As I was thumbing through the good ol' Walthers catalog making a wish list, I came across a project that might be kind of neat. Busch has an HO static scene with a car, lift, figures and tools(#189-7668) that sparked my interest.
How about something like that, but the lift raises and lowers? And a figure at a control panel working the lift controls. It would have to have a pretty slow motor of course, so you don't shoot the car through the roof, lol. Could use a slow motor with a large wheel and a rod on the outer edge and operates like a windscreen wiper motor and eccentric motion. And a heavy wire or paperclip to push and pul the lift up and down. Hope you can see what I'm saying. If not, I can draw something up in CAD or Photoshop. If there is an easer way to create the scene though, let me know lol.
Love the idea of a lift - a couple of ideas:
A Tortoise switch machine can run slow and be positioned for lifting and lowering - just turn it sideways and don't run it at 12 volts.
Or - how about "muscle wire" and an appropriate lever?
Bob
What about a threaded shaft on a tiny motor?
A smoothly running nut or threaded hole could be attached to the car/platform, like a slo-mo turnout.
It needs some kind of travel limiting switches, so that it pauses at top & bottom (for work).
BOB
Basically like a screw drive actuator is what you're saying? Yeah, that might be an idea. Have to add it to the list lol. I do understand what your saying though and it would work. Maybe use micro switches and some timer relay circuit or whatever to stop it - pause - start again in oposite direction. I'll have to sketch that out.
John