Driving trolley brakes

Just starting to put pen to paper to design a simple driving trolley for a 5" gauge loco. Thinking of brakes, I want to use bicycle brakes on an axle mounted disc. I am looking at disc type brakes (Cable operated) for simplicity, operating on a smaller diameter disc than its intended for. Anyone have ideas what material to use for the disc. I am thinking of 10 gauge stainless steel at the moment. Also, bike discs are carefully perforated. Is that for cooling ?

Bob

There was an excellent design for driving trolley in ME some years ago by a chap called Hudson. No longer with us I fear. It uses bicycle brake blocks on mild steel discs, and I can testify they work, you can stop the wheels going round, at last on ally track, and so you won't get better than that. If you pm me your email I'll send you a copy of the article

My driving trolley (used just for me has a bicycle calliper using brake blocks on a disc just like you are describing. Like Duncan it can lock the wheels even on steel track. The disc is made of ordinary mild steel. Stainless will work just as well. Don't worry about cooling holes or similar you will not be using the brakes enough to warrent them.

Dave

There was an article in Model Engineer March 24th 2000 titled "Low Cost, Low Maintenance Vacuum Brakes" by Peter Gardner. Including design details etc.

Alan.

I used a couple of vintage centre pull brakes I would have loved to have had as a lad. They work on iron discs of some considerable thickness to emulate a bike wheel rime. They are very effective indeed.

Steve