Garden Railway Forum

I have this Newquida loco that just doesn't fit in with my theme so it's really is quite useless, for a while I have been kicking around an idea of making a Garret style loco out of it.

After a bit of mucking around I have come up with this idea that may just work. Its a tank engine but Mallet style very loosely based on a Swiss tank Mallet.
It is at the concept stage but I plan to use 2 Stainz motion works under it (I have a few Stainz that again do not fit into the theme).
Any thoughts/suggestions/experiences about how to mount the motion works particularly how to allow them to swivel?

Andrew, are those "clam shell" motor blocks.

Somebody kindly cropped my picture for me, it gives a better view of what I am planning.

Jimmyb wrote: Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:51 am Andrew, are those "clam shell" motor blocks.

They most certainly are, from 2 LGB Stainz, and after just opening one up and re assembling it I will not be opening either of them again if I can help it. Although I may be forced to, to get the weight off of the rear one

Edit;
I was forced to separate the 2 sides to remove the weight, so while it was open I soldered wires directly to the motor and removed all the brass contacts as this is going to be battery R/C.

Some interesting observations I made while doing this are to be found here.
https://www.gscalecentral.net/threads/d ... ost-588146

Still struggling with how I am going to add pivot points to the motor blacks as nothing seems to want to stick the the plastic even when I use "Plastic Magic" which sticks almost everything.

I don’t know if you’ve already tried it but I’ve had success with Butanone when gluing ABS type plastics.

If the plastic of of the polythene family, very little, if anything will adhere to it, I have found that the only real solution when dealing with polythene products is to provide mechanical fixings, i.e. nut, bolts and screws.

Puddlejumper wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:34 am I don’t know if you’ve already tried it but I’ve had success with Butanone when gluing ABS type plastics.

Never thought of using MEK might give it a go I do have some.

Jimmyb wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:57 am If the plastic of of the polythene family, very little, if anything will adhere to it, I have found that the only real solution when dealing with polythene products is to provide mechanical fixings, i.e. nut, bolts and screws.

Yeah that the way I am heading I think, maybe some sort of contact cement may work or the suggested MEK to add some extra strength.

After having another look a Garret type engine is back in the mix, I am just procrastinating with this one.

The making the pivots is the biggest sticking point.

GAP wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:58 pm The making the pivots is the biggest sticking point.

Or isn't sticking point

If all else fails, you could try Plastic Magic from Deluxe. It's a bit more expensive but I've found it bonds the harder plastics which LGB etc use in their models.

Rik

I have tried "Plastic Magic" it has worked on all the other LGB plastic but on the stuff motor blocks are made of nothing will stick styrene to it.
I even tried MEK which melts any plastic known to man but nothing.
I am going to resort to drilling holes and screwing a plate onto the top of the block.

On another note I am now looking again at a Garret type of loco, it's procrastination city in the shed at the moment. Picture of a mock up below.

After much procrastination I decided to go with the Garret style for my articulated loco.

Progress so far;
1. Cut the coal bunker and side tanks off the Newquida loco.
2. Cut the back wall of the cabin off
3. Made a bottom for the boiler from a piece of 60mm PVC plumbing pipe
4. Cut a slope back tender up to make the front tank
5. Cut the water tank part off an LGB tender (from a "Shorty" loco)

All the components have been glued together (used Plastic Magic) and are now waiting for the gaps to be filled then sanded/filed smooth

Below are some pictures

Wow, that's going to be a very fine looking beast! Impressive ingenuity - or engine-uity, perhaps? Looking forward to seeing more...

All the best,

Andrew.

When I sanded back the boiler bottom and started to blend it into the top I found that this was going to be a very long process, so instead of sitting for weeks filing a piece of PVC pipe to get it perfectly round again trying to get it look OK I have decided to put walkways along the join to hide the blending a bit.
The LGB "Shorty" has again given up some of its parts.

So far the body count for this build is;
2 Stainz
A Newquida loco
An Aristocraft "Rogers" slope back tender
An LGB "Shorty loco and tender.

This construction brought to you by the Ben Hur Construction Co a division of RAGS Co (Rough As Guts) and CO-VID 19 lockdown.
So much spare time so small a number of projects to do.