Velocipede

I need to go through the appropriate 'hoops' to show my velocipede fit to run, and to derogate from the need to carry head and tail lamps and the like, to run in normal traffic on a heritage railway. To save me 're-inventing the wheel' has anyone else been through this paper process on their Railway?

TIA

Robin

 

Fascinating thing, possibly the only thing to run on the WSR in 2021?

 

Nothing to do with the WSR

Robin

 

We have one like this here in Squamish. BC. Canada and run it up and down our Museum site to the delight of customers ...we don t carry any outside equipment when in operation or have any special rules for operation ...rules maybe different in UK .

 

The rail velocipede society might have something on their site?

https://railvelocipedes.org

 

Yours is missing a dog

 

It is my understanding that most railway vehicles normally steer by virtue of each pair of wheels turning together on a single axle, in combination with slight coning of the wheels, with the flanges only doing the job on tight curves. These beasts have the off side wheel turning independently, so it would seem that they are kept on the track only by the flanges, like very early railway vehicles. Am I right?

 

I believe that is correct. Im looking forward to investigating.

Robin

 

This is a narrow gauge version, seen at Fertoboz Hungary in 1979.
Ray.

 

The vast majority of minecars and manriding cars used undeground in collieries in the UK had independently rotating wheels on a fixed axle. It never presented any problem at speeds up to 25 mph and enabled the vehicles to go round fairly tight curves.
With regard to the velocipede, in my experience of operating one, as long as the outrigger is not damaged or the strut bent, which can result in the outrigger wheel not being parallel to the opposite one, going forward did not present a problem but be very aware of going backwards; in other words, don't. When they do come of the rails the bump is quite noticeable and painful (unless you have a well padded behind.)