Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

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Trevor Thompson
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Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Tue Jul 05, 2022 9:48 pm

I have just finished what I think is a pretty accurate scale model of the early Ffestiniog guards vans. So starting with the drawings:

The finished solid model showing the sentry box:
Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 15.53.40.png
Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 15.53.40.png (127.82 KiB) Viewed 5392 times
and from underneath:
Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 15.54.17.png
Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 15.54.17.png (68.86 KiB) Viewed 5392 times
The couplings are not as per the prototype, they are my version of the early chopper couplings but recessed for magnets, 6mm diameter 3mm deep. They screw into the turrets in the underside of the base or chassis, using 10BA screws. The holes in the couplings need drilling 1.8mm, and the turrets need drilling 1.4mm and then tapping 10BA.

I haven't shown the wheels which should be standard curly spoked wagon wheels.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Tue Jul 05, 2022 9:59 pm

The printed model:

From the down hill end (which takes the brake stand and sentry box):
IMG_2266.JPG
IMG_2266.JPG (2.34 MiB) Viewed 5390 times
and from the uphill end:
IMG_2262.JPG
IMG_2262.JPG (2.07 MiB) Viewed 5390 times
Excuse the sanding dust on the model. I have been sanding the roof to reduce the ridges. I am making two of them, this one will be "as built", without the sentry box, and the other "as modified" to give the brakesman some shelter:

apart from wheels this one just needs its handrail, which has just come out of the resin printer:
IMG_2267.JPG
IMG_2267.JPG (2.33 MiB) Viewed 5390 times
More photos as it's finished.

The stl files will be in the 3 D print files section shortly.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:04 pm

Wheels.

The first axle with wheels attached:
IMG_2268.JPG
IMG_2268.JPG (2.49 MiB) Viewed 5367 times
It isn't necessary to use ball bearings - but they don't half run sweetly if you do. I used the 1mmID 3mmOD bearings I have described using previously. The axles slot into the printed in half round recesses. In this case just pushed into place:
IMG_2270.JPG
IMG_2270.JPG (2.42 MiB) Viewed 5367 times
There will be keeper plates to make sure the axles don't fall out - and I will add these to the stl files in the print files section.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:08 pm

Couplings.

I have drilled out the 6mm diameter holes in the faces of the couplings and drilled the pivot holes 1.8mm. Also drilled the holes in the base of the van 1.4mm and tapped 10BA. So the wheels and couplings ready to run:
IMG_2271.JPG
IMG_2271.JPG (2.04 MiB) Viewed 5366 times
And coupled into a train:
IMG_2272.JPG
IMG_2272.JPG (1.8 MiB) Viewed 5366 times
The printed handrail is slightly flexible but hopefully that will help to prevent it breaking in use!

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by ge_rik » Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:11 pm

Just out of interest, why has it got a spotty bottom?

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by big-ted » Wed Jul 06, 2022 3:19 pm

ge_rik wrote: Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:11 pm Just out of interest, why has it got a spotty bottom?

Rik
Guessing that's where the base was printed slightly off the bed, & the supports removed?

This looks excellent, Trevor. I had a look at the files but can see adapting it to 45mm (sacrilege, I know...) is going to take a bit of work...

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Thu Jul 07, 2022 9:15 am

ge_rik wrote: Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:11 pm Just out of interest, why has it got a spotty bottom?

Rik
The answer is to do with printing in ABS. It is lifted off the bed by 1mm, and "tree like" supports added. Printing directly on the bed results in enough adhesion to damage the bed sticker. A raft provides the correct amount of adhesion to the bed and the tree like supports keep the component firmly attached to the raft. Its a compromise but provides the best results I can get with ABS. So the spots are what is left of the trees.

The couplings were printed using a different type of support (long strings running back and forth) and they don't have the spots. This type of support works if the component is smaller.


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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by ge_rik » Thu Jul 07, 2022 5:10 pm

Thanks. That makes sense. Having never used rafts, I'm not familiar with their after effects.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:22 pm

Two versions of the finished brakevan.

One without the sentry box:
IMG_2297.JPG
IMG_2297.JPG (1.6 MiB) Viewed 5056 times
and one with it:
IMG_2296.JPG
IMG_2296.JPG (1.58 MiB) Viewed 5056 times
I will update the .stl files to take into account a few improvements shortly.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:25 pm

In the background of the last photo is my version of the Ffestiniog "Beer" wagon:
IMG_2294.JPG
IMG_2294.JPG (1.46 MiB) Viewed 5056 times
and:
IMG_2295.JPG
IMG_2295.JPG (1.43 MiB) Viewed 5056 times
I will add that to the 3 D printer files as well.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by ge_rik » Tue Jul 26, 2022 1:46 pm

Did you create or 'find' the barrel files? Whichever, they really do look good!
(Thinks: A few on wagons to and from Beeston Brewery would look good ...... :roll: )

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by philipy » Tue Jul 26, 2022 1:55 pm

Don't know where Trevor got his from, but these are in the 3D Print Files

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 55&t=13829

Barrels.jpg
Barrels.jpg (148.91 KiB) Viewed 5033 times
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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Wed Jul 27, 2022 12:34 pm

I got the barrels from thingiverse.

However I think the ones in Plilips photo are better - the hoop spacing just seems more realistic.

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Last edited by Trevor Thompson on Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by ge_rik » Wed Jul 27, 2022 6:28 pm

philipy wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 1:55 pm Don't know where Trevor got his from, but these are in the 3D Print Files

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 55&t=13829


Barrels.jpg
I really must review the 3D files content. Looks like there's more there than I realised ..... :shock:

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:22 pm

I am working on the guard to go in the sentry box.

The clothes available in "makehuman" seem limited - and certainly mainly unsuitable for characters on a victorian era railway! There are two other issues, firstly when I have corrected the mesh in "Meshmixer" (using the obvious corrections mentioned in that guide I put together) I get pretty poor results. Secondly the exported stl file is huge. Perhaps that doesn't matter on my own computer but that driver and fireman I uploaded to the files section does need reducing.

It is still work in progress but I am getting further every time I play with the software.

So far I have worked out that the issue with correcting the mesh using "make solid" is caused by the clothes from "makehuman". To get round this I have separated the figure into its separate items using the "separate shells" command from the "edit" menu. Looking at each shell in turn and correcting the mesh errors using "inspector" and then "make solid" solves most of the problems. Not all the clothes make a solid object readily. More on those issues later.

I now know that I can "reduce" the mesh to minimise the file size (less triangles = smaller file).

I have started to think about suitable clothes. Firstly I have made some hats in sketchup (bowler hat, top hat, drivers cap, guards cap). Hats seem an easy starting point! Looking at old photos shows that guards hats were nothing like modern peaked caps. Drivers hats show lots of variation and again are not much like modern hats. Suitable women's hats are totally missing from "Makehuman". I have worked out how to add the stl file for the hat to the figure in Meshmixer. So as a "proof of concept" here is my first attempt at something more like a victorian guards hat (on the Ffestiniog Railway anyway):
Screenshot 2022-07-30 at 13.57.30.png
Screenshot 2022-07-30 at 13.57.30.png (117.22 KiB) Viewed 4910 times

It is also first attempt at printing a figure which has been corrected using the process described above. Lets see how it prints!

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by philipy » Sat Jul 30, 2022 4:46 pm

Trevor Thompson wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:22 pm
The clothes available in "makehuman" seem limited - and certainly mainly unsuitable for characters on a victorian era railway!
Yes, true. I think it is mainly used for fantasy themed projects-... plenty of options if you want dwarves, elves and assorted 'anime' figures! :lol:
Trevor Thompson wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:22 pm So far I have worked out that the issue with correcting the mesh using "make solid" is caused by the clothes from "makehuman".
Although I don't disagree, I must say that I haven't really had a problem with clothes separating. Chitubox seems to be able to ignore the gaps.
Trevor Thompson wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:22 pm I now know that I can "reduce" the mesh to minimise the file size (less triangles = smaller file).
Yes again, but less triangles also means a cruder looking, more facetted, end result.
Trevor Thompson wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:22 pm
I have started to think about suitable clothes.
The real answer is to get get to grips with the clothes making plug-in. I've looked at it a couple of times and given up, it's too full of jargon for my poor brain to cope with.
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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:50 am

I hadn't tried letting chitubox try to slice a figure which wasn't solid. I will give that a go.

I also looked at the videos on making clothes for Makehuman and also gave up.

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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by philipy » Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:17 am

Trevor Thompson wrote: Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:50 am
I also looked at the videos on making clothes for Makehuman and also gave up.
Phew, I did wonder if it was just me! :dontknow:
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Re: Festiniog Railway Sentry Box Brake Van

Post by Trevor Thompson » Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:31 am

I might have another look at it.

Having upgraded the operating system I have had to reinstall Makehuman. So I now have the latest version which keeps crashing when I try to download clothes. Leaving the installation corrupted.

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