I recently purchased a British 66 class loco that is in the ONE pink livery. I needed some container wagons to load up with ONE containers, I have decided to have a go at 3D printing them. I found a crude drawing that has some measurements as well as a few photos to guide me. First mistake….I drew it up in HO scale instead of OO so back to the drawing and adjust it. The first print seems to be turning out OK. I will add some detail to the models as I am able to find photos. I am also making them in N scale. This is the 3D drawing for the model.

After a couple of prints I think these will be OK. I just need some more detail photos to enhance them a little and create the "bumpy bit" that is on one end with the buffers attached.

That's looking good Robyn - are they "OO" Gauge and "N" Gauge ?  The difference looks huge ………..

Do you have your own printer ?  I've always been slightly disappointed with the finish on 3D printing but I suppose for wagon chassis, it's not critical.  :roll:

Hi Robyn,

As a devotee of Steam, until very recently I was blissfully unaware of the Class 66; that was until watching Ep 3 of "Trains that changed the World", still available via our SBS On Demand - link here:

Trains That Changed the world

It featured a Class 66 right at the end, pulling a huge load out of Felixstowe Freight Terminal.
That set me off searching:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQlGn7nq_M4
  
impressive sound, worth listening to thru good speakers to get the full bass!
Keep us posted on your progress, I hope your loco has Sound!

Colin

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

That's looking good Robyn - are they "OO" Gauge and "N" Gauge ?  The difference looks huge ………..

Do you have your own printer ?  I've always been slightly disappointed with the finish on 3D printing but I suppose for wagon chassis, it's not critical.  :roll:

 Yes they are are OO and N and the size difference seems enormous but the N scale one is exactly half the size of OO. 4mm and 2mm are much easier to work with than 3.5mm and 1.905mm (HO and 1:160 N) I still prefer to hand craft models as the finish is so much better and can be moulded and replicated quickly with no sanding and filling required, but the 3d printers do come in handy for other things. I have designed and printed pallets, fencing, windows for my buildings and accessories for my garage models. Like all new technology you have to find what works for you. I draw all my items up myself and this helps to learn and understand the process, it is possible to download free files that you can print if you wish. I am only a beginner in this new method and still have a lot to learn but it is fun. I have found this process brilliant for creating items for around the house such as door handles for cupboards. hooks for the bathroom and I even made a replacement hinge for a camping ice box, now that's cool!


The lighthouse is for a new layout



The Bottle Shop window frames are 3D printed



Parts for an Australian N scale car carrier



A NSW Railways Cream shed for my friend



A British warflat wagon and Sherman tank (minus its gun barrel) in 2mm scale. I am still trying to get some drawings for the warflat in order to finish it as I have used a photo to get the basic shape.

[user=2170]Colin W[/user] wrote:

Hi Robyn,

As a devotee of Steam, until very recently I was blissfully unaware of the Class 66; that was until watching Ep 3 of "Trains that changed the World", still available via our SBS On Demand - link here:

Trains That Changed the world

It featured a Class 66 right at the end, pulling a huge load out of Felixstowe Freight Terminal.
That set me off searching:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQlGn7nq_M4
  
impressive sound, worth listening to thru good speakers to get the full bass!
Keep us posted on your progress, I hope your loco has Sound!

Colin

Thank you Colin, I have found a few youtubes of the pink 66 class as well and they are quite impressive locos. I might try to watch the SBS episode.

Not sure what you're after in terms of drawings Robyn but I found this on Pinterest.  No doubt you've seen it too !!  It doesn't show underfloor detail but it does give dimensions.




The lighthouse looksexcellent - is that straight off the printer or have you sanded it down ?  Most of the fine detail prints I've seen have a ripple effect finish which is sometimes difficult to get rid of.  As you so rightly say, it's new technology, particularly in the case of "home printers" so can only improve as the market grows.  One only needs to compare the first few motor cars with today's version………………………!!

[user=1680]RobynT[/user] wrote:

Thank you Colin, I have found a few youtubes of the pink 66 class as well and they are quite impressive locos. I might try to watch the SBS episode.

The section on Class 66 in Ep 3 is just a few minutes but the whole series has a lot of interesting material. I found Ep 2 on underground railways very interesting.

Colin

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Not sure what you're after in terms of drawings Robyn but I found this on Pinterest.  No doubt you've seen it too !!  It doesn't show underfloor detail but it does give dimensions.




The lighthouse looksexcellent - is that straight off the printer or have you sanded it down ?  Most of the fine detail prints I've seen have a ripple effect finish which is sometimes difficult to get rid of.  As you so rightly say, it's new technology, particularly in the case of "home printers" so can only improve as the market grows.  One only needs to compare the first few motor cars with today's version………………………!!

There is more work to do on the lighthouse but it is printed in high res so even though there are lines they are a bit easier to tidy up.


Thank you for the drawing but I am not sure that is the one I am looking for. The photo I have is this one.

That is some fantastic work with the 3D printer! One day I think it could be a very worth investment to simply create objects from "thin air"!  
They are like the first step to a Star Trek replicator!  

You're right Robyn - that's not the same as the photo you've got -  it looks as if there's 1 extra axle for starters.

On edit - I just tried Googling "Drawings of warwell wagons" and there are quite a few to choose from on there - including one of your twin axled bogies……. ;-)

I have done some other container wagons for my friend Bill's new layout using 3D printing. This has worked for me as Bill, who is now 84 and has not recovered well from recent surgery, needs constant attention. These models are also quite robust and can deal with a bit of rough handling, of course any that are damaged are easily replaced. I have constructed a large layout 5.4mts x 1.3mt for him and he was keen to have a container train. Once the artwork was done I could print 4 wagons on the printer while I attended my carer and other duties. Within a week we had the parts for 10 models and shared the job of painting, detailing and completing them. We have used Walthers containers and these are glued in place using PVA glue which will make them easier to remove if we need to. Due to a shortage of bogies I have now started printing them as well and we have been running a test set of 5 wagons on a continuous loop of the layout for several hours and the bogies are holding up well. I am quite satisfied that the wagons for my 66 class will work out OK as the experimentation has been done with the HO wagons.

The 3D printed wagons primed and ready for painting


Painting the wagons using automotive acrylic lacquer, we have two colours for the fleet Public Transport Commission Red and Teal.

Wow, fantastic - well done you.

Are the containers printed or bought ?  If you printed them, how did you do the lettering - that looks fabulous.  Bill, in spite of his age and surgery problems, is a lucky guy.  That's a huge layout you've built for him.  Can we see some pictures of it ?

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Wow, fantastic - well done you.

Are the containers printed or bought ?  If you printed them, how did you do the lettering - that looks fabulous.  Bill, in spite of his age and surgery problems, is a lucky guy.  That's a huge layout you've built for him.  Can we see some pictures of it ?

The containers are some I bought from Walthers. Here is a couple of photos of his layout, I still have a lot of work to do but Bill is enjoying running his trains. It was Bill who got me into this hobby and he was an exceptional model builder with so many awards for his work, it is sad to see him struggling to do basic things now. The salvation has been keeping his mind active with ideas for the layout and models he wants to get finished. I am happy to help him as he supported me and taught me so much about the hobby.

The frame is made using aluminium and eps base as the modules need to be light because I will have to move them around on my own.







A happy boy, running trains on the first official test run. Track work has never been one of my favourite things but it all ran surprisingly well.