Garden Railway Forum

The front end is slowly getting there ...... .....but the back end less so. They say every day is a school day. I thought I might be able to get away with printing the firebox as a single unit hoping that the inherent stringiness of PETG would enable it to bridge the void beneath the backhead ...... no such luck!
The strings turned to blobs which caught on the nozzle and pulled it off the bed.

So Plan B. Sliced the firebox into two and print the two parts separately.
Not wasting the bit I've already printed, though. I'll tidy it up and stick the backhead (which is now printing) to it. Waste not want not.....

Rik

Tanks now drawn. After my previous experience, I'm trying to decide on the best orientation to print them. There are overhangs whichever way I turn it. I don't like using supports unless there's absolutely no alternative.

Rik

As a bodgeller, I don't tend to plan ahead and so I tweak and adapt each model as it progresses. In the days when I was doing this in plasticard, I would sometimes have to hack bits off a partially constructed model so the next bit would fit. I've extended that bodgelling approach to 3D drawing and printing.

Now I've drawn the tanks, I've realised I can do away with the lower section of the boiler to provide more uninterrupted room inside for the electrics. So, I've sliced away the lower half of the boiler where it will fit against the tanks. I anticipated that might happen so that's why I've not printed he boiler as yet.
Rik

The drawings don't show the tank fillers and the photos don't help much, other than that they seem to be round. I can't see a handle or hinge so have improvised. As my loco is an amalgamation of what was proposed with what was actually produced, I think I can I'm allowed some artistic licence. Drawn in two parts to overcome the dreaded overhang.
Rik

The two parts of the firebox have now been reunited ....
.... and so the loco is beginning to take shape.
Rik

Safety valve and whistle now drawn (adapted from Schull loco's)
Rik

Very very nice work in TinkerCad there, suitably impressed again

Starting to take shape for sure, and a very good shape at that

The boiler has now been printed, glued to the smokebox and firebox and the whole thing fixed to the running plate. It's beginning to look like a loco....
Rik

Cab now printed and assembled.
The tanks are being printed.

Rik

Meanwhile, I'm getting to the fun fiddly bits
Rik

Tanks now printed but not yet fixed into place until I check I can fit the 18650 li-ion cells into them without having to dismantle. I know there is sufficient space inside, but I just need to be sure the cells will be able to be wiggled in and out again when everything is glued together. The inserts to fill fill the gaps under the tanks are being printed right now .....

Rik

OK.
I've managed to crack on over the past couple of days. Dome, safety valves, chimney, tank fillers, roof and trailing bogie all now done - thought there's still a bit of tidying up needed - but some of that can wait until the first couple of coats of primer have been applied.
Just trying to figure out how to attach the outside frames. I've butchered the motor block so much I can't use the original fixings and I can't fix them to to body as the bracket for the motion is in the way. So, I'm experimenting with finding ways to attach them to the motor block.

Lithium cells have been ordered - I had to tweak the design of the tanks to allow them to be fitted - but nearly ready for the first test run.

Rik
PS - Photography has a lot to answer for - looks like a bit of filler is needed around the boiler fittings!

That's looking fantastic Rik! They've always seemed like rather attractive locos to me, in a chunky sort of way, and you've really captured that.

I was just thinking how good it would look at the head of your sand hoppers, then remembered that the Snailbeach District Railways had a Skylark - perfect!

Cheers,

Andrew.

Very elegantly done — a nice looking loco too, I think.

Not having come to terms with 3D print has had me pacing up and down in frustration, muttering obscenities — to the horror of the old dear next door…

Thanks chaps. Still trying to figure out how to attach the outside frames - and my printer has been playing up so I've had to do a bit of muttering and pacing myself ......

Rik

Outside frames have now been printed and fitted so I thought I'd giver her a test run to make sure they didn't bind on the fly cranks. I think I got away with it



Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 6:10 pm I think I got away with it

It looks like it, well done, she runs beautifully!

It may not be possible, or indeed desirable to you, but I wonder whether curving the rear of the frame up and over the pony truck and continuing it as far as the rear buffer beam might balance the back of the loco visually? I think it would mirror prototype practice too. Just a thought - it'll look lovely just as it is!

Andrew.

PS Isn't "Skylark" a lovely name for a class of locomotive??

Lovely little loco Rick, superbly built and runs sweetly too! A little time spent on the surface finish will be time well spent.

Very nice end result from a fast drawing and print job. Just shows the value ofa 3D printer.

I'm in agreement with Andrew though, it does look very empty under the cab, around the trailing axle.

If the frames cannot be extended, perhaps steps would do the trick?