Hi Steve
That looks very promising indeed.
Out of curiosity I just lined up the 4F chassis to my Langley N2. The wheelbase is a tad longer than the Prairie chassis, but might well fit ok.
I suspect the key issues in deciding what chassis to use will be: -
1) Clearance (The Langley one takes a lot of fettling to sit "right" on the Farish Large Prairie chassis and there is no room left whatsoever above it).
2) How to attach an effective trailing axle. Ideally this would (I think) need to pivot in a pony truck like the said Langley N2 rather than sit in a notch in the keeper-plate like the rather poorer N7 (Just finished one of these and having great fun trying to get it to go round 9 inch rad curves!).
3) Where to put adequate traction-weight and leave room for the chassis. Probably a couple of whitemetal or pewtwer sections in the tanks would do it.
4) How to fit couplings such that they work effectively and do not derail stock on sharp curves.
A fascinating project, andd I look forward to your updates!
As an afterthought, have you thought about doing a 4-4-0, maybe D49? (Thinking UM tender-drive again!).
Cheers
Roy
N Gauge J6 scratchbuild & K3 master
Moderators: 52D, Tom F, Rlangham, Atlantic 3279, Blink Bonny, Saint Johnstoun, richard
Re: N Gauge J6 scratchbuild & K3 master
Hi Roy,
Yes the 4F chassis is longer than the prairie chassis but I feel that the 4F wheelbase is better overall for the N2 plus a pony truck can be added using tender drawbar arrangement at the rear of the chassis. The main issue currently appears to be getting the loco body to sit low enough on the chassis without having to make compromises to the body. The pony truck can be a casting with a pocket inserted to hold the coupling allowing the model to go round curves without derailing stock.
Weight could be an issue, I need to see if a chassis weight would be needed or if some kind of pocket could be included in the body for some liquid lead. The n drive productions chassis looks interesting but could not be used for an N2 due to the wheel size and spacing with the positioning of the motor causing problems. Maybe something similar could be be produced providing some key components for a basis chassis - pie in the sky thinking at the moment.
I did a D49 body as one of my first 'experiments' with CAD work - but I could never get a good enough print to bother going into production with it. The design might need an overhaul but might be doable. The valve gear might be an issue to produce though...
Yes the 4F chassis is longer than the prairie chassis but I feel that the 4F wheelbase is better overall for the N2 plus a pony truck can be added using tender drawbar arrangement at the rear of the chassis. The main issue currently appears to be getting the loco body to sit low enough on the chassis without having to make compromises to the body. The pony truck can be a casting with a pocket inserted to hold the coupling allowing the model to go round curves without derailing stock.
Weight could be an issue, I need to see if a chassis weight would be needed or if some kind of pocket could be included in the body for some liquid lead. The n drive productions chassis looks interesting but could not be used for an N2 due to the wheel size and spacing with the positioning of the motor causing problems. Maybe something similar could be be produced providing some key components for a basis chassis - pie in the sky thinking at the moment.
I did a D49 body as one of my first 'experiments' with CAD work - but I could never get a good enough print to bother going into production with it. The design might need an overhaul but might be doable. The valve gear might be an issue to produce though...
Steve
Re: N Gauge J6 scratchbuild & K3 master
Hi Steve
I think the 4F chassis would certaily look better, and with minimal messing about with the chassis given your solution for the trailing truck and coupling (I think this is always better than starting to hack them around).
I think a couple of thin whitemetal weights superglued inside the tanks should be sufficient for traction as they would be right over the wheels where they are needed.
I look forward to more updates on this one too - your CAD work is really impressive.
As to the D49, you could, with only a few mods do a D49/2 "Hunt" - no outside valve-gear just some gubbins for the Lenz rotary cam drive one side and lubricator the other (Which I'd leave off!).
Attached is a pic of my "Hunt" "The Middleton" my first effort at scratchbuilding in many years so a bit poor. Farish 4P chassis and Union Mills tender-drive of course! It has since been fairly heavily weathered, I think too much but nothing I can do about it now (Apart from buils another one!).
Cheers
Roy
I think the 4F chassis would certaily look better, and with minimal messing about with the chassis given your solution for the trailing truck and coupling (I think this is always better than starting to hack them around).
I think a couple of thin whitemetal weights superglued inside the tanks should be sufficient for traction as they would be right over the wheels where they are needed.
I look forward to more updates on this one too - your CAD work is really impressive.
As to the D49, you could, with only a few mods do a D49/2 "Hunt" - no outside valve-gear just some gubbins for the Lenz rotary cam drive one side and lubricator the other (Which I'd leave off!).
Attached is a pic of my "Hunt" "The Middleton" my first effort at scratchbuilding in many years so a bit poor. Farish 4P chassis and Union Mills tender-drive of course! It has since been fairly heavily weathered, I think too much but nothing I can do about it now (Apart from buils another one!).
Cheers
Roy
- Attachments
-
Re: N Gauge J6 scratchbuild & K3 master
Hi Roy,
Thanks for the encouragement - I'm hoping to be able to order a cheap (low quality) N2 print sometime in the near future to test the fit before committing to getting a master produced. I'll let you know how this turns out.
Your D49 does look the business! How would V2 cylinders and valve gear go with the 4P chassis? I've got such a chassis somewhere, I'll have a go and see if they could be grafted on.
Just out of question, have you made any compromises with boiler height and diameter? I can't remember now but I think I ruled out the 4P chassis originally as I'd have to pitch the boiler too high but yours looks spot on...
Thanks for the encouragement - I'm hoping to be able to order a cheap (low quality) N2 print sometime in the near future to test the fit before committing to getting a master produced. I'll let you know how this turns out.
Your D49 does look the business! How would V2 cylinders and valve gear go with the 4P chassis? I've got such a chassis somewhere, I'll have a go and see if they could be grafted on.
Just out of question, have you made any compromises with boiler height and diameter? I can't remember now but I think I ruled out the 4P chassis originally as I'd have to pitch the boiler too high but yours looks spot on...
Steve
Re: N Gauge J6 scratchbuild & K3 master
Hi Steve
I used a drawing from the Railway Modeller which I scaled down on the photocopier. I think the boiler may actually be a tad oversize in diameter (Maybe a millimetre).
I solved the height issue by removing all the motor innards, leaving a free-rolling chassis for the UM tender drive treatment, that way no problem with the round-topped boiler.
Of course the driving wheels are somewhat undersize..
Not sure how V2 cylinders and valve-gear might fit, that may be worth a look if thinking of a "Shire" or alternatively a "cut and shut" of A3 motion maybe? (Have some of that in a box somewhere..).
Cheers
Roy
I used a drawing from the Railway Modeller which I scaled down on the photocopier. I think the boiler may actually be a tad oversize in diameter (Maybe a millimetre).
I solved the height issue by removing all the motor innards, leaving a free-rolling chassis for the UM tender drive treatment, that way no problem with the round-topped boiler.
Of course the driving wheels are somewhat undersize..
Not sure how V2 cylinders and valve-gear might fit, that may be worth a look if thinking of a "Shire" or alternatively a "cut and shut" of A3 motion maybe? (Have some of that in a box somewhere..).
Cheers
Roy