Number 77. A NG16 ish garratt
Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2024 9:04 pm
So, my 6 year old son has been getting quite enthusiastic about narrow gauge locomotives. He loves larger American locos, and was fascinated when we visited the vale of rheidol railway last summer at their NG13 garratt.
He asked me after the exeter garden railway show for a 'garratt for christmas'. I spent the journey home thinking of how I could do this, and i decided to just try and draw somthing up that I could print on my ender 3.
As with all my other models, the brief would be something that would withstand playing with by a 6 year old, relatively close to original dimensions, and that I could fit on my print bed.
I found a drawing of a NG16 online, and spent a few evenings sketching up in fusion 360.
Unlike previous models, where I have fully finished drawing up first and then stated printing, I printed this out after each part was drawn. The main reason for this was that we were waiting for a date to move house, and i wanted to maximise the time I had to print before my printer was boxed up for the move.
I drew and printed the bogies first, then wheels and motion. I spent a few lunch times in work assembling this all on my desk. My colleagues in the steel works were quite fascinated.
I then moved on to the boiler cradle, pivots, and finally the tank, bunker, cab, boiler and smoke box. The bunker was, I believe the longest print I've ever done. Almost a full weekend.
We moved house 2 weeks before Christmas, and my daughter and I assembled the garratt in the kitchen on the 23rd. It's no where near finished, but complete enough to satisfy the imagination of a 6 year old.
It's named saltrock.
I've still got pony trucks and probably every bit of detail to add, but it's a start.
It's not even rubbed down or painted.
I would also add that I know the original no77 is a NG13, not and NG16, but try telling that to a 6 year old.
He asked me after the exeter garden railway show for a 'garratt for christmas'. I spent the journey home thinking of how I could do this, and i decided to just try and draw somthing up that I could print on my ender 3.
As with all my other models, the brief would be something that would withstand playing with by a 6 year old, relatively close to original dimensions, and that I could fit on my print bed.
I found a drawing of a NG16 online, and spent a few evenings sketching up in fusion 360.
Unlike previous models, where I have fully finished drawing up first and then stated printing, I printed this out after each part was drawn. The main reason for this was that we were waiting for a date to move house, and i wanted to maximise the time I had to print before my printer was boxed up for the move.
I drew and printed the bogies first, then wheels and motion. I spent a few lunch times in work assembling this all on my desk. My colleagues in the steel works were quite fascinated.
I then moved on to the boiler cradle, pivots, and finally the tank, bunker, cab, boiler and smoke box. The bunker was, I believe the longest print I've ever done. Almost a full weekend.
We moved house 2 weeks before Christmas, and my daughter and I assembled the garratt in the kitchen on the 23rd. It's no where near finished, but complete enough to satisfy the imagination of a 6 year old.
It's named saltrock.
I've still got pony trucks and probably every bit of detail to add, but it's a start.
It's not even rubbed down or painted.
I would also add that I know the original no77 is a NG13, not and NG16, but try telling that to a 6 year old.
