7mm US model dabblings

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Yes indeed, hence those bargain US books in mint condition I got last week from a UK Ebayer.

I was asked yesterday a couple of times "why are you even contemplating scratch building US stuff?" to which the answer partially lies in your dialogue above and partly in that I 'like to make things' and partly because I can.
 

soo4513

Western Thunderer
US Ebay drives me to distraction.:headbang: There's New Atlas O 2-Rail rolling stock on there for Buy It Now prices often less than £30... BUT the Shimm pping to the UK is often more than that :mad: THEN HM Customs will add their cut AND Royal Mail will add their Fe for telling you to pay HM Customs :rant: ..... that's how come US stuff gets to be so expensive over here these days.... :rant::rant::rant: "Rip Off Britain" is alive and well....
Ah yes, no more surface mail and everything heavier than a single boxcar has to go priority, not to mention the vendors that insist on the priority service cause it has insurance then that adds to the cost of importing as you pay custom charges on the total cost :headbang:of course that's all fine if you can actually get what you want, thanks to the China Crisis (and I don't mean the band!) Atlas O seems in short supply. I see ebay USA has a new service they are now offering shipping rates plus paying in advance for your customs charges now that's a menace, it might save you the £8 parcel force handling charge but I'd rather have the option to take my chances on the import, occasionally things do come in for free . Maybe it's time to return to home rails but then again, importing still feels cheaper than Heljan or JLRT diesels.

Colin
 

Pugsley

Western Thunderer
Trucks and their sources is a tougher nut to crack ATM it would appear.
That's where I may be able to help, I'm not too bad on the 3D CAD, so could knock some up with the appropriate info. Are you, by any chance, the person who bought the Diesel Loco Cyclopedia last week off ebay?
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
That's where I may be able to help, I'm not too bad on the 3D CAD, so could knock some up with the appropriate info. Are you, by any chance, the person who bought the Diesel Loco Cyclopedia last week off ebay?
No fraid not, not me, bought mine along with the steam one states side about 20 years ago, there's a good drawing of a Blomberg B in there but I don't have any 'specific' drawings for Flexicoils or HTC for the SD40s or more modern Hi Ads for SD70s etc, only what comes in the loco three views in Diesel Era.

I have no fear of 3D CAD work (it was my second job for nine years) what I don't have is time, so if you want to dive in with the 3D printing then fill your boots and I'm sure we can work something mutual out, it'll leave me time to work on the etch art work. I had planned to make the side frames as 3D printed, then cast in resin from that, not sure how to incorporate the rear beam as its integral with the side beams. Mind that depends on how complex the 3D printed side frames are for casting or how cheap/quality they are. If the quality is good with alittle clean up and the price cheap enough then I see no reason to simply use the 3D printed sample. I'd also figured on dummy traction motors, at least on the inner axles as it is very visible 1:1 3 axle trucks, but probably as rear end only so drive would effectively be B0+1 1+Bo but that's a mile down the road.

Other 3D print parts but not resin casted from 3D would be things like MU receptacles, hoses?, light fittings, AC roof packs etc. Dynamic blisters could be 3D printed and then resin cast with etch grills and overlays. Fuel tanks could be brass but something that size is awkward to roll and bend up accurately and consistently so may opt for one master and then resin but make it hollow for a speaker etc, same for air tanks, cast in resin would be fine, I've zero issue with multimedia models, some items are often best produced in other materials than brass or white metal I feel.

The rest is probably best from etchings which I'm going to pick at this week and on holiday, first off with cabs, blower ducts, bonnets, anti climber and step wells etc, maybe some fan casings, dynamic and radiator.

Scale is going to be 1:48, silly not too, I'd of prefered S7 but then you're limiting your world to a minority of one. Whether its PROTO 48 for myself I haven't decided, I can worry about that later. First loco, well I want something that sounds good, for me the sound rates as 60% of the project so your looking at F units, GP9, GP15, GP38/40 or SD9, SD24, SD40 or SW1500, MP15.
Your cards on the table are already the tunnel 40 so that'd make sense to start with the SD40 frame and work from there....but don't be surprised if I suddenly pop up with etches for a chop nosed SD24 or something LOL. As for which Railroad?, well I'm an out West fan :thumbs: so any of those will do, but mindful of light packs and local variants of course.

Etch material, the Class 40 bogie is 0.375 NS (15 thou) so I'm waiting to see how that performs for soldering, etching and bending and strength wise but think it'll be ok for cab modules etc, might cost a little more but I think it might be worth it, as I say the Class 40 bogies will be the test pieces for that material.

So just to get the party going for y'all who have no clue what we're babbling on about

MP15AC
UPY 1478.jpg

D&RGW standard nose tunnel 40, I love the bridge in this shot! I have just got to have one of these.
DRG 5371_05.jpg

Blood nose snoot tunnel motor
SP 8337.jpg

And now in UP hands Ex SP snoot tunnel motor.
UP 8748.jpg

Copyright exists with respective owners.
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
Maybe it's time to return to home rails but then again, importing still feels cheaper than Heljan or JLRT diesels.
Yes, even with the added extra costs, US O Scale still compares well with UK stuff - compare an Atlas R-T-R Covered Hopper at around £80 to the price of a UK kit, say the GJH Polybulk which is a comparable vehicle. The kit doesn't come close - in price or quality....
It's just that in these Internet days, being able to see the price you could be paying is rather frustrating...:rolleyes:
 

Pugsley

Western Thunderer
I have no fear of 3D CAD work (it was my second job for nine years) what I don't have is time, so if you want to dive in with the 3D printing then fill your boots and I'm sure we can work something mutual out, it'll leave me time to work on the etch art work.
I'd forgotten about your CAD work! Yes, I'm sure we can work something out, although time is a commodity I frequently seem to be short of these days as well.

Other 3D print parts but not resin casted from 3D would be things like MU receptacles, hoses?, light fittings, AC roof packs etc. Dynamic blisters could be 3D printed and then resin cast with etch grills and overlays. Fuel tanks could be brass but something that size is awkward to roll and bend up accurately and consistently so may opt for one master and then resin but make it hollow for a speaker etc, same for air tanks, cast in resin would be fine, I've zero issue with multimedia models, some items are often best produced in other materials than brass or white metal I feel.
Yep, agree with all of that completely. The way I look at it, if something is flat, or built up of flat and/or bent pieces, then etch it. Everything else, cast it. I'm also totally agreed on 1:48, although I'd definitely go for P48 myself.
 

Peter

Western Thunderer
Hi,

In Australia we have the former West Australian Government Railways L Class. Its design was based on the EMD SD-40 but reduced in height to fit within the Australian loading gauge.
A quick source of information is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAGR_L_class_(diesel)
Another nice photo at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:L268_Leighton_1986.JPG
The engineering drawings of the locomotives are held at the State Records Office of Western Australia who can be contacted on sro@sro.wa.gov.au
Fortunately the drawings of the L class have been microfilmed and as such copies are easily purchased. If you have access to a microfiche reader/printer or suitable scanner, I would recommend a microfiche copy of the available full set of drawings as they are (were when I last purchased some sets!!!) quite cheap and are very easy to store!!
The reference is Consignment 6300 WAGR Mechanical Drawings
Receptacle 39/3 Diesel locomotive Class L – Clyde drawings dated 1966
I do not have a copy of this particular set but do have a paper copy of the Flexicoil bogie that I purchased from the railway itself.

I have paid by credit card.

Peter
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I'd forgotten about your CAD work! Yes, I'm sure we can work something out, although time is a commodity I frequently seem to be short of these days as well.


Yep, agree with all of that completely. The way I look at it, if something is flat, or built up of flat and/or bent pieces, then etch it. Everything else, cast it. I'm also totally agreed on 1:48, although I'd definitely go for P48 myself.
Little update, got most of the drawings I need to start the cab etches and have worked out the most common parts for the GP locos I'm interested in, now it's a case of seeing what can be utilised for the SD series, actually quite a lot in reality. I've printed out the locos in 1:48 and laid them on the floor and basically going eni mini mo as to which will be the first for the test model LOL.

It has to be a 645 block, think I'll leave the 567 for the Euro model (MY, Reeks 55 or 62) or GP9, GP30, SD24. So it's possibly a GP15, MP15 or GP38 with the roots blower sound and a GP40 and SD40 for the turbo sound.

Decisions decisions LOL, and yes, P48 it'll be then, need to research US track and chairs, rail looks much deeper than ours and most seems to be spiked.
 

Peter

Western Thunderer
Hi,

In the July 1972 issue of Model Railroader the drawings of the SP SD45T-2 include the plan and side elevation drawings of the Flexicoil trucks that were used by these locomotives.

Peter
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Hi,

In the July 1972 issue of Model Railroader the drawings of the SP SD45T-2 include the plan and side elevation drawings of the Flexicoil trucks that were used by these locomotives.

Peter
Brilliant!, on the war path for a copy now :thumbs: The basic frame is the same on Flexicoils as HTCs
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Very informative, I'd probably have / will make that vent from etch, a simple fold up part for the four sides with holes through for the wires. He does touch on a very good point, getting Plasticard to give a good finish is actually quite hard, the sanding fuzziness is a devil to eliminate.

I like his train of thought and those E mags look interesting, do have them? Are they worth the download cost, they're cheap enough so might grab a couple and print them off in clour for a light read on the plane....it'll be far better than the on board entertainment I'm sure!

Thanks for the link :thumbs:
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
Very informative, I'd probably have / will make that vent from etch, a simple fold up part for the four sides with holes through for the wires. He does touch on a very good point, getting Plasticard to give a good finish is actually quite hard, the sanding fuzziness is a devil to eliminate.

I like his train of thought and those E mags look interesting, do have them? Are they worth the download cost, they're cheap enough so might grab a couple and print them off in clour for a light read on the plane....it'll be far better than the on board entertainment I'm sure!

Thanks for the link :thumbs:
Yes, I do have them. They are very thought provoking, and I am planning to put up a review on my own blog. One thing to know is that they are well presented, but the first three are a bit in the style of an editorial/essay. It is worth looking at O Scale Trains magazine, too: the first 50 copies are free, and Mike has made some interesting points within them, especially with his own column. This would give you a feel for his style: if you like his pieces in OST issues 37-39, called "Pieces of the Puzzle", then you have a good idea of what he covers in The Missing Conversation issues 1 and 2, and his booklet of the same name.

As for the book on trackwork, anyone modelling American track, or simply keen on modelling track to a high standard of detail, should buy it without hesitation.

On top of it all, having been drawn to his blog because just like you I like his train of thought, and having become involved in commenting - he really wants this to happen - I have established a regular email correspondence with Mike and he is one of the nicest guys you could get to know.
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
Yes please :thumbs: , could you scan the loco as well as the bogies? say 3500x2400 or something nice and large as the frames and tanks etc are almost identical to the 40T.

Mick,

Unfortunately, the drawings of the loco and the bogie are in H0 scale so you will get both on a full page scan. At that time the Model Railroader was partial to doing drawings in 1/4" scale, often with a fold out centre spread, but not with this one. :( I'll scan at 600dpi to give a bit more detail.

Jim.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Mick,

Unfortunately, the drawings of the loco and the bogie are in H0 scale so you will get both on a full page scan. At that time the Model Railroader was partial to doing drawings in 1/4" scale, often with a fold out centre spread, but not with this one. :( I'll scan at 600dpi to give a bit more detail.

Jim.
Jim, fine by me, any scale will do, they all print out at 1:48 just fine if you set the printer up correctly :thumbs:
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
Jim, fine by me, any scale will do, they all print out at 1:48 just fine if you set the printer up correctly :thumbs:

They are uploaded to my web space and the URLs are in a PM to you. Note that the trucks are at a larger (S) scale to the loco drawing (H0) scale in case you think you might be going nuts when scaling. BTDT. :)

Jim.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
They are uploaded to my web space and the URLs are in a PM to you. Note that the trucks are at a larger (S) scale to the loco drawing (H0) scale in case you think you might be going nuts when scaling. BTDT. :)

Jim.
Super, they look like the ones from the Kalmbach book (will cross reference when I get home) but the bogie is a new one for me.

Pugsley, I'll whizz these through my cleaning process and get the bogie over to you shortly, obviously there are detail differences between the Flexicoil and HTC but I think most of the main casting is the same.

Kindest Michael
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Super, they look like the ones from the Kalmbach book (will cross reference when I get home) but the bogie is a new one for me.

Pugsley, I'll whizz these through my cleaning process and get the bogie over to you shortly, obviously there are detail differences between the Flexicoil and HTC but I think most of the main casting is the same.

Kindest Michael

Don't think it is Mick - they have different wheelbases...

Steph
 
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