Show us your Pugbashes, Nellieboshes, Desmondifications, Jintysteins

[009 micro modeller]

6 hours ago, Ben B said:

 

I had a similar machine from Elaines Trains (not sure of the maker) but it's in red, with BR double arrows :)

I’ve got a Jouef/Playcraft clockwork loco in that livery. Not sure if it’s the original livery.

[MrWolf]

9 hours ago, alastairq said:

Rivarossi used to make a B&O Dockside switcher....and used the same mech for a tender version[with a slope back tender].

They had full valve gear, so may be worth keeping an eye out for?

Their motors were huge, and could threaten the integrity of the National Grid when pulling a long train.

But.....if non-working, could be a good source of parts for a Varney?

[As well as having a nice plastic bodyshell]

 

I had one of those Rivarossi locos, mint, boxed and seemingly unused, it came in with some other railway odds and ends to a friend's antique shop. 

After a check over and a little oil, it ran beautifully on code 100 track.

It went back to Italy via eBay for £30+ post as Swindon never had one. 

It would make an interesting and powerful loco and they do turn up fairly often.

I think that the motor would probably run my 6" Colchester lathe.

[John Besley]

You could also cut a pizza with them...

[Vanguard 5374]

A little surprised at how this simply clips together, but it’s using parts from the spares box to make some extra locos. Matchbox diesel shunter body with a Bachmann Underground Ernie inspection loco chassis underneath, it’s a friction fit so I can just pull it apart when needed. The chassis happens to have a 8 pin decoder socket too so I could run it under DCC if I wanted.

 

Next step is to remove some of the detailing, use fittings where possible, build up the bufferbeam in order to use it with OO gauge rolling stock.

 

[Ben B]

13 minutes ago, Vanguard 5374 said:

A little surprised at how this simply clips together, but it’s using parts from the spares box to make some extra locos. Matchbox diesel shunter body with a Bachmann Underground Ernie inspection loco chassis underneath, it’s a friction fit so I can just pull it apart when needed. The chassis happens to have a 8 pin decoder socket too so I could run it under DCC if I wanted.

 

Next step is to remove some of the detailing, use fittings where possible, build up the bufferbeam in order to use it with OO gauge rolling stock.

 

 

I've always loved the Matchbox diesel shunter, I've had a plan to convert one into a particularly chunky 009 loco for many years.

 

In terms of 00 though, what's the UE chassis like in terms of running and quality?

 

Btw, whilst I know it's just stripped-down before repainting, I also really like that chrome finish, oddly suits the loco with it's US-inspired styling :)

Edited April 11 by Ben B

[Vanguard 5374]

1 hour ago, Ben B said:

 

I've always loved the Matchbox diesel shunter, I've had a plan to convert one into a particularly chunky 009 loco for many years.

 

In terms of 00 though, what's the UE chassis like in terms of running and quality?

 

Btw, whilst I know it's just stripped-down before repainting, I also really like that chrome finish, oddly suits the loco with it's US-inspired styling :)

I find most 009 conversions of the loco to be too wide as the body is broad, there is a plastic bodied one that is better to convert but these are rarer.

 

The chassis is good but basic, I’ve been stockpiling them for conversions that I have planned and this one was spare.

[Ben B]

1 hour ago, Vanguard 5374 said:

I find most 009 conversions of the loco to be too wide as the body is broad, there is a plastic bodied one that is better to convert but these are rarer.

 

The chassis is good but basic, I’ve been stockpiling them for conversions that I have planned and this one was spare.

 

I've two of the plastic ones acquired years ago... but to be honest I quite like the chunky look. I know most UK ng stuff is fairly small, but I've always had a fondness for the massive, oversized monsters you sometimes see overseas. Perhaps TT gear would be better, for a 3ft gauge prototype. Something like an Arnold KoF might fit nicely in the metal body...

 

I don't need another project, I don't need another project, I don't need... :)

[009 micro modeller]

2 hours ago, Ben B said:

 

I've two of the plastic ones acquired years ago... but to be honest I quite like the chunky look. I know most UK ng stuff is fairly small, but I've always had a fondness for the massive, oversized monsters you sometimes see overseas. Perhaps TT gear would be better, for a 3ft gauge prototype. Something like an Arnold KoF might fit nicely in the metal body...

 

I don't need another project, I don't need another project, I don't need... :)

You could possibly use it for one of those ex-cement works 2’ 6” locos (I think a cancelled export order, one now at Whipsnade). Is the cab height enough for 4mm scale?

[Moxy]

1 hour ago, 009 micro modeller said:

You could possibly use it for one of those ex-cement works 2’ 6” locos (I think a cancelled export order, one now at Whipsnade). Is the cab height enough for 4mm scale?

 

Do you mean these things?

 

(Not my photo, linked from Flickr)

 

The Matchbox diesels would need a taller cab, but I like your thinking,  There is similarity in style to those Fowlers.

[Halvarras]

3 hours ago, Ben B said:

 

I don't need another project, I don't need another project, I don't need... :)

 

I've been telling myself the same thing for years, ever more loudly, but then up pops a Tri-ang ex-clockwork NBL 'D2907' shunter body and...........I've often wondered if one of these could be made to look more 'NBL'. Yep, it's in the queue! Perhaps this one will be my final razor saw, files and plasticard challenge then 🥴!

 

Interestingly placing it on a 'D29xx' 4mm scale line drawing reveals that it's surprisingly accurate in some of its major dimensions - the upper bodywork is to correct length although the cab is 7mm too long (and the bonnet correspondingly too short, as well as too narrow) and the front and rear footsteps the correct distance apart too, in side view. A scale model of a D29xx is out of the question, but an NBL industrial 'might-have-been'........hmm....... 😜

[AlfaZagato]

Those are charming beasts.   Good to know these flashy little dock shunters have some basis.

[009 micro modeller]

4 hours ago, Moxy said:

 

Do you mean these things?

 

(Not my photo, linked from Flickr)

 

The Matchbox diesels would need a taller cab, but I like your thinking,  There is similarity in style to those Fowlers.

Yes exactly. Was trying to remember who the manufacturer was and where they worked (was it APCM Penarth?). They have a family resemblance to some standard gauge Fowlers but the front end design is slightly fancier than the Matchbox one. I have a Matchbox diesel like these somewhere, it would be interesting to see whether the taller cab would make it too tall overall.

[Moxy]

6 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Yes exactly. Was trying to remember who the manufacturer was and where they worked (was it APCM Penarth?).

 

Yes it was Penarth, according to Wikipedia.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Whipsnade_Railway#Diesel_locomotives

[OliverSR]

I ended up doing a similar matchbox bash with an Ernie 1 chassis but retained the matchbox side frames. I also 3D printed some raised bufferbeams so it could class as a small OO shunter. I wanted to go for a less toy like but still yellow colour scheme.

It does run almost as well as a Hornby Ruston due to the weight from the metal body, even over my set track insulfrog points and has decent haulage, I managed to fit a 6 pin socket into it too.

OliverSR

[Nick Lawson]

On 08/04/2024 at 08:44, Barclay said:

What it really needs though is valve gear, and how I hate making valve gear!

Well you could perhaps decide that it has inside valve gear with a transverse lever mechanism  out to the outside piston valves. Or is that too GWR for you? https://modelengineeringwebsite.com/6000_King_George_V.html 😀

[TangoOscarMike]

Hello. Here is a saddle tank body to fit on the inside cylinder version of the Hornby 0-4-0 tank engine chassis. I'm planning to (get Shapeways to) 3D print it in 3 pieces, with the cab roof and bunker separate.

 

Before I do, I would be grateful for any suggestions for improvements, but:

• The large splashers are necessary to conceal the motor mount.
• I don't plan any finer detail (such as handrails) because I'm already near the limits, detail-wise, of the "Versatile Plastic" printing option.

 

 

Full disclosure: I will offer this for sale (but my Shapeways shop is not a business in any meaningful sense).

[33C]

You could lose the steps, buffers and the boiler mountings and add a selection of different types on a separate print. E.g. dumb buffers, sand boxes, ogee bonnets and giesel ejectors. 

The bunker looks a bit anorexic and would probably require an (internal user only?) auxiliary tender. 

Only my opinion!

[NZRedBaron]

Funny enough, combine that with your old 0-4-0 freelancer design, and you've got some very fun options.

[Ben B]

I rather like that tank loco design, it has enough design nods to make it look like an 'absorbed' GWR loco.  You could picture maybe a light railway somewhere in mid-Wales with light axle loads, and Swindon bunged a few bits on an existing Edwardian/late-Victorian machine when it ended up at Oswestry or Swindon for a general overhaul :)

[Hacksworth_Sidings]

Maybe have the steps/ladders and buffers as separate pieces? Having them as part of the main print, whilst convenient, seems like a bit of a risk for failed prints and damage during transit, would aid with painting, and, as 33C said, the modeller could pick from alternate styles, or even design their own to fit!
 

Maybe an alternate version of the body with pilot holes for handrail knobs to be added if the user so desires too? Or at least maybe small indentations to use as pilot holes, that can easily be drilled out/filled in as the modeller desires.

 

I’ve seen plenty of stories from a few modellers (namely Thomas & Friends modellers who hate the Bachmann models) about the pain of preparing 3D printed bodies for paint, so I don’t really see the latter option being too unreasonable! But at the end of the day, your design, your choice, lovely looking model regardless! I might consider buying one once it’s ready for production…

Edited April 13 by Hacksworth_Sidings

[33C]

If your a dab hand with this 3D printing malarkey, why not "Ivor the engine"!

[Hacksworth_Sidings]

1 hour ago, 33C said:

If your a dab hand with this 3D printing malarkey, why not "Ivor the engine"!

I’ve dabbled in 3D printing, and do have a printer myself, but I simply haven’t used it much, I’ve done plenty of CAD modelling though, coming up 8 years and I’m by no means the best, I made a start with modelling on a game called Roblox in 2016 or so, and I’ve messed with other modelling softwares like Tinkercad and Blender now and then (the latter of which I still need to properly figure out, the former I used to design a replacement ladder for the Tyco 2-8-0s/0-8-0s).

[Hacksworth_Sidings]

Finally begun cutting into the £5 tank…

 

 

Cylinders and rods are from a Triang Princess (much like the old rods, I’ve bent them at the end the crank pin slots into, to keep the rod from colliding with the front axle’s crank pin, cylinder block has been widened to match). Need to get some Walschearts links and extended crank pins soon, and rebuilt the front of the loco as the original front end broke whilst I was cutting. Proper cylinders and crossheads though? I think it already looks better!

[TangoOscarMike]

Thanks folks!

 

22 hours ago, 33C said:

You could lose the steps, buffers and the boiler mountings and add a selection of different types on a separate print. E.g. dumb buffers, sand boxes, ogee bonnets and giesel ejectors. 

The bunker looks a bit anorexic and would probably require an (internal user only?) auxiliary tender. 

 

Another advantage of having separate details is that the main body/structure could be printed at a relatively low quality, and the details printed at a high quality (fine resolution). And yes, I think it would make sense to have a modular kit with a variety of different build options.

 

I think that Shapeways is a bit of a dead-end for my purposes. Removing details wouldn't reduce the cost, and having separate detail parts would of course increase the cost. What I would really like (to give to my 12-year-old self) would be an injection moulded kit along these lines. And maybe one day I will identify and approach a suitable manufacturer. Or approach someone who provides 3D prints of higher quality at a more favourable price.

 

As for the bunker - I justified these dimensions to myself on the grounds that the Hornby Holden 101 (and the prototype, I believe) also had a very skinny bunker. But I agree that it looks a bit weird. Maybe I can enlarge it by a millimetre or two without making the footplate too small.

 

18 hours ago, NZRedBaron said:

Funny enough, combine that with your old 0-4-0 freelancer design, and you've got some very fun options.

In fact there are many shared elements between all my designs thus far. A lot of things get re-used with small adjustments.

 

10 hours ago, Ben B said:

I rather like that tank loco design, it has enough design nods to make it look like an 'absorbed' GWR loco.  You could picture maybe a light railway somewhere in mid-Wales with light axle loads, and Swindon bunged a few bits on an existing Edwardian/late-Victorian machine when it ended up at Oswestry or Swindon for a general overhaul :)

 

Thank you! I wanted it to be generic but with GWR leanings, and whenever I needed guidance I asked google for "GWR saddle tank" images. So if it looked like that to you, then I've succeeded.

 

7 hours ago, Hacksworth_Sidings said:

Maybe have the steps/ladders and buffers as separate pieces? Having them as part of the main print, whilst convenient, seems like a bit of a risk for failed prints and damage during transit, would aid with painting, and, as 33C said, the modeller could pick from alternate styles, or even design their own to fit!
 

Maybe an alternate version of the body with pilot holes for handrail knobs to be added if the user so desires too? Or at least maybe small indentations to use as pilot holes, that can easily be drilled out/filled in as the modeller desires.

 

Failed prints are not much of a risk with Shapeways once the design is known to be printable. And I've made the details chunky to ensure that they can be printed in the low-resolution "Versatile Plastic". And this stuff it extremely strong - damage in transit is not a worry at all. That is the upside of the poor detail.

 

Pilot holes or indentations - yes. As you say, I could easily make two versions, one with and one without.

 

7 hours ago, Hacksworth_Sidings said:

I’ve seen plenty of stories from a few modellers (namely Thomas & Friends modellers who hate the Bachmann models) about the pain of preparing 3D printed bodies for paint, so I don’t really see the latter option being too unreasonable! But at the end of the day, your design, your choice, lovely looking model regardless! I might consider buying one once it’s ready for production…

 

The Versatile Plastic (previously known as Strong and Flexible) has two related drawbacks - the inability to support fine detail, and the rough surface finish. For me (working down here at the "toy trains" end of the spectrum) the rough surface isn't all that bad. The poor detail is the worse problem.

 

I have seen people filling and sanding to get a high quality finish (since this sometimes destroys what detail there is, this also contributes to the case for separate detail parts). But for my tastes a few coats of paint are enough to achieve an acceptable (although not ideal) surface. 

 

6 hours ago, 33C said:

If your a dab hand with this 3D printing malarkey, why not "Ivor the engine"!

 

Good idea. The answer to "why not?" would surely be "but Ivor should be a 009 conversion of an N gauge tank engine". But (again, acting on behalf of my 12-year-old self) I want to bring the carefree fun of freelance 009 to the more beginner-friendly 00. So something Ivor-esque would make perfect sense.

 

[25kV]

Great to see some other Matchbox conversions going on!   I recently did a 009 and OO (with switchable bodies) pair using Halling chassis cut into the original die cast frames. 

 

Body-swapping OO.

 

009 just about clearing the tunnels!

 

The full (and simple) conversion process is documented here: