Spitfire2865
Western Thunderer
Wow.
So some good progress.
Last night I began one of the final major components, the headlight.
Ive designed it to open, slide out, and light up! Idealy, those grooves on the back will hold copperclad with some sprung wire contacts that will transmit power between the loco and the lamp.
Speaking of which...
The lamp is a 12V grain of wheat stuffed into the shell of a fairy light bulb and stuck into a shortened flashlight reflector.
On about 9V its pretty bright. I was powering it here from my Neilsons batterypack. The American will have a similar arrangement of batteries, however in the tender due to space constraints.
But the design is slowly finalizing.
Ive since changed the internal structure of the tender tank to really beef it up. Ive lightened the internal framework, but I could probably go further and cut down as much weight as possible. Dont want to be carrying around too much unnecessary weight.
The cab is going to be quite impressive when finished, with opening doors, sliding windows, opening firebox door, and functional Johnson-bar. Shame the throttle wont work!
(And I just realized that backhead bracket collides with the reverser....Have to check clearances on that....
And Ive ordered assorted parts from Ozark Miniatures and Trackside Details which will hopefully be useful, the parts from RCS I need, some new taps and dies for the wheels and all the extra long bolts I need to make from rod, hornblocks, and Ive put in an order with Walsall for the pilot and tender wheels.
And I still have to buy all the lasercuts, the etch, $700 US of 3D prints, AND the Drivers.
Goodbye modelling budget...
At least I still have another Mike Williams wagon to build and a handful of 1/72nd aircraft...
So some good progress.
Last night I began one of the final major components, the headlight.
Ive designed it to open, slide out, and light up! Idealy, those grooves on the back will hold copperclad with some sprung wire contacts that will transmit power between the loco and the lamp.
Speaking of which...
The lamp is a 12V grain of wheat stuffed into the shell of a fairy light bulb and stuck into a shortened flashlight reflector.
On about 9V its pretty bright. I was powering it here from my Neilsons batterypack. The American will have a similar arrangement of batteries, however in the tender due to space constraints.
But the design is slowly finalizing.
Ive since changed the internal structure of the tender tank to really beef it up. Ive lightened the internal framework, but I could probably go further and cut down as much weight as possible. Dont want to be carrying around too much unnecessary weight.
The cab is going to be quite impressive when finished, with opening doors, sliding windows, opening firebox door, and functional Johnson-bar. Shame the throttle wont work!
(And I just realized that backhead bracket collides with the reverser....Have to check clearances on that....
And Ive ordered assorted parts from Ozark Miniatures and Trackside Details which will hopefully be useful, the parts from RCS I need, some new taps and dies for the wheels and all the extra long bolts I need to make from rod, hornblocks, and Ive put in an order with Walsall for the pilot and tender wheels.
And I still have to buy all the lasercuts, the etch, $700 US of 3D prints, AND the Drivers.
Goodbye modelling budget...
At least I still have another Mike Williams wagon to build and a handful of 1/72nd aircraft...