4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Salt #9

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Eric M.
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Joined: Fri May 27, 2011 10:45 pm

Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Eric M. »

So I'm getting to the point where I can no longer continue to ignore the cab interior. My plan is to do something that I have never really seen done on internal combustion locomotives of this scale-- especially critters. I want to detail the cab interior to look like a prototype gas mechanical locomotive. You see a lot of scale attention given to steam engine interiors but often on internal combustion locomotives the cab is used to stuff more batteries or a Honda gas engine.

Now I will have to make some concessions to practicality here but I want a "user interface" that has the character of a real Plymouth. I have enlisted the help of my friend Dennis again because he has a CNC milling machine that will come in handy for this. The plan is to make scale brake, reverser and throttle levers. I will also be adding clutch and sander levers as decorative details. There will also be small switches for the head lamp, air compressor and horn. Other details will include the transmission cover, bearing caps, gasoline tank and possibly oil pressure and volt gauges. All of this will be configured with consideration given to the actual layout of controls in the cab of a Plymouth.

I thought long and hard about how to do this cab interior. The problem is that this is a battery powered locomotive being made to look like a gasoline loco with a mechanical transmission. The cab interiors of these early Plymouth locomotives were strictly form-follows-function. There were lots of exposed linkages, reach rods, etc. A misplaced footsetp might land you right in the chain drive :shock: To capture some of the "spirit" of this, I designed a way to modify the stock reverser and brake switches to look more like mechanical controls. Maybe some sketches will clear things up:

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Sketch showing a concept doodle of the brake lever on the left and a scale drawing of the lever guide plate on the right.

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The brake and reverser use 15 amp toggle switches like this. This switch has been modified to allow a lever extension to be bolted to it. As you can see in the sketch above, I plan on mounting these switches to a vertical surface. When extension levers are attached to the switches, particularly in this orientation, they could flop side to side, hence the need for the guide plates. As a bonus, the guide plates add some of that mechanical interest to the controls.

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Here are the designs for the cab levers.

The levers and guide plates have already been drawn up in Autocad for conversion to G-code for the CNC. The contoured handles will be be turnings.

So that's the latest. I have a huge work deadline this week. I hope to start getting the chassis prepped for paint after that storm has passed.

Thanks for checking in!
Eric Maschwitz
Head of Operations, Squirrel Mountain Mine
Former Whistle Punk,
Gunn Lake Land and Lumber, a subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co
Eric M.
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri May 27, 2011 10:45 pm

Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Eric M. »

Well things have slowed to a crawl on this project but I am still making forward progress. The baby is a distraction for sure, an enjoyable one at that :D .

As I mentioned I had big plans for the cab interior and I have been chipping away at that. The CNC parts are finished and I have been working on the lever guides. I have been working on some other details which I will address in a separate post. So lets get to some pictures.

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I know this isn't all that exciting but here is the stock control panel from the Maxitrak. It is just a formed steel sheet with holes for toggle switches. I desoldered the little switch locator rings which are the two small black rings in the upper part of the photo because I intend to reuse them.

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Here's the good stuff! All the bits and bobs for the cab interior which I will outline below.

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This is the dummy transmission cover with built in cradle for the gasoline tank. The Bearing caps will need to be added to this part to complete the detailing.

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Levers!!! On the top are the throttle control (left) and the clutch pedal (right), in the middle is the brake lever with working squeeze handle, and on the bottom is the reverser. All parts are steel except the clutch pedal face which is brass.

Most of the smaller Plymouth locomotives had hand clutches. I decided to take some artistic license and make mine a pedal because I like the look of it. It is only a static detail part anyways.

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This is one of the lever guides in-progress. I still need to add clearance for the toggle switches but you get the idea. The CNC cut guide plates bolt together with spacers and angle brackets. The round hole in the guide plates on the right are for a 3/16" diameter "tumbler rod" which will simulate the look of some of the mechanical brake linkage which was visible in the cab of these little lokies. The overly long bolts will be replaced with proper length ones.

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Finally we have a quick and dirty mock-up of the cab interior showing the trans cover, gasoline tank, throttle, lever guides and brake lever in place. There are many more details I am working on so I'll try to get a post on those up soon.

Thanks for looking!

Regards,
Eric Maschwitz
Head of Operations, Squirrel Mountain Mine
Former Whistle Punk,
Gunn Lake Land and Lumber, a subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co
chooch
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by chooch »

Eric,
You have the Gift for details. They look Awesome.
Just don`t smoke with the Gas tank in the cab.
chooch
Eric M.
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Eric M. »

Just don`t smoke with the Gas tank in the cab
I know, right? These were such early gas engines they didn't have fuel pumps or anything so the gas tanks were located above the engine and transmission for gravity feed. Depending on the size of the gas tank, the hoppers for the sanders were on either side of the gas tank under the hood but most of the tank itself, and the gas cap to fill it, were located inside the cab as you can see here on the 8 ton Mission Cement loco at Ardenwood:

Image

Regards,
Eric Maschwitz
Head of Operations, Squirrel Mountain Mine
Former Whistle Punk,
Gunn Lake Land and Lumber, a subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co
Cary Stewart
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Cary Stewart »

Oh my! What wonderful detail work.
An interesting observation is the try-cocks on the back of the fuel tank. About the simplest fuel gage there is except for a stick in the filler cap. Not too sure if I would want raw gas in the cab to find out if there was anything in the tank.
Cary
chooch
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by chooch »

Good grief!! What a mess the real thing looks like. Old operators back then must have had some guts to run those engines. I would take Eric`s any day. :-)
chooch
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Fender
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Fender »

This loco had creature comforts similar to those of a steam locomotive!
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
Eric M.
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Eric M. »

Thanks for checking in folks! I am SLOWLY ticking off the boxes on the to-do list. The cab interior is creeping along so I'll update on that a little later but I did steal some time to paint the chassis.

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Here the chassis is prepped and masked for painting. I started with etching primer and then some sandable primer.

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The "Old Equipment Yellow" is sprayed on and then a matte clear coat.

The chassis is the last big piece to get paint so after that it was time to start reassembly. Now we can really get a picture of where I am headed although there is still much to do. Lets have a look at some pictures.

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Well thanks for looking. Onward and upward. :D
Eric Maschwitz
Head of Operations, Squirrel Mountain Mine
Former Whistle Punk,
Gunn Lake Land and Lumber, a subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co
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steamin10
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by steamin10 »

SHEEESH! What a clunky, GORPY, stuck together accident of backyard engineering! Truly a critter of character. It looks too new, are you considering adding browns and reds for rust, and some dark smears for oils and grease, or just let time and nature take its course?
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
Eric M.
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Eric M. »

Well, uh, thanks, I think... ;-)

Of course capturing the look and character of a well used critter is what I was after. With my past in special effects model making I do intend to weather this model, also because I don't see people do weathered finises in the ride on scale world all that often and my intent was to spare no detail on this build. I also have lettering decals to install. I still have the headlamps, cab interior and air compressor to work on so stay tuned.

Regards,
Eric Maschwitz
Head of Operations, Squirrel Mountain Mine
Former Whistle Punk,
Gunn Lake Land and Lumber, a subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co
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steamin10
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by steamin10 »

:twisted: Without a doubt, I complement you on your creation of a critter. Do not mistake my teasing demeaner to be negative. On the contrary, the little bits and nibbles of the radiator and battery, that are so cleanly invisible on master models, are what make such works art in themselves, and all the more credible to life, in the nitch they lived in. (Critters).

Consider it KUDOS my friend.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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Harlock
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Re: 4 Ton Plymouth build, 1:5 scale, 4.75" gauge, Leslie Sal

Post by Harlock »

Eric M. wrote:Well, uh, thanks, I think... ;-)

Of course capturing the look and character of a well used critter is what I was after. With my past in special effects model making I do intend to weather this model, also because I don't see people do weathered finises in the ride on scale world all that often and my intent was to spare no detail on this build. I also have lettering decals to install. I still have the headlamps, cab interior and air compressor to work on so stay tuned.

Regards,
I decided to stop cleaning my rolling stock for this reason. The boxcar now is developing that nice gradient of brown towards the bottom as it naturally picks up dust near the ground, as well as lots of coal cinders and dust on the roof. The 'natural weathering' technique takes longer but involves no effort :)

I look forward to seeing your weathering techniques and learning from them, if you are willing to post some of the process.

-M
Live Steam Photography and more - gallery.mikemassee.com
Product Development and E-Commerce, Allen Models of Nevada
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