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
Hi all, since there are some open questions regarding shell of SHE #57 I'm doing a side project to make a third steamer. I have a shapeways shell representing 99 6001, a Harz based 2-6-2T Prairie -type steamer, but there are no skills to make a scratchbuilt chassis for this loco. But I like to do modelrailroading in an it-could-have-been freelance fashion, so I was searching for a fitting commercial chassis. The idea was, that Krupp Company would have not only constructed three meter gauge types 2-6-2T / 2-8-2T / 2-10-2T (only the upper one was realized as NWE #21'', becoming DR 99 6001 in 1949.) But there could have been a 0-8-0T too. A PC-sketch with Marklin chassis from 88981 revealed a good looking Krupp-style engine: So I bought a G8.1 / Marklin 88981 model and a replacement motor E275145. I had to do some milling on both motor and shell to fit in the chassis, see arrows: There is really small space, but yes, here we are: It's a relatively easy conversion to build a meter gauge steamer. Now it comes to detailling, especially regarding pilot and cylinder areas.
Hi all and a happy new year for you! Since there was no hobbytime for several months I wished to do some progress on this project during christmas holidays. I reworked the front pilot so that a MTL coupler fits there. Shell attachment was a bigger challenge, because I could not measure in a direct way. I filed a piece of brass step by step, drilled a new M1,2 thread and glued it on the original Marklin support. A new M1,2 screw goes through the sand dome. After this milestone next step is the back coupler. So far for now.
Steffen, Good to see you posting, always enjoy your modeling threads! Nice work on the chassis! I like your idea for relocating the shell mounting screw. Scott
Thank you, Scott. Today I finished the shell. Now it has a rear coupler, front lamps and an onboard-device called "Elevator" to get water into the tank. Function similiar to an injector. Last steps are two pieces of ballast for the side tanks and painting.
Few steps further ... I will finish weathering with powder paint, highlighting some details. Yesterday she met her other two partners for the first time
