LMSfan72

Rendition of the 3D models of 62287 

I originally did make it for that. Since then, though, I modified the prints to incorporate the bogie mounts so no donor was actually needed. The models have been through so many iterations I’m not sure it’s straightforward to go back!

I’m now working on 62287 UTU2 and then 62384 UTU1….

I have now updated these to a single piece body print too! Look really good with the Bachmann or Hornby ROG Class 47s! Both 6330 and 6346 done.

Had a go at a TT scale version too. They came out nicely! Just need to work out what to do for bogies. Maybe it’s time to draw my own B5….

Here’s the first attempt. Not much to change I don’t think…. at least until I have a donor I hand!
 

With Hornby's announcement of TT gauge I think I might see if I can get these to scale.....!

2 hours ago, Melton Works said:

These window frames with a DRS front end could be a winner?!

Trying to find the time to do that model! Hopefully during October!

Beautiful work there!

I had meant to ask what do you glaze them with!

What paint do you use for the Anglia turquoise?

I think this is probably done now.

:

In the last few days I have

• Added the coach end steps
• Re-did the ends with the new cable connectors
• Added some more minor pipe/rail detail to the roof
• Removed the mesh screens from the roof window guards (it was just too coarse)
• Built a new pantograph

It's DCC fitted with separate controlled interior lights, roof spotlights and under-chassis lights

...and now going for it with a better pantograph. Firstly, trying to just attempting to use the Hornby cast one, but, I may just slim down the arms on my other model now I have more confidence! Here's the first bit....

Pictures of a pair of raw prints. Pleased with the pipe work on the non-gen end:

I am also trying to work out if I can modify the Bachmann lighting board with DCC chip to control the UVs and door lights too.....it might be possible but then again a second decoder could do it if I put in sound anyway...

Playing around with slightly bigger UV LEDs for use with these brackets - 5630 not 1206s. I also worked out that if I put a thin coat of black paint on the LED the UV still shines through:

Somewhat inspired by @Darius43 I decided to print in more detail to the ends:

Unfortunately my fully lit coach was printed with an earlier body with the non-generator end printed as part of it so I cannot replace that. I did, however, print some cables for that end and replace them:

Lovely work using these prints here:

Loving seeing the builds others have done with these prints:

1 hour ago, big jim said:

They are solid and come on together on the relevant coach where the alarm is going off 

Great, thank you, now to find a fire alarm recording!!

1 hour ago, big jim said:

the door lights on the NR coaches are now linked to the fire system, if the fire bell goes off then the light comes on (only ever had it once!)

@big jim do the door lights flash or are they solid when the alarm goes, and, are they independent or both at the same time!?

1 hour ago, big jim said:

the door lights on the NR coaches are now linked to the fire system, if the fire bell goes off then the light comes on (only ever had it once!)

ah-ha so sound decoder with fire bell on same function as door lights.....

7 hours ago, Melton Works said:

There may be scope for some Bachmann DRS DBSO fronts as they have totally cheaped out on the lighting and have the same light pattern as the Anglia tooling... very dissappointed! However this stuff is groundbreaking! Keep it up!

Yeah, maybe, Just a front so that the yellow can be replaced without affecting the main livery probably works. I think the main challenge would be the lighting circuits to fix them with bi-colour LEDs and a way to route the headlight! I'm experimenting with printing light pipes at the moment! Ideally it would be developed with an actual model in hand but......

With 9708 I added a Loksound V5 FX to the what was a non-DCC Bachmann MK2F BSO converted. This time around I am going to use a DCC Bachmann version - the Virgin one seems to have the door lights too. Since I'll have to customise the headlights anyway I'm going to see if I can get all the functions out of the Bachmann board.... we will see! Then to decide if I need a second decoder for sound..........

I had another go at 9701 now that I have Bachmann's versions. I went to more detail on the window frames and sized them much more like Bachmann's. I also took a new approach to the UV lights and console. This time I printed these separately to fit later. On 9708 I had to detail the cab and then fit it, ready painted to the ready painted body. Because I think I can now add the LEDs tot eh bracketed and insert them and the console after I could do it later! I can also now choose to fit it or not.

Sharing a post of Bachmann 9702 and 9703 against my converted Bachmann BSO, 9708, with UV lights and sound - mine doesn't have the door lock lights but it does have the switchable headlight... I think there's enough functions to implement the full suite. Maybe on 9701....! 

I did a really interesting exercise on costing out what a finished coach, without any lighting but with a detailed interior, really cost to develop.

For the costing purposes I assumed that labour was minimum wage (£9.50) per hr. Obviously the design time was a one-off, but, if thinking about a business I'd amortise that over the number of units I sold (or planned to sell).

Materials for a built coach, with the interior and including the raw materials, consumables and electric work out at £45

Design time I estimate was about 40 hours (that may well be low!). Then there is all the prep and build time, call that 5-10 hours if I completely ignore any "dead" drying time/research/etc - just time actually making. I'd imagine after a few units it would go to 5 but,..... For info, it takes about 25 hours to print a set but I obviously don't include that time.

I am also ignoring the actual cost of the printer (big ignore!).

So, the cost of the 1st one, if I assumed paying minimum wage, and I already had the software and the printer, would work out at over £500!!

If you amortised the upfront cost (really just the design as I am ignoring the software and printer costs) over, say, 15 units, then the cost drops to £170. Over 100 units it only drops to £147, and, wait for it........ over 1000 it is £143!!

I take a few of things away from this:

1. I think it's worth more than minimum wage!

2. To get any benefit of scale on materials you need to get your material costs down with your supply base - but, how realistically low could they go?

3. I should imagine my design hours were relatively low - imagine the time spent on measuring a real prototype, etc.... plus travel, access to prototype etc and then the cost of software licences that I didn't consider. If it were a job my cost equivalent is less than 1 man week at minimum wage and nothing else in it!

4. In real terms there are not that many hours in the build so you need massive volumes to be able to invest in production tooling and huge throughputs to get the per unit cost right down

I am the first to complain about the cost of RTR models. But, having done this, I have a whole new perspective!!!