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About to embark on another Epic Road Trip....

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Well everyone, Leaving Saturday Morning for California.

I will of course be doing one of my Road Trip Videos :) Another long one, this one will be interesting...

I purchased a Steam Locomotive, that was build during the Great Depression from a man in Phelan, CA. So Me, my boys, Kalvin, and possibly one other person will be doing a cross country trek to arrange shipping of the loco.

Some stops include: Mt. Rushmore, Winterpark CO, Grand Junction CO, Las Vegas (Need to pay for the Loco some how) and a stop just to see the Hawthorne Supercharger. Will update progress, with another feature length video when completed.

I will also be adding about 19 Superchargers to my Supercharger Travel website.
 
Wow. How do you "ship" a steam locomotive? On a special flatbed rail car? And what are your plans for it?

I am building a special pallet for it. It's not a full size loco, it is 15" gauge, so what you would find at amusement parks. I wanted to tow it home with my MS, but the weight is just too high.
Trucking Company it is then. I built the pallet, cut it in half, and have a method of strongly re-attaching the halves, so that way I can bring the pallet with me from Milwaukee.

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Neat! Add some Pics of the Locomotive when you get a chance.
Sure will. It is in VERY rough condition. Hasn't been run in 40 years, but rolls freely (Major +). I will be ripping the drivetrain out of my Electric Alfa Romeo that I cant seem to sell, and using that to Electrify the Locomotive, as it needs about $100,000 of boiler work to get it (legally) running again. It's not worth that. So I am going to electrify it and run it at the www.DellsTrain.com :)

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Nice, give those "Dual Chargers" a workout and stop by the 70 Amp J-Plugs at Wood's High Mountain Distillery in Salida, CO and Incredible Pagosa Vacation Rentals in downtown Pagosa Springs, CO on your way out. I'll be in Pagosa next week. Stop by and say hello.

Farmington, NM to Silverthorne, CO via Pagosa and Salida - Google Maps

I'll see what happens, I used a lot of Comp points in Vegas, and will be getting a Pyramid room at Luxor for 2 nights, as we will be passing through and the loco is right outside of Barstow, but I'd rather sleep in Vegas (Cheap, stuff for kids to do, etc..) and a third night in a Pyramid Suiet (the expensive room) for 1 night so we can spend the day. And I need to hit the roulette table, dust off my gamboling hands and pay for this locomotive! (Luxor wants their money back from the last time I was playing their, thus the rooms...).
 
Islandbayy,

Do us a big favor on your trip. You have a brand new 60 kWh battery, so can you do a full range charge and then drive all the way down to zero rated range. I'd like to know what the total energy output is for a new 60 kWh pack. You may already have this data.

I think you'll get about 56 kWh of output. As we know, a few kWh's are held in reserve to protect battery from low SOC

I'm currently driving my 60 kWh car down to zero RR from a full range charge. I suspect I'll see about 51 kWh of output now that I have 35k miles on ODO.

Your results will help me measure how much capacity loss I have on my car.

Thanks!
 
Islandbayy,

Do us a big favor on your trip. You have a brand new 60 kWh battery, so can you do a full range charge and then drive all the way down to zero rated range. I'd like to know what the total energy output is for a new 60 kWh pack. You may already have this data.

I think you'll get about 56 kWh of output. As we know, a few kWh's are held in reserve to protect battery from low SOC

I'm currently driving my 60 kWh car down to zero RR from a full range charge. I suspect I'll see about 51 kWh of output now that I have 35k miles on ODO.

Your results will help me measure how much capacity loss I have on my car.

Thanks!
Sorry, been their done that, not doing it on a road trip with my 2 kids in the car (Although this time it's not winter and 5 degrees out...)
I've gotten 55-57kWh out of this pack already.
One thing I will be able to do though, is being that I am doing 7,500 miles in a single week, I will be able to show what a 100% charge gives on my nice shiny new "B" pack :)

My "A" pack failed at 34,000 miles, and still got 204-207 rated displayed, and sometimes, I could go 2-4 miles before loosing a mile rated range.
 
Sorry, been their done that, not doing it on a road trip with my 2 kids in the car (Although this time it's not winter and 5 degrees out...)
I've gotten 55-57kWh out of this pack already.
One thing I will be able to do though, is being that I am doing 7,500 miles in a single week, I will be able to show what a 100% charge gives on my nice shiny new "B" pack :)

My "A" pack failed at 34,000 miles, and still got 204-207 rated displayed, and sometimes, I could go 2-4 miles before loosing a mile rated range.

ok. I'll assume a new 60 kWh pack yields around 56 kWh on a full charge. This'll be the "new pack" benchmark for us to use vs kWh pack output of cars that have lots of miles on them. Bottom line is that this method of running from full to empty and then seeing how much energy the car put out (via the trip meter) is a VERY objective way of measuring pack range decline over time. I don't completely trust that "rated range" is an accurate measure as the pack ages. Some have suggested Rated Range becomes more optimistic as cars get more miles on the ODO. This was discussed at TMC Connect this year.
 
What road and wheel arrangement is the steam loco you are shipping? I collect (and if I can get my layout done will operate) Western roads in HO scale, but would love to know what you are bringing home. And of course will look forward to how your 60 does on your trip. Safe travels!
 
What road and wheel arrangement is the steam loco you are shipping? I collect (and if I can get my layout done will operate) Western roads in HO scale, but would love to know what you are bringing home. And of course will look forward to how your 60 does on your trip. Safe travels!
15" gauge Grand Scale. RIVERSIDE & GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD will give you a idea. that is were it will be going when back up and running.

engine is a 4-6-2, no tender and can missing, so I will need to build those.

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that looks... heavy. Will be interesting to hear how much electric *Omph* you need to get that puppy rolling. Hope your track isn't too hilly!
I'm pulling the 90kW motor out of my electric Alfa Romeo, as I cant sell it. The alfa weights about 4,500Lbs with all the batteries. And remember, MUCH less rolling resistance on rails :) The railway has a 3% Grade, which is actually VERY steep for a railroad. But Manageable. Our existing steam locomotives can pull 6 cars fully loaded with passengers. And thats with only 4 drive wheels, this thing has 6 :) It's going to take a lot of work, but will be worth it when complete.

We are taking donations for the restoration project if anyone here knows anyone willing to donate. Non-Profit, so it is Tax Deductible.

Since the R&GN is a Historical Preservation Society, I thought this loco would fit right in, as it was built during the Great Depression. The idea behind it was to keep the workers busy in-between the long stretches when they didnt have "actual" work.

The way I work out the calculations, with the proper gear sizes, this thing as electric will be able to pull both steam engines we have, + our diesel loco, + every single rail car we have (about 20) fully loaded with passengers. Thats what it should be capible of, the problem doing that would be getting enough ballast in the engine to provide traction. Our existing steamers are 6,000 Lbs, and we have the 128, that we just got back from the Knocksville Zoo, that ones 12,000 Lbs, however, the 128 needs $50,000 in boiler work due to not being run for about 20 years and left with water in it. We have about $23,000 in donations to that project.
Up until now with this engine Im picking up, all the locos were built at the R&GN back when Elmer Sandley was still alive. Most of our engines were built in the late 50's early 60's.\


So, anyways, yah, we could really use a Corporate Sponcer with this engine! Which will include naming rights & on Loco Advertisement that will be seen by about 100,000 people annually :)
 
Unfortunately, trip cancelled. Both boys and me all got the Chicken Pox :( Bathing in calamine lotion right now.... On the bright side, I now have more time to make arrangements with Shipping Wars ;) I have a feeling this will be one of the better episodes by the time I'm done with it hehe....


Although, I could use some "Tesla" support at the pickup and delivery locations if anyone here catches my drift :)
 
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Unfortunately, trip cancelled. Both boys and me all got the Chicken Pox :( Bathing in calamine lotion right now.... On the bright side, I now have more time to make arrangements with Shipping Wars ;) I have a feeling this will be one of the better episodes by the time I'm done with it hehe....


Although, I could use some "Tesla" support at the pickup and delivery locations if anyone here catches my drift :)

Wow, better now than during the trip. Speedy recovery.
 
Wow, better now than during the trip. Speedy recovery.

Thanks! The boys didn't get hit with the pox that bad. In fact, seemed to come and go in just a few days... I however................ well just say, I'm using a ample supply of COLD beer bottles in myhands to keep them from itching, the calamine stopped working... Though today is better. No way I would have been able to grip that steering wheel for 48 hrs to get their. Although, the hot tub in the Luxor hotel room I had reserved would have been nice ;) (with cold water, mixed with lots of oatmeal & salt!).

I am in need of those Tesla Volunteers that would be willing to come to the Delivery point at the R&GN if the Transport Wars thing goes through. It would be a short notice though. A few benefits, #1, promote Tesla and owner unity on TV ;) And two, get a free train ride at RIVERSIDE & GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD during the shooting :)

Thoughts???
 
I am in need of those Tesla Volunteers that would be willing to come to the Delivery point at the R&GN if the Transport Wars thing goes through. It would be a short notice though. A few benefits, #1, promote Tesla and owner unity on TV ;) And two, get a free train ride at RIVERSIDE & GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD during the shooting :)

Thoughts???


Count me in if you are still looking for volunteers.

I had fun at the R&GN railroad back in May and would enjoy a good excuse to drive up to the Dells again.
 
Well, Just got off phone with Shipping Wars. It's a no go. She really tried to get me on, but management said no. They have another item being transported that is "Too Similar" for this upcoming season already. It's too bad, I could have made this a EPIC episode :(

Well, At least I guess this means I can start making transportation arrangements again, and reservations in Vegas. I will update. And got a new 64 gig memory card for the video cam :) coupled with my 32 gig original card, should have some great video for you all!