ProvenceTristram

Part of the problem with starting with your favorite locomotive (or, more accurately, what became my favorite locomotive) is that, when you move on to other projects that you don't like quite as much and - in the process - improve your technique, the original starts to hover over you like a dark cloud, groaning and bellowing "fixxxxxx meeeeee" and "stop wasting time playing The Lonnngggg Daaarrrkkkk." In fact, it was my reluctance to tackle this project again that brought a halt to all my building efforts earlier this spring - I just couldn't bring myself to engage all the problems associated with it. And there were a lot of problems. In no particular order: Only one axle of the original was powered. The locomotive was driven by a single, smaller power functions motor. I wanted it to be capable of performing in a drag freight role like the real thing, so that obviously wasn't going to do. I had originally designed this engine as a 4-8-2, then redone it as a 2-10-2. Before you gasp and clutch some pearls, the real locomotives were also 4-8-2s before being reconstructed. Still, the transition wasn't quite as smooth as I would have liked. My first crack at the engine, I had accidentally constructed a Q-1 instead of a Q-2. The differences aren't enormous, but they are noticeable. While I had cleaned up this issue to an extent later-on, it really ransacked the model to do so. Essentially, we're now on the fourth iteration of this engine. The front end of the boiler was a mess. I didn't like the cow-catcher (note: what you see in the photos isn't quite finished; I want to use a part that I can't do in LDD to extend the prongs). The entire tender needed to be replaced - like, everything was wrong: proportions, trucks, details, etc. The interior was a complete mess. It wasn't held together as well as I would have wanted, and there was a significant unnecessary part glut that needed to be redressed. Some of this I was aware of heading in... some of it I wasn't. I did know, however, that trying to cram a large motor into the rear, SNOTed portion of the boiler was going to be an utter nightmare... and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it was. I planned this morning to upsize the boiler by a plate in each direction in order to make accommodating the motor easier, but half way into it, I realized that the scaling was starting to come apart (plus, if you look at photos of the real thing, the Q-2s really didn't have large-circumference boilers when compared to something like an ATSF 2-10-4; they were kind of antiquated in this regard [which, again, had a lot to do with them being retooled 4-8-2s]) . So, I retreated back to the old boiler and completely gutted it end-to-end, then had to come up with some very creative work-arounds in order to sheath that friggin' motor (it actually is only concealed by a tile's thickness in places). The tender wasn't difficult once I settled on a design, but it is radically different from the original. Plus, it also contains a SECOND large motor, thus doubling my tractive effort. Even if I ever have the money build this, I don't know if I'll get the opportunity to see it run... but I'd like to think that it would be a beast (albeit one that is limited to insanely generous curves). I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out - after about 8 hours of fresh work, I now believe that this is up to par with most of my other engines (there are a couple of others I have to revisit after this - I really want to do large motors across the board for all standard gauge locomotives).

Many thanks for the speedy and informative reply!

I've never messed with these things except in LDD - can you attach two motors to the same battery box, or do you need one box per motor?

I'm not 100 percent sold on the shaping of the windshield. Everything else is glorious.

It was a long time ago - I do better work these days. Also, don't they want like 700 bucks for that thing, or something completely insane like that? It's a lovely model, and much better than the old thing in the OP. But...Brickmania is... kind of a joke. *Edit* Oh, excuse me - they want $865, plus tax, plus S&H. My bad. What do you think the raw part total is for that via Bricklink? Maybe $175-200? So... you pay a roughly $700 premium price for the pleasure of the instruction manual? Granted, there are certainly people with far more money than brains out there, since BM sold out of this thing... but there are fine lines between asking for top dollar for fine work, actively gouging people, and then demanding so much money that I'm insulted by the mere suggestion that you believe your work to be worth that much. Brickmania's products decidedly fall into the latter category. I'd sooner throw the model at them than buy it.

Imaginary post-war import bought on the cheap, partially converted from tank to tender, and shipped off to the Pacific Northwest for logging work: And one pic with the German color scheme: All the drivers are powered, and both trucks rotate independently.

Thank you!

It's the two-pronged thing. Looking for the official Lego number so I can find it in LDD. I am terrible with Technic :/.

Same. I cannot stand Disney, and the minifigures - as far as I am concerned - are utterly useless and incredibly boring.

Boy, that looks... expensive.

Please keep us posted. I, too, would definitely like to build this.

I really like the proportions on this little thing. Wouldn't mind building this myself at some point.

I was pretty bored last night. This is only the second car I've ever designed.

I really appreciate the lack of studs and the interior. Any plan to sell instructions? I'd snap some up in a heartbeat.

I really think you should take the first one and run with it as the cockpit of a full-fledged ship of some kind.