Fictitious Locomotives?

Dorsetmike · February 21, 2016, 02:00:10 PM

Quotekept everything simple so making models of them easy.

Probably why there are so many of them available RTR compared to other companies.

N-Gauge-US · February 25, 2016, 04:00:04 PM

Picked this up on eBay. Going to order some new bits for it and try to give it a bit of a makeover. I've gotten an airbrush today for my birthday, so in my eagerness to try it out, I may strip and paint the body and then modify it later and repaint it again then! I'm looking to give it an English feel, so I am going to order a chimney, dome, safety valve, whistle, a new smokebox door, steam pipes, couplings and buffers and fit them as I feel is appropriate. Before I do an order, I am going to do a little research and make sure there isn't a kit I could bash and make into something a little more prototypical, but for now I'm enjoying the idea of a 'custom' engine.

[smg id=35805 type=preview align=center caption="0-6-0T for kit/mod work 1"]

[smg id=35806 type=preview align=center caption="0-6-0T for kit/mod work 2"]

More updates as progress comes

(I seem likely to win another American engine on eBay today that will meet the same fate, but more on that later....)

GeeBee · February 25, 2016, 04:14:58 PM

Quote from: N-Gauge-US on February 25, 2016, 04:00:04 PM
Picked this up on eBay. Going to order some new bits for it and try to give it a bit of a makeover. I've gotten an airbrush today for my birthday, so in my eagerness to try it out, I may strip and paint the body and then modify it later and repaint it again then! I'm looking to give it an English feel, so I am going to order a chimney, dome, safety valve, whistle, a new smokebox door, steam pipes, couplings and buffers and fit them as I feel is appropriate. Before I do an order, I am going to do a little research and make sure there isn't a kit I could bash and make into something a little more prototypical, but for now I'm enjoying the idea of a 'custom' engine.

[smg id=35805 type=preview align=center caption="0-6-0T for kit/mod work 1"]

[smg id=35806 type=preview align=center caption="0-6-0T for kit/mod work 2"]

More updates as progress comes (I seem likely to win another American engine on eBay today that will meet the same fate, but more on that later....)

Happy Birthday
Have fun
Graham

zwilnik · February 25, 2016, 04:17:36 PM

Happy Birthday

It's worth checking to see how the dome that's on the model is moulded. If it's not hollow (or not particularly hollow) you might be able to file it into a more British shape even if you have to use a little Milliput as filler.

Probably the other thing that'll give it a more English feel is shortening the cab up a little. Tricky with that ballast weight over the motor there, but it looks feasible. You could chop some away from the front and rebuild with plasticard or brass.

N-Gauge-US · February 25, 2016, 04:37:56 PM

Quote from: Zwilnik on February 25, 2016, 04:17:36 PM
Happy Birthday It's worth checking to see how the dome that's on the model is moulded. If it's not hollow (or not particularly hollow) you might be able to file it into a more British shape even if you have to use a little Milliput as filler.

Probably the other thing that'll give it a more English feel is shortening the cab up a little. Tricky with that ballast weight over the motor there, but it looks feasible. You could chop some away from the front and rebuild with plasticard or brass.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, guys

As for the, dome, I hadn't thought of doing that. The dome and safety valve are both somewhat hollow, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to remove, but the plastic seems thick enough that I may be able to sand/file some away.

as for the cab, it bothers me a little too and I was on the fence about whether to order a set of cab sides as well, but now I'll almost certainly pick up a pair and see about fitting them. The worst case scenario in all of this is that I end up with extra parts to play with on future projects

Thanks as always for the great advice

Speaking of customizing this locomotive....

My dad has two CNC routers that he keeps wanting me to learn how to design things for. Now I'm very tempted to draw up a set of tanks and a boiler I can form (with the underside partially cut out to fit the motor) and have him cut them out of brass....

zwilnik · February 25, 2016, 04:58:42 PM

The new cab would be an ideal first project for a CNC router as they're basically flat sections.

Dorsetmike · February 25, 2016, 05:19:32 PM

Main problem I find trying to hack American or continental and some Japanese chassis is the size of motor that fills the cab; one reason I usually look for something with a tender drive, or that I can put a Union Mills tender drive into.

Admittedly I've not looked at any recent models to see if they have moved over to smaller motors.

Jollybob · February 25, 2016, 06:21:07 PM

An interesting plan, it will be great to see the pictures once it's finished.
Also, I would remove the steps by the buffers at the front and rear of the loco and maybe see if it is possible to put in a new set along the running plate, somewhere towards the front.

Rob.

N-Gauge-US · February 25, 2016, 07:15:03 PM

Quote from: Jollybob on February 25, 2016, 06:21:07 PM
An interesting plan, it will be great to see the pictures once it's finished.
Also, I would remove the steps by the buffers at the front and rear of the loco and maybe see if it is possible to put in a new set along the running plate, somewhere towards the front.

Rob.

I meant to add steps to my list as well. I think I had them on and then removed them for some reason. I've been tinkering with the body a little and have removed some of the pieces I know I want gone and shaved down the dome and safety valve a little. I need a tiny file (actually, I need a set), so I'm going to stop for now and go get one (or a set) and try a little more later. I still want to order and replace most or all of the parts listed, but I thought it would be a fun project to start tinkering with the body now. A couple of pictures if anyone is interested:

[smg id=35807 type=preview align=center caption="American 0-6-0T first mods 1"]

[smg id=35808 type=preview align=center caption="American 0-6-0T first mods 2"]

OwL · February 25, 2016, 09:26:29 PM

Here is my offering, a fictcious Class 60 livery:

N-Gauge-US · February 25, 2016, 09:39:23 PM

Quote from: OwL on February 25, 2016, 09:26:29 PM
Here is my offering, a fictcious Class 60 livery:

Beautiful! Very nicely done

37214 · April 17, 2017, 12:42:41 PM

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread; about 25 years ago I acquired a cheap Farish Deltic from a toy fair to practice repainting and detailing on. I repainted it in BR Large Logo blue livery with yellow ends and cab sides with Highland rail stag transfers and large white numbers as a "what if". I took it along to a friends' model club one evening to give it a run out and it didn't go down well with the purists......

daffy · April 17, 2017, 01:09:01 PM

Well, there's more to life than purity. Having fun ranks higher in my world.

That's my Rule I. Always.

Sometimes that fun means a pursuit of accuracy, sometimes it doesn't.

steve836 · April 17, 2017, 08:08:57 PM

Quote from: Dorsetmike on February 17, 2016, 01:38:09 PM

Had a thought, did new locos ever do any service trial running in "shop grey"? Would certainly save some decorating!

As far as i know GER's "decapod" only ever ran in grey. The GER also ran a loco for some time in grey primer, and it was given the soubriquet "dolly grey". It was, by the way the record holder for the fastest ever building of a locomotive, being built and entering service in under 8 hrs. The reason it ran in grey primer was that an earlier attempt was claimed to be defective because they took it into shops for a paint job after a couple of days so this time it didn,t get its proper livery until the due date for an overhaul.

martyn · April 17, 2017, 09:01:43 PM

A number of GER locos ran in shop grey for considerable periods after WW1 as the previous Royal Blue was not available. I can't find reference quickly, but this practice may have lasted until early LNER days. The GNR also painted locos in shop grey during WW!.
'Dolly Grey' was a 440 rebuild to what was later LNER class D13 from a T19 240 (done by the GER).
I think-but can't find quick reference-that most GER locos, and probably those from other companies, ran at least a trial trip, and possibly a longer running in period, in shop grey and didn't get a full coat of paint until completing this period.
HTH
Martyn