Narrow Gauge rolling stock 3D printing.

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747flier said:
Yes, I moved to Alaska in 1974 after Graduate School and have been here ever since. The nearest hobby shop is almost 400 road miles distant. And yes I was a 747 Captain for 15 years.
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Oh, Lord this is great. So happy to have made even a passing acquaintance.

I used to "sim-race"...PC racing, wheels and pedals (at a minimum)...good equipment not only suggested but demanded really, to even be competitive. Against top level real world pros, who are well known for it. And at least one other who runs his own MRR manufacturing business, oddly enough. :D
One of my good friends then flies for Southwest. 2200 hours or thereabouts in F-16's. And now I can add you too, a lot more current. I haven't spoken to him since Covid hit. Don't even know if he's alive.

But YOU are alive. Very cool, and thanks so much for filling me in.
 
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Ah yes the sim world. I was involved in doing flight dynamics for Flight Sim aircraft for many years. However being in an area with very poor and slow net the new sims which require a high speed connection have left me behind. I am on a waiting list for Starlink, which may be a great equalizer. Covid (spelchequr hasn't learned it yet) took some friends, one's who one wouldn't think were vulnerable. I'm retired now, chronologically disabled as it were.
 
I DON'T fly myself. No license, and the closest I ever got it was when dad bought a RV-6 kitplane. He tried to build some of it himself...got too old to do it well, and then asked me if I would. BIG project, that, and not only because building the plane was a task, but because re-engineering was a further task. We would have had too, as it was just too small for both of us.

He had (as it happened or because he simply took advantage of it), a hanger mate who actually had a finished, flying RV-6. So the guy invites us to step up and in one day...and I pull the canopy down...and both our necks bend over to the centerline.

"Dad...this isn't going to work."

As it happened the Vans Aircraft folks had just come out with their RV-10, and I had a chance to sit in that for a couple of hours at an airshow. MUCH better, so he tried to trade it back in for the 10 kit. But about then couldn't pass his flight physical any more too...and the project died.

He's gone now. I'm too old to take such a kit on myself, but it's still a thrill to get to know--if only a little bit--those who have made it a career.
 


747flier said:
Ah yes the sim world. I was involved in doing flight dynamics for Flight Sim aircraft for many years. However being in an area with very poor and slow net the new sims which require a high speed connection have left me behind. I am on a waiting list for Starlink, which may be a great equalizer. Covid (spelchequr hasn't learned it yet) took some friends, one's who one wouldn't think were vulnerable. I'm retired now, chronologically disabled as it were.
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747flier said:
Ah yes the sim world. I was involved in doing flight dynamics for Flight Sim aircraft for many years. However being in an area with very poor and slow net the new sims which require a high speed connection have left me behind. I am on a waiting list for Starlink, which may be a great equalizer. Covid (spelchequr hasn't learned it yet) took some friends, one's who one wouldn't think were vulnerable. I'm retired now, chronologically disabled as it were.
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Unless I'm greatly mistaken, Starlink is (or maybe is not, which might be better for you), based on a geo-synchronous (sp.) orbit thing, which limits your up/down speed such that you wouldn't...in all honesty, and however good you are...be even competitive with the rest of us.

But that wasn't your point, of course, I simply amplify my centrist observations. :D
 
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Soooo.........having retired from it all, would you choose to simply shove it all behind and walk away from it? And even though you (apparently) still fly the little guys?
 
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I really loved flying the big iron, though it seemed strange that the faster the airplane I flew, the longer it took to get where it was going. Also it seems wrong if the plane you fly is much larger than your house? My dad learned to fly in the Navy during WWII and now my daughter is a third generation woman pilot in the family with two daughters that are likely to follow suit.

I ordered some more HON3 trucks yesterday for freight cars. Looking currently at obtaining some passenger trucks as I should build at least a couple of passenger cars.
 
The side, top and end views from the 3D file I used to print the caboose. Actual length six to sill 92.5 mm, Height to top of cupola, 37.53 mm, width27.63 mm.
Caboose three view.jpg
 

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None, although I have to ask: Assuming you find only a plan and decide to go ahead try to 3D model some yourself, are you planning to try the glass bearings and axle?

If not, are you mostly looking for the experience and advice, or for a source from which to buy them?
 
If I do make my own (or try) I'll give the bead bearings a try. I think I have some around which I used as insulators on some ship model rigging. First however I'll try designing and printing the coach bodies. Might experiment with an arch bar, for which minor mods could be made.
 


Current project, begin designing some passenger cars. Beginning with a combine, always a good all purpose choice! I think I will do this in pieces. One reason for this is my design program does not have a mirror feature, but I can reverse the side in the slicer.

Cheers: Tom

HO Combine.jpg
 
There is the "Wah Hail" clause in modeling when things don't work out as planned. I ran out of my favorite black resin and switched to what I call "goopy gray". The body of the combine printed fine, except the supports on the outside stuck to the sides, spoiling the item. A common issue with this resin. Arrrrrgh!

So I worked a while at ordering some more resin but the vendors persisted in wanting more for shipping than the cost of the resin? Seemed to be a ploy to get one to sign up for Bezos Prime. Finally the algorithm relented and gave me a realistic shipping fee. So I guess it learns if you cancel the order enough times.

Trying another print with different supports!
 
Well, SOL on resin supply (Somewhat out of luck) as I ran totally out. Dead in the water till some more arrives via the post, maybe a week? Trying a new 8K resin to see if this takes advantage of the higher resolution of mu printer.

The total number of freight cars and other misc rolling stock is approaching 25. A few bodies await trucks or couplers. That's more rolling stock that I will probably have track to rest it on. Each type of car, box, gondola, tank, flat are enough in quantity to make up a reasonable train. I did some stencils for lettering, at least the large "White Pass" in whitespeed font which worked OK but is fussy and time consuming. So I ordered some Testors decal paper and will fire up both photoshop and the Epson 3800 printer. For the fine lettering, weights, capacity and whatnot, perhaps I can use some other Narrow Gauge decals, minus the heralds.

Passenger cars.... Maybe i'll make four or five. Have to source the trucks for those. It appears these were painted in some sort of green, as was the case for many railroad passenger liveries of the era. They did try out a yellow livery at one point, maybe on a single car. Anyone know what the green color was called and a reasonable paint to apply?

Speaking of color, during the war the Army ran the railroad and imported a lot of rolling stock. Wonder how they were painted, with WP&Y markings or something else.
 
To answer my own question, the Army apparently painted their boxcars and locos OLIVE DRAB.... I guess that was enough to distinguish who they belonged to.
 
I printed five of these tank cars sitting on flatcar frames. Originally WP&Y had some framed flatcars but they experienced cracks with these so blocked the tanks on existing flatcars. I printed several minor variations of these.
Tank Car snow.jpg
 
I may be misunderstanding your intentions and method with regard to printing your own decals here, but are you hoping to print white logos and lettering on clear paper?
 
Snowman said:
I may be misunderstanding your intentions and method with regard to printing your own decals here, but are you hoping to print white logos and lettering on clear paper?
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I am aware that my printer does not print white which is why I have variously used other methods such as stencils and home made press on letters. However WP&Y sometimes used black or yellow lettering which I should be able to print successfully on clear paper.
 


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