Shapeways Arrival: 'Class 139 with windows'
Entry posted by Will J
2,968 views
One of these days I ought to scratchbuild a little N gauge UPS van... they have become inextricably linked with the ups and downs and twists and turns of figuring out this 3D printing business, heralding as they do, a delivery from Shapeways:
Here is the contents of today's package...
A great leap forward in my ongoing mission to dress up a Kato N gauge tram chassis as a Class 139, as seen on the Stourbridge Town branch line. For more info, see:
http://www.parrypeoplemovers.com/
http://en.wikipedia...._Rail_Class_139
While previous versions had been solid blocks of plastic, this one has window frames which, with some clever clips designed into the 'print', can be easily glazed with some transparent plastic sheet. The model has been printed in 'Frosted Ultra Detail', the finest of the materials available from Shapeways, and was based on a design developed in Google Sketchup. The tiny 'pillars', about 1mm in width, are remarkably strong and show little tendency to bend, the structure as a whole will be greatly strengthened when the flush windows are bonded into place.
The model is a snug fit onto a lightly modified standard Kato chassis. As can be see here, the plastic sides of the chassis have been sanded away until the central metal weight between the wheels shows up. This is as narrow as the chassis can be modified to, any more and the cups for the pinpoints of the wheels would be destoyed.
This is where the compromises start though. I was keen to keep the proportions of the frontal 'face' of the railcar correct, and the slight increase in width to fit around the chassis has been matched with an increase in height. (remarkably easily adjusted in Sketchup by 'stretching' the model in which ever direction you need). I was keen to see this version 'in the flesh' as it is so tricky to judge marginal 'out of scale-ness' on a computer screen, out of the context of other models.
When I come to set up the next (definitive? who knows!) version of the model, I will take a little off the height leaving the width the same. This will make the front aspect look a little 'wide' but all in all, will give the model better proportions in a layout context. As the moment, it looks the right shape, just a little enlarged compared to the modest proportions of the real thing.
For the time being, this one will do, as it will be running in isolation along a branch line at the back of a layout...
(Kinlet Wharf, at the upcoming DEMU Showcase in Burton if you would like a closer look, do come and say hello 
)
...rather than coupled alongside anything else, so hopefully the slight overscaleness will not stick out too much.
Wow, I have rambled on a bit here. It is interesting how subtle stretches and tweaks in different directions are needed to fit a 'cheap and cheerful' RTR chassis, I'm learning all the time. If nothing else, this model shows the potential of the process!
Next episode, decoration, and test running on 'The Wharf'.
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