[MOC] K-28 3-footer

[ShrikeArghast]

**This is a WIP**

The K-28 is an American 3-foot (Cape) gauge locomotive designed during the later era of Colorado steam railroading. An extremely successful design, the K-series locomotives have their enormous bulk to thank for high performance numbers - the class essentially represented a melding of a standard-gauge boiler to a narrow gauge frame, and the payoff was raw power.

Engines in the series have served as far away as Hawaii and Alaska (and I believe Tennessee?), but most can now be found on Colorado rails, specifically pulling trains on the world-famous Durango and Silverton Railroad, and equally-renowned Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.

First, the prototype, starting with

And a pic (just one for now this this is a WIP):

And the WIP, minus running gear:

The model is designed to run on Space2310's Cape-gauge track (seen here), and features free-swinging lead and trailing trucks, which should allow it to negotiate at least modest curves (I wouldn't bet on much though, with all those flanges on the drivers). I'll be tackling the running gear (BLARGH!) and tender later this evening, but was eager to share what I had so far.

Edited May 9, 2016 by ShrikeArghast

[LoneBrickerSG]

Looks OK overall, but I think the wheels still need work. Not all of the drive wheels have the big counterweights like that.

[ShrikeArghast]

Looks OK overall, but I think the wheels still need work. Not all of the drive wheels have the big counterweights like that.

Sadly, that was just the first effort - I've been through like five iterations at this point.

The running gear/wheels are a big cluster in general, and I am no closer to resolving the puzzle (unlike with my Darjeeling MOC, I am not willing to sacrifice functionality this time around; the action in an outside frame loco is everything). This may sound like a cop-out, but the problem is the Lego itself - I am exceedingly limited (like most Lego trains folks, who are increasingly turning to custom-made pieces to solve this problem) by the potential parts available... particularly the connector pegs.

My difficulty, personally, is exacerbated by the outside frame specifically, as well as the wheels - I have to use the + shaped pins, and everything I have come up with so far is an ungainly mess once I get past the stage of this photo:

Honestly not sure where the project goes from here. Everything else - the tender, snowplow, etc. - is finished; I am stymied by this one problem alone.

*Edit* Here is a bluerender of where things stand:

Edited May 9, 2016 by ShrikeArghast

[ALCO]

Have you tried using this part?

http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=2853&name=Technic%20Engine%20Crankshaft&category=%5BTechnic%5D#T=P

You can also stick some bars though it too.

I know how you feel about functionality, I like building steam locomotives too, and I agree with you, the action of the rods is the interesting part of the locomotive so that is the one feature that has to be working.

Everything else looks really good, and I would love to see it in real bricks!

[CrispyBassist]

I was going to suggest the same part that ALCO did. The way you've currently got it the drive gear would hit any special trackwork (switches, diamonds, etc.) because they hang lower than the running surface of the wheels, and thus the rails. Otherwise I'd agree that it looks awesome! I really like the greebling on the boiler, especially the use of the rounded 1x1 tiles to get the door just right!

[jtlan]

Looking decent. Are you against using BigBenBricks' medium drivers? Those might give you some more flexibility.

Also, I'd suggest turning on "show outlines on bricks" in the LDD preferences -- I feel like it gives a more realistic depiction of what the model looks like in real life, and it's easier for us to see how you've put it together.

[ShrikeArghast]

Looking decent. Are you against using BigBenBricks' medium drivers? Those might give you some more flexibility.

Also, I'd suggest turning on "show outlines on bricks" in the LDD preferences -- I feel like it gives a more realistic depiction of what the model looks like in real life, and it's easier for us to see how you've put it together.

I'm not opposed, but I can't do anything with them in LDD, and, more to the point, I am not sure they'd help with an outside frame, where the wheels are situated inside an exterior shell, beyond which the running gear is located. I think a custom solution is warranted... just probably not one that is readily available on the market.

[jtlan]

I'm not opposed, but I can't do anything with them in LDD, and, more to the point, I am not sure they'd help with an outside frame, where the wheels are situated inside an exterior shell, beyond which the running gear is located. I think a custom solution is warranted... just probably not one that is readily available on the market.

You can use the wedge belt pulley and tire as mockups-- I used them when CAD-ing up my narrow gauge single fairlie (the only drawback being that the pin hole is in the wrong spot). Since the diameter of that wheel is 24mm, you can use longer cranks when doing an outside-frame loco without the cranks hitting the track.

[ShrikeArghast]

Although the running gear issues remain unresolved, I feel like I am a lot closer now. I completely rebuilt this locomotive tonight, essentially only retaining the front part of the boiler and the body of the tender - everything else is new, from the frame (narrowed) to the cow catcher to the cab. Come Christmas, I think I may be building this one... it is just the quintessential American narrow gauge locomotive.

Proto:

MOC:

Edited May 11, 2016 by ShrikeArghast

[ShrikeArghast]

And, to complete the picture, a consist!

Proto:

MOC:

The combo-RPO/coach/caboose hybrid caught my eye immediately -- that's one of those "only on a narrow gauge train!" kind of things.

[zephyr1934]

Although the running gear issues remain unresolved, I feel like I am a lot closer now. I completely rebuilt this locomotive tonight, essentially only retaining the front part of the boiler and the body of the tender - everything else is new, from the frame (narrowed) to the cow catcher to the cab. Come Christmas, I think I may be building this one... it is just the quintessential American narrow gauge locomotive.

The locomotive and consist are looking great. As others have said, you are really capturing these locomotives. I also like how you did the cars, though the copula on the caboose seems one or two plates too tall.

If you are seriously considering building them in real brick you should start taking a part inventory of which bricks actually exist (when I digitally build I always have a bricklink window open to make sure the part exists and is not stupid expensive). Right now I can see several parts that never existed in the colors you used. There are almost always work arounds, e.g., perhaps brick built windows on the cars, but it adds to the challenge (both in a good and sometimes frustrating ways).

Strangely there is a very well preserved and operational K-27 that has gone somewhat astray in Michigan (google Huckleberry Railroad), it looks great, but they really need to install some 5000 ft mountains along the line.