Having decided to build an electric traction engine (my first) I thought I would start a thread. For anyone interested they can keep track of progress and I,m sure I will have a number of questions as I go along. I know I,m repeating myself from another thread but the engine will be non scale, a freelance (working) stand off model that I hope will turn out to be a reasonable representation of a TE.

Some of the engine may not follow the accepted method of build and it will be basic, a lot of the bells and whistles will be missing but I,m hoping there will be enough of what you would expect to see.

I have material on the way to make a start with the boiler/firebox and here is the first break from accepted methods and materials. The scale I am working with is 1.625 inches to the foot, unusual but it gives the size of engine I will be happy with. The boiler tube is 4 inch x 10 swg aluminium, the firebox is all aluminium made from wide flat bar. Why aluminium..? well firstly I dont need a working boiler or firebox but I do need the empty space inside them. The firebox will house the motor and depending on which power train I go with the boiler may hold lipo batteries.

Also I didnt want to get into soldering or welding which sort of led me away from copper and steel. Another thing I considered was the fact that on a finished engine very little of the firebox is visible. The top sits below shafts and gearing, and the sides are hidden by horn plates, the only part fully in view is from the foot plate and that I will make up from steel etc with the expected detail.

I have added a sketch below (sorry for the poor image) of how I am thinking of putting it all together. The boiler tube will fit into a 25mm deep throat plate and providing I get a reasonable fit apart from a top and bottom fixing I intend to secure and fix it with a full face to face band of Loctite 638. The top and bottom plates are 3/8 thick and the two side plates 1/4 thick. It may all seem too heavy but been aluminium I have gone with the thickness to add some weight to the build. The firebox is square topped not radiused but so little of it is seen I am ok with that and it made the build simpler. Hope the sketch makes sense, I am no technical draughtsman.

Any questions, problems you see, whatever, its all helpful.

Edited By Ron Laden on 25/10/2018 17:27:35

Edited By Ron Laden on 25/10/2018 17:28:09

As Jason suggested that I dont need hornplates with my build method, I have extended the boiler side plates upwards and rearwards to accomodate the shafts and axle bearings. The sketch shows the new sizes, I am also going to reduce the side plates to 4mm, I can get a couple of 6082 blanks locally.

Although the engine is freelance I have to start somewhere and I have taken all the main dimensions from a highly detailed Henry Greenly,s (1933) 1 inch general arrangements drawing. The engine is very similar to a Minnie, I cant see that much difference. All the detail parts or at least most I will take from the Minnie plus there is hundreds of detailed photos on line which is useful. The two engines are close dimensionally, at my scale the Minnies,s rear wheels are 9.75 inches and the Greenly,s engine is within a 1/4 inch.

Should receive some material today so I can make a start.

The engines name is TREVOR

Our two great grand daughters visited yesterday and they always head straight to the workshop. After showing them a picture of a Minnie it turned into an official naming ceremony, they didnt hesitate "Trevor" so it was orange squash and chocolate biscuits all round. I suspect I know where that name came from…

Edited By Ron Laden on 27/10/2018 08:31:48

Edited By Ron Laden on 27/10/2018 08:35:26

Edited By Ron Laden on 27/10/2018 08:38:45

Thanks guys, I think I need to sit down and read all of the 1 inch Minnie build, I assumed that the wheels were fixed.

Probably better if I got the book.

Ron