RAIL BIKE - Version 7 - BIGFOOT Tested - Wheel Orientation | Custom Axle | Stiffer Outrigger

This is the seventh prototype of the railbike I am designing and building. I had shipped version 6 off to a brave individual who is currently testing it. At this point we have figured everything out for the most part, but I wanted to test different wheel configurations and refine some of the parts to make them stiffer and more robust. In particular, I designed and manufactured a custom stainless steel rear axle to accept the outrigger tube, and also switched the material on the outrigger tube from aluminum to steel. This does 2 things - it makes the tube 3 times stiffer, and also 3 times heavier in an attempt to remove the need to weigh the outrigger to stop the bike from tipping over the opposite way. My conclusion is that the railbike is quite forgiving when it comes to wheel orientation, working very well when the wheels are vertical, horizontal, or even on an angle. I do believe that in the vertical orientation, the durometer of the wheel is more important, as it tends not to slide as well, whereas in th