It is probably the first 1-1/2” scale locomotive to make extensive use of “printed parts”. The parts were printed using Shapeways bronze fused gray steel. The finish was very good. The material is tough to machine. Carbide cutters are a must, along with holding the workpiece in a very rigid setup. The material is difficult to drill and almost impossible to tap. Undersized drilled holes are part of the printed part and then finished with the finish size drill. Tapped holes on the prototype were drilled thru on the model and then installed with nuts on the opposite side.
The printed parts for this locomotive, included; most of the spring rigging parts including equalizers and Febreeca pad cradles, most of the brake rigging parts including levers, hangers, cross beams, most of the levers and pull rods for the valve gear system, many exhaust pipes including the huge bridge pipe so evident on the front of the locomotive, many steam pipes, stack, petticoat pipe, exhaust stand, smokebox front and door, steam dome cover, air compressor and power reverse hangers, air tank and running board support brackets, headlight parts, pilot supports, dummy drifting valves and support, and other parts that don’t come to mind right offhand.
Most of the time, parts were modeled in Solidworks right off the prototype drawings and then modified to accommodate changes required for it being a model like section thicknesses. Stl files were than sent to Shapeways.
The locomotive has some of my Berkshire parts on it; pilot and trailing truck frame castings, tender trucks, tender frame, and tender tank with extended coal boards.
Many others provided parts for the locomotive including the rods which were machined by Anthony Ruiz Duarte of Eccentric Engineer. Dan Smoley provided the lubricators.
Jerry Blake also did machining for the locomotive.
The locomotive is owned by Larry Kirchner.
Thank you Jim Nolan for the photos.
of high end modeling in our life steam hobby?
