[MOC] Small 0-4-0ST PF Steam Shunter

[Srbandrews]

For a while, I've been interested in trying to squeeze PF into a small british style steam locomotive. I'd played around with several ideas in my head but couldn't for some time land on a design that looked good. Eventually, I found an image of an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST shunter that had slightly more squared-off tanks than the usual short saddle tank locos. I decided that was the route to go down and set about putting a plan together, and here is the result:

There's not really very much to say about it. It's somewhat shorter in appearance than the prototype, party because that seems to have become my style, but practically because, on such a short wheelbase, there is a limit to the overhang you can have at the front and back for cornering purposes.

I plan on refining it, of course, so any comments are more than welcome.

EDIT: Short video of it working

and a self-indulgent snap of my steam locos built so far:

Power Functions Steam Shunter by Srbandrews, on Flickr

Edited January 25, 2015 by Srbandrews

[Zerobricks]

I like how you managed to squeeze all the PF stuff inside. Good work.

[Srbandrews]

Thanks Zblj

I forgot to post the inspiration: Andrew Barclay 0-4-0st 'Henry Ellison'

I wasn't really trying to make my engine a close representation of the real life loco, so much as I used it to inform the boiler shape and colour scheme.

[garethjellis]

You have a fun fleet growing here, how did you ever manage to get PF inside there?!? I really like the way you manage to capture the key features of the Logo and still fit with in the restrictions of 6 wide. Impressive!

[Srbandrews]

Thanks gareth. They're not all strictly 6-wide as the cabs of the two tank engines are 7-wide. As for fitting in the PF, I think the main thing was getting the 4x4 part of the IR receiver down at foot-plate level. Having it form par of the back wall of the cab doesn't look very elegant from behind but I'm not too worried about that.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Amazing work!

You've really got it right!

It's impressive to see all the PF components in such a small model!

[Srbandrews]

Amazing work!

You've really got it right!

It's impressive to see all the PF components in such a small model!

Thank you Duke, I'm a huge fan of your MOCs so I'm very glad you like it.

[Redimus]

Very smart.

[lightningtiger]

AWESOME copy of the real deal 'Srbandrews'......cute and cool at the same time.......Brick On !

[zephyr1934]

I like that MOC, and impressive that you fit all the PF inside while still getting the facade so detailed on such a small engine

[Srbandrews]

Very smart.

AWESOME copy of the real deal 'Srbandrews'......cute and cool at the same time.......Brick On !

I like that MOC, and impressive that you fit all the PF inside while still getting the facade so detailed on such a small engine

Thanks guys! I think perhaps fitting in the Power Functions would have been more impressive if it had been a case of me working out a way to fit them to a loco shape that I was working on, but really I just sort of looked for a loco that most closely corroborated what I thought was the best way to cover up the battery pack. That is, the idea of covering the top of the battery pack with a saddle tank and using panels to make it look like there's some space underneath. It struck me that all the PF side tank engines look far too tall and square for anything of british design. Initially I had been working on a Manning-Wardle type with shorter tanks and an exposed smokebox:

But the tanks and boiler just looked too big and long for the kind of engines that had that configuration:

Henry Ellison just came along at the right time when I was thinking I would never be happy with the design.

[Srbandrews]

Because of the paint job and details on the prototype being fairly basic, and partly I think just because of the abundance of 'classic' blue, I was thinking the whole thing just looked a bit too simple, so I decided it was high time that I had a go at making some custom stickers - nothing fancy, just something to add a little bit of detail:

I decided to name it Attlee after good ole' Clement Attlee, who is a bit of a hero of mine, and because it sounded like a good name for a small engine.

They're a bit rough, being made in microsoft word and printed onto normal sticker paper, but I'm pleased with the experiment: I think they make the simplicity of the rest of the engine look intentional.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Srbandrews