DIY loco building

some construction photos

Building a small loco to test ideas on using small motors, find a suitable object:

This shows the Baldwin ROD as NMBS 50.003 in 1966 at the end of steam, clearly you see through the frame and there is lots of space beneath the boiler thus need of some alternative drive mechanism, original photo taken by Daniel Thielemans, collection TSP

This shows how at least two of these machines ended up after being sold to the industry. In this case MF62, mining company. Saddle tank replaced by side tanks, changes to cab, windows, coal bunker etc. CVF3V, Treignes 2006

This shows the start, a set of home made 6.7 mm wheels, a double layer of Phosphor Bronze with holes drilled and a 6mm motor tested to drive a worm over a rubberband.

This photo shows the drive mechanism, 6mm motor hidden in the smokebox, a flywheel in the rest of the boiler, a piece of frame spacer maskerading as firebox. The frame spacer of trespa is fitted with a ball bearing. On the end a rubber clad wheel driving another axle with a 2mm worm M0.2 driving a 28t wormwheel. Driving wheels are 6.7 mm home made as illustrated elsewhere, wheelbase 13.3 mm. Frame spacers of trespa. Frames hand shaped with a jewellers saw and files.

Fitting the saddle tank, also shows the coupling rods fitted.

Test fit of a cab folded from paper revealed an inaccuracy in the drawing. Now is the time to decide how to built it, etching or plain handwork cutting metal with jewellers saw.

Sticking the paper outline drawing on a double piece of NS. It will be handwork cutting metal with jewellers saw as it doesn't have much detail and will profit from thicker sheet metal in this case 0.37 mm NS.

After an hour with jewellers saw and files you can see the resulting pieces. Together with a piece of 0.4 mm pcb for the cab floor.

The whole lot soldered together.

Here we see it fitted with coal bunker which is milled from massive brass. The top part is still loose. The buffer beam is an integral part of the bunker. Also the roof is fitted, made from 0.25 mm NS metal rolled with a bar on piece of rubber to pre-curve it.

A view from the front. It is coming along nicely.

shaping pieces of metal makes fun

april 2011 , author Henk Oversloot