Boiler surgery

Boiler bottom
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.

With the main sections of the locomotive body together, I still faced a challenge. Put simply, bits of it were in the way of the mechanical parts. As usual the hole in the boiler wasn't big enough to allow the motor and gearbox in. Kit designers have to take a guess how much of a gap is required and this varies enormously. Some people will use a tiny motor that barely pokes above the frames at the cost of power. Others will stick in a two-stage 'box that pushes the motor well into the boiler. To make it worse, kits are often intended to be produced in several scales widening the possibilities.

The combination I am using should give plenty of power (this is a working model after all) and a sensible speed range. But it's too big for the supplied hole.

Making space is a horrible task involving a mini drill fitted with a cutting disk to cut across the boiler. Then making the cuts parallel to the sides with anything sharp I could lay my hands on including the slitting disk, scissors and side cutters. The result needs tidying up a bit but at least the body now fits.