Ruston Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Evening all, I recently purchased this little Z gauge loco because I thought that I could perhaps build a British outline narrow gauge body to 4mm scale, making it near enough 18-inch gauge. The only problem is that now I have it home I can't find anything to suit it. Most 18-inch gauge locos are outside-framed and I can't find anything that has 6 wheels. Any ideas on what I could turn it into, or are there any kit or 3D print bodies already available that would suit? Thanks, 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted January 1, 2019 Author Share Posted January 1, 2019 So no one has any ideas at all? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 An Illustrated History of 18 Inch Gauge Steam Railways Hardcover – 1993 by Mark Smithers. How about an Avonside 0-4-0 body from the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich stretched to fit your chassis? Gordon A 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbine Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 I would imagine the 18" gauge would have been chosen for at least its ability to cope with sharp curves, which in turn would preclude a 6 wheel loco, so there probably are no prototypes. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
009 micro modeller Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 The two 18 inch gauge locos shown here were fairly large but were 0-4-2 well tanks: http://steam-locomotives-south-africa.blogspot.com/2008/06/olive-bagnall-no1814-at-kimberley-mine.html?m=1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted January 1, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2019 Some kind of tram loco with the wheels hidden? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Judging from the picture the rods won’t be a problem if you wanted to remove the middle set of drivers to make an 0-4-0T. I suspect there is a gear train hidden in there so the axle will need to be left in place. Beyond that it will be a matter of finding a superstructure that will balance. NG&IRR has had a number of tiny tanks that might fit the bill. Cheers, David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Hilton Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 I'm not aware of anything suitable I'm afraid, which is why I've stuck with the expensive but solid performing Busch Feldbahn mechanisms in both my own models and the kits in the 6point5 range. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
009 micro modeller Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Does it have to be a steam loco? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted January 1, 2019 Author Share Posted January 1, 2019 Thanks for the replies. ColinK has given me an idea with the tram loco thing. I don't like tram locos as in the literal sense of a boxed-in loco running on a tramway but perhaps a normal loco type with skirts that hide the wheels. That way the prototype could be an 0-4-0 but as the wheels cannot be seen it won't matter that the chassis is an 0-6-0. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo675 Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 So no one has any ideas at all? Hi Dave, I have to admire a man with such optimism that he buys a locomotive for which he yet needs to reverse engineer a project for ! Sorry Dave but I'm a fifteen inch man and mine is an LMS engine. Gibbo. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted January 2, 2019 Author Share Posted January 2, 2019 Hi Dave, I have to admire a man with such optimism that he buys a locomotive for which he yet needs to reverse engineer a project for ! Sorry Dave but I'm a fifteen inch man and mine is an LMS engine. DSCF0037.JPG Gibbo. I actually bought two for £10 - one working, one not. It seemed like a good idea at the time. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cornelius Posted January 2, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2019 I can't help with a prototype, but there's quite a long thread on the NGRM forum about 4mm:ft / 6.5mm gauge NG modelling which has covered re-motoring these chassis (and conversion to radio control) that might be of interest. You will have to register to read it but its a good forum in general so I'd recommend a look. http://ngrm-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/21615-0065-rcand-topics-related/&page=52 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
009 micro modeller Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 (edited) I actually bought two for £10 - one working, one not. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I thought these were still quite expensive even secondhand, so £10 surprised me - does it run well? Edited January 2, 2019 by 009 micro modeller Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_Under Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Seen these Dave http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130549-6point5-minimum-gauge-models/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 (edited) Any reason why it can't be freelance? I doubt that any two 18 inch gauge locos were the same anyway, as they would often be customised to the railways requirements. Even the ones that were supposed to be the same probably weren't, they just had a lot of parts in common! Edited January 8, 2019 by Titan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted January 8, 2019 Author Share Posted January 8, 2019 Seen these Dave http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130549-6point5-minimum-gauge-models/ I have and the little Avonside in particular looks very nice. Any reason why it can't be freelance? I doubt that any two 18 inch gauge locos were the same anyway, as they would often be customised to the railways requirements. Even the ones that were supposed to be the same probably weren't, they just had a lot of parts in common! The reason is that I really don't like freelance locomotives. There are literally hundreds of prototypes to choose from in the world of narrow gauge, or industrial railways so I can never see the point in making something up when there are so many real types to be modelled. Anyway, I've had the thing apart and it's so tiny and impossible for me to really do anything with that I'm not going to bother. When I do get around to doing something in 18-inch gauge I am going to use the 6.5 minimum gauge stuff. Meanwhile the Z gauge loco may have a new life powering a wagon works traverser. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 (edited) I have and the little Avonside in particular looks very nice. The reason is that I really don't like freelance locomotives. There are literally hundreds of prototypes to choose from in the world of narrow gauge, or industrial railways so I can never see the point in making something up when there are so many real types to be modelled. Anyway, I've had the thing apart and it's so tiny and impossible for me to really do anything with that I'm not going to bother. When I do get around to doing something in 18-inch gauge I am going to use the 6.5 minimum gauge stuff. Meanwhile the Z gauge loco may have a new life powering a wagon works traverser. That's a shame. Especially since out of the 'hundreds of prototypes to choose from' you can't find a single one. I would have thought being able to use your existing chassis as is was a pretty good point in favour of freelance. Edited January 8, 2019 by Titan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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