Hope I don't brake any rules by asking this... I am trying to gauge if there is sufficient interest in creating a Yahoo! Group specifically focused on heavy electric and steam road interurban modeling out of the hope of creating a group that will be of value for such modelers. A "Steam road interurbans" is defined as a railroad that was electrified but built to the required clearances for a steam powered railroad, such as the Chicago South Shore & South Bend, Piedmont & Northern and Pacific Electric (along with the Espee subsidiaries Northwestern Pacific and Portland Eugene & Eastern). If you would be interested interested in such a group please email me at jmlaboda[at]gmail.com. I hope to be hearing from you. Man... I gotta get some more sleep.
Generally, we don't really want folks asking.... Our policy: http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/policy-other-forums.82366/
I'm still working on this but it does feel sometimes like I've bitten off a little more than I can chew as the measurement/tolerances are extremely tight. Work and life have stuffed hobby time in the closet again for the last several months, but I did just dust off my 3D printer last week and began printing things again so I'm back in the game. Meanwhile, here's a test print of my last Joe model to check out, MILW E78: Shameless plug: Shapeways is running a special right now, free shipping on all orders over 35 bucks (which this would qualify) through Monday, August 31st! -Mike
I might have to pick up on that plug, although that sale is ending, today... I'm not going for the Little Joe, just yet, but I might want to try one the PCC trolley shells. If it helps, any, I was just looking at a thread on another N scale forum where someone is designing a C415 and, in addition to a 3D printed shell, they have also designed a printed frame, too (printed out of metal, though). It may be biting off even more than you have already, but you could potentially look into designing your own frame to fit the Little Joe shell and the trucks and truck frames you were planning on using, and design it to be able to hold a specific motor to power it, or even dual motors.
Dual motors is something I've wondered about. If they can be consistent in speed, it would certainly have a chance at pulling heavy trains well.
I just noticed the test model you have above actually has all the wheels in there. Is it actually powered, or how did you fit the extra wheels in?
I'm using the design posted a few pages back. SD-90 trucks are snapped into a sled with an extra SD-90 wheel clipped in the back. Not powered at this time:
Sounds very promising: How do you imagine it could be powered? Will the 3D shell actually fit an SD90Mac chassis and will the trucks mesh into the gears properly? Does the SD90Mac frame need any milling to fit the 3D shell?
Not quite. The idea is that the SD90 will serve as an organ donor for most of the drivetrain components: trucks, gear tower, worm gear, motor, contact strips. Here is one of my chassis prints testing the configuration. Some measurements need to be tweaked, I need to add mounting spots for the contact strips and redesign the u-joint.
So it doesn't just nicely fit the SD90 chassis... You're also going to need some sort of frame, too, to add any weight... This may end up being a project only for the advanced craftsman, unless you follow the route of doing a 3d metal printed frame, to fit the shell, but then I am sure the dollar cost will be higher, too.
If you think of your modelling skills on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, 1 being none at all, I'm shooting for around a 3-4 minimum skill level. The parts go together quite easily, you could probably do the transplant in under 10 minutes. If there were a readily available chassis that fit, I would have definitely preferred that to having to design my own lol... but it is what it is. For weight, I'm going old school n scale where you just add weights inside (probably lead fishing weights but that will be up to the modeller) I may design compartments for weights so that it all fits nicely. I just ordered a complete SD90 today so I can work on the contact strips and any last tweaks when it arrives. -Mike
Sounds like it will be right up the Milwaukee Road's alley, then, with no one paying the bills, and the yard and engine crews having to cobble the railroad together . As long as it is all a simple transplant, I'm really looking forward to seeing this ready to go, because I definitely need a fleet of Little Joes.
