Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Railway Wargaming => Topic started by: CompanyB on September 15, 2017, 04:03:04 AM
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Now that I have had all the practice with digitally sculpting the small 1/270 Space Ships in Zbrush, I thought I'd tackle our CompanyB civilian Train. It's been looking a bit drab, and we've had it out of production for awhile. Time for a digital refresh!
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image001_2_1024x1024.png?v=1505444196)
New model will be significantly cheaper to cast. I think the wheels when I get to them will be cast as one whole section (left and right) with all the parts cast together.
Still need to add the tender, interior and a whole heap of detail.. but it seems to be coming along after a few hours of pushing around digital clay.
After this, I'll tackle the 38D for the WW2 guys :)
Brent
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Happy to hear this. Will the end price likely be cheaper?
LB
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Looks fantastic.
Any chance of having some wiggle room in the parts to accommodate differing track widths?
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The price should fall significantly. It will also help if I make it somewhat hollow. I'm adding a tender, but contemplating having that be an add-on and not cast onto the base model. That way you have some options, and we can offer just the train engine, or one with a full tender and coal and wood fuel loads.
Also, we have a train crew, already sculpted by Artizan. Should be a nice little set.
For the tracks, it's possible to accommodate different sizes. What I could do is add a spacer on the bottom than can have varying widths, so the wheel section can be glued on whatever spacer you need for a specific gauge of track.
I'll work around that a little more when I get to the wheels
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Excellent news on all fronts. Can we expect new passenger cars as well?
LB
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Can definitely look at a reworked passenger car with open top, and a few more cars for it.
-Brent
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By open top, I assume you mean removable top and not actually unroofed?
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Hi Brent, I'm just curious why you opted for an (obviously) American engine. Do you see the pulp/prohibition era market bigger than the potential for WW2? I mean (European including North African) WW2 theatres would hardly see American made railway stuff before the end of the war.
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Train spotters. ::)
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For the tracks, it's possible to accommodate different sizes. What I could do is add a spacer on the bottom than can have varying widths, so the wheel section can be glued on whatever spacer you need for a specific gauge of track.
Now that is clever! :o
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Which poses a question. I've had my eye on the dinky little Tatra draisine for my Czechs. What guage track do the wheels fit or is it adjustable likecthe choo-choos?
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It's sort of designed off our previous one, and yeah...maybe suitable for more pulp stuff. It's actually pretty economical now to do these, as CAD is all on me :-[ and the printing price for extreme high res has fallen like a brick to %25 of what it was. I also have a more European model started, with the wheel arches, and a different style smoke stack...but I used a different sculpting style technique in Zbrush which is more of a pain to do. So i'd need a day or so to bring that one back to this state. If I do this right I can use some the the same CAD and printed parts. Casting is also cheaper now as well. i originally was going to redo just the engine, but now it seems more reasonable to redo the entire Civilian lineup, with a passenger car and a cargo car. Maybe eventually doing that twin turreted train car. For the Passenger car, I was thinking of having the roof come off, with seats can cargo areas inside.
On that note...more progress pics and I fiddle with details and the wheels. I still have to figure out how the wheels will connect (one piece, rolling?) do the interior and adjust some details. This train also needs more rivets!
The Tatra uses the same Gauge as the train which is S scale. I do however have our model on Shapeways, which can be ordered with separate wheel trucks. That one can be adjusted to any Gauge. I can make it available if interested.
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image003_1024x1024.png?v=1505786799)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image002_2_1024x1024.png?v=1505786800)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image004_1024x1024.png?v=1505786802)
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These are S gauge by default? And there's a more European loco coming too?! Wow, you're me hero!
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I have the European one started, so I'll see about getting that one done. In the meantime, I may get this one some cars that are compatible with Brigade's Chicago Gangsters. Maybe a box car for it along with the passenger car and some other goodies.
-Brent
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Cheers Brent! I think I would probably go with OO as it's the cheapest and most readily available track here and this is something of an indulgence not a full blown Orient Express, adenoids and clip board, 'Was that the 3.54 out of Waterloo?' type obsession with me.
I could have laid my hands on some pre-moulded plastic track complete with embabkment when my son was still obsessed with Thomas the Sodding Tank Engine but I suspect that's all gone now. No idea what gauge that was anyway.
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I have your old train set and I re-gauged it to HO scale, since I was using the Fleischmann pre-ballasted sectional track.
I would definitely like to get the HO scaled truck components (and any other parts) from Shapeways, please do post them there when ready. I will definitely purchase the new locomotive, and likely the other re-worked components as well.
Here is a photo of the Fleischmann pre-ballasted HO track: https://www.eurorailhobbies.com/item_pics/Fleischmann/900_FL-6116.jpg
(https://www.eurorailhobbies.com/item_pics/Fleischmann/900_FL-6116.jpg)
There is a complete variety of track types in the Fleischmann line, various radii curves, turnouts (switches) etc.
I personally like the HO scale track even with 28mm figures. The track seems more in scale to me with the rest of the battlefield. Just my .02, YMMV.
Cary
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I like S gauge a lot because it's wide enough for a figure on a small-to-medium base to stand between the tracks, just as a person might anywhere! Figures are wider than HO track and that just looks so wrong to me! Also the scale of the railroad ties seems to look much better at S. And of course the trains themselves are about as close to 1:56th as you can get among "common" scales.
But the thing is, wargaming is diverse and there are so many different sources of track and different preferences. Some might go S, OO, HO, even O, and others might even have plastic track from holiday sets or MDF kits or whatever have you. Separately mounded wheels with variable spacers allows the same model to work for (and be sold to!) as many different gamers as possible! Which makes the whole venture much more feasible from a business point of view.
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I like S gauge a lot because it's wide enough for a figure on a small-to-medium base to stand between the tracks, just as a person might anywhere! Figures are wider than HO track and that just looks so wrong to me! Also the scale of the railroad ties seems to look much better at S. And of course the trains themselves are about as close to 1:56th as you can get among "common" scales.
From a modelers point of view I'd prefer S gauge too, but I can hardly get that sort of track in continental Europe. I bet the H0 Fleischmann track mentioned by Cary is not the cheapest choice for an American though!
Therefore I went with 0n30 which is 1/45 scale narrow gauge on H0 gauge tracks. I have converted the ties/sleepers however...
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehj98CH-4dw/UyRcJ1aX2zI/AAAAAAAAG-c/WhR3qDYJ11o/s1600/Rattlesnake+002.JPG)
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More fiddling. I converted the model into something resembling a French built 030 :)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image004_9e3d3e8a-8790-45ea-b90c-d4a16f3486db_1024x1024.png?v=1505890362)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image007_1024x1024.png?v=1505890365)
More fiddling with the Chicago Style Engine:
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image002_c3282aa9-8d2a-4dc2-9fab-5898030e8d42_1024x1024.png?v=1505890359)
And now the two engines side by side.
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image006_1024x1024.png?v=1505890363)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image001_1024x1024.png?v=1505890358)
I'm going to start a third Engine as well..why not. Maybe we'll just release all three, have a boring contest, or do a pre-order on all of them. Please stop me before I do a fourth though...we do need passenger and box cars.
And yes variable width trucks/wheels, I'll incorporate that.
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From a modelers point of view I'd prefer S gauge too, but I can hardly get that sort of track in continental Europe. I bet the H0 Fleischmann track mentioned by Cary is not the cheapest choice for an American though!
Therefore I went with 0n30 which is 1/45 scale narrow gauge on H0 gauge tracks. I have converted the ties/sleepers however...
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehj98CH-4dw/UyRcJ1aX2zI/AAAAAAAAG-c/WhR3qDYJ11o/s1600/Rattlesnake+002.JPG)
A fantastic gaming board.
Tony
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More fiddling. I converted the model into something resembling a French built 030 :)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image004_9e3d3e8a-8790-45ea-b90c-d4a16f3486db_1024x1024.png?v=1505890362)
Good start! However you wouldn't necessarily have to change the cylinders. Consider that European standard gauge engines have buffers instead of central couplings! I'd change the side panels of the cab (still looking rather Baldwin/American to me).
With a somewhat generic cab like that you could make it a convincing generic early European engine:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTcwWDgwMA==/z/vF0AAOSwUEVYCiSQ/$_57.JPG)
Leave the rear wall optional/separate and add a short tender for variation
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Good start! However you wouldn't necessarily have to change the cylinders. Consider that European standard gauge engines have buffers instead of central couplings! I'd change the side panels of the cab (still looking rather Baldwin/American to me).
With a somewhat generic cab like that you could make it a convincing generic early European engine:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTcwWDgwMA==/z/vF0AAOSwUEVYCiSQ/$_57.JPG)
Leave the rear wall optional/separate and add a short tender for variation
That green 0-6-0 looks a bit like the first four locomotives on the Malta Railway (1883-1931) with all the potential of this single line running from Valletta to Mtarfa barracks (almost - it stopped some metres short) featuring in what if scenarios: revolt against the British (extrapolating the 1919 trouble); VBCW Malta edition; and extending its life by a decade to WWII and giving it a role in an Italian invasion.
From Wikipedia:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Malta_Railway%2C_pre-1931.jpg)
Now I'm starting to drool... :D
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Another idea is to also offer wheel/truck sets separately for those who want to scratchbuild their own specialized carriages (or engines, if the wheel parts incorporate the front pistons).
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More refinements on Engine Number 2
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image002_3_1024x1024.png?v=1505967359)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image001_4_1024x1024.png?v=1505967361)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1141/1784/products/image003_2_1024x1024.png?v=1505967358)
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Oh fuck that looks aces! Very nearly the platonic ideal of a middleweight, late 19th/early 20th century European engine.
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I like what I am seeing. I have a strong feeling that one or more of these is going to be winging their way to Guam in the near future.
LB
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Oh fuck that looks aces! Very nearly the platonic ideal of a middleweight, late 19th/early 20th century European engine.
Exactly what I think too - you nailed it!
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It does fit more than one bill I think 8) 8) 8)
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Now it looks very similar to my Victorian conversions... :D
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3MyjOpKk0Qk/Uzf2Y7XmGXI/AAAAAAAAHC4/qNAArpdq-lE/s1600/Bricklane+006.JPG)