HOn30 electric Boxcabs for the Quarry Line

[Jerry]

Bernd exceptional work!!

Learning CAD then the machines would take a lot of time.  Glad you mastered them and put that knowledge to good use.

Jerry

[Bernd]

On to more brass bashing.

Here the machine is cutting out the boxcab ends. I show four being cutout but will need eight total for front and back.



The first four cutout and ready to be released from waste brass.



Next a pocket .020" deep was cut into a piece of 6160.



The part was clamped down, the head swung to 45° to mill a 45° angle on the edge of the sides and ends for a better fit when soldering them together.





Not all works out well all the time. Occasionally the machine get hungry and eats a piece. No problem, another gets cut out. That's what's so great about CNC machining. A quick set up and call up the part program and cut away.



Once all the parts have been prepared it's time for some assembly. I'm using my DYI resistance soldering rig to solder the sides together while being held in a 90° soldering fixture.



The end result.





That's it for now. Next I'll show how I made the louvers to fill the upper square openings.

Bernd

[ACL1504]

Bernd,

Absolutely fantastic modeling and expertly done sir. Very professional.

Tom

[Bernd]

Bernd exceptional work!!

Learning CAD then the machines would take a lot of time.  Glad you mastered them and put that knowledge to good use.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry, appreciate the kind words.

Anybody can learn CAD. Much easier when younger, but it's learnable. I started out with a friends pirated AutoCad 10 on a DYI parts assembled Intel 80286 chip DOS computer many years ago. It's no different than learning to assemble a kit and weather it. It takes practice, then more practice and then a little bit more practice.

My main purpose of showing this is that some younger person interested in model railroading will try this instead of asking where can I find a file to 3D print this engine. The Star Trek replicator has not been invented yet and probably never will.

Bernd

[Bernd]

Bernd,

Absolutely fantastic modeling and expertly done sir. Very professional.

Tom

Thank you very much Tom.

Bernd

[Bernd]

On to doing the louvers. If I remember correctly I first cut slots. Then I tilted the head 45° to cut the angle on the individual pieces.





The angled strips where then soldered onto a piece of thin sheet brass and cut to size to fit the openings in the shell.









The bottom openings had wire mesh solder in.



That's it for today. A short posting. Up next will be making the roof panels.

Bernd

[Bernd]

On to making the roof.

I machined arches to shape the curvature of the roof.



Long stringers were cut to fit the length of the roof line. Notches where also cut into the curved sections for easy line up.



The middle three stringers were solder in place and then checked for fit in the shell.





Next I flatten a piece of solder to measure the width of the roof. That's Ted the Wood Chopper helping out with trimming the solder.



To solder the outside stringers on I use some tinfoil folded over the side of the shell so the stringer wouldn't get soldered to the shell side.



The shell was clamped to a jig plate for soldering with the resistance soldering rig.





Next the roof size was printed on a piece of paper and glued to a piece of .010" brass and cut out with a pair of scissors.



Once the pieces were cut out they were rolled over two pieces of copper tubing, the second tubing being smaller in diameter to get the roof curved close to the curvature of the roof line.





Once the curvature was close the brass sheet was secured with soft wire. The wood is to keep the wire from denting the edge of the roof side overhang.



The stringers and brass sheet were then soldered together.



The end result. A nice clean fitting roof.



And while I was at it. I milled out some doors. They represent a sliding door on the engine.



That's it for now. Next I'll get into the nitty gritty of the pantographs. (Pants up)

Bernd

[Pennman]

Nice updates and great overall tutorial.
Now I can see how this goes together, I can start making my pieces from wood, since
you showed me all of the sides. Not bad for you either, but you only have 66 more to build?
Or was that quarry cars that you were making 70?

Rich

[deemery]

That's old-school craftsmanship, particularly on the roof.

dave

[Bernd]

Nice updates and great overall tutorial.
Now I can see how this goes together, I can start making my pieces from wood, since
you showed me all of the sides. Not bad for you either, but you only have 66 more to build?
Or was that quarry cars that you were making 70?

Rich

Thanks Rich. That's what I show is the construction and not what materials to use. Doesn't mean you can't use wood or plastic. The material used is "immaterial" to the end product. Glad you got something out of this.

Bernd

[Bernd]

That's old-school craftsmanship, particularly on the roof.

dave

Isn't it amazing how how school craftsmanship can be applied to modern day building of models from raw materials. And I'm only 5 years older than you.

Bernd

[deemery]

That's old-school craftsmanship, particularly on the roof.

dave

Isn't it amazing how how school craftsmanship can be applied to modern day building of models from raw materials. And I'm only 5 years older than you.

Bernd

But a generation away from me in experience!  I do remember junior high wood shop, but no practical education past that, except for my exposure to computers/programmable desktop calculators in high school.  There's a saying, "The most dangerous thing in IT is a software guy with a soldering iron."  That would be me.  

dave

[Bernd]

That's old-school craftsmanship, particularly on the roof.

dave

Isn't it amazing how how school craftsmanship can be applied to modern day building of models from raw materials. And I'm only 5 years older than you.

Bernd

But a generation away from me in experience!  I do remember junior high wood shop, but no practical education past that, except for my exposure to computers/programmable desktop calculators in high school.  There's a saying, "The most dangerous thing in IT is a software guy with a soldering iron."  That would be me. 

dave

That's funny Dave. I was mulling over my interest in Model Railroading this morning and I think I may have figured out why I turned to model railroading as a hobby. One thing is it has a diversity of subjects. It includes lots of disciplines that not to many other hobby's have.

I have to thank my Dad for my love of things mechanical. Dad built model sailplanes in his younger years. He also liked building live steam engine models and install them in scratch built/kit built model boats with radio control. Together we built the radio control kit's by Heathkit and flew planes with those assembled radio control kits. There never was any other subjects talked about such as sports, music or other things parents try to get their kids interested in. From those experiences I got into electronics and computers and other interesting subjects. For me things like what I do comes to me naturally. I guess you can call it natural ability. Some people you can give a wrench to and they will have not idea what it is or how to use. Other's know exactly what it's used for and can use it without being taught .

Ok, back to building the electric box cabs.

Bernd

[Bernd]

On to building the pantographs.

I started out by comparing a couple of pantographs I had from other models to see what would work. The first I tried is an "N scale" pantograph. A little to small.



This next one, is I believe, a Walthers one from a long time ago. Looks a little to big.



A little comparison to the one that inspired this build. Close but no cigar. Still seemed a little to large.



A comparison with a "Little Joe".





How about next to a Great Northern Z-1? Still seems a little to big.



Let's see what it would look like next to the HOn30 diesel. Boxcab looks a bit big compared to the little diesel.



How about a group photograph?



Can't tell much there.

Ok, time to look a building one that's just right. Bob Hegge had an article back in the 60's or 70's on building an electric motor for his O scale Crooked Mountain Line. Excellent article for those who like electrics.



Ok, so what's the anatomy of a pantograph?



Oh WOW. Lot's of anatomy there.

That's it for now. I the next post I'll get into the building of the pantograph.

Bernd