Polly the 5inch gauge 0-4-0 shunter

While this has nothing to do with 3d printing, it's certainly train related.

The track was constructed from old shelving L lengths while wood 2x1's cut to length formed the sleepers. So far Ive managed to build 5 sections of track making up 4.5 metres.

 With steel & aluminium L & flat strip used to build the body frame. The brass whistle will be powered with a $40 small 12v compressor delivering 120 psi.

The headlight is a supercheapauto.co.nz 4x led "water proof number plate light" that cost $15.

Polly so far, front window section is made from generic wood photo frames & balsa PVA glued overnight. The window section is removable and slots in at the bottom with 1 screw from above. I've replaced the glass with 4mm thick perspex to keep fingers safe should the worst happen.

Cab side panels, window frames & door remain to be done.

After further work, the control panel has an analog voltmeter, light control & a whistle "button" driving 150psi on demand via 12v rather than store it in a reservoir.

Coming together slowly... $5 Warehouse picture frames firmly in place.  

If I built up the courage I would video myself riding this, Shes got enough traction to pull me on a small 4 wheeler with all my weight on this wagon (skinny woman performing yoga got nothing on me riding this small platform back and forth). 

The loco is a 5 inch gauge 0-4-0 in the image of industrial TR shunter. Although it's really inspired by my dad & Neil's locos shown below.

Showing off a bogied flat wagon, thanks to the help of a mate with a welder a basic bogie was fabricated out of mild steel. each wheel is made of 2 mild steel disks. One forming the flange, the other forming the wheel itself. The "wheel" spun on the lathe and attached then welded to the axle. The bearings formed from nuts borrowed from some ones car wheel. Both bogie pivots on a ball bearing mech similar to that of an office chair, affording a very stable platform.

The bogie on the wagon closer to the loco is actually a steam tender 4 wheel chassis with all sprung axles. The wheel diameter & spacing is the same as the welded bogie. 

5inch Battery Electric loco & bogie wagon hauling meself. A knock can be heard from the driving wheels when accelerating in reverse, so more work needs doing there. Managed to haul 2 people with the loco. Any more and she wheel spins, impressive considering the track head is 1.5mm thick and should really be 4-5mm thick to give decent traction. Adding weight to the loco is the next step.

Track & sleepers are  formed from 10x10mm Bar, The track joining sections were formed in a jig. Once I grind down the track ends they should bolt together well. 

5x2mtr straight sections finished of the 5 Inch track. You couldn't bang the sleepers off with a hammer, nice neat welds. Need to visit Vulcan steel & stock up on materials. Then another straight section followed by 12x curved sections, similar in mindset to any starter trainset. Starting to think about turnouts now, will not be difficult. In the meantime a novel use has been found in tracking shots with the camera & tripod riding on the roller bearing wheel bogied wagon, incidentally no brakes yet!

Whilst I had aimed for fathers day to set the track up at the parents place on the deck, a week or 2 won't hurt. Managed to get a video of dad taking it for a run on the smartphone, but did give both mum & dad a ride in the end, the dogs we're pretty scared of the whole event & ran away whenever the train moved. By the end both dogs made the trip cuddled & restrained in my arms & seemed to relax to the whole idea.
Dad made the comment its been 13 years since he drove a locomotive for the then wank owned railways.