Freelance PHIL diesel loco

[-steves-]

Well, I had a number of spare electric 0-4-0 chassis laying around so decided I had best do something with them.

My step father, modelled a freelance diesel a while back call BILL, which was my grandfathers name, so I thought I would do the same and make one called PHIL. So here it is.

Design was taken from a photo, mapped out onto graph paper and then modelled in plasticard, which I have had good success with before.

Its still in the early stages really but here are some pictures to go with my boring blurb.

The plastic base was made from 3mm plasticard along with the buffer beams and sides to give a fairly rigid base. These were drilled and screwed onto the metal chassis. A cardboard mock up was made to make sure it looked about right for the cab and engine housing, then it was made in plasticard, sanded, filled, and eventally sprayed in primer. The windows were all hand cut using a drill to take the bulk out and then a file to finish them off, as was the clear perspex that was used for the window pains, all finished my hand file.

So resin castings we made for the grill / radiator as well as some doors for the sides. A charging harness was made to go into the cab so it can easily plug in to be charged. Motor is a 12v - 24v geared unit, which is powered by 4 x 3.7v (4.2v when chargeed) Li-Ion batteries in AA format size, this gives me a lot of pulling power and time all in one small pack, the same size as most peoples receiver pack that is 6V, but mine is 14.2v and 2000Mah. All run by a RC Trains TX and RX65 ESC combined RX unit which is so small its easy to lose. Its going to be green in cab and body, black underneath. The already heavy body has had 2 large bits of brass added to the front and back which have been tapped to take the couplers. Pictures to follow.

[Peter Butler]

That sounds great, waiting to see the pictures.

[-steves-]

Oh well, no pictures as Photobucket wont let me upload any at the moment, stupid thing!

I so wish we could upload pics to this site

[TonyW]

I so wish we could upload pics to this site

We can! Use the "Attach File" option shown bottom left of text box.

[-steves-]

Great, didn't know that, thanks Tony

[-steves-]

[-steves-]

And some more

[-steves-]

I will say the ones with the green painted don't look as good in the pictures as they do in real life. In reality the castings are not all that bad and neither is they spraying, it all actually looks ok once its in your hand

I am afraid for now at least that's all I have, I will need to do a lot more work to get any more pictures, and it's taken me weeks to get where I am with work and family commitments

More to follow when I have done some more work

I will take another picture from underneath when I get the opportunity to show the 2 very large brass blocks that now make up some more weight and act as substantial buffer beams.

[Peter Butler]

Thanks for the pictures, nice work. Plasticard is such a versatile material and you know how to use it.

[-steves-]

Thanks for the pictures, nice work.   Plasticard is such a versatile material and you know how to use it.

Thank you, I appreciate your comments.

I could have made it in wood, but its so much fiddly cutting. I could have made it in metal, but that is even more time consuming to cut, more difficult to join and far more expensive, however it does provide a heavier finished product which is better I do confess. In this instance the chassis and additional brass buffer beams have made up for the loss of sheet metal weight and have reduced the time / fiddling factor considerably. I do like working with plasticard as its so easy to work with, nice straight clean edges, very little sanding and finishing and so very cheap to use, just wish it weighed more

[MDLR]

I liked the "mock it up in cardboard and duct tape" stage - a good idea.

[-steves-]

A little bit more of the colour on the loco, still needs more coats and a laquor. Lots more to do as yet

[AFGadd]

Very nice, it reminds me of something I built a couple of years ago, also from Plastikard.

[jim@NAL]

great looking loco keep us posted looks ace

[dizzysteamer]

A little bit more of the colour on the loco, still needs more coats and a laquor. Lots more to do as yet

She is looking the biz I like your chassis too very well built

Steph

[-steves-]

She is looking the biz I like your chassis too very well built

Steph

Many thanks. I am not that keen on the colour now it's on, I may well change it to a darker green. The project is on hold pending more spare time being available as work seems to have it's unfair share of my time as per usual.




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[-steves-]

OK, a bit more work done. I rubbed it all down and changed it to a darker green, a bit of a pain as the black I originally used reacted with the black I used the second time, so it was a strip down to plastic, not exactly what I was planning. Its pretty much done now, all except the windows being glued in and a hole drilled in the front for an LED fitment, this will be done after a trip to Maplin for a 5mm black LED holder, the only ones I had were large 5mm ones typical hey.

The windows are outlined in aluminium and the cab is cream. The claxon is black and was a white metal casting I had laying around, the exaust is a bit of brass I stuck in the lathe and made up. All simple stuff.

Here are the latest pictures

[markoteal]

Lovely - as a battery loco man, I have green loco envy!

[Peter Butler]

Looks great, especially in that colour. The skirts give the impression of running very close to the rail head, have you tried it on track as opposed to standing on its flanges?

[jim@NAL]

this is a great looking loco