HOn30 Headaches, Part deux.

Or..... Keep on truckin....

Continuing on with the theme of not being able to find things easily, HOn30 trucks are a bear.  It seems like many modelers just use Micro Trains Archbar trucks and couplers, because they can be found just about anywhere that stocks a decent amount of N scale gear.  As a convert from N scale, I have a handful of these as well, but as far as the trucks go, I'm really not pleased with their appearance, so I started looking elsewhere.

Doing a internet search for "HOn30 Trucks" resulted in a quick review of various truck options that I found here. Grandt Line Trucks and NWSL wheels looked like a clear winner until that I realized I would be paying $17 PER CAR to outfit them all.  Maybe when I'm independently wealthy, I can afford doubling the cost of my rolling stock collection, but for now, I'm cheap Charlie. 

If you're not familiar with Shapeways, you better get on the ball. 3D printing is the future, and Shapeways allows designers to upload their 3D models, designed in various CAD software programs, and print them out for a reasonable price. I found these trucks and decided to give them a try, because they work with MicroTrains wheels. I decided to order the 3D printed trucks as a test, along with some Grandt Line SR&RL trucks, and NWSL wheels, just to do a comparison. So far, I haven't yet received the Grandt Line trucks, but I have the wheelsets.

Yesterday, the parts from Shapeways arrived, so I took a little time to put them together.

L to R: Printed truck with 20" HO wheels, Printed with 33" N wheels, MicroTrains Archbar with 33" wheels.

As you can see, they are white, and they look a little clunky. I was a little worried at first, especially when I put a set on the Mount Blue Model Company car I am building.

Mount Blue Model Co. Dyer built 24' car

Not being the kind of guy to shy away from a challenge, I painted the trucks Engine Black, then hit some highlights with Grimy Black, and then washed the assemblies in a slurry of 91% isopropyl alcohol, mixed with Bragdon Enterprises weathering powders.



Final results

I think the results are very good. Not model contest perfect, but good enough for layout use given their cost, and the ability to actually get them in any quantity.  The next step is to tune them some, because they aren't as free rolling as other trucks. I am planning on ordering some Fox Valley Models 36" N scale brass wheelsets to use, the idea being that the heavier wheels will help the cars track better, and possibly roll more freely. They aren't cheap, but they are roughly 66% less expensive than NWSL wheels. With the Shapeways trucks, and FVM wheels, the cost to outfit a car will be about $6.

If you were hesitant about trying 3D printing, I suggest you give it a try, certain models will be better than others, based on the material used to print, and the design, but there is no reason to fear the future. I think the 21st century parts blend nicely with the wooden kit.

Go build something awesome!

Changing plans

Last week I discovered that the Five79 Forney rolling chassis wouldn't navigate the north end of Buzzard's Cove. Forneys have problems with tight radius turns, and can have a large lateral movement of the rear of the locomotive when modified to take tighter turns. Long story short, it's butt was too big for the bridge. Insert your favorite Sir Mixalot or LL Cool J song about generous posteriors.

The only solution available for me was to rip out everything north of the creek (I need to name that I guess huh?) and modify the bridge, and change the track plan slightly.

The north end

You can see where the spur track originally went, next to the seawall. The divergent radius was too tight, and the locomotive was hopping the rails. I have also decided that the RDA Johnson's Loft and Boathouse was too big, and not aesthetically interesting enough for the front of the layout, so it was replaced with Bar Mills' Staton Marine. I have found that building laser cut wood kits is actually too much fun. I've been scratchbuilding quite a bit of stuff, and these little kits fly together at ludicrous speed. Now that Bar Mills is including injection molded windows with their kits, I'm hooked. My one complaint about laser kits has always been the windows. In my opinion, the wooden windows don't look as nice as plastic, because the mullions are far to thick, and the layering of parts is too easy to screw up, so your windows look crooked.

 

Demolition Man

 

While I had the track ripped up, I decided that I didn't like the long straight sea wall, so it came out as well. A new section of dock will have to be built to replace it, so that the boats have a place to tie off to and get their fuel and repairs from old man Staton.

 

 

Under new lights

The north end is still functionally the same as before, with the "exit stage right" track, and the spur, but now I think the scene is better looking, with the tracks going behind the structure. I carved a boat hull out of some balsa, and it will fit nicely along the dock. I think I could even squeeze another 10 feet out of the hull. We'll see.


Off to a train show to find some goodies....

Go build something awesome.