Backdating Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine

Backdating Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - Printable Version

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RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - DalaGStanator - 06-20-2020

Was it you who renamed the thread? Now I get why, because it went from replicating the Season 1/3 models to a complete tra(i)nsformation. Is it going to be some sort of Dalby/Mitton/CGI hybrid now? The pointed ends at the bunker seem to be more reminiscent of his first appearances. Because you cut the chassis apart, how are you going to extend it seamlessly and keep it stable? Surely he'd need a new wheelbase following this change.

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - TrainMan2001 - 06-20-2020

Sorry for the late reply. I'm not extending it, I'm just changing it to allow for the cab to go all the way down to the floor, and doing a thinner bufferbeam at the back, because the one Bachmann did is thick, even for the Model Series. Yeah, it is going to be a hybrid of those 3 things, plus some details of a real E2 will also be incorporated. I'm hoping I can make it look good. I was also planning on building a new chassis anyway, so I could put bearings on the axles (to help the model run smoother). I'm planning on designing the chassis to help keep the new running board stable, but I am going to try to make it be sturdy itself. And yeah, I did rename the thread.

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - TrainMan2001 - 06-23-2020

Here's a concept of what I hope Thomas will look like with the extra detail. The running board is drawn more Dalby-style because I am entertaining the idea of doing a completely new running board.

The bubble is showing a view of the other side of the cab, where I'm planning to locate the Westinghouse pump, since the tank-front steps are where it would be in real life. The E4's and Terriers have theirs on the cab as well, so I don't think it would look too out of place.

Not shown (because of difficulty drawing) is that Thomas will have two pipes on the front (and rear) of his bufferbeam, which is something the real E2's have. There will also be a second sandbox somewhere near the rear of the running plate, I just need to find a good place for it. The water filler caps and whistles also aren't drawn. Please ignore the line through the splasher and smokebox saddle, I just decided to permanently draw the boiler before doing those. ?

I also did a bit more work on Thomas, but it's not really worth showing (I just filed the cab sides a bit to get them to the actual measurements).

And to sign off with, and interesting real locomotive. I'll leave the name, since I don't have any pictures of my own. If you search "Dowlais Locomotive Arthur Keen" you should see a familiar looking running plate.

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - TrainMan2001 - 06-26-2020

I got a start on the running plate this week. I am thinking about thinning down the rear bufferbeam to further represent the Dalby-era Thomas. "Backdating Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine" may be a working title yet. The running plate needs some thinning down to 2mm itself, but I am thinking of putting a piece of plasticard in the middle (where the pencil lines are) to ensure that it's even.

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - Super - 06-26-2020

Can't wait to see what your running plate will look like T-Man

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - TrainMan2001 - 06-28-2020

I seem to have adopted a different kind of "backdating" Thomas. I got the curve in the running plate to match on both sides, which was the most important thing (to me), before getting it put together.

I also made a start on the cab windows, which are based on Reginald Payne's illustrations. I glued the sides together temporarily to drill the holes for the window. It's rough at the moment, but it will be worked on more.

And here's a picture showing what it looks like now (kind of) and what's left of the Bachmann model.

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - Super - 06-29-2020

You are gaining so much experience with this creation T-Man. I look forward to the finished product almost as much as I do for your skill learning.

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - TrainMan2001 - 06-29-2020

Thanks, Super!

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - TrainMan2001 - 07-04-2020

Today I worked a little bit more on the running plate for Thomas. I first began working on making the holes for the wheels (since I'm now doing a Railway Series style Thomas, I'm thinking of going back to the larger wheels), but what I had glued together pretty much broke apart in my hand, which was frustrating. I decided that maybe 3d modeling (and exporting to ShapeWays) might be easier, but after watching tutorial videos, it seemed like it would be even more trouble, so I eventually decided to persevere. I then watched a video about boiling plasticard to make it easier to form into curves, and I began my first experiment with it, which seems to have been successful (I'll find out when I actually am able to glue it to the running plate). I also decided to try again with cutting holes for the wheels, and it's going much better this time, even if it's a little rough at the moment (like usual). I also was able to take apart my broken James, and I'm thinking of using his splashers for Thomas, since if I were to make James, I would start completely from scratch. Here are a couple of pictures:

RE: Detailing Bachmann's Thomas the Tank Engine - Super - 07-04-2020

Boiling Plasticard is an interesting idea.