| |
Hi all,
I finished my German BR18 Steam Locomotive this weekend, and managed to take
some photos. They're posted on my Brickshelf Gallery:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=8403
There are a couple of interesting features on it: The engine is a 4-6-2
configuration, and the tie rods and pistons actually move and pump
(respectively) - this is possible due to the fact that the tie rods are only
affixed to the first four drive wheels. In order to ensure that the drive
wheels on each side move uniformly, technic bands are used to link them.
The locomotive can actually navigate curves, switches, and crosses - there are
a total of five points of articulation in the wheelset. The first two drive
wheels (the ones holding the tie rods) are attached rigidly to the engine body
(which is why the tie rods and pistons can function). The third drive axle has
a single point of rotation between the second and third drive axles.
The first two regular wheels are integrated into a single truck - the truck is
attached to the main body via two 2x2 turntables, allowing for greater
articulation. A similar method was used in the trailing axle - though in this
case, the two turntables form a "switchback". This is nigh-unto-impossible to
describe, so I depicted it in the following picture:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=85533
In this diagram, the yellow circles indicate turntables/points of rotation.
The smaller blue circles indicate where the articulated wheelsets are affixed
to the body of the engine, and the yellow lines show the connections between
them to the axles. You can also clearly see the technic rubber bands in this
picture (and you may note that in flipping the train over, I dislodged one of
them - ahhh well, it's since been fixed :) ).
As I said, this scheme allows the train to navigate all of the curves,
switches, and crosses when driven by the tender. It does, however, have a
tendency to derail when run too fast. I can live with that, though - I'm just
happy it runs around, and looks like its pumping and everything. I'll
sacrifice speed for functionality in this case!
The locomotive and tender are built to an 8-wide design. With the tie rods and
piston cylinders, though, the width stretches to a hefty 12 wide in some
places. While this is admittedly pretty wide, it looks nicely to scale with
the minifigs, IMO.
I ended up adding some of the My Own Train stickers, too ... I'm pleased with
their addition, though I am traditionally an anti-sticker person.
Anyway, there she is. She should be running at the NELUG train show December
1st and 2nd ... hopefully there will be some pictures of it in action.
Questions, comments, critisisms, confusions? LMKWYT!
Thanks,
shaun!
|
|
Message has 12 Replies:
 | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| Shaun Sullivan wrote: Hi all, I finished my German BR18 Steam Locomotive this weekend, and managed to take some photos. They're posted on my Brickshelf Gallery: (URL) Questions, comments, critisisms, confusions? LMKWYT! Bravo! Beautiful looking (...) (23 years ago, 19-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| <snip> Jaw dropping, simply jaw dropping, now that is a steam loco! I wish I had some of those big red wheels, I want to build a prairie type loco (anyone have 6 spare!?). I love how well its built too! I will draw inspiration from it! Josh (23 years ago, 19-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| This is outstanding! Truly beautiful! -- Bob Fay "Shaun Sullivan" <shaun_sullivan@irco.com> wrote in message news:Gn0vsw.DLJ@lugnet.com... (...) take (...) (23 years ago, 19-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| Wow, Shaun, this is a great engine! I second the request for a video file to see it in motion! I wish lego would create some new pieces to make it easier to model the running gear for steamers. Of course (as you well know), once you create an engine (...) (23 years ago, 19-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| In lugnet.trains, Shaun Sullivan writes: Great looking model. (...) Welcome to the locomotive club. All of the steam locomotives in NGLTC will jump off track on occasion. Usually around elevation/direction changes. (...) I am usually a anti-sticker (...) (23 years ago, 19-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| Hi Shaun, great! I love to see your BR 18 steamer. Nice details and the fact, that the pistons will move is just great. Getting these monsters through curves and pistons ist a real problem. I spend quite some time experiementing on my BR 10 design: (...) (23 years ago, 19-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| (...) Beautiful model Shaun ! This is definitively an improvement over your BR 52 which also is a very good model. Congratulations again Why did you select to model the BR 18. The BR 18 existed in several subgroups. I guess it is the BR 18-4 former (...) (23 years ago, 19-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| (...) familiar to me, since I had to work through them all for my Hogwarts Express train. I had worked up several really nice cylinder and piston configurations, but all of them eventually would seize up, or fall off after a short period of actually (...) (23 years ago, 21-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: BR18 Steam Locomotive
|
| Hello Shaun, (...) Someday, I will try to come up with a similarly cool steam engine design ... Greetings from Germany, Horst (23 years ago, 23-Nov-01, to lugnet.trains)
|
23 Messages in This Thread:
  
 
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
