I am looking for a few brass components for a trolley. I am looking for two of the brass fittings used on the wall where a rope is threaded through (see first two photos) and any information I can get about where to find brass holders for a fair counter rod (last photo)






Thanks,
Rowan C. de la Barre

It is unlikely that you will find exact matches for the parts you need. At WRM these types of parts are regularly copied using the investment casting method. Since you have good samples, they can just be cleaned up and polished. Then send them to someone who does this type of work. They may charge $200 or so for the mold to make the waxes and $20 to $30 per part for the wax and casting of the brass. The most difficult part is to get a good color match on the brass. It might be best to cut a small, maybe a dime size peice, of brass off one of the parts and send it out for analysis so you can get the alloy matched exactly.

Some time we plug the screw holes first and redrill them after polishing. If the part is polished with the screw holes already in it, the corners of the countersink get rounded off, which is a little of a detraction. By using all new parts, the brass color will match.

The investment casting process picks up incredible detail, so any defects you polish out in advance, is a defect that will not have to be polished out on the production parts.

Hmmmm... I seem to recall something similar to the last picture in the remnants of the GCE collection of materials which Harry Nicholls is actively trying to get rid of. I will bring your post to his attention. It also seems to me that we had some of the grommets made for the NTT Interurban project. I will ask our project manager on that one as well, but I can't imagine there would be any economy in going through us. If you have a sample, any competent brass foundry should be able to duplicate it.

Andy Nold
www.northtexastransport.org

I will look into the three hole piece as we may have a couple. The grommet for the wall is no longer available as I have sent the last one out. I can have new pieces cast in Portland if you will send me a sample of either one, or both, to have priced.
Harry Nicholls
P O Box 224288
Dallas, TX 75222-4288
214-941-9705