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General Electric E33, E44, E40 and GF6C in N scale


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I've been commissioned by another user of the Shapeways forum to design an N scale models of several US electric locomotives for 3D printing.

The first is the General Electric E33, built originally for the Virginian Railway in 1955, then sold by its successor the Norfolk and Western to the New Haven, where they continued through Penn Central and Conrail ownership until retirement in 1981.

 

Virginian135.jpg

 

Photo by Frank Hicks, published under Creative Commons Attributions Share Alike License.

 

Preserved E33 at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Painted in original Virginian livery, but with several modifications made in the Conrail era.

 

 

Here are a couple of views of progress so far of the CAD design in Blender.

 

E33%2520Blender%2520view%252001.jpg

 

E33%2520Blender%2520view%252002.jpg

 

The model is designed to fit an Atlas C-628 mechanism.

 

 

Paul

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Hi Paul,

Good for you! On the New Haven, these were known as 'Bricks' - probably due to their slab shape and red livery! I hope you will get a commission fee on each one sold as they should be quite popular models!

Good luck with this project and the other electrics!

Cheers,

John E.

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Thanks John. They certainly are pretty slabby locos compared with the E40s or GG1s, though there are some nice curves at either end.

As you say, I hope they will be popular models, like in the UK electrics seem to be under represented in the US model market.

 

Here's a render showing progress so far.

 

E33%2520blender%2520render%252002.jpg

 

Paul

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Sorry SImon, yes the render was done in Blender. It's done with the Environment Lighting setting on to avoid having to position any lamps.

Time so far has been about a week of evenings, and I'm hoping to get it finished tomorrow bar some adjustments to the roof area for which I'm awaiting extra photos.

 

Paul

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Thanks Tom. It's all surfaces, so far just the outer skin. I'll add the inner skin to make it a proper solid as the last step before completion, as I find it causes confusion when using wireframe view if I do it earlier.

 

Paul

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Agreed re ambient light / environment lighting, I struggled for a while placing lamps here and there trying to get decent renders before I discovered it.

 

The bodyshell CAD is now largely finished, bar some front end and roof details for which I am awaiting some extra photos.

 

E33%2520Blender%2520render%252003.jpg

 

 

E33%2520Blender%2520render%252004.jpg

 

 

E33%252520Blender%252520render%25252005.jpg

 

 

E33%252520Blender%252520render%25252006.jpg

 

 

 

Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks Simon,

 

All the details on the grilles etc are a bit over the minimum size for detail to show up in Frosted Ultra Detail, so it should print OK.

 

The CAD file is fairly small, only 9.4MB, as there aren't many complex curved surfaces. For comparison, the Austin Maestro is about 50MB.

 

Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...

The E33 has been submitted to Shapeways by the guy I'm designing these for, and should hopefully be delivered in the next few days.

 

Meanwhile, I've completed a second loco for him, the E33's successor the E44.

 

 

E44%2520Blender%2520Render%252017.jpg

 

 

E44%2520Blender%2520Render%252018.jpg

 

 

E44%2520Blender%2520Render%252019.jpg

 

 

E44%2520Blender%2520Render%252020.jpg

 

 

E44%2520Blender%2520Render%252016.jpg

 

This class had an amazing number of detail variations, especially among the lower numbered locos. The model depicts number 4400 in upgraded condition, and is probably not correct for any other members of the class.

 

Paul

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The first print of the E33 was delivered from Shapeways yesterday.

 

S6301519%2520copy.jpg

 

At the back is the Atlas C628 chassis being used to power the loco, and in front of the body is the sprue with all the handrails and other details.

 

 

I've now moved on to the third model of the four I've been commissioned to do, the General Electric E40.

 

E40%2520Blender%2520Render%252008.png

 

E40%2520Blender%2520Render%252007.png

 

Paul

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Hi Lyneux,

 

Yes, I changed the texture of the models from the default grey to white, and added a slight amount of reflectivity. The renders now take about twice as long to process but as you say look considerably less grainy.

 

Paul

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Hi Simon,

 

I'm planning to do a couple of tube trains, and I've been looking at some EMUs too, but I hadn't really considered locos. Had you got anything in particular in mind?

 

Here is the finished E40 design, with the underframe and some extra roof details added.

 

E40%2520Blender%2520Render%252018.png

 

E40%2520Blender%2520Render%252017.png

 

I've also done a version representing the locos' original condition with underframe fairings. By request of the person who commissioned the designs, I've added very fine indented lines to guide masking of the complex New Haven livery.

 

E40%2520Blender%2520Render%252016.png

 

 

 

Paul

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