nevadablue
Registered
I've started building a railbus. (This build was started about 2 weeks ago, but I just joined this forum recently, so I thought I would put the entire build log here) It will go with the other rail stuff I have, hopefully some steam driven stuff. (There WILL be a steam powered saw mill) The bus is built from a 2-6-2 Scientific Toys battery operated locomotive, a New Bright caboose and a New Bright box car.
I was able to remove the front two driver wheel sets and cut the front off of the gearbox to allow me to have a flat floor in the cargo area.
A little progress today. The look is settling out. I like it!
Here's the chassis as it sits now. I have to make the mount for the cow catcher and front truck.
I need to get some plastic sheet to make the engine cover from.
The front truck and cow catcher are now mounted and the engine cover is made. The cover is made from a scrap of PVC rain gutter. This stuff works really nice.
The next part will be tough. That door on the front of the cabin has to go, there needs to be 3 windows on the front and two doors on the side.
I decided to make this a combine; it will carry cargo as well as passengers. A caboose has donated doors and windows and a boxcar has donated sliding doors. I got the front steps mounted and cut down the engine cover.
more progress...
The motor has been wired to the switch and tested. All works great. The forward/neutral/reverse switch will be actuated via a 'push button' on the roof. It will be one of the 'ventilators' that are yet to be built.
I did a bit of painting in areas that won't interfere with painting the main 'house'. The operator station is roughed out. I've been saving those plastic 'keys' from motel stays and they come in handy. The Operator Station and seat are made from one card. The dash is wood, painted. The seat back is a piece of plastic from one of those pill card containers.
I got the gauges on the dash from a Google search. I found a Mack fire engine gauge set. Only the speedometer and instrument cluster were used. They were printed on a laserjet and then cut out and glued onto the dash. Still need to find a steering wheel (it is actually the main brake wheel) and make the clutch (it has a 4 speed transmission) and gas pedal and gear shift lever. The operator is my train engineer right now. My wife is starting to make the figures for this model.
Gauges...
And a final view...
I had some fun today playing with polymer clay. Sculpy is the stuff I'm using. I made some accessories for the railbus, including a couple of headlights, a bell and a lantern. What a hoot! This stuff is easy to work with, easy to paint and it looks like you can make any little part you need to model with it. My wife is making figures with it too. I'll soon have a driver for the bus. Here he is in his alien glory, sitting on the driver's station as it is now.
This is a sample headlight. I formed it, baked it, painted it and drilled a hole in it for mounting.
I have a real Frisco Railroad Lantern and wanted at least one for this bus.
I was able to remove the front two driver wheel sets and cut the front off of the gearbox to allow me to have a flat floor in the cargo area.
A little progress today. The look is settling out. I like it!
Here's the chassis as it sits now. I have to make the mount for the cow catcher and front truck.
I need to get some plastic sheet to make the engine cover from.
The front truck and cow catcher are now mounted and the engine cover is made. The cover is made from a scrap of PVC rain gutter. This stuff works really nice.
The next part will be tough. That door on the front of the cabin has to go, there needs to be 3 windows on the front and two doors on the side.
I decided to make this a combine; it will carry cargo as well as passengers. A caboose has donated doors and windows and a boxcar has donated sliding doors. I got the front steps mounted and cut down the engine cover.
more progress...
The motor has been wired to the switch and tested. All works great. The forward/neutral/reverse switch will be actuated via a 'push button' on the roof. It will be one of the 'ventilators' that are yet to be built.
I did a bit of painting in areas that won't interfere with painting the main 'house'. The operator station is roughed out. I've been saving those plastic 'keys' from motel stays and they come in handy. The Operator Station and seat are made from one card. The dash is wood, painted. The seat back is a piece of plastic from one of those pill card containers.
I got the gauges on the dash from a Google search. I found a Mack fire engine gauge set. Only the speedometer and instrument cluster were used. They were printed on a laserjet and then cut out and glued onto the dash. Still need to find a steering wheel (it is actually the main brake wheel) and make the clutch (it has a 4 speed transmission) and gas pedal and gear shift lever. The operator is my train engineer right now. My wife is starting to make the figures for this model.
Gauges...
And a final view...
I had some fun today playing with polymer clay. Sculpy is the stuff I'm using. I made some accessories for the railbus, including a couple of headlights, a bell and a lantern. What a hoot! This stuff is easy to work with, easy to paint and it looks like you can make any little part you need to model with it. My wife is making figures with it too. I'll soon have a driver for the bus. Here he is in his alien glory, sitting on the driver's station as it is now.
This is a sample headlight. I formed it, baked it, painted it and drilled a hole in it for mounting.
I have a real Frisco Railroad Lantern and wanted at least one for this bus.
I will be interested to hear how you go on with the chassis especially after she has some running under her belt, good work !
