@rockclimbing.com

Thanks,

Dave

Dave- found some of the info. This is for older woodies but I imagine not much has changed with the exception of handrail height which seems to have gone up compared to older woodies.

Bents are 9' from outside to outside of the vertical 4"x6" (6x6 for Prior & Church rides). Vertical space between girt/sway/ribbon boards is 9' (no info on the size of the girt boards, maybe 2x6?) Ledgers are 4x12 and are 10' in length. Handrails are 2'10" above the top of the ledgers.

Track is seven to nine layers with the top two layers 2x12 and the rest 2x10(I am cheating and using 2x8 for greater 'fudge' factor on my model). Ties, 3 or 4, between the ledgers are 4x4s.

No info as the the width of foot boards or the size and spacing of the steps on the foot boards. On older rides it appears to only be 1' width and newer rides maybe 18" or so. Also no info on exact track gauge and to where on the 2x12s it is measured; I used 4' track gauge.

Hope this gets you a start

Jim Wolgamuth

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Jim Wolgamuth
WGCGTI

What scale are you building your model to Dave?

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Jim Wolgamuth
WGCGTI

That's an impressive amount of info, Jim. It will certainly come in handy when I start my model coaster. Would I be correct to assume the 10' ledgers would have to be increased in length depending on how drastically the track banks?

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-Vater
'These pretzels are making me thirsty.'
Take a ride...

Vater - had not thought of that but it makes sense that the length of the ledger would have to be longer if it is banked. Maybe the ledger should stick out 6" or 1' past the bents no matter what their length is. I believe the reason ledgers are wider than the bent is to keep the wood from splitting from the bolts that bolt the ledger to the bent, just a guess though.
I got some info on the gauge of the train cars but it is on my home computer so will dig it out and post it once I get home.

Jim
OW op

***Shameless plug for my model coaster***

http://hometown.aol.com/jimwolg/myhomepage/photo.html

Got my lift hill motor and gearbox in the mail last week. Getting some #25 roller chain and sprockets is next.

Jim Wolgamuth
Wolgamuth's Great Custom Gravity Toboggans International (WGCGTI)

Jim,

Thanks for all the info. I blew it and made my coaster 8' wide. I did use 9' and 10' on places where the clearance looked real bad so that should have been a clue. I had gotten all of the measurements from pictures but it was hard to tell the difference between 8' and 9'. I got all the other sizes right.

All of the walkways that I've looked at in pictures look to be 2x6s or 2x8s but that's still a guess.

Thanks again,

Dave

There were some for sale a while back on Ebay. I bought one of the Idora Wildcat. I think the company's website is blueprintking.com .

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Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

Jim,

Actually, I just remembered that my bents are 8' wide center to center so that's 8'6" to the outsides of my 6x6s. I guess I won't tear it down.

Now if I could only find a "safety envelope" measurements for the cars on the track to know what clearance I need for people sticking their arms out. I used a computer drawing program and took a good guess from my own measurements so I'm sure none of the peeps will break their arms:)

In the end, my coaster model will probably be more accurate than most even with the few minor deviations. I've seen so photos of models that were just not accurate at all for the structure, track gauge, etc... Jim, yours looks cool and huge! I wish I could make one at that scale. And with working cars too; awesome.

To the person who asked, my model is 1:48 scale.

Dave
*** This post was edited by drector 2/25/2003 3:54:14 PM ***

It's probably here, somewhere, but I didn't see it... I'm curious: How far apart are bents?

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I hear America screaming...

I believe bents are 9' apart also but not positive.

Here are some dimensions for train wheels that I got from a very nice gentleman.

Gauge of road wheels: 45-1/2" (center to center)
Upstop wheel gauge: 36-7/16" outer edge to outer edge
33" inner edge to inner edge
Road wheel: 9" x 2"
Guide wheel: 6.5" x 2.75"
Upstop wheel: 4" x 2.5"
Drawbars are 13-3/4" long

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Jim Wolgamuth
WGCGTI OW op

I used a magnifying glass to look at a coaster plan in one of the coaster books I have. Although the plan is a copy, the caption says it was copied from the original (by hand). It is clear in the picture that the width measurement of the bents is 8' center to center. Meaning that the center of the uprights are 8' apart. It is also shown in the plan that the bents are wider around the turns to allow for a larger safety envelope and that the track is offset from the center of the bents because of the banking.

Of course this is just for the one coaster and more modern ones or coasters that have more banking probably do use a wider bent for clearance.

With the wheel gauge mentioned above, I'll try to measure some photos. I've also got a bunch of emails out to people that I've fond on the web that supposedly have original plans. I'll post any info if I get it.

Maybe I'll just drive down to Santa Cruz and measure the coaster. I'm sure no one will mind if I pull out a few really long sticks with measurements so that I can reach the structure (or it may be easily accessible form the passage way under the coaster).

Dave

Dave - 8 foot would make sense as wood comes in standard lengths. Personally in the end I am just going for a good looking operating coaster and if it is a few inches off here and there there then so be it. You get it all done and it looks great I bet nobody will notice as even in the 1:22.5 scale I am building in 3 inch error is only .13 inches on the model.
Can I ask what book the plan is in? Saw a book with the Cyclone Racer plan in it.

Thanks
Jim Wolgamuth
OW op
*** This post was edited by JWolg 2/26/2003 2:38:45 PM ***

I think it was the cyclone racer. Can't remember the book. I'll look tonight. I have a bunch of books and they are all called coaster this, and coaster that... I found a copy of the Harry Traver book and although it had no measurements, the coaster layout drawing were nice to have.

For a good looking model, the distance makes little difference. I'm attempting to make my model as technically accurate as possible to what was done in the late 20s and what is done now (when the two match).

I saw your coaster picture. It looks real nice. I'd like to try a working model some time but the current model is probably going to take me another year to finish working just a few hours a week on it.

I'm not trying to be anal about getting plans to be 100% accurate. I'm mostly curious and would still love to have a set of plans just to have them. I'm into the mechanical engineering of things.

Dave