The Tram Loco gets an outing ....

 Hoorah ! some nice weather today; after some gardening (planting out a few new plants and sorting out some pots)... time to run a train ...

I got the Tram loco out for a run now I'd sorted out easy battery pack access.. running with a short train of 'empties' ...

Face On ...

Tinkered with a screen captured image to make up a face for my Tram Loco - somewhat Toby'ish

just a plain print out and stuck on card, fixed in place using blue-tack.  Works quite well - maybe do some more for my other engines

Tram loco - tinkering and test run movie clip

A bit of work done on the tram loco today.  I was getting intermittent stop/start while using the remote control.  Figured out the cause,  I had put the aerial inside a plastic tube guide - but not much of it was unobstructed...

The top of the aerial just poking above the tube...

 tube cut flush with the roof top

 a reasonable amount of the top of the aerial no showing

Had a test run session, can now be a good distance away from the loco before I lose control contact, far enough for a sit down and watch the train running session  - result 😁


A clip of the tram loco on its test run...

https://youtu.be/tRRwx1-4skA 

[Note: post amended from link to google drive MP4 file to link to Youtube - 28/5/2020]

Tram Engine (10) - finishing touches and first outside running in session...

The loco body has been painted up and varnished, glazing using some clear plastic fitted to the windows and the roof fitted.

Loco body and chassis were assembled and taken outside for a running session.

A quick sweep of debris from the track plus adjusting the ballast in a few places and I then spent a enjoyable time watching it trundle around with a wagon..

Tram Engine - WIP(9) - some sort of internal detail.......

Added the rest of the rudimentary internal detail, it doesn't have to super exact as once it is painted and the roof is on it will be sufficient for a quick gander from the outside..

 smokebox end...

 firebox end ...

now onto the painting .....

Tram Engine - WIP(8) - RC aerial positioning....

The positioning of the RC aerial in the interior of the loco body needed a bit of work....

The aerial position on the chassis...

 I had a hole cut in the base of the loco body for the aerial to go through, but needed a good location for it as I added in the interior detail. I used part of the inner tube from a toilet roll for the boiler top and fitted the casing of an old biro to hold the aerial....

 Another hole was made in the roof for the aerial casing to go through - the idea is that it could represent a whistle or safety valve ....

now I can finish off the rudimentary internal details....

Tram Engine - WIP(7) - couplings added ....

A fiddly job, but managed to get some chopper coupling onto the tram loco at the right height ...

then spent a little time on the garage layout giving it a trial run round...  😀

Tram Engine - WIP(6) - window frames and hand rails

Adding some of the smaller details - hand rails (using florist wire), window frames and some extra uprights in the cow-catchers

Tram Engine - WIP(5) - roof ...

Adding the roof, decided on a simple scheme using a base plate of cardboard with roof supports ..

 I found a old plastic folder which I cut the roof surface from, adding rain strips from cardboard, funnel from a small pice of plastic tube ...

 looking more like a loco now, (will keep the roof separate for now, while I finish off the detailing)

Tram Engine - WIP(4) - loco superstructure sides and ends....

Making the sides of the loco superstructure...

 sides fitted to footplate assembly and work started on the ends ...

 ends fitted, starting to look like a loco now

a few things left to do
- internal detail
- windows (sides and ends)
- roof assembly
- couplings and other oddment details

Tram Engine - WIP(3) - buffer ends ...

Sorted out the battery box problemette, I cut off the 'finger pull' part from it's front - still able to get the altered one in/out of the chassis OK

 Added simple 'cow-catcher', to each end

 and the buffer beams....

Tram Engine - WIP(2) - side skirts ...

Before fitting the side skirts, checked the clearance for the end-pieces, had to remove part of the plastic cover from one end ....

 Side skirts added and the end-pieces which will have the buffer beams on them. The wire will form the base of the 'cow-catcher'...

 assembly on the loco chassis, a reasonable amount of clearance to allow for debris on (or near) the line when running not getting in the way...

 Put in the battery box. Doh ! forgot it was 5mm proud 😖 , will have to do a tweak before I continue

will let the glue set hard before I do any more work....

Tram Engine - WIP(1) - getting started

I've made the first part on which I can add the side skirts and the top half of the loco. It has holes for the RC ariel and the donor chassis centre clip plus some wood strip to follow the shape of chassis. The aim is to be able to remove the loco body easily to change the battery pack and if needed maintain the donor chassis.

 The first part in place (It comes off and goes back on nicely), I made a central riser on which the weight sits - this will help with traction.

Tram Engine - Loco project ...

Picked up a cheapish Playmobil engine, primarily to get the RC chassis with controller and battery pack.  I took the loco apart to get down to the chassis and saved all the useful bits.

the controller and chassis use the same colour RC crystal (red) as my other loco, which is handy and allows me to use one and keep the other as a spare.

The RC chassis is for a project to build a LNER Y6 tram loco, if I get it right it may look something like this...