Regular readers will know that my plan had been to build a pair of side tanks for the steam tram. These would replace the saddle tank that I didn't like, and provide somewhere to hide the Loco Remote unit, and battery.
I marked out the area that would need to be removed from the top of the lower section, and floor of the body, and drilled holes in the corners. Then scratched my head. How to remove the rest?
Chain drilling and joining up the holes is the obvious way. Trouble is, to get into the places to drill with the two halves of the body screwed together, required my only super-long drill bit. The chances of this surviving the dozens of holes to be made, was slim. I don't have a tiny saw that can cut out from a hole start either. That ABS sheet is hard.
To be honest, I couldn't see an easy solution, and so I left the floor intact. A bit of investigation showed the control and battery could fit under the floor, so the tanks weren't needed to hold them anyway.
I still made the tanks of course. Simple plastic boxes with a bit of tube on top for a filler. Rivets are slices of rod smoothed with lashings of solvent.
Fixed into place with Revell Contacta glue, I think they look the part and add something to the interior of the tram.
3 comments:
Will there be duplicate controls at the smokebox end?
CP
There probably should be, but not at the moment.
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Appreciating that the project has moved on from the original inspiration of a Hughes loco from the Wantage Tramway, I feel that a freelance item of motive power needs to be logical - or at least it be possible to justify various aspects on the grounds of practicality.
Sans a set of controls at the smokebox end, what would be the reason for the doorway? It would allow easy cleaning of the smokebox - but that in other locomotives might have been achieved by a simple hatch or opening panel in the bodywork. If the tank fillers were at the front end access to them might explain the doorway.
That said the loco does look good and I continue to enjoy the sage of its construction.
CP
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