1/8 scale 7.5" Gauge B-Shorty & 19D containers

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

Hi Everyone! First post on this forum. My name is Alex Sheen. I'm a model designer / train enthusiast in Burlington, NC about an hour West of Raleigh. For the past 7 years, I have designed and developed laser cut scale boat kits for remote control using Delftship/Free!Ship/Coreldraw/SolidWorks. 

 

In 2017 and 2019, I traveled to Japan with my wife and have fallen in love with the Japanese culture, trains, food, etc.

 

I mainly model N scale and have a large layout in one of my spare rooms but I've also recently discovered 1/8 scale 7.5" gauge trains AKA Ride on trains. Using my design background, I've started modeling a few ideas. 

 

I first started with the SD70ACE engine used by Norfolk Southern that runs on a mainline about 1/2 mile from my house. While building this, I've also started designing a B-Train Shorty with 19D containers in 1/8 scale. 

 

The first cut of this will be the full model at 44" in length x 12" wide with (2) 18" long x 12" wide 19D containers. 

 

The second design and cut will be a wall display. The car and containers will be a half model at 44" length x 6" wide mounted to my wall in my train room with containers that open to house my train collection on shelves inside the 19D containers. 

 

I've already started on the B-shorty design. I needed to figure out the bogies so I did a quick cut on the laser cutter and came up with this so far. Although for the final display piece for the wall mounted version I will 3D print for greater detail.

[cteno4]

Alex,

welcome to the forum! Japan is an awful place to go if you are a train lover. Just ruins you! Glad you found us.

 

wow, that’s a spectacular project! Your background is perfect to do this! You going to be selling 1/8”ms ale train kits?! Using it for storage of the collection will be really fun in the train room. Do you plan on powering the sd70 to run? Do you have your own large format laser cutter?

 

hope you can get over to the show and meet up with Tony, he’s a great chap!

 

keep us posted on these projects, it’s going to be a very fun project.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

 

[JR East]

Welcome to this forum. 

 

 

Burlington ... this name reminds me the Y2K and a contract I get for implementing the Alstom Train Care & Maintenance IT system in Alliance, NA at BNSF depot. I know that's far away from Burlington NC but it's always a pleasure to think about my contracts I get in the USA.  

 

I was happy to share : 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I've lost forever the ones shot in Alliance, NA depot following a HDD crash on my laptop at that time (no I've go a Synology NAS DS918+ in cloud sync drive + weekly backup in cloud + separate monthly sync with Amazon photo in addition mode only .... that should prevent any picture loss in the future even if I'm a victim of a virus encrypting my NAS)

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

Update on the TR223C trucks for the Koki 50000 car. Wheels designed to IBLM standards. Trucks house an internal bearing. I'll need to design the cross frame and spring housing next.

 

 

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

On 2/12/2022 at 12:06 PM, cteno4 said:

Alex,

welcome to the forum! Japan is an awful place to go if you are a train lover. Just ruins you! Glad you found us.

 

wow, that’s a spectacular project! Your background is perfect to do this! You going to be selling 1/8”ms ale train kits?! Using it for storage of the collection will be really fun in the train room. Do you plan on powering the sd70 to run? Do you have your own large format laser cutter?

 

hope you can get over to the show and meet up with Tony, he’s a great chap!

 

keep us posted on these projects, it’s going to be a very fun project.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

 

Thank you! I've thought about selling kits but I am already extremely busy with my full time job, the boat business, and my 2 year old daughter. So these train designs are more for fun. 🙂

 

What I will probably do is design a generic riding car that will be powered. That way I can run different engines but only need one motor/battery set. 

 

Yes, I'm very fortunate to have a 5' x 3' 150w dual head laser cutter in my household shop, a 3D printer and desktop thermoforming machine in my office, and a full metal/welding shop at my full-time job. 

 

thanks again for the warm welcome. It is nice to have a forum dedicated to the Japanese trains. 

 

thanks,

Alex

 

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Sounds like you have gobs of extra time! A 2 yr old is enough to keep you busy another 16 years! When you have some time put up some of your boat stuff, I’m sure folks here would love to see some of it!

 

love the idea of just putting on different shells to the loco chassis. Guess you could take the top of a container on a koki flip up to be a backrest for ride on.

 

wow that is a dream to have a machine like that! How thick can that go on the ply? 12mm? This year may be when I succumb to a 20-40w table top for just small model building. We shall see if I get enough other stuff done first!

 

was wondering what plys you are using these days and sources. It’s been getting worse and worse to get decent plys here in the dc area. I’m pretty much down to Baltic birch 7 and 9 ply from woodcrafters here. I’ve given up on all the other hardwood plys as skins are now less than paper thin and cores are pretty ratty and uneven. Even the last sheet of cabinet grade 3/4” birch was pretty disappointing. Sadly the 5mm luan has disappeared from around here as well, that was actually economical and nice hard skins that finished decently.

 

you are welcome, we try to keep this little forum going, been 14+ years now.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

Work continues on the TR223C bogies and 4ft 1/8 scale B-shorty Koki 50000. 

To decrease printing time, increase strength, and maintain a level of detail not attainable with just laser cut plywood, I am blending two forms of production- 3D printing and laser cutting. The original truck side plates are .6" thick for the main width of the plate. I removed .4 inches of the plate that can be made up with laser cut plywood and will only print the front .2" of the plate. This way I am able to get details like the beveled edges of the truck, bearing detail, and sway bar support. These 3 pieces will be laminated with epoxy and reinforced on the backside with a layer of 2oz fiberglass cloth. 

Print time also goes from 7hrs 27min to 4 hours 27min for a set. 

I'm finishing up the B-shorty car design this week and will model the remaining parts of the TR223C bogies when I find out the width of the cross beam support that connects to the train car. 

 

 

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

On 2/14/2022 at 3:16 PM, cteno4 said:

Sounds like you have gobs of extra time! A 2 yr old is enough to keep you busy another 16 years! When you have some time put up some of your boat stuff, I’m sure folks here would love to see some of it!

 

love the idea of just putting on different shells to the loco chassis. Guess you could take the top of a container on a koki flip up to be a backrest for ride on.

 

wow that is a dream to have a machine like that! How thick can that go on the ply? 12mm? This year may be when I succumb to a 20-40w table top for just small model building. We shall see if I get enough other stuff done first!

 

was wondering what plys you are using these days and sources. It’s been getting worse and worse to get decent plys here in the dc area. I’m pretty much down to Baltic birch 7 and 9 ply from woodcrafters here. I’ve given up on all the other hardwood plys as skins are now less than paper thin and cores are pretty ratty and uneven. Even the last sheet of cabinet grade 3/4” birch was pretty disappointing. Sadly the 5mm luan has disappeared from around here as well, that was actually economical and nice hard skins that finished decently.

 

you are welcome, we try to keep this little forum going, been 14+ years now.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

I used to religiously use 3mm & 6mm Baltic Birch or 5mm Domestic Birch but those supply lines increased prices nearly triple and then dried up at the end of last year. Out of desperation, I picked up some 5mm from the local big box store and I'm actually surprised how clean it cut and how strong it is. For framework that is hidden behind the sheeting of a hull, it works perfectly. Since I use tab/slots in my designs, the parts fit together like a skeleton puzzle and any warping is pulled straight when inserted in to the slot. 

 

I started out using a 4'x8' 2.2kw Precix 9100 CNC. I made the switch to a 150w laser cutter in 2017 and will never go back to a CNC router. Definitely get a "K40" 40w starter machine. It will be the best thing you've ever done for your modeling hobby. 🙂

Edited February 19, 2022 by BarracudaRCBoatsUSA

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

1 set printed so far. Dry fit with the laser cut reinforcement plates. Fits well. All of this will be laminated and epoxied together with a layer of fiberglass cloth on the backside. 

 

These bogies measure 11.96" x 3" x 1.2" per side plate.

[cteno4]

Wow those are some jumbo prints to what we usually see around here! Powder printer?

 

yeah what’s left is little and expensive Baltic birch supply chain was really clobbered with covid.

 

what did you get at the big box for 5mm. The only stuff ours have now is sort of a cheap sand ply replacement for the 5mm luan (they still call it luan even though it’s soft wood) that had many gaps and large glue patches. Very uneven in thickness as large glue layers and I don’t think properly pressed. I started to cut out some Ttrak modules with it and the edges were rife with gaps.

 

jeff

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

B-shorty Koki 50000 plan is done and ready for laser cutting. TR223C trucks gauged at 7.5" for a 1/8 scale ride-on railway fit nicely tucked underneath. All the parts are laser cut and feature tab slot connections. I'll be going through the file and adding details once I cut the basic kit. I think some nice details like airlines, cylinders, added supports along the frame, railings, couplers, etc will give it a nice touch without too much extra effort. 

 

The 19D container is being finished now and I've also added the UT5A tank container and the UF16A to the design list to have for this car. 

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

Work on the Koki 50000 and containers continue. I've started designing the 19D container And I've added the UT5A container to the list. 

 

The 19D will consist of a basic rectangular shape made from 5 mm plywood and then have raised panels of 3 mm plywood to create the metal look. 3D printed accessories will highlight features like the door hinges, weld lines, and door levers. 

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

JFR 19D container design finished. I've laid out all the parts in the laser cutting program and hope to cut this Thursday morning. It measures 18" x 12" x 12.2". 

 

I've also almost finished the UT5A tank container design. 

 

Now that I've got the containers designed and dimensions double checked on the B-shorty Koki 50000, I'll go ahead and cut that this week as well. 

 

 

Also I need a track maintenance vehicle (or a few.... Right?) 

 

 

So I'm adding the MR1652 to the design que as well as the 3-ton dump wagon car and the TMC400B. While not big enough to ride in 1/8 scale, they'll still be fun. 

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

ME1652 design update. Designing all the solid body panels then I'll go back in and detail all the frame parts, suspension, wheels, railings, etc

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

19D update. I've laser cut the container and have started assembly. I made a jig to get perfect spacing for the roof ribs. Everything is going together well. Tab slot connections make things easy to align and fit together. 

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

TMC 400B update. Cab, body, and deck designed. Undercarriage will be designed later once I'm able to get these plans in to my SolidWorks program. TMC400B

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

TMC 400B update. Slight angle on the hood has been adjusted. 

[BarracudaRCBoatsUSA]

19D container progress update. I still need to do the horizontal parts under the door, the door framing to make them rigid, the hinges, and the details on the door. But getting closer 

[GeorgeHInch]

This is super cool! I'd love to build one in my back yard if I had the room!