Reproduction UC Track availability?

[cantankrs]

Very interesting David, also I hadn't known the Mason & Porter connection.

Regards

Alex

[dreadnought1]

Having followed this thread for some time,I have decided to enter the debate.

The remanufacture of new track is entirely possible and can be done relatively cheaply provided you know how the process works.The following applys to Aust made track but can be applied to British track as well.

Over 20 years ago the West Australian Government State Engineering works was closed and a huge collection of machinery was sold off.As the works made carriers during WW2,the pattern store contained the majority of the patterns required to cast track.This store was supposed to be saved for historical reasons but the bean counters got in ahead of every one else and the contents of the pattern store were burnt.

I was able to save several complete sets of patterns,the central core print posted by Wayne(this is an incomplete unit which i gave him) is an example.

Background - The SEW had installed in an annexe to the main machine shop
six large cupola furnaces 8ft in dia x 25 ft or so in height.This enabled 20-40 tons of malliable cast iron to be available from any of the cupolas for a production run pour.

Cope and Drag-founding term for moulds , First operation -manufacture of cores -Cast iron moulds in pairs into which a green sand and molassis?
mixture was forced in then stove dried.This gives a lumpy strip of hard foundry sand which is then inserted into the hollow section of the track moulds where the track pins go.

The lower moulding box has a aluminium plate with four track openings which allow the central core to pass through.The box is of softwood construction and has a plaster of paris matrix which supports the central core.This matrix is painted with shellac to slow down moisture penetration.

The central core(See Waynes photos) is made up of four track units cast in aluminium-over size to allow for contraction when pouring cast iron.The track unit patterns are affixed to a bronze frame which forms the risers (channel for molten metal)
On side A the track grip is formed along with half of the support tube for the track pins.You will note the bars sticking out of the support tubes-this is to accomadate the core print which casts the holes.

Side B sticks up and when rammed with sand forms the inner part of the track horns and inner part of the track.Two separate insert cores slip into a squre recess formed when side B is rammed and these form the outer face of the track horns.The completed unit of mold A and B are separated,the pin cores are inserted in the appropriate hollows within the moulds.All taperd plugs are removed from the face of one of the moulds-allows metal to be poured into the centre , the halves are dusted with a release agent , the cope and drag is closed and sent to the foundy ready for the main metal pour.

OK folks,that how it is done , to do your own you need a pin core box,an outer horn core box,a base mould,a centre core mould and last but not least a coke fired cupola funace and lots of cast iron scrap.

I will post some photos of the surviving patterns in due course .

Cheers.

[ron]

Thanks for posting the information regarding the casting of new track,I found it to be very interesting,its now up to the guys who need new track to get together and poole their resources,its no good just dreaming about it,when I needed new rubber on some of my carrier wheels I had a mould made, you have to do it no one is going to do it for you, and if they do you will certainly pay for it, I am lucky I have a good supply of N O S track enough to take care of my requierments, So now you guys who want track for your Aust carriers,its now come on Aussie, come on time, in other words put your money where your mouth is and get off your backsides, this is not intended as a shot at any one , just a wake up call the fact is its never going to get any cheaper in the future, good luck Ron

[cantankrs]

Hi Dreadnought1, Welcome to the MLU forum!

Some more pics of the SEW Freo patterns would be appreciated by all I'm sure.

Making the cast iron malleable rather than just recasting gray iron is about the only thing to add.

The following from http://www.keytometals.com/Articles/Art96.htm covers it very well. I've quoted the generic contents as far as possible. Visit the link above for more detail.

...Charge materials (foundry returns, steel scrap, ferroalloys, and, except in cupola melting, carbon) are carefully selected, and the melting operation is well controlled to produce metal having the desired composition and properties. Minor corrections in composition and pouring temperature are made in the second stage of duplex melting, but most of the process control is done in the primary melting furnace...

... In general, the technology of molding and pouring malleable iron is similar to that used to produce gray iron. Heat treating is done in high-production controlled-atmosphere continuous furnaces or batch-type furnaces, again depending on production requirements.

After solidification and cooling, the metal is in a white iron state, and gates, sprues, and feeders can be easily removed from the castings by impact. This operation, called spruing, is generally performed manually with a hammer... ...After spruing, the castings proceed to heat treatment, while gates and risers are returned to the melting department for reprocessing.

Regards

Alex

[ajmac]

Materials:

Ideally (as early prewar Carriers) Manganese Steel would be use, however this is very machining intensive - read costly.

During the war they used MCI which today has been superseeded by what is known as S.G. (Spheroidal Graphite) and is ever so easy to cast, my dad does at least two melts per week, just a little heat treatment and it's ready to be machined. It has mechanical properties very similar to Steel.

You may have read that I have just aquired two Loyd Carrier wrecks, as such I will have to be manufacturing a hell of a lot! We will need to have 8 Sprockets profiled and machined then hardened, new brake drums cast. At least I have half a set of track with them! Will keep you informed as the manufacturing process gets going.

[cantankrs]

Good luck with your Lloyd Carriers Alastair! And thanks for your educational input to this thread (along with everyone elses input, past and future).

I checked and a little more info on SG CI can be found at Dormer Tools website on pages 10 and 11 of this PDF file. Basically it derives its desirable properties through the alloy composition rather than MCI's necessary heat treatment after casting. Although SG CI can also be heat treated if the resulting properties are required.

The 'white' and 'grey' CI's I've been involved with will all break up if you flog them with a hammer, but are in contrast with MCI and SG which seem to be - as the word says - 'malleable'.

Regards

Alex

[Philliphastings]

A very interesting and timely post, for as I have indicated elsewhere in the forum I have luckily managed to secure a full set of British Track here in Western Australia afterall. This means I no longer have a need to import new track so I ought to step back from the discussion on demand for it.

I will, however be needing a source of track link pins and tapered washers to replace a number of damaged factory pins. If anyone is contemplating manufacture of quality replacement link pins I would be interested of course!

The track i will be using was a 'factory' track, in as much as it was made in a single span with all rivetted pins and no link pins every 21 links as the 'service' track had.

Cheers

Phill

[matt_mcleod]

Hello members,
I have been quiet for a couple of weeks.....there was a bit more chasing to be done than I anticipated.

We have a few more details to sort out, then I can post precise pricing, but we appear to be coming in just under the US$7000 mark (plus freight ex-Australia). This is based on 20 sets of complete repro track. More interest means we amortise tooling over a larger production run and get a lower price.

I have an accountant helping me finalising the pricing (I'm not a tax expert) then I will be contacting some freight forwarding companies to give me rough pricing to get large (400kg) crates from Down Under to USA/Canada/UK.

Not sure if this price is going to get us 20 purchasers, so we'll just see what happens.

Cheers
Matt McLeod
www.mechanicaindustries.com.au

[ajmac]

I've just had a terrible thought.... when we start posting prices for new track on the web, the price for good second hand track is liable to go through the roof Hope not.

[Swiper]

We should be getting our tracks out in late August, but definately by Malvern where we hope to have a selection of repro Carrier parts to tempt owners. Unfortunately didn't have anything for W+P, but any enquries drop me a PM, whilst website is being set up etc.