Automotrice à vapeur (new project)

No, not yet based on a live steam model (that will be another project once).
But an idea that I have for a while is to scratch build a narrow gauge steam railcar using an old Playmobil motor brick. The thing I have in mind is something that looks like the old H0e EggerBahn railcar. I had this car running on my old H0e layout. I like the looks and it has some nostalgic value for me.
Searching the internet for ideas I found on the Schmallspurtreff Forum a post from somebody who have build an exact copy of it in 0 scale (click here). This gave me a lot of ideas how to construct it.

Now, I'm not planning to do an exact copy of it but something that is based on the EggerBahn model and have similar looks.

The donor: a Playmobil RC engine. It has plastic wheels so it can't pull too many cars. But it's perfect for a battery operated railcar. The motor brick cab store the RC unit and 4 AAA batteries or a Playmobil accu-pack.

Made some good progress yesterday.

The wheel cover panels made from styrene. Cabin floor is made out of a left over piece of plywood (white Meranti).



On/off switch placed in cabin. The floor planking is scribed in with an old small screwdriver and painted with thinned paint to give it an old/used look.



The 4 AAA batteries are replaced with a bigger 4,6 Volts 1400 mAh accu-pack. Charge jack is placed in the wheel cover. The bolt will form the support point for he carriage.

A great project coming on. I like seeing plasticard fabricated.

Another interesting machine to run at RailExpo next year I hope.
(I've sent you a PM about that.)

Thanks Carl!

I've made a bogie from an old LGB small car. It's just a simple version and need to be finished / detailed later.
This is how it looks now (with wheel in it off course) for the testing.




I did a test run (in the pouring rain...) to see if it could handle my layout. And it could!



A little video:



At the moment I'm working on the sides of the carriage. I'll post some pictures later!

As promised:

Good progress.

How did you cut the windows out so neatly and how thick is the plasticard you are using.

BTW Where do you get yours from?

The windows were cut out using the ProEdge #1 hobby knife (or Xacto #1).
I used a Dremel tool to file out the rounded corners on top of the windows.
The styrene plate for the basic form is 2 mm thick. I also use 1,5 mm, 1mm and thinner sheets from 0,2 or 0,5 mm thickness.

You can buy styrene sheets in most hobbyshops but than they are rather expensive. Two years ago I found a great online shop that is specialized in plastic materials: www.kunststofshop.nl (in English also)

The styrene is called 'polystyrene' but is actually the same stuff and you can buy it in 2 standard sizes: 1000 x 600 mm or 1000 x 1200 mm plates. It's available in matt white or shiny white as well in milkwhite, black and some other colors (again in matt or shiny). I prefer the matt white because it's easier to use a pen or pencil on it to draw the forms. For glueing it's just the same.

For instance, a polystyreen plaat 1000x600x1mm costs onlt 6,95 euro. For that price you get a much smaller piece in the local hobby shop...
They deliver at home and I cut up the big plates in 3 pieces. One order from several thicknesses in plates and you have enough for a few years!

Rods, L or H profiles or some strips from Evergreen I do buy in the LHS.

Paulus wrote:

You can buy styrene sheets in most hobbyshops but than they are rather expensive. Two years ago I found a great online shop that is specialized in plastic materials: www.kunststofshop.nl (in English also)

What a brilliant supplier, I think you should add to the " Supplier Links" section as well as any other (secret) sources you may have!

I see they deliver to France - excellent!

Thanks

Indeed a good find Paul, and cheap too.

I can't believe that Slater's charge about 4 times the price.

They'll be getting some business from me.

I had a good commercial supplier in Paris but they have disappeared now.

Last days I worked on some detailing and rivets.
All rivets were made from styrene rod, cut in little slices and glued in place one by one...

...but did you count the rivets?

KleineDicke wrote:

...but did you count the rivets?

I leave the rivet counting to others that are taking that to a religious level...
They will have nightmares if they see not all rivets are as round or heigh as the one next to it.
And the distances between the rivets are not exactly the same also... The horror!

Paulus wrote:

Last days I worked on some detailing and rivets.
All rivets were made from styrene rod, cut in little slices and glued in place one by one...

Patience or what...nice work, cutting the windows out neatly and accurately is an achievement too.

Thick plasticard is not always easy to work with.

Second testrun!

I made the testrun to check if the sidings won't get stuck in the tunnel or on the bridge. Good thing I checked. You can hear a soft 'clack' when it enters the tunnel. Fixed it by shortening the sides a few mm.
Also the TGV speed needs some work...

Oh... And the candle is just for weight...

Pretty neat.

That's a really nice piece of modelling...I have been using 2mm sheet and have struggled to be as neat. As to speed, you could argue that it is to scale - I seem to remember that my Eggerbahn railcar had a fair turn of speed

Thanks!

Quote :

As to speed, you could argue that it is to scale - I seem to remember that my Eggerbahn railcar had a fair turn of speed

Yes, the speed is actual prototypical for an Eggerbahn model! Those had 2 speeds; fast and very fast.

About the plastic to be honest, my work is not that neat or precise either... really it just looks better on the pictures that in real and close by.
I guess there are always some errors or crappy fittings visible. But I don't mind as long as the overall look is OK. And most important: I'm enjoying building it.

Did some work today on the inside walls and windows.

Nice job Paul.

I find cutting Plastikard very difficult particularly the curves.

Paulus wrote:

Also the TGV speed needs some work...

Maybe you could change it up a bit and model a Schienenzeppelin instead.

Nice bit of work Paul!

Paulus wrote:

I have for a while is to scratch build a narrow gauge steam railcar using an old Playmobil motor brick. The thing I have in mind is something that looks like the old H0e EggerBahn railcar. I had this car running on my old H0e layout.

Ruud Wittekoek, owner of that website-link posted above is a longtime (12+ years) internet-friend of mine. For H0e/Egger stuff, he is a good source.

Thanks Garrett! I know that site, it has lots of beautifull little treasures on it. I had a H0e layout once, in my early twenties, so looooooong ago... Austrian themed. I had lots of trouble letting the engines run smoothly on that 9 mm track and espacially the turnouts. Its so small....

Paulus wrote:

Thanks Garrett! I know that site, it has lots of beautifull little treasures on it. I had a H0e layout once, in my early twenties, so looooooong ago... Austrian themed. I had lots of trouble letting the engines run smoothly on that 9 mm track and espacially the turnouts. Its so small....

The new models of Bemo and Roco run as smooth as anything, simply amazing! I bought one of these, it is among one of my favorite models in all scales I own:

http://www.reflektion.info/html/5430_190407_1_roco.html

Good luck on your project. It is a shame that LGB did not make that model also, as there was some duplication between Egger models and LGB. The one I wish LGB would make is guards/passenger car number V44 in this catalogue page:

http://www.egger-bahn.de/images/faq-jouef-egger.jpg

Made a roof on the passenger part.



And placed a homecast buffer. I soldered a hook on it for a chain connection.