thinking about trying to kitbash some bachmann parts into a Garratt

tac foley said:
Perhaps, as you have admitted to never having built anything before, and, indeed, seem to require full instructions on the basics of scratch-building as a modelling method, trying your hand at something a little less adventurous than a very large and complicated loco that never existed in North America might be a bettter plan.

Unfortunately, AFAIK, there is only ONE kit for building any kind of North American loco, and that's the Accucraft live-steam 'Ruby' - IF you can find one.

I fully realise that this is not something you might care to read, but I'm offering it as advice anyhow.

The many of us who scratch-build ALL started on something less advanced and over many YEARS gained experience by making use of other materials and methods. The incredible results from many scratch-builders are the products of much trial and error. As Mark Twain noted about whittling, the woodchips weigh can often ten times more than the finished toothpick.

The VERY best thing you can do is to find a group in your local area - some of them may have had the same ideas as you have. CapecodTod's model is an ideal one to emulate, IMO, and was the result of a LOT of hard and imaginative work and mucho head-scratching over the long time it took him to build it.
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my plan was to pratice by rebuilding a big hauler into some thing from the great northern railroad of Seattle and St. Paul
 
NorthwestGarrattGuy said:
PVC pipe might not be big enough in diameter
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Is available in sizes up to 2 foot diameter.
4 inch diameter would be 8ft diameter in 1/24 scale, which I'm calling my Bachmann 4-6-0 Big Haulers and which HLW's trains seemed to be.
Given the maximum allowable width for standard gauge trains in the US is a hair over 10ft, and 8ft diameter boiler would allow a 1ft wide running board each side.
 
Southwestforests said:
Is available in sizes up to 2 foot diameter.
4 inch diameter would be 8ft diameter in 1/24 scale, which I'm calling my Bachmann 4-6-0 Big Haulers and which HLW's trains seemed to be.
Given the maximum allowable width for standard gauge trains in the US is a hair over 10ft, and 8ft diameter boiler would allow a 1ft wide running board each side.
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thats ridiclous but ok very good to know Poly Vynil Chloride Boiler it is
 
NorthwestGarrattGuy said:
yeah i thinking that could work but PVC pipe might not be big enough in diameter for a medium sized garratt
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Don't limit yourself to PVC, ABS is readily available up to 4" and there is SDR plastic sewer pipe up to 8" at most plumbing suppliers. Ask a plumber or contractor for a cut off and you'll probably get it for free.
 
NorthwestGarrattGuy said:
my boiler needs to be pretty long and my printer can't print parts that big
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Ah, well what to do then is create a modular boiler series, with each module being one section of boiler with one end having the band for the lagging.
And you put the modules together like stacking Apollo moon rocket stages.
Need a straight boiler? Use all straight sections.
Need a wagon top boiler? Use the wagon top boiler firebox section & the taper section.
Need a boiler which tapers at the middle? Need one which tapers a bit off the middle? Use longer/shorter narrow or wide boiler sections on whichever side of the taper section is appropriate.
Need a Belpaire firebox? Substitute that module for the radial stay (round top) firebox module.
Need a short smokebox? Need an extended smokebox? Use whichever smokebox module is appropriate.
 
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Southwestforests said:
Ah, well what to do then is create a modular boiler series, with each module being one section of boiler with one end having the band for the lagging.
And you put the modules together like stacking Apollo moon rocket stages.
Need a straight boiler? Use all straight sections.
Need a wagon top boiler? Use the wagon top boiler firebox section & the taper section.
Need a boiler which tapers at the middle? Need one which tapers a bit off the middle? Use longer/shorter narrow or wide boiler sections on whichever side of the taper section is appropriate.
Need a Belpaire firebox? Substitute that module for the radial stay (round top) firebox module.
Need a short smokebox? Need an extended smokebox? Use whichever smokebox module is appropriate.
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That’s sounds quite clever, by making the design modular, you can easily change it to fit you preferences.

You could design several cabs, and boiler pieces and then combine them untill you find a shape your happy with.

My garratt build was linked to earlier I the thread, still haven’t finished it as I keep changing the dimensions and look of the loco.

Don’t be afraid to make a practice piece out of paper/cardboard before you start

Dan
 
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NorthwestGarrattGuy said:
but uh what should i use for the boiler i want something in larger diameter than a 4-6-0 boiler since it needs double the steam
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There are many different sizes if PVC pipe, nut just guttering down pipe. Toilet down pipe is somewhat larger in diameter (but please try to source some new) genarally plenty left over from new work so look at a buikding sita and ask or even ask your plumber if he has any shortish lengths in his van. Here is another option PVC clear pipe, available in lots of sizes. Just search around in Amazon, but make sure you look for non flexible stuff. It is available.
 
I made a new boiler for a 2-8-0 project loco many years ago. It is actually the thick parts of 2 boilers glued togerther.

Boiler before paint smaller.jpg

I made another boiler using plastic plumbing pipe and sheet styrene for the tapered part:

IMG_2471-mockup.jpg

My point being that you can make quite a big boiler using parts from several others, with ordinary plastic pipe to make it longer.
 
Over the years I've seen a few freelance model Garratts spoilt, in my opinion, by impractically shaped front tanks with the rear of the tank too close to the smokebox.
The prototypes need enough free space to open the smokebox door fully and access the tubes for cleaning, inspection and some levels of maintenance.
This link to an image of the first Garratt shows a common means of achieving this.

www.festipedia.org.uk

K1 - Festipedia

www.festipedia.org.uk www.festipedia.org.uk
 
Neil Robinson said:
Over the years I've seen a few freelance model Garratts spoilt, in my opinion, by impractically shaped front tanks with the rear of the tank too close to the smokebox.
The prototypes need enough free space to open the smokebox door fully and access the tubes for cleaning, inspection and some levels of maintenance.
This link to an image of the first Garratt shows a common means of achieving this.

www.festipedia.org.uk

K1 - Festipedia

www.festipedia.org.uk www.festipedia.org.uk
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hmmmm
 
That's something that bothered me to, hence I tried really hard to get the pivot points as close as possible to my attempt.
Granted the ashpan is not in the correct spot, but I didn't want to keep on hacking the power units.
(Plus I made it that size to house the speaker.)
 
AusrailQLD said:
get the pivot points as close as possible to my attempt
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I think the 'pivot points' he's referring to are where the boiler unit mounts on the 2 end units?

437330_20191029_135903.jpg



NorthwestGarrattGuy said:
how does one aquire trailing truck
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Come on - you can figure that out. Make one, or take one off a junk loco you buy on eBay. After a few years of chopping and hacking, you will have a box of useful bits for the next project. Or just 3D print one.

b0992b4961d23f367fb5cf3335e3ea54a95c69cf_2_999x750.jpeg
 
While I love your aspirations.

Before making an 80 passenger car, and a complex locomotive, why not make a box car or something more simple.

Then you can learn about trucks, equalization, bolsters, track and wheel gauge, etc.

All fundamentals you will need for more complex things. Say you wanted to be a Formula 1 driver, your first race would not be at Monza or Monaco, but in a go cart on a local track.

Similarly, trying to handle complex things without even the fundamentals seems pretty hard to do, very few people, even mechanical engineers have started at 1,000 miles an hour!

Make something. Learn the basics of 3d printing. Make a simple box car, you will have enough challenges with that. Setting your sights too high initially will probably end in frustration.

Greg
 
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