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Severn posted:

I was able to import all of the EMD-SW1500 engine's models into shapeways -- and work my way through each one -- re-scaling them to O scale (originals are in 1:32).   I also ran their "thickness" analyzes tool for each and made some adjustments there.

This all took time, possibly 8 hrs in total people time -- mainly because it's all done on their servers so the dependency is based on how fast these various functions will run -- the thickness analysis is particularly slow.

With that -- prices per part.    So as best as I can tell - printing all the parts which includes the trucks for example and wheels (so 8 of those) and things like the railing "pins" to hold the railing wire...

... total would be $350 in their default lowest end plastic...

I could of course throw out the trucks and wheels and this would lower the cost somewhat.  I could throw the base plate too...   But I'm tempted to start at least with the whole thing.

So that price, to me isn't too bad from an experimental pt of view...

I would however like to make at least one change before trying even a sample part -- that is turning the now solid fuel tank into a hollow one...

(this is a handy place to put a speaker or some weights for example & so I'd rather it be hollow)

My guess though is the print will come out in some ways imperfect and so I in theory I'd cycle through some iterations to get out a good print... 

Given that, I can see this is really rather pricey ... and yet it's very likely to only get better... it's a fascinating thing really if that occurs.

Maybe you could slowly have it printed as you go, part by part.

I recommend finding a frame from a different model and fitting the engine to the frame.IMG_20170426_225604982

This engine is set on a postwar ALCO frame with U36C trucks.

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I thought there might be some existing o-scale EMD 1500s but I didn't see any after a quick look ... but that's an idea.   Still I'd like to print the whole thing once just to see it all fit together before deciding what could be changed or retrofitted.  

I did manage to use Tinkercad to hollow out the fuel tank ... probably could do more there.  Shaved off $6... not bad really.

Jhainer posted:

now here's another idea drill a small hole in it and add a tortuous switch machine to it for us who have manual switches on a layout and can't reach then anymore cause the layout grew to big to reach them

 

I'm intrigued with the idea of selling something that would make this an easy modification. I might have to talk to gunrunnerjohn about it.

Severn posted:

I posted in another thread by accident -- but the gist is I got the items and they work.  But I think a longer stem could be an option to match the existing -- and this would then work if the "stand portion" is intact for the actuator.   I hope that makes sense.

 

Are you saying you would rather have the main shaft be as long as the original, to fit in the original switch stand assembly? I can do that, I'll just have to measure the original shaft length and go from there.

I've thought of manufacturing an actual stand assembly to complement these different switch indicator designs. I already have the geometry figured out to match the existing holes but i haven't figured out how to fasten it to the switch without having to glue it.

There's the pointing finger idea... and those above could also be quad-vaned... (like the ends of darts).

But yes, I was thinking the shaft could be longer and just fit there in the stand.  The stand is plastic I believe.  I took mine apart.  It is held in place by 2 tiny screws on the inside.  These are slightly occluded by the gear that actives the mechanism. (also plastic)...

If you printed new stands, you'd have to decide on making the screw holes in the "feet" (legs) for the screws.

Also -- I got the round knobs... I haven't tried them yet but they won't likely hurt to step on. I suppose I could try that too.

I think a child could pull these items out though...  I could imagine a way around with a blocking sleeve preventing it from being pulled up if in the stand, but I don't see a good way to put it on ...

Severn posted:

There's the pointing finger idea... and those above could also be quad-vaned... (like the ends of darts).

But yes, I was thinking the shaft could be longer and just fit there in the stand.  The stand is plastic I believe.  I took mine apart.  It is held in place by 2 tiny screws on the inside.  These are slightly occluded by the gear that actives the mechanism. (also plastic)...

If you printed new stands, you'd have to decide on making the screw holes in the "feet" (legs) for the screws.

Also -- I got the round knobs... I haven't tried them yet but they won't likely hurt to step on. I suppose I could try that too.

I think a child could pull these items out though...  I could imagine a way around with a blocking sleeve preventing it from being pulled up if in the stand, but I don't see a good way to put it on ...

I have wanted to make a stand or a retaining sleeve from the beginning but I have been hung up on how to make it work. The minimum diameter of the shaft, for printing, is 1mm. And I think that may be too big for the original stand. 

One of the big problems is designing something that the original lionel screws will be compatible with. I designed this switch and stand but as it sits the only way to make the stand stay in position would be to glue it in.

 

Last edited by Tom M

I would think you'll need to tap in the screw threads.  I've a tap & die set I think but I'm not sure it includes the size or the thread...   Alternatively some kind of new idea there may work.... maybe a rivet, a plastic rivet  might hold it tightly enough.

I can try to take some measurements this weekend.  I thought about giving you some competition but I'm still caught up in the EMD-SW1200.

I've stuck with Tinkercad and made a lot of mods to the original set of models.  The biggest thing is that I combined models to form large 1 piece parts -- basically shell, platform it sits on and the things that go with it.  I've hollowed out the tank, done this and that.

It's a huge pain and then you have to fun it all through their tools to find thin spots.

Tinkercad which is more powerful than it seems at first blush doesn't allow you to get at the original mesh at all... so I think in the end I may try something else in the future...   that would be nice so one can tweak the individual piece for thickness more readily (instead of adding or subtracting 3D spaces which is what they support now)

I'm going to print nearly everything except the trucks...  probably in PLA ... I'm hoping to send it all off by the end of the month or sooner.

And I found that MTH produce a non-scale version of this model sometime in the past.  I'm hoping to retrofit its trucks over if I can find an dinger at a show some time... or some other solution as yet to be determined.

I do see that I could print my own trucks, gears, even wheels etc... if I wanted to go there.

 

 

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