Hall Class Display Model

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Hello Chaps Ive made a wooden display Locomotive in Guage 3 , Its just over three feet long with a the idea of having a bit of wow factor to put on the mantle piece . I am going to make a second one so wondered if you would be interested in watching the build ? I was inspired by the fabulous Pitchford hall which is at the Epping and Ongar Railway. The Cracking chaps that run it , Dean and Tony , let me have really good look and were incredibly helpful with advice . I know they are running it at half term so if the weather is dry get down there for a treat ,

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

I normally make model aircraft from scratch , but I guess i have always liked big steam locos . I cant afford a live steam model , nor do I have the time or equipment to make one . But I did want to be able to admire those gorgeous lines in something much bigger than 00 or 0 gauge.

I made the first prototype in foam board about two years ago . it was about 30" long and quite simple , but it inspired me to try to go to the next level . At the same time I discovered that ready made track was available from Cliff Barker at the 3 gauge society , so that if I scaled up a bit , I could sit my model on realistic track .

I am cutting some more sets off parts to do an on line build which I should be able to start in about ten days for those that are interested .

Im not sure if any will be interested so in the mean time let me know if you'd like to see one come together .

Richard

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

Looks good to me! And I quite like the natural finish. I would like to see more. Were the parts laser cut?

SteveW

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Yes Steve , the parts are laser cut the first one was hand cut in 3mm foam board and then the parts were re drawn for the laser cutter . I have a friend who has always cut my designs for me . The beauty of having the files ready to laser cut means that changing detail or even scaling up or down is a doddle . I have another one that has at least 50% resin parts which I made in a latex mould . That has rivets and other details all moulded in . Its currently finished in GWR colours.

Having said that , I took them both to a model railway exhibition at the weekend and it is the wooden one that gets more attention . The wooden version jig tabs together because I wanted my 14 year old godson to be able to make one . Some of my model aircraft designs have been turned into long running kits by my friend in the past , so I may not rule that out based on response I got at the weekend . Either way , its a fun project ,

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Looks good, nice to see something different. Are the wheels laminated to form the flange?

Paul.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Very nice work Richard! I'd be interested to see some build progress photos / descriptions.

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Thanks for taking an interest Paul and Jeff . The wheels are laser cut in three pieces . The flange at the back is 1mm flat version with spokes , The middle (or meat of the sandwich ) is about 3mm with spokes that match the flanged version but is of a lesser diameter ,and finally there is a fine 1mm rim that goes on the front to give the wheel depth , They take seconds to assemble but look interesting thanks to the shadow effect of the laser. I have also used the same file to make resin versions and 3d print versions so that I can experiment with finish .

The funny thing about the model is that you forget how big it is , until you put it next to a Hornby 00 version . Imagine if we could have had train sets this size when we were kids !

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

[This posting has been removed]

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Sorry about the delay everybody . I had a couple of other projects to finish ,

I'm going to start with the tender . Remember , this is a big model of around three feet long , so there aren't really any fiddly bits to worry about . The laser cutting is a real bonus as Ive been able to add tabs to most of the parts , making the assembly straightforward . Its a lovely subject too, and as you will see , the completed model does have real wow factor.

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Above you can see most of the tender parts (except the main base plate and the sides . The steps , wheels and axle boxes are all shown and do contain a reasonable amount of detail . I have etched some of the details on , which with the way the laser works , gives a nice shadow contrast . The larger parts with the 45 degree sides form the coal chute in the middle front part of the tender .

I am using PVA for the whole build , but I do use it very sparingly and am careful not to get it on any of the surfaces that will show , just in case I want to stain the model at a later date . You can use cyano/ super glue if you prefer .

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

This is how the wheels assemble , I actually used one of the axles temporarily to align all the holes while I glued the layers together , Start with the flange at the back and work forward using tiny dots of glue that wont ooz out every where . For the best effect choose the most laser burnt sides to present to your audience .

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Nice work and interesting so yes to more

H

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Thanks Harry , I will attempt to do the whole build in a few days on and off. Ive decided to make all of the kits with no backing on the parts . What I mean is , they will not have to be released from a large sheet of material so that the build goes more smoothly without having to tidy up each piece and spoil the flow.

The parts will be sub divided but ready to go in different labelled bags .

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

So here is the tender base and axles frames . The valence is on the outer most . On the right end is the hook and coupling .

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

What we are looking at is the underside of the base plate The long frames support the axles and the cross frames keep everything aligned . You can see how the two outer valance strips just slot in here . The outer frames have holes for the end of the axles but the outer frames have enough "flex " in them , even when glued , to allow you to spring them apart and pull out each wheel pair and its axle.

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

The wheels have been mounted on their axles and each axle sprung into place between the outer frames. The hook for the loco coupling has also been glued into its precut slot . End plates have also been glued on , these also have tabs to avoid confusion . There will be more detail added in the following pictures . This will be a kit that you can build straight from the box , or embellish it to take it to a more advanced level . The aim from my point of view is make the experience smooth and flowing , so that it can be enjoying rather than frustrating .

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Any questions anyone ?

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Very nice work you have done.

Steve.

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Thanks Steve, The development time for this kit has been two years (off and on ) . At least it is nearly ready for others to enjoy .

Here are the nice little details for each axle box . The laser cuts the parts first , then re visits to do the etching . Keeping as much of the model in wood enhances the final appeal .

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Now we've put the tender the right way up (even though the picture isn't !)

Anyway , you get the idea , The two upright frames support the coal hopper on the inner surfaces and the tender sides on the outer . Again , the tabs make this section obvious . You will see in a bit , that the outside of the tender has been etched with "GW" to add a little more interest , I haven't tried staining any of the prototypes because I liked them in the raw state , but I would be interested to see what somebody with experience in that area could do.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Nice work, and interesting alternative to those of us who who metal mangle.

A lovely item for the mantlepiece, if you have the space.

And, showing my bias, a G W R loco capable of doing most jobs!

Howard

[RICHARD WILLS 3Participant @richardwills3]

Thanks for your kind words Howard . Wood is a lot easier to work with than metal ,so I take my hat off to the real engineers that I see on this forum . You wouldnt think it would work , visually . A heavy metal loco made of wood?

But it really does , because it show cases the beautiful lines of the original design without the distraction of paint and at the same time , being made of wonderfully tactile wood, it is acceptable to the female form as an ornament .

WIN WIN !

The only weird thing is where do you market such an unusual subject ? It sort of bridges many areas but could be dismissed by all of them . I would have thought that if you love Steam locos , youre going to like the size , shape and feel of this . If it catches on , why stop at GWR ? Why not representation of the big four ? That will pad out the living room nicely

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