[upnick]

Hi All,

In making the carshop i need to know the depth of inspection pits typical of such a service facility ........ a search on the net ranges from 4ft - 7ft deep ... is there a common depth for most of these types of pits could anyone tell me please.

The height from the rail top to the pits base.

 

[ian shep]

Hi upnick
I have just measured the depth of my peco kit pit which works out to 3 feet. Now that seems a trifle shallow to me. I have never given the depth any thought before and now I am looking at ' digging down' a foot or two. Sorry I can't help with the correct depth question, hopefully someone can enlighten us, maybe a preserved railway member can.

 

[upnick]

QUOTE (shep @ 19 Mar 2009, 21:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi upnick
I have just measured the depth of my peco kit pit which works out to 3 feet. Now that seems a trifle shallow to me. I have never given the depth any thought before and now I am looking at ' digging down' a foot or two. Sorry I can't help with the correct depth question, hopefully someone can enlighten us, maybe a preserved railway member can.

Hi Shep,

Welcome to the forum

Many thanks for looking at your Peco kit and measuring it up 3FT does seem shallow, i have cut out the board in the three pit areas so depth is not a problem fitting them in.

 

[Richard Johnson]

***For a US latter half of the 20th century pit, then it'd have to be deep enough for a man to stand upright and comfortably inspect/reach key truck and drive motor linkages, inspection and service/lubrication points.

Rails would be on substantial lengthwise girders NOT just rail on a pit side at all and the pit itself would be well wider than the track gauge - full loco width I think, for access to truck suspension points etc.

It'd also have a cess below a diamond mesh or similar floor for oils etc.... and a side access point - probably a common one formed by a lateral pit running across all track pits. The Peco is once again neither fish nor fowl in its design - better than nothing but "as is" not an accurate item really.

It'd be easier to scratchbuild than modify the Peco really.

 

[60134]

Most of the pits I've worked in tend to be about 5' to 6' from floor to railhead - too deep and you can't reach, too shallow and you brain yourself! Not all had the luxury of fully functioning drains.....

60134

 

[7113]

QUOTE (60134 @ 20 Mar 2009, 07:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Most of the pits I've worked in tend to be about 5' to 6' from floor to railhead - too deep and you can't reach, too shallow and you brain yourself!

Been there and got the scar to prove it, crank axles just don't move when you headbut them!

Regards

 

[dmeephd]

QUOTE (upnick @ 19 Mar 2009, 17:57) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Shep,

Welcome to the forum

Many thanks for looking at your Peco kit and measuring it up 3FT does seem shallow, i have cut out the board in the three pit areas so depth is not a problem fitting them in.

I had always thought that the Peco Inspection Pits were shallow too, until I saw the episode of Extreme Trains that covered the Acela - America's (NHST) Not High Speed Train. There was a scene in the inspection pits under the Acela that wasn't much more than 3 feet. The guys were crab-walking around and banging their heads left and right.

This shallow in a relatively new, supposedly state-of-the-art inspection facility. Perhaps there's an OSHA regulation?

David

 

[6c8h]

Steam depot pits were much shallower than later built diesel 'inspection' pits - purely because shed staff had to reach items up in the linkages etc.

Diesel and electric locos either have their working inside the body - which is effectively just a casing over the mechanicals - with little to be inspected underneath - apart form the inside of wheels and traction motors.

From memory a steam shed pit was somewhere between 3-4 foot whilst a diesel/electric pit is 5 foot plus deep.

In early diesel days this caused problems as they were housed in old steam sheds with shallower pits and led to many old sheds being modified with deeper pits, with some like Birkenhead Mollington Street receiving an extra completely new 2 road diesel facility attached to the old LNWR/GWR shed.....

 

[Richard Johnson]

*** Not any more: Modern diesels everywhere have a lot of electromechanical and hydraulically controlled stuff on the bogies themselves - Only control electronics are internal. Each individual wheel is interactively controlled to make sure the suspension keeps a totally even pressure on the rails to increase consistency of tractive effort and maximise performance with minimum wear...with minimum energy needed...

Many many glands, seals and things to inspect, although automated system analysis/warnings will tell the inspector where to look. This is relevant as Nicks layout is set in USA where these things have been part of the scene for some years.

Richard

QUOTE (6c8h @ 21 Mar 2009, 20:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Diesel and electric locos either have their working inside the body - which is effectively just a casing over the mechanicals - with little to be inspected underneath - apart form the inside of wheels and traction motors.

 

[upnick]

Hi All,

Many thanks for all your replies seems six foot is a good medium to go for with mesh floor for drainage in places along the pit, tomorrow i am going to make a start on doing the pits after measuring up the building on its base it is a good fit and removing the locating lugs for the inside walls of the shop on the base at the moment.

Contemplating some lights in the pits not sure what yet though.

 

[frame69]

Hi Nick,most of the pits I've worked in have been quite deep,floor has been level with the top of my head,almost,and I'm about 5'/11''. We had accessories in the pits like platforms to reach high areas etc... Also we had oil drainers which were 5' high at least,and hydraulic beam jacks which would run off of the air line,so these items might be considered,hope this helps,Andy.But this size issue dont always carry over to modelling,some things need to be made differently to the size they work out to be,or so I've noticed

 

[ian shep]

QUOTE (frame69 @ 21 Mar 2009, 20:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>But this size issue dont always carry over to modelling,some things need to be made differently to the size they work out to be,or so I've noticed
A case of if it looks right ?

 

[frame69]

QUOTE (shep @ 22 Mar 2009, 17:26) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>A case of if it looks right ?

"Exactly"but dont quote me on it...

...just works for me.

 

[upnick]

QUOTE (frame69 @ 22 Mar 2009, 19:04) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>"Exactly"but dont quote me on it...

...just works for me.

Works for me too Andy