Hi Scott, thank you very much. The cradle is offered by dm-toys: https://www.dm-toys.de/de/liste/suche/lokwiege.html Nice tool...
Hi all, I was looking a while for a 2nd narrow gauge Harz-based steam locomotive to model in Nm-scale. After the experiences with the fragile shell of loco 99 7238 this time it should be a conversion from commercially available models. And yes, I tink I found a way... Did you ever heard of a company called "SHE Sudharz-Eisenbahn" = South-Harz Railroad? It was one of three companies forming the big metre-gauge-network in Harz mountains of Germany. It's main line ran from Walkenried to Braunlage with a branch to Tanne, connecting with NWE company at Sorge (today the well-known HSB). Tanne was the terminus of a standard gauge line from Blankenburg too. This line was the worldwide first application of the Roman Abt rack system. A lot of history there... https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmalspurbahn_Walkenried–Braunlage/Tanne#/media/Datei:Karte_Südharz-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft.jpg Back to SHE. The company bought two bigger Mallet-type engines 0-4-0 + 0-4-2T in the 1920s, but they proved to be too heavy for the track and prone for derailments. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHE_56_und_57#/media/Datei:SHE_56_Mallet_Werkfoto_Henschel.png They were sent back to builder Henschel for modifications and left the factory with a completely new chassis. Now as a 0-10-0T the special feature was the Lutter-Moeller drive mechanism. Here is a brief description: http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/luttermoller/luttermoller.htm This configuration meets the needs of SHE line operating the engines until near abandonment 1962. SHE_57_Luttermoller I grew up in the GDR, but in a HSB-book were some short informations about these things only 5 km behind the iron curtain. So these locomotives were always my secret love. They were the other Harz elephants besides the well known 2-10-2Ts of HSB. Searching for possibilities I found that a Märklin Z scale chassis together with a Fleischmann BR 81 N scale shell meets the dimensions pretty good: Via Paint I developed a primitve view of what it could be, and I was surprised : With a lot of cutting, scratching and filing I don’t know if it will work out, but I try my best. It will be no a high detailed model, rather than a nearing. So the overall look is most important. I started with cylinders. It is the same work as on my 99.72. I glued modificated Fleischmann BR 81 cylinders as a "hat" on the remainings of Märklin-cylinders. Here is the original Fleischmann cylinder assembly with the right cylinder already reworked: With gear driven first and last wheelsets I removed the rods there. I have to rework the wheels by adding spokes and removing counter weights: So far by now. It is a nice Christmas project.
Some steps further on. Today I assembled the chassis with reworked wheels (not finished yet) and mounted cylinders. I did some filing on the shell to remove surplus deatils on smokebox like old number plate, footsteps and piping. So I think it's the right direction: Next step is to cut the shell for narrowing the side tanks and to transform boiler and cab.
The shell fell apart I scratched off all of the original boiler piping, have to make fill-in's for some surplus holes and to get a smooth surface. Seems the cab conversion is quite a difficult task. It turned out that the upper cab half is to make completely new from scratch. I am just thinking about materials, more to come later.
Steffen, I've had that happen. I use super glue or JB Weld. What do you use? I know you have different brands in Europe. If you use an epoxy, make sure it is the 24 hour version, you have to wait for drying, but it's stronger. I also try to use small screws where possible. Scott
Hi all, happy new year 2024 and all the best for you. Sorry for the late response and a misleading emoji. It is all ok, I had to cut the shell in that way to separate the tanks from boiler. It was just funny to see the "after-cut-picture" with all the parts... Meantime the loco got its reworked wheels. I found it impossible to remove counterweights on original wheels because material is very tough. But there was another way to get the right look. I made some PC-prints of new paper disks with right dimensions and punched them out. It took some attempts to get the right concentricity: That's the result after glueing the parts. Middle wheelsets with new coungterweights too. Now it is a Luttermoller engine:
Steffen, Nice solution to the problem! Looking good! One way I have punched out circles is to sharpen the end of brass tubing. I put a cone shaped Dremel cutting tool in a vice vertically, then put a brass tube in a drill press, and lower the tube onto the cutting tool. Makes a nice punch any size. Scott
