I've spent the evening building a Pannier Tank Engine.

it doesn't run, as I haven't put an IR receiver or battery box inside it yet (I'd have to take them out of my Constitution train), but there are 'dummy' ones in there which I built out of bricks so I had something to work around.

It's sat on top of the PF train motor (I removed my Constitution tender from the motor temporarily) to see if it would sit on it well, which I think it does. In the second photo you can see how it's meant to sit on it, and how most of the body is basically built onto the (dummy) battery box.

There should be enough space for all the wires...

What do people think? Can you see any potential issues or problems? Looking at it now, I'll probably lower the roof by one plate, and I might replace the windows with something else. I'll probably do other stuff to it as well, but for an evening's work, I'm quite pleased.

Edited November 6, 201311 yr by Paperballpark

I like it, small, independent and captures the feel.

Nice!

Hey, it's really nice. I wouldn't change a thing.

Joe

Is the engine compartment intentionally detachable for easy access to battery box? Interesting.

Thanks! Yes it is meant to detach. It actually sits in pretty sturdily.

nice job! hope your cables will fit inside!

Looks very nice!

Are you going to run the wire to the b.box over the roof?

I think the windows are cute!

Thanks! The wire to the battery box will go through the slot in the dividing wall that you can see in picture 2.

I have a feeling the cab will be filled with wires. If only TLG did PF components with leads that were only 5cm long...

Oh and I forgot to mention, the black bar sticking up behind the chimney is for pressing the green button to turn the battery box on. I might see if I can find something a bit shorter.

A nice little build

(perhaps a black technic pin for hitting the power switch?)

^ It wouldn't fit through the x in the round 2x2 plate. I've used a wrench-thingy instead.

I've also built another one, but in black with dark-red detailing, which I think looks better. I've not taken photos yet though.

An update: I've built a dark red and black version with all the PF gubbins in it. It all fits (although the wires were a pain), and it runs very nicely indeed.

I can't help thinking it looks a bit too high on the motor, but it isn't possible to get it any lower (the battery box sits directly on top of the motor pin).

Thoughts?

I think it looks marvellous! It would be such a nice companion to my little shunter; would you like to share the instructions in an LDD file or series of pictures? I'll do the same with my engine...

I prefer it in the red and black myself, but it is a nice little engine.

@schermvlieger Sorry, I don't have an LDD file of it, I just built it. I'll try and take some photos of the Grey one in various sections at some point, but in the meantime hopefully you can see quite a bit of the internals and work out how some of it is built.

@Hrw-Amen Thanks, I do too. The grey and black is a bit too bland for my liking.

Wow, the red/black livery definitely makes this little engine pop! The shortened smokestack and the bar w/ clip also enhance the look. I assume the bar w/ clip still functions to turn the battery on/off?

It's a shame you've lost the smooth curve over the front wheels, but maybe that part doesn't exist in red? Or at least not in your collection of bricks? (I didn't even know that part existed until lately, but it works wonders over a steam locomotive's drivers.)

Thanks! Yes the bar with clip turns the battery on/off when pressed down.

Unfortunately I don't have any of that curved 'telephone' part in either dark red or black. I'm not even sure they do it in dark red.

I just looked it up. Seven sets have that part in dark red, six of which contain two or more: http://www.bricklink...sp?P=93273&in=S

Somehow I had overlooked that it was dark red. Definitely a good choice.