Timber

Hello Over the past few years I have made a number of 4 wheel coaches using etches and 3D printed parts. This is the latest model. It includes a number of design changes to my standard build process, including 3D printed interiors. The prototype is taken from a drawing in Mike Lloyd's beautiful book on the Tanat Vallry railway. It is Cambrian Railway heritage. This particular model is an all third, I have a partially complete composite and at some point will make a brake to complete the set. As I upgrade my other coach designs to reflect the build process of this coach I will share some photos. This is the third set of etches for this model. The previous set was close, hopefully this one will be right. A fellow member has kindly offered to complete a test build. After that the etches are available to members at cost should anyone be interested. As with all my models, I try and make them dimensionally correct but they are simple representations of the prototype....a more skilled modeller could potentially add more detail if required.

couple of my locos on the s scale section of RMWeb I like the way you create your parts for casting....i will take a look at blender. At the moment I print in brass via shapeways is quick and convenent. I am finding the i class very hard....it is the hardest loco I have tried to build. I have redrawn my etches and looking at the right ballance of 3D printed parts verses etched parts...short wheel base, small wheels, very little space for a motor.....argh I model the Brecon and Merthyr and they had three of these engines so I am going to wrestle away with this to get it right.... I will pursue getting a better drawing through the CS society to see what they have.....using a drawing from the railway modeller I think. Anyway - your fusion work is great.....going to keep an eye on progress. You will put alot more detail into your model than I will into mine.

Jbd82 - this is great work. I am in the middle of exactly the same project but in S Scale, using a mixed of etches (drawn in microsoft visio) and 3D prints using Fusion and Shapeways. What drawing are you using?

hello I am in the middle of producing an S Scale kit of the Manning Wardle old I class. It will be a mix of etch and 3D prints. (a couple of my models are in the S Scale section of RMWeb). What I am looking for is a photo of the front of the cyilinders under the smokebox behind the front headstock.. Can anyone help please? Many thanks in advance!!

Once again not so much an unconventional scale but one that is not as popular as others.....this is my latest S Scale locomotive. Full details in the S Scale forum.

Job done....lining is with fox transfers......all parts and etches available if anyone is interested.....

Engine has body coat. The next step is to fit the steam pipes to the safety valve. This is a 1mm brass wire, curved to pass through the safety valve base and through each of the valances. Care required to prevent damaging the base. Curve the wire, thread though the base and then twist to thread through each valance one at a time.

Tender has 3D printed bearings together with brake handle and sent off for painting.

Next job on the tender is to fit the leaf springs. 3D printed springs are a little chunky and cannot be made to fit exactly as the prototype. The prototype springs stood slightly proud of the tender body. To compensate for the spring thickness, the springs have a flat surface that solders onto the tender body. The other side has the spring detail. A little bit of a compromise but the result is a strong fitting.

Back to the tender fitting the 3D printed rear tool box and filler cap.

Finally the clack valves (o gauge handrail knob and a 14 BA nut) are fitted to both sides together with the levers for the sandboxes, Levers are simplified. For me, the prototype mechanism scaled down is too delecate to have at the front of an operational model. The post holding the sandbox lever is once again a Markit long handrail knob. I refitted the body to the chassis for one final test run before going off to be washed and then painted, While the engine is being painted I will finish the tender.

got it thanks!

thank you - much appreciated. Given that no drawings or photos exist, what boiler fittings do you think they may have changed, just the safety valve?

You have made a superb model. The build and painting is superb. I am looking for some help. I am trying to create a model of GWR 1460. According to my research this engine was aquired from the B&M. It was not a classic metro tank but one that B&M asked Stephenson to copy the GWR Metro design. The B&M owned 7 or 8 of these engines but all except one was worn out by grouping. I have no idea if this loco ever run on the GWR system - but it was given a GWR number then it is a possibile. Would anyone be able to guide me on what (typically) immediately post grouping what GWR livery and insigna would aquired engines have carried? Here is a copy of the engine in B&M war time black. I have made another that I want to reflect GWR days but have no idea on the lettering or lining. All my painting is with "shaky can" paints so if anyone could recommend a paint type that would also be useful. Many thanks

The boiler band is for now just positioned dry into the boiler. Once the engine is sprayed and vanished it will be secured properly with super glue. The cab interior is a clip fit that can also support the bolt that links body and chassis and body, engine and tender.

Next up is to fit the buffers and hook. Then the boiler can be reattached with a 6BA screw and bolt within the smokebox and glued into the cab using super glue. The half cab is glued into the boiler. There are two other 3D printed components that can be tested for clearances, the 3D printed boiler band and the cab interior.

The Albion class had a few different configurations for front sand boxes. Most common configuration was a sandbox fitted under the footplate behind the steps. (Although some versions dod not have the steps but the sandbox possition was the same. On the Brecon and Merthyr prototypes larger sandboxes were fitted to the front top side of the footplate. A connecting pipe took the sand from the sanboxes to the wheel along the top of the footplate to just where the steps are and than through the footplate and to the front wheel. On my model I have fitted the sandpipe below the footplate to the chassis so I just need a short length of 0.7mm wire to come through the footplate and connect into a 3D printed sandbox. The 3D printed sandbox is a simplified version of the prototype. But it does have a hole in the top. This hole is off centre and has to be possitioned closest to the headstock in line with the cut in the footplate.

Working around the locomotive from the front. First thing to do is to remove the boiler. After smoothing the 3D printed boiler, I find it best to strip the boiler of all paint and then repaint. I paint 3D boilers before assembly as it is much easier to smooth a painted surface. But as I smooth so the paint surface becomes irregular. By finishing the job and stripping off all the remaining paint I get back to a smooth surface. Otherwise I am replacing one problem with another. The photos below show that once repainted the boiler is much smoother.

Engine and tender are now a pair,

next up is to add the beam between engine and tender. This is a small etched part. The tender fixing is via a 6BA nut soldered into the base of the Tender. A 6BA screw then holds the beam in place. The other end fixes to the screw that holds the body and chassis.

I then fit the inner headstock. This is a 3D print which includes cutouts for the Markits buffers. The Markits buffers superglue in place taking care not to compromise the sprung movement. This locks the complete headstock into a very solid assembly. I have temporarily removed the brakes from the tender chassis as they were rubbing on the wheels. I have modified the 3D design and reprinting allowing for a little more clearance.

The tender headstock is a two part assembly. On the prototype on the early tender it appears that there is a metal plate riveted to a wooden beam. I start with fitting an etched headstock. This slots into the tender floor using the lamp brackets. I then fit the coupling hook. I use an oversized coupling hook to make operation easirt

Handrails are fitted next. The handrail stays are gently straightend and reinforced with a small bead of solder. There are two handrails on either side and one brake handle on the right hand side looking towards the rear of the tender. The handrails are small headed household pins. The brake handle is one of Markits "extra long" hand rail knobs. I will solder a cross handle into the handrail knob at the end of build so that it does not get damaged with handling during the build process.

Then a bead of solder around the edges to finish off.

Now to fit the tender top. This is taken from the etch and soldered to fit in the tender. On the prototype, judging by the rivets, the skin should curve into the body. But for ease of construction I just fold the skin into a ramp. I will fill the tender with coal and it makes the assembly alot easier as the ramp keeps the top nice and flat for soldering. First I do a quick dry fit...