A CAB and r/c FOR ZELDA (aka EDRIG)

I thought you might like to follow my efforts at custom building a cab for my new Edrig.

First of all take a fairly new Edrig - in this case already fitted with a DJB steam whistle - essential accessory!!





You'll note that the fitting of the steam whistle banjo means that the pressure gauge can't show through the drivers side spectacle any more.

So with the cab in place I've turned it 180 so it can be seen through the rear of the open cab !

Then fabricate two frames for front and back of the cab.

I prefer to use "U" section rather than "L" angle as it is makes a more rigid structure.

I hope to bolt the new cab framework assembly into the existing bodywork with the minimum of holes ( 4 or 6 )

Frames soldered with high temperature solder as I aim to add further panels and detailing with normal and low temperature solders later

Here are the frames temporarily fitted into the cab held with croc clips

I've ordered some brass sheet from L'octant 1mm and 0.5 mm thick whilst waiting I've made some cardboard templates for roof and cab sides ...

This gives a rough idea of how I expect the whole assembly to look.

The roof will be loose and hinged on two wire stays Accucraft style.

But I anticipate soldering the whole cab sub - frame into a rigid assembly to be freely bolted in and out as needed

Interesting little project there Brian... Unfortunately for my bank manager, I am quite warming to the look of those little locos... seeing the other pics you posted of other people's variants was quite thought-provoking I must say.

Yes ,I hate to say it but when i saw edrig for the first time I thought 'yeah it doesnt look like a train, i can do without that', but now!!at least SWMBO keeps looking over my shoulder going AAh.. Good sign!!

Mikey

Like you guys, I wasn't taken with the look of Edrig when I first saw one. To be honest if it wasn't for Carl's strong recommendation I would probably have gone for a different model!

When you consider that Caradoc, which is basically an Edrig with a cab costs a hefty £130 more - you can have a lot of fun and save money customising your own ....




And Track Shack (cheapest UK prices) seem to have sold out of Caradocs , as have manual and skeleton Edrigs at the moment unfortunately - I've already reserved a skeleton Edrig as my second loco and look forward to customising a body for it!

That was bloody quick with that whistle.....
No time wasted there.

Cab looks very interesting. If you make a little curve at the front of the cabsides where they join the tank tops and follow exactly the roof panel with the curvature of your frames, you will start to give it a bit of je ne sais quoi in the shape of a Corpet Louvet.
Neat soldering I must say too.

Look forward to seeing this model develop.
BTW Your R/C will go in the post tomorrow.
I tried today in Chelles but too many mamies and papies that I want to kill in la Poste.
Wifey said she will post it in Paris to save any bloodshed.

I haven't started my Edrig yet... too busy arguing on GSM about crappy LGB Frank Ss.

carl hibbs wrote:

That was bloody quick with that whistle.....
No time wasted there.

:

To be honest Carl. I'd been researching the Edrig so long, November after the EXPO until January, that I ordered the whistle from DJB at the same time.

I'm also awaiting more customisation bits - all to be revealed in due course.

I enjoyed building brass models so much in O gauge, I've only just rediscovered the passion!

There will be even more LGB bits on Ebay soon to fund this!

Cheers B

[quote="carl hibbs"]
Cab looks very interesting. If you make a little curve at the front of the cabsides where they join the tank tops and follow exactly the roof panel with the curvature of your frames, you will start to give it a bit of je ne sais quoi in the shape of a Corpet Louvet.
quote]

Have you any reference pics for the Corpet Louvet Cab?? - would love to do that!

Thanks for persevering with the "bon hommes" at "la poste"

Cheers Brian

carl hibbs wrote:

I haven't started my Edrig yet... too busy arguing on GSM about crappy LGB Frank Ss.

GSM still has its uses. Just sold off a decoder and bits to a fellow G Madder

B

There's quite a good pic here Brian of a Corpet cab.
Corpet cab

Just need to get a new chimney and dome.

Little progress with the cab due to the fine weather (been outside BBQ'ing) and arrival of a 2 channel r/c set - THANK YOU CARL.

However played around with more templates and Carl's suggestion of a Corpet look.

In the end I do not plan to solder in the new cab and repaint the whole loco so there's no curve forward of the cab front.

I always intended to roll down the cab sides and this does give it a slightly continental look. I also have made the cab side aperture even more curved.

The brass arrived from L'Octant - superb service BTW highly recommended and I made the cab sides and roof ...

Side soldered to frame ...

Things loosely in place - just the offside side fitted ...





More pics and of the r/c installation tomorrow !

B

Some nice brass work Brian. A good shape to the roof.
For me it looks just a tad to long though, a bit too much overhang front and rear perhaps.
But I would like to see more pictures of it and how you got that smooth curve profile.

How are going to make it removable, sliding, hinging or lift off.

carl hibbs wrote:

Some nice brass work Brian. A good shape to the roof.
For me it looks just a tad to long though, a bit too much overhang front and rear perhaps.
But I would like to see more pictures of it and how you got that smooth curve profile.

How are going to make it removable, sliding, hinging or lift off.

Possibly too long, but I am thinking about a rear bunker - Lawley style. I work on the principle it's easier to remove material than put it back on

The main roof curve is using the old O gauge boiler rolling trick of a steel bar on a rubber pad - will post pics to demonstrate. The side roll downs needed a bit of extra tweaking using a steel bar and wood block in a vice - it is pretty tough though this is 1mm brass sheet.

I plan to steal this idea from the Lawley cab for hinging ...

I did promise to post pics of the r/c installation, which so far has been fairly straightforward as I'm simply replicating the single servo installation that Accucraft build in ...

The servo sits directly on four bolts that fit exactly four mounting holes already pre-drilled in the chassis ...



There is already a horn attached to the direction valve so simply bend up some wire to length as a control rod ...

dont want to appear a thicko Brian, but what horn, what direction valve?

Mikey

They've also conveniently predrilled for the receiver battery switch in fact there's a fitting on either side, I went for the side with the blowdown valve - not sure if steam or steam oil is the preferred menace ?



Finally the neat little tray under the chassis holds the receiver and battery. Unfortunately the battery pack I got with the set is just too large, so using a photo battery as a temporary measure whilst sourcing a new rechargeable one that might fit!



My thanks again to Carl for the set. I plan to fit a second server in the offside tank in front of the first and use this to operate the whistle, but more on that later.

B

mikeyh wrote:

dont want to appear a thicko Brian, but what horn, what direction valve?

Mikey

Sorry wouldn't be very clear to anyone who doesn't own an Accucraft Steamy yet!



B

Thanks Brian. Shh... dont mention the tram; well not yet anyway

Never thought of using that horn, mine goes direct to the reverser. Rx wouldn't fit in the bottom so it sits next to servo inside tank. So far you have a neat installation. Mines all in bit's tho' awaiting inspiration re body mods ( and I don't like that nasty noisy thing that lets steam out just as the fun starts, thinking of a blob of silver solder down the hole ).

BTW I was using a 27mhz jobbie and got lots of glich hows your's ?

Ps - what was the outcome of the bent steam reg ? It looks well out of true on one of the pics.

BTWBTW Just love the cab, coming along VERY nicely thanks for sharing.

Brian I may have a smaller battery pack spare if you tell me what space size you have.

Be careful though with smaller lower-power packs they may not have enough oomph for the servos depending on the load.

I have trouble with 600mAh in some locos 2 channels and above.

Patrick is right...I'm a little concerned with angle of the dangle on the regulator. Was it supplied like that?

BTW, who is (or was) Zelda please? People often name their locos after ex-lovers.....