How much damage

[mikec069]

How much damage, if any, would I do?
I'm hoping to strap my new video camera to my flat cars and do a sort of cab run of the layout.  The camera weighs .51 ponds (8oz).  The damage I fear would be to the motor of the loco.  It's (the loco) a C&O diesel.
I'm Running HO scale.  At this time there are no grades.  New layout, which will be begun this weekend may have 2% to 3% grades.  I think.

Anyway, thank you all.

MikeC069
Courage is being the only one
who knows you're afraid.

[rich1998]

Wolfgang Dudler has done this sometime ago. Click on the link and scroll down a ways. Have fun.
The switcher is all metal HO scale 44 ton with sound.
I have the magazine article about how he did the conversion.

http://www.westportterminal.de/video.html

Lex

[pipefitter]

Wolfgang Dudler has done this sometime ago. Click on the link and scroll down a ways ...

Thanks for this Lex 

Robert

[Jim Banner]

No danger to the locomotive if you haven't added extra weight.  Most (all?) model locomotives are designed such that their wheels will slip before their motors will overload. 

Jim

[mikec069]

Thank you Jim.
No weight added to the loco with the possible exception of the camera and flat car. Unless you mean weight added directly to the loco.  If the camera sits too low behind the loco I'll have the car 'pushed' instead of pulled.
By the way what did you mean by

you haven't added extra weight

MikeC069

[Jim Banner]

I should have said "no danger to the locomotive if you haven't added extra weight to the locomotive."  Whether the locomotive is pulling 40 cars weighing 4 ounces each or one car weighing 10 pounds makes no difference to the locomotive.  If you keep adding cars until the locomotive just sits there with its wheel spinning it still won't damage the motor.  The wheels won't last long, nor will the rails under them.  And the gears won't last as long as they would in a locomotive pulling a lighter load, nor will the motor.  It is like you using your automobile to pull a trailer.  It will not harm the car's motor by breaking anything but it will wear it out sooner.  Maybe 100,000 miles instead of 300,000.

Jim

[BradKT]

If it is a small, lightweight and compact camera, I would not expect there to be any damage to the engine at at all.

My brother did this same thing with 1/32 scale slot cars on a course that he designed and built and the video came out great.

[mikec069]

Thank you all for the information. 
As soon as I get the E-Z track laid, sans scenery because I don't have those skills, I'll send the link to the youtube video. 

MikeC069

[Joe323]

What about clearance issues You said you will film sans scenery but a true cab view would include scenery.  Also I tried filming my layout by putting the camera in one of my open top hoppers and it was too top heavy and tipped over on curves.

[mikec069]

Joe323
I have a few built-up buildings and a few very sad looking trees.  But that's all.  Therefore clearance is not an issue.  I plan to put the camera on my flat car and hold it in place with 'studio lighting' tape.  This stuff is between duct tape and painter's tape in strength, leaning heavily towards duct tape but withut the sticky residue.  The table(s) I am using are pretty level so hopefully rollover won't be an issue either.

The layout is two ovals with 2 #6 crossovers (1 ea L&R), and 2 auto reverse loops.  MAYBE an end track or three.  Laying it now so this may not be the end result. 

That's the way I ride.  Have an overall plan in my head and make the particulars up as I go. 

[NarrowMinded]

I've done this a number of times, try to place the camera as low as you can and run it at scale speeds, its amazing how real a very simple layout looks. also try a low light video to simulate night time, I hung a blue blanket over my lamp shade (with florescent NOT INCANDECIENTS DON'T START A FIRE) the bluish light made a really cool night affect.

NM

[mikec069]

NM
You just gave me a great idea.

I have a 'green sheet' that came with my video editing software.  I can record a fire (in the fireplace) then run the train in front of the sheet.  Combine the two and have the train go through the fire.

MikeC069

[on30gn15]

The camera weighs .51 ponds (8oz). 

That's well within the range of weight that loco can handle: here's the NMRA reccomendations on HO car weights: http://www.nmra.org/beginner/weight.html

In HO, a 6 inch car should weight 4 ounces. That is a 1 ounce minimum plus 1/2 ounce per inch of car. 1 + 3 = 4 ounces.

That 8oz camera weighs the same as two HO boxcars.

[Joe323]

Joe323
I have a few built-up buildings and a few very sad looking trees.  But that's all.  Therefore clearance is not an issue.  I plan to put the camera on my flat car and hold it in place with 'studio lighting' tape.  This stuff is between duct tape and painter's tape in strength, leaning heavily towards duct tape but withut the sticky residue.  The table(s) I am using are pretty level so hopefully rollover won't be an issue either.

The layout is two ovals with 2 #6 crossovers (1 ea L&R), and 2 auto reverse loops.  MAYBE an end track or three.  Laying it now so this may not be the end result. 

That's the way I ride.  Have an overall plan in my head and make the particulars up as I go. 

Actually I guess if you go slow enough it could work.  A #6 crossover is pretty straight just go slow on sharp curves.  Also I meant it was a gondola i used not a hopper. (I did get a few seconds of good footage until it toppled). Good Luck

Joe

[Santa Fe buff]

Well, a nice flat car would be fine. It may shake a tad. Just make sure it's strapped down okay. Play-Doh worked for me.

Just be warned to tape over any holes before using the Play-Doh. Oh, and make sure it isn't your best flatcar. A cheap Life-Like flatcar would do just fine. Why? Well, it does leave an oily residue.

I have a video to show the effects of putting a camera on a Evans boxcar from Bachmann:

*Video Pending*

Cheers,
Joshua