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Challenge: Design a card loco kit.


hartleymartin

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Well I have a couple of sheets of 0.5mm material coming in, I could be tempted to 'have a go' in 7mm at least you wouldn't have to try and hide the on board batteries and radio gear! I will be quite on the subject for a while as the G1MRA AGM and show is on at the end of the month so I am getting ready for that at a furious pace.

On a similar vane I stumbled across a Ruston 88 DS built in 7mm using the same methods the other day but now I can't find it again! Some times this site is information overload, but it is almost always a pleasure to see what is going on in railway modelling!

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So, after 3 days of pratting about trying to work out why the chassis doesn't like the coupling rod, I have learned 2 important things that I feel the need to share:

 

1) Measure the connecting rods accurately. if they are 33.5 mm, don't make the wheelbase 33 mm. a quick adjustment and everything suddenly felt much better.

2) before taking everything to pieces over and over again to try to find out why it is binding and stalling... check the wheels to see how filthy and caked in superglue they are - they were fairly well insulated, so there as no way it was going to run.

 

picks up dunce's hat and strolls off for a well deserved sit in the corner .....

 

anyway, hope to have photos of smokebox, firebox and ogee tank tonight :)

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It might be the only way as I doubt where I have laminated the parts up in 10mm that will work in 7, no idea about motors either in 7mm as its a scale I have not worked in for 22 years and I wasn't scratch building then. Don't look to me for 3D printed parts it's a skill I'm still learning about solid works is driving me to dispare, almost more than templot!

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Ok, next stage of the card loco. so far all the parts laminated up out of heavy card that could run through a printer, so it would work as a kit to cut out yourself :)

 

Not sure about the tank, it might be a bit large - equally, the Colonel may be a bit short. The tank is full of metal, so we have a bit more pulling power than I expected. the massive buffer beams are so that it can cope with shunting chaldron waggons, which don't have standard buffers in terms of width or height.

 

 

Anyone fancy a print out?

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Cornamuse - I wouldn't say no to a print out kit of the piano tank - I have been following this with great interest as like yourself I'm working with a fairly small budget.

I think the tank looks slightly large but that may be because there aren't any boiler fittings on yet to balance it out?

Also, out of curiosity had you considered the Neilson box tanks as another option? Given their body shape I always thought they would be a good subject to build in card?

Cheers,

Neil

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hi there - will sort the print outs when I have finished making mistakes - sound ok?

 

the boiler has got to go - you are right it is way too big. fortunately the cutter means it is no big deal.

 

I did consider the box tank, and might make it the next project, although I really need something older. Main reason for not doing it was the outside motion. Designing a freelance one lets me choose inside motion as a lazy option! The only reason for the piano tank was that I love the shape, which seems to go with my early stock rather nicely.

 

I am rather pleased at how strong the chassis is - high quality heavy cardstock laminated 3 or 4 times using superglue results in something that it pretty resistant to bending!

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Hi, thanks that sounds good to me :)

 

Ah I love the box tanks - always felt that they looked ancient even when they were first built. Know what you mean about the outside motion though - I'm currently struggling with an ancient Springside Manning Wardle - is it bad that I am considering adding tram skirts to it to hide the lack of motion?

 

True the Piano tanks do have a nice shape!

 

That's good - what thickness of card do you use out of curiosity? I'm guessing that it needs to be weighted down to stop it from bending?

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

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I've only just discovered this thread. As a 00 modeller of many years, trying to model the East Anglia scene, the rather fun n-g models are not my scene though I do enjoy them. However I can see some things here that may be of use.

Can I suggest a method I have used with the Scalescenes range of card buildings? Instead of printing the downloaded kit on to card, I use sheets of A4 size self adhesive labels (from Rymans or Staples). These are then easily stuck to plasticard, which is then cut out and assembled. I also use a cutting board with fixed steel rules to assist cutting out. This is shown in the useful gadjets thread on RMWeb (I can't find it at the moment, not on the home pc, but will add a link later if needed). After assembly, a coat of matt varnish from the likes of B&Q will seal everything.

 

Stewart

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I've only just discovered this thread. As a 00 modeller of many years, trying to model the East Anglia scene, the rather fun n-g models are not my scene though I do enjoy them. However I can see some things here that may be of use.

Can I suggest a method I have used with the Scalescenes range of card buildings? Instead of printing the downloaded kit on to card, I use sheets of A4 size self adhesive labels (from Rymans or Staples). These are then easily stuck to plasticard, which is then cut out and assembled. I also use a cutting board with fixed steel rules to assist cutting out. This is shown in the useful gadjets thread on RMWeb (I can't find it at the moment, not on the home pc, but will add a link later if needed). After assembly, a coat of matt varnish from the likes of B&Q will seal everything.

 

Stewart

Hi Stewart,

 

That sounds interesting.

 

Any photos or Links?

 

ATVB

 

CME

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It isn't bad to be thinking of adding skirts - if the con rods on this don't start behaving, this will get skirts too! I don't find I need to weight the card using superglue, and it sets like MDF! However with PVA or UHU, it does need weighting

 

I'm sure plasticard would be better, but it doesn't go through my cutter as well as card. Also, I am much more comfortable with card - all my models are constructed from it. I use a variety of thicknesses, but generally go for about 220g weight.

The other reason for sticking with card is that that was the challenge proposed by the thread in the first place, and the concept appealed :) I feel it makes it absolutely entry level, as it is a material everyone has come across :) It is a surprisingly good material, which I even use to construct the running gear on all my wagons and coaches with no loss of strength. It the picture below, the only parts not made of card are the wheels, brass nails for the shank of the buffers, and wire for the handrails.

 

The piano tank isn't narrow gauge, by the way - it is 7mm standard gauge, just a simplified version of a very tiny prototype 3' driving wheels, 5' wheelbase. I believe they were also built as a narrow gauge locos too, though. I suspect my oversized boiler and firebox make it look narrow gauge - that will change tonight!

 

hope none of that offends - just trying to justify my thinking :)

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Thanks for that - I think you are right

 

I rebuilt the smokebox and firebox to be a bit smaller to allow the tank to sit lower, too. Also moved the firebox forward to give more cab space.  

 

The other concern is that the curves on the tank may be a little extreme - it bears much resemblance to my stomach!

 

By the way, I have drawings for the open and closed early carriages, too!

 

Cheers

 

Andy

 

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Andy, that's starting to look better - I think Martin is right in terms of how much to remove from the top of the tank.

 

Re the drawing of the early carriages - can I be really cheeky and ask for a copy please? I've been searching for ages for a suitable drawing!

 

Martin - you could be right if they are willing to sell the parts separately. However I think the parts could just as easily be made from card and bits of metal (slide bars I was thinking small brass bar square section?) in order to produce something low cost?

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

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Hi Neil, of course you can!

 

In fact, if I just post them here, anyone can help themselves :) I don't offer any instructions, but you just layer them up like a complicated set of doilies!

 

There are also versions of the Bodmin and Wadebridge stock in the pdf, but they aren't as accurately proportioned, because I couldn't believe that the stock was that small!

 

I started a thread on "7mm narrow gauge in card" in the narrow gauge section, surprise, surprise. This has pictures of similar construction being used on Ffestiniog coaches.

 

Anyway - have fun with them, I am just finishing the ogee tank, for the second time. grrrrr

 

Martin - You weren't far off, have removed between 3 and 5 mm, and a lot narrower too. Whole tank is about half the volume, maybe less. Looks much more delicate. Thanks for the suggestion! The Tower Kit idea is a good one -  I had also wondered about using cylinders and crossheads from a dead OO loco, too - or Hornby spares. they seem to kick about for about a tenner ...  

carriages.pdf

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Thanks Andy - very much appreciated! Ooh Bodmin and Wadebridge - me likey! Completely agree re their size - having seen them in the NRM over the summer I couldn't quite believe how small they actually are...

Thanks - I will do. May even attempt a go this weekend if I can empty the train room of all the stuff that seems to end up in there...!

Nice idea about using the cylinders and cross head from 00 locos - shall await with interest :)

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

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Ok, tank re-done. I love having the cutter - as I am sure I would have been satisfied with the other.

 

Also a few pics to show the stages in the tank. Given the brief of a card kit, the tank is made to locate its various parts very securely. Purely for myself, it might just have been built up with thicker card.

 

 

To my mind, the dimensions are far more delicate, and in keeping with a tiny Victorian shunter.

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Ok, tank re-done. I love having the cutter - as I am sure I would have been satisfied with the other.

 

So when can I place the order for the production run of the kit? (a little tongue-in-cheek there)

 

I have a spare 40:1 ratio gearset kicking around to suit a Mashima motor and slaters axles. However, I am not so sure that an 1833 with flywheel will fit inside that tiny victorian locomotive!

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If you are happy to work out how to do it from the pictures and your undoubted skills and intelligence, I am happy to start posting the pages for the various elements for you to play around with :)

 

Andy

 

Andy - yes please that would be great thanks!

 

Cheers, 

 

Neil

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