Athearn Challenger/UP Excursion Train?

Spookshow Jun 25, 2013

  1. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    Looks great!

    Cheers,
    -Mark
     
  2. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    An then there is the newest power car that would be fun to build. ;)

    [​IMG]
     
  3. robert3985

    robert3985 TrainBoard Member

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    COOL... I'm anticipating the prints. Hope they work well in FUD and Shapeways gets the orientation correct.

    Cheerio!
    Bob Gilmore
     
  4. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    They should work well in FUD, they have been designed so the smallest parts all meet the printing requirements. I think I will detail the ladders as separate parts as they might end up a bit chunky, that way it will be up to the modeller if they want to stick them on or add their own.

    I have also fixed the brake issue in the trucks, they now line up with the wheel sets. It was me, when I started I had a drawing for the wrong type of truck, the wheel centres where 250mm ish smaller than on the commonwealth trucks, a quick rescale and hay presto. Hopefully I will get the details on this week.

    Cheers,

    James
     
  5. Phillip33

    Phillip33 TrainBoard Member

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    Looks Awesome!
    I like that your making the details separate.
    Phillip
     
  6. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    I have been a bit busy this week with work and wot not, but I did make some progress on the water bottles.......

    UP test.png UP test2.png

    Still more to do but getting close to the first test print now.

    I have been thinking about couplers, how about using body mounted Micro-trains. I can add a pilot hole for the screw?

    Cheers,

    James
     
  7. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    That sounds great (re the couplers). Looking good!

    Cheers,
    -Mark
     
  8. Phillip33

    Phillip33 TrainBoard Member

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    James,
    Body mounts work for me.
    Phillip
     
  9. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Does anybody have a photo of 'Jim Adams' taken squarely side on. I want to get the shape of the flag plates as close as possible. It will be a separate part, easier to paint etc.
    IMG_7751.JPG
    Cheers,

    James
     
  10. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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  11. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    That will do nicely. Thanks Mark.

    James
     
  12. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Mark, I have a question for you. All of the cars in the UP excursion train are lettered UPP. I assume that stands for Union Pacific Passenger? ? ? ? Did they identify all of their passenger equipment that way, back in the day ? ? ? Obviously, I am not a UP nut. SP, yes.

    Carl
     
  13. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    I think that UPP designation is relatively recent. I'm not sure when things changed, but older pictures just have the number and no UPP.

    -Mark
     
  14. river_eagle

    river_eagle TrainBoard Member

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  15. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Cracking idea River_eagle, I don't suppose anybody has a sheet that they can get me a scan from? Not to print, just to get the shape and size? If not I will contact Microscale, they might send me an electronic file of the out line.

    Cheers,

    James
     
  16. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    I have some on order. I'll see about getting you a scan.

    Cheers,
    -Mark
     
  17. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Cheers mark, I will look out for that, I sent an email to Microscale but no reply as of yet.

    I am getting close now to the first print order stage, sorry it's taken so long. I have a question. The underside of the tank car, do you want it detailed, or would you rather have it open to save material and reduce the cost of the car? With a detailed under side it would be separate to allow weight to be added etc.

    Cheers,

    James
     
  18. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    How do these Shapeways cars work, anyway? Is it one big solid chunk of "stuff", or...?

    Thanks,
    -Mark
     
  19. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    The system works on solid shapes. The cost of an item is based on cubic volume of material used. The car could be made form a solid piece with the detail on the out side, simple, strong and about $130 dollars to print! To combat this the parts are 'hollowed out', but you can't just have 1 face. Everything must be a solid shape. The minimum wall thickness is 0.6mm but that is not strong enough for every ware. If you look at the cut through below there is an outer wall and an inner wall. The thickness changes depending various factors. For example, the roof is thicker at the main stress points, areas that are just roof are thinner saving on material. The white is the outer face of a solid so where you see gray it will be filled in.

    UP Water Tender2.png

    The large plate in the middle is a baffle, just like the real thing, this will stop the sides bending in at the mid span of the car. Structurally this reduces the effective length of the car by half making it a lot more rigid. The hole in the middle of the plate is the area least effected by the stress and therefor can be omitted to save material.

    Now, the two rectangular beams at the bottom form the main frame of the car. The square bar in the center is/may be the spine of the frame that carries the trucks. This will be a separate part that fits into the main car body.

    UP Water Tender3.png

    It pobably wont look like this but you get the idea. My question was, I can leave the areas between the cross members open, this will reduce the cost of the car but it will have no floor, or I can add the floor and details, this will also make it stronger. Do you have a preference?

    Cheers for now,

    -James
     
  20. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    I think a floor with details would be better than no floor.

    -Mark
     

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