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...

Moving indoors ?...(the garage that is ...)

I've had a few more running sessions over the rest of summer and early autumn, mostly short sessions with battery loco and coach/wagons.

The garden and railway looking reasonable now the autumn is in full swing,

 time to recover vehicles and 'little line side people' for storage over winter - just about fit them into the shelves above the garage layout.

for the tail end of autumn and most of winter will use the garage layout (unless we have a bright sunny day ?)

A pleasant sunday afternoon ....

Yesterday a most enjoyable afternoon and early evening were spent at a friends garden railway open running session ...

My new battery loco had a good run round ...

 Also running was a track powered Bachmann Percy with some troublesome trucks ....

 The highlight for me, were the radio controlled steam locos ....

New loco with passenger train ....

Some crew added to the new loco and chopper couplings fitted ...

 Nice weather today after lunch-time, so time for a little running session with a passenger train...