You may remember that a couple of days ago I said that I seemed to have spent a lot of time being busy but not actually managing to really do anything - well, things don't seem to have improved much! One reason that I can firmly point a finger at though is that the new issue of Narrow Gauge and Industrial Review popped through the letter box. Amongst other things there was an article on a rather lovely Baldwin entirely scratch built with milled frames and split axle pickups - both of which I aspire to! One aspect of the frames which got me thinking though was that they incorporated the gearbox all in one piece. While my system of powering the Dick Kerr with two motors certainly works, I know there must be a better way. I can just about justify this line of thought as I do have another set of body etches to make up. So just as a design exercise I scanned the body, some wheels and gearboxes and started to assemble my monster in PhotoShop.

In the end I used a picture from the Markits catalog for the gear boxes and motor but it does prove that it would be easily possible to have one motor driving two gearboxes. Taking the concept one stage further I drew out a chassis side (I know there are no spacer holes or provision for mounting the motor), with the holes for the gear shafts incorporated and, I could easily use my beloved roller bearings! To take this any further I will need to chose which gearbox to base it on to get the gear spacing correct and a couple of gear sets, and a motor, and some more bearings...... I will get there!