Seeking technical advice

[LordsofMedieval]

I spent most of yesterday designing a Norfolk & Western S1A class and wasn't fully satisfied with it. There's nothing wrong with the end product, but I decided I just didn't like the engine as much as I initially thought.

Today, I'd like to do something a bit more... uh... 'sexy' with a New Haven Y4-A 0-8-0. But they had weirdly-spaced drivers, and - being the anal creature that I most certainly am - I want to model these properly. The problem is coming up with a spacing solution that achieves the half-stud gaps necessary, but is still rigid enough not to break apart under the load of technic gears grinding inside it.

This is my aesthetically-acceptable-but-probably-not-robust-enough solution:

... but I think it would just break under use. And I'm not willing to glue pieces.

Can anyone suggest a solution that's not dependent on 2 studs to hold the thing together? I want to make this engine work, but clearly I need to solve this problem before tackling anything else.

Thanks and Merry Christmas.

Edited December 26, 2022 by LordsofMedieval

[Karle]

Try using 1- or 2-hole Tecknic bricks for your journal boxes and plates for the upper and lower frame rails.  American building practice used open frames not solid plates.  The T-bricks will allow you to get very close to the axle spacing your looking for.

Edited December 26, 2022 by Karle

[JopieK]

28 minutes ago, Karle said:

Try using 1- or 2-hole Tecknic bricks for your journal boxes and plates for the upper and lower frame rails.  American building practice used open frames not solid plates.  The T-bricks will allow you to get very close to the axle spacing your looking for.

Yeah, maybe even the newer 1x1 bricks with cross axle holes.

[LordsofMedieval]

3 hours ago, Karle said:

Try using 1- or 2-hole Tecknic bricks for your journal boxes and plates for the upper and lower frame rails.  American building practice used open frames not solid plates.  The T-bricks will allow you to get very close to the axle spacing your looking for.

Okie, many thanks!

[jtlan]

I usually don't agonize over this -- off by half a stud is fine for wheel spacing, given the flanges are already so oversize. Plus, if you use a weird spacing, how are you going to attach connecting rods?

Can you share the actual dimensions and wheel spacing for this locomotive?

[Beck]

It's also very important to mention that your design won't actually work IRL. LDD, allows headlight bricks to be placed next to other bricks with the stud facing inwards; however, IRL the stud extends beyond the brick by a very small margin. This means that you would have to file down the stud to make that connection work or find a new solution.

[Vilhelm22]

You could however, fix that problem using a technic brick 1x1x1 as a replacement for the headlight brick on the right.

[Duq]

Except... the hole in a Technic brick is slightly higher than the side-stud on a headlight brick...

I agree with @jtlan though - you're giving yourself a lot of headaches later on with connecting rods as well as building on top of this chassis.

 

[lego3057]

Hello

 

Why not this one?