Help Requested with Pannier Tank Loco Build

[rday1982]

I recently finished getting hold of the parts I needed for a nicer-looking Hogwarts Express than Lego produced officially. This had been in my head for over a year. I got hold of big driving wheels from the Emerald Night via bricklink, and bought the loco and tender from the Hogwarts Express that came with the flying car, via eBay.

This model is now sitting on my windowsill, awaiting just a few parts that I'll need in order to give it valve gear. The track rods don't look too bad on their own without valve gear, but it'll look much better once it's got the gear in place. Maybe I'll post a picture when that's done. The train isn't motorised, as I've decided to build a guard's van around one of my 9V motors, which will push it and the carriages around the track.

I've been thinking that I could do with a tank engine to pull the various goods wagons I have, and decided I liked the look of the GWR 5700 Pannier tank loco. I decided to try and build this locomotive after seeing the gorgeous preserved L94 at the National Railway Museum earlier this month.

Unfortunately, whilst there are various great examples made in Lego available on the internet, there are no building instructions. I can't quite see how it's been done, and I can't put together anything that looks quite right.

Specifically, I want to put six flanged drivers on the locomotive, connected by track rods. How can I make it turn? I'm also having problems getting the wheel arch and toolbox at the right height relative to those driving wheels.

Right now, I'm trying to model in LDD as I haven't gotten any more flanged drivers yet (and it might be a while before I can spend any more money on Lego). I can't find build instructions or photos that provide hints anywhere. All I've got is the vague idea that the long smooth 1x8 plates might be good to use on their sides, and that it might work best as a 7-wide model. These ideas are causing their own headaches.

Does anybody have any useful tips or advice? I've looked high and low all over the internet (including these forums) for inspiration, but this seems to be a model that people either don't build well, or build pretty badly and then give up on. Lego steam trains seem to me to be a huge challenge in terms of creativity (based partially on the fact that they require a ton of specific parts that aren't common in a specific colour) and finances (getting hold of the parts needed is rather expensive).

So, can anybody help me?

[Duq]

My first question is why you want 6 flanged drivers. Big Ben and Lego are producing blind drivers for a reason...

Next question is: what have you got sofar? Show us your design sofar. Show us exactly where you're stuck. That'll probably get you more and better replies than simply 'Where can I get instructions for a Pannier Tank Loco'...

[rday1982]

My first question is why you want 6 flanged drivers. Big Ben and Lego are producing blind drivers for a reason...

Next question is: what have you got sofar? Show us your design sofar. Show us exactly where you're stuck. That'll probably get you more and better replies than simply 'Where can I get instructions for a Pannier Tank Loco'...

I want to use six flanged drivers because the wheels have that sort of spacing on the real train. They're not meant to be packed next to each other, and it's not going to look right with a blind driver in the middle.

As for what I have so far, it's a pile of bricks and a sense of frustration. I've not actually saved my designs so far in LDD, because they haven't worked. I've gotten about as far as putting six driving wheels together in various ways and realising that they just won't turn a corner.

I'm not simply asking "where can I find instructions?". I realise that there probably aren't any out there. I'm just asking for perhaps a starting point. Tips. Advice. General ideas to help get me going in the right direction.

Edited June 18, 2012 by rday1982

[Duq]

Have a look at the instructions for Ben Beneke's legendary BR23:

http://railbricks.com/instructions/br-23-001-l/

That's a model from before the blind drivers that might give you some ideas.

[Frank STENGEL]

I want to use six flanged drivers because the wheels have that sort of spacing on the real train. They're not meant to be packed next to each other, and it's not going to look right with a blind driver in the middle.

Indeed, having a blind driver in the middle is not as aesthetically pleasing as having a flanged driver. However, once the locomotive chassis is built one has to look closely in order to see which wheel is blind/flanged. It really is a question of aesthetics versus simplicity. Having a middle flanged wheel will force you to have a shifting axle and rod attachment. That can be very tricky.

[peterab]

I agree with Frank here, using three flanged drivers makes for all sorts of trouble. Either you need the central axle to be able to move or you need to articulate the chasis. You may also run into trouble because of the larger distance between your wheels.

I've built a couple of Ben's BR23's (as recommended by Duq) and decided to use a blind driver in the middle just to make things easier. You don't really notice unless you look for it.

[rday1982]

It's looking pretty impossible to get it right with six flanged drivers. Then again, even using a blind driver in the middle, I'm still having problems getting it to work as a 7-wide body.

Every time I get the bricks to line up right, it looks wrong. Every time it looks right, bricks don't line up.

This might have to be scrapped as a project. I should move on to something simpler, like trying to replicate the USS Enterprise. :p

I used blind drivers for this Sierra No. 3 (the train from back to the future) and don't like the fact that it's noticable. However, the length of the vehicle pretty much forced my hand.

Edited June 27, 2012 by rday1982