Well, it has been a long while since I last posted anything. Progress on my various projects has been slow of late for no real reason..so the usual vague apologies for my sporadic posts!

Over Christmas and New Year, I am going to open some advent calendar style doors on some of the smaller amusements that make up my scattergun modelling activities, starting with something really christmas cracker proportioned:

Return To The Tiny Tractor: see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/38664-t-gauge-class-37-on-short-19m-chassis/page__gopid__437716#entry437716

Up until recently, TGauge.com and other suppliers have supplied powered chassis in '19m' and '21m' lengths. This has all changed with the introduction of an undecorated '16m' chassis, the same one that was developed for the smart little InterCity 125 power cars:

http://www.tgauge.co...torised-chassis

Here is the chassis in question, alongside my 3D printed Victoria Bridge:

My previous attempt at a vaguely Class 37 shaped print was based on the 19m chassis. This resulted in a rather long looking model, more of a Class 40, as the motor superstructure had to be fitted in between the cabs rather than the 'bonnets'.

With the shorter chassis, and a bit of hacksaw work with one of my test prints, we have something more properly proportioned:

With my usual scientific accuracy, the proportions of the 'cut and shut' were based on observation of a) the little chassis and B) an old Farish N gauge 37 from my box of bits... which appears, if nothing else, to remind the viewer new to 'T' how unfeasibly small the mini version is:

The next step is to re-design the CAD design based on this experiment, this time with separate bogie mouldings around the existing 'Bo-Bo' units, buffers that don't fall off in the printing process* and improved bonnet shape:

More small stuff coming soon... Little is the next 'big' thing; those Hornby Sentinel industrial short wheelbase diesels are making me think of 4mm shunting planks!