Steam outline experiment

[Ozrail]

As much as I love my Flying Scotsman, the problem is you can't put a motor into it.

So here is my next solution, a loosely based Merchant Navy.

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I did try to make it 100% accurate, but it wouldn't fit the 16m motor unit.
So the model is way longer (which you can tell by an extra driving wheel in the drawing), and also wider to in size.

Sadly the model is still not ready, as every time I upload it to shapeways, it keeps saying there are thin walls somewhere.
But it doesn't show me where exactly.

[dkightley]

If you prepare the files in .stl format, have you got a copy of Netfabb Basic? One of its features is to measure wall thicknesses.

http://www.netfabb.com/downloadcenter.php?basic=1

[Ozrail]

Well the good news is that I finally know what is wrong with my model design.
It's mostly the side panels along the boiler, so I'll have to widen the upper part again.

[ivanf]

have you seen the new thin wall checker on shapeways? It's not 100% reliable but is quite good at pointing out areas that need a closer look.

[GarrattHamster]

Hi Ozrail

It's great to see you have been busy doing a new loco. When you have done and is up for sale i can see myself getting couple of these and properly doing some double heading

[Ozrail]

Well I've ordered one to see how it will turn out.
It's probably going to be too wide (about 7mm) to be realistic, that and I want to see if it fowls the station platforms which is my main worry at the moment.

Sadly the models still use Eishindo wheels, I'm just to use to using them in my models.
I really need to upgrade to Alan's ones sometime.

[Ozrail]

The prototype has arrived.
And as expected, it's not going to please everyone.
The issue is that to make it work, the loco is sadly a tad (if you can call it that) oversized, which makes it look out of place with the rest of the rollingstock.
Still have no idea what I'm going to do for driving wheels.

Anyway I've attached some picture of it connected to a rack of MK1 coaches, to me the loco looks too tall, but sadly I can't do anything about it.

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[martink]

This may be a dumb question, but have you considered making the loco and tender a single rigid unit and mounting the whole thing on a powered chassis?

[Ozrail]

I suppose it could work, but it would look a little odd especially on curves due to the overhang.
I did try it with Thomas coaches Annie and Clarabel, but it never look right to me.

[dkightley]

If by making the shell the right size on the outside means the hole for the power unit is smaller.....then its time to investigate if the power unit can be made smaller!

It might be time to take one to pieces to investigate.

How much do you need....in which direction, and where from??

[Ozrail]

The problem is the steam loco's side casings, because it's slants the top is more narrow than the base.
I could have made the loco with straight sides (and it almost does already) but I do want to try and preserve some of the shape.
Also if there was a way to shorten the motor unit by about 10mm, I can make the loco it's correct length.

The motor currently fits just behind the smokebox and the roughly where the cab controls would be.

Anyway the loco is now painted.
But man those lines were hard to get right, even when using tape.

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[dkightley]

Once I get my desktop up and running again (the motherboard cooked!) I'm intending to spend some time looking at getting my Makerbot printing at higher resolutions.

I have an idea for getting thinner power unit profiles. I'll have to see if its possible to print the basic idea first before looker at a detailed design.

[Ozrail]

working Large driving wheels would also be a plus.

[Ozrail]

Hi everyone,

No exciting news to report sorry.
Been distracted with work and other projects in different gauges.

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Anyway I thought of a cheap solution to the lack of driving wheels.

And that is attach paper ones, I actually forgot I had these, they were originally from a A4 pacific paper cut-out that never worked.
I also added a few more details in forms of dots and lines.

Might think about releasing this soon, sadly it still requires Eishindo wheels for the tender.

[Ozrail]

The Merchant Navy is now available for purchase.

[grahame]

Anyway I've attached some picture of it connected to a rack of MK1 coaches, ........

P1020460.JPG

P1020461.JPG

P1020462.JPG

I'm about to create some Mk1 coaches using the vinyl overlays that you would have used. Any tips to making an excellent job of this..as you clearly have done?

[Ozrail]

My Mk1 Coach Vinyls came from Tgauge.com when they were still selling them.
hope they bring them back, because I thought they were great.

[dkightley]

I might be pursuaded to make some 3D printed items available again.......

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