Scratch building an 0-4-0 loco with Walshearts valve gear

[Moonraker]

I am planning to build a 16mm model of a local 2 foot gauge prototype so 32mm gauge. It is a 1913 Decauville with spoked wheels and a Walshearts valve gear. I don't have a lot of time so was hoping to find a suitable chassis I can build onto but no such chassis appears to exist. The next option is to purchase suitable metal wheels and 3-D print the cylinders and valve gear in ABS. Has anyone tried this? Will an ABS valve gear last long?

Photo of the prototype attached. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[dunnyrail]

My Irish 2-6-0 has full Walchers added to an early Bachmann Big Hauler. Hand cut from a thick plastic that is not Plasticard. Has lasted getting in for 30 years. There are a few pictures of it on this thread.

An Irish Fleet

Responding to a request and as I have been thinking of doing this for some time I thought a bit of information on this fleet may interest some of you in the Forum. I was busy building Irish Rolling Stock to create this fleet some time before I left Luton in 2000. Some of these have not seen the...

www.gscalecentral.net

 

[musket the dog]

I've printed cylinders and connecting rods in ABS. They've not been running years and years but the stuff I have doesn't appear to be wearing unduly. The biggest difficulty I had was getting the thickness of the parts down to something acceptable. It won't be fine scale but with some clever design it can be made to look acceptable.

I imagine the valve gear wouldn't see a lot of stress through it, on my latest build I'm using printed connecting rods to drive the wheels. It's only run in so far but it seems to be holding up ok. I've lubricated all of my parts with dry graphite, I didn't want anything damp that could trap grit or dust and increase the wear.

 

[Paul M]

I am planning to build a 16mm model of a local 2 foot gauge prototype so 32mm gauge. It is a 1913 Decauville with spoked wheels and a Walshearts valve gear. I don't have a lot of time so was hoping to find a suitable chassis I can build onto but no such chassis appears to exist. The next option is to purchase suitable metal wheels and 3-D print the cylinders and valve gear in ABS. Has anyone tried this? Will an ABS valve gear last long?

Photo of the prototype attached. Does anyone have any ideas?View attachment 267186

That engine in the picture looks so forlorn it needs modelling, good luck!

 

[Flying15]

I am planning to build a 16mm model of a local 2 foot gauge prototype so 32mm gauge. It is a 1913 Decauville with spoked wheels and a Walshearts valve gear. I don't have a lot of time so was hoping to find a suitable chassis I can build onto but no such chassis appears to exist. The next option is to purchase suitable metal wheels and 3-D print the cylinders and valve gear in ABS. Has anyone tried this? Will an ABS valve gear last long?

Photo of the prototype attached. Does anyone have any ideas?View attachment 267186

Would one of these LGB jobs meet your needs?
They do come up on Evilbay from time to time
I bought one and converted it to a Southern/LSWR C14

 

[Moonraker]

Would one of these LGB jobs meet your needs?
They do come up on Evilbay from time to time
I bought one and converted it to a Southern/LSWR C14

Nice job on the Southern model. Do you have a product number or name for that LGB loco?

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound

 

[Paradise]

Some similar locos with a better view of the motion.

 

[dunnyrail]

Nice job on the Southern model. Do you have a product number or name for that LGB loco?

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound

LGB 20761.1 but there have been earlier versions at 2076. The valve gear is however a little on the odd side, presumably for ease of moulding and construction. The pin where it comes out of the steam chest wiggles rather than going in and out. Most odd to watch.

 

[Paradise]

I posted the LGB 2017 earlier but removed it later because a 32mm gauge was specified.
Here we go again. Would probably be a good start with a few mods but only good for 45mm gauge.

 

[Paradise]

This one dunnyrail? It is similar to the Decauville.

 

[Flying15]

This one dunnyrail? It is similar to the Decauville.

LGB 20761

 

[PhilP]

I think peter would have a 'real job of work' converting a 45mm gauge LGB block to 32mm.

For a start, the motor is too wide!

 

[Paradise]

I think peter would have a 'real job of work' converting a 45mm gauge LGB block to 32mm.

For a start, the motor is too wide!

Peter might just be interested in the wheels and motion work. However you could shorten the axles, rebuild a narrower and taller frame with axle bushes. Then run some extra worm gears on top of the original ones and place the motor up higher in the boiler. Reverse the wiring to the motor and away you go up the 32mm gauge track! Not so easy peasy but the real question is whether there are simpler alternatives. I'm not sure if a pair of worm gears will mesh well together though.

 

[PhilP]

Why a worm? - Could use a similar-size idler, to drive the err... idler.

Perhaps the motor could be tilted-up, and only drive one axle?

It just seems a frightening amount of work?

 

[Paradise]

Why a worm? - Could use a similar-size idler, to drive the err... idler.
Perhaps the motor could be tilted-up, and only drive one axle?
It just seems a frightening amount of work?

I typed idler first but changed it because the gear on the axle is called the 'worm gear' and the one on the motor shaft is called the 'worm'. Yeah, an extra axle gear in between like an idler. The actual gear names are confusing.
Yeah, you could drive just one axle but the fat motor may still be an issue unless you had an extended shaft one.

It is a lot of work but how else can you do it? Build a frame with bushes and use Slaters wheels then source a motor and gear/s. You then still have to make some rods and walschaerts valve gear etc.
Slater's Plastikard - Wheels No pictures which I find daft.
The LGB wheels may be fairly close which could be slightly modified to match and the motion work/valve gear as on dunnyrails suggestion is very similar. It is already partly there.

Faller eTrain is 32mm gauge but has tiny wheels even though it is playmobil size. Some are metal wheeled and some are plastic. 0-6-0 and 0-4-0. Dunno, but are very toy like and you don't see them around much.

 

[Moonraker]

There were actually two of these locos which were abandoned near Tailem Bend in South Australia in 1932. Enthusiasts and locals stripped them of everything removable over then next twenty years. Two bits have been found so far as shown in the attached photos; one set of wheels and a works plate. The Milang Railway Museum now has a driving simulator (photo attached) based on the cab of these locos....no prizes for guessing who did the sound effects!

I think I will have a go at 3-D printing the whole thing apart from metal wheels, motor, gears and couplings. Slaters do 610mm diameter wheels for the Festiniog's "Prince". They are a bit bigger than the 500mm diameter wheels of the prototype but have the right number of spokes.

This is going to take months ... don't hold your breath.

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound

 

[Paradise]

Smaller than LGB ToyTrain wheels in 1:19 scale.

 

[tac foley]

Sadly, none of the usual makers of chassis units seem to make one with spoked wheels, let alone spoked wheels with crank pins...........

 

[Flying15]

Sadly, none of the usual makers of chassis units seem to make one with spoked wheels, let alone spoked wheels with crank pins...........

[/QUOTE]
Possibly ETS might provide. A 32mm gauge O-0-4-0 with valve gear etc?

 

[tac foley]

TBH, I was thinking of the likes of IP Engineering or GRS, rather than butchering a $500 model...