Based on the Reading 1251 , which itself was a one-off prototype Frankensteined together from leftover parts of a I-2a class 2-8-0.
The words "based on" are doing a lot of heavy lifting here. The proportions are slightly off, the colourscheme is all the way different, and the included coal tender doesn't really make sense for a shunter.
And that's how we get to this topic. I've made trains with free instructions before, and may want to do so again.
However, before I start wasting both my time and yours, I'd like to know if there's any interest in instructions for a train like this. I hear steam train fans are very realism-oriented.
I'd like to give a rundown of the features, and I would love to hear if there's improvements I can make before I start the whole instructions thing.
Starting off; the mechanism. My goal was to mount the motor as low to the ground as possible, to get more room for details. Gearing right now is 1:1 Also, the coupling rods assembly won't seize up. Trouble-free running ahoy!
The battery tender is designed so switching batteries and minimizing wire length is as easy as possible. Transparent parts at the back allow for checking the status light.
I still want to make some adjustments to the model before making instructions. On the to-do list are:
Adjusting the proportions where possible. The front hangs over quite a bit, and I'm sure this can be improved.
Making the model easier to construct. The front assembly has some math that while legal, might not be entirely Euclidean.
Where possible, substitute expensive or hard-to-find parts.
Structural integrity. Right now the model is pretty damn solid, but I still have some improvements in mind.
So, how do you like the model? Would you be interested in instructions? Any improvements that would be welcome? I'd love to hear them.