MOC: Tramore Steam Engine, the 5-Minute Bell

[Axle]

Hello again peoples :) I present here another Tank Engine MOC, this one based off a train that once ran through my back garden from 1830's to the 1950's! :O Sadly, it was retired and scrapped and retired after the roads became more popular, but it was one of the oldest railways in the world. Out of all my Engine MOCs, i'd say this is my most 'advanced', and by far my favourite! I'm very pleased with the result. Here's a picture of the real thing ( A painting, I know, but it's the best one I could find :P )

Let's see how my one looks in comparison! Please forgive the camera quality, I have to use my phone sadly. :/ Here's the 3/4 front view!

The coupling system will work different to the Lego magnetic one, due to my own scarcity of those parts. I'll use two of those pieces that are 2x3 with the holes in the front. I like the look of the buffers, and i cheated a bit with the engine "face", because I don't have that part in black :( I used black insulation tape to colour it black, without permanently affecting the part. I also left two dark grey lines for those things Steam engines have, I think it's a hinge for the door or something?? :S Here's the illustriative back view:

If I had two dark grey 2x1x2 window pieces, they'd be there, instead of the angry eyed look it currently has :( A side view, showing the studless nature of the engine:

I had to leave the front wheel a stud up from the tracks to allow it to turn on curves, because the back two wheels are a motor. I've made it so the rear buffers come off easily, in case I want to motorize it some day. Here's the inside of the cab:

It's a 4x4 space, with a firebox underneath the controls. Here's the final view of it, on my work in progress town layout!

I made a makeshift carriage for it too, but it's not worth seeing, I might post pictures later on when I make some proper carriages for it. Please let me know what you think of the engine! Leave me some constructive criticism too please. :)

Axle

[ScotNick]

Looks great, I like the color.

However I would try to use the same wheels for the whole engine, if possible.

Have you thought of a chassis like this?

Edited May 18, 2013 by ScotNick

[Duq]

Hey Axle, nice to see an Irish engine. Surprised to see you did most of it in grey; it looks black in the painting.

By the way, are you a member of brick.ie yet?

[Axle]

Looks great, I like the color.

However I would try to use the same wheels for the whole engine, if possible.

Have you thought of a chassis like this?

hi, ScotNick :) I tried doing something similar to that before, but the 1x8 tiles on the side made it near impossible to work, and I wanted to keep those, because it looks a little bare without them :( maybe on my next engine I'll try something like that!

Hey Axle, nice to see an Irish engine. Surprised to see you did most of it in grey; it looks black in the painting.

By the way, are you a member of brick.ie yet?

I'll try to find more pictures of it, the rear part is actually a very dark shade of green in reality, but I don't have many dark green parts, so I chose dark grey as a substitute . I wasn't aware there was an Irish Lego website, I'll check it out now :) Edited May 19, 2013 by Axle

[Hrw-Amen]

I would try to figure out something with the wheels myself as others have said. It is a good start mind you. I think I would also look at the buffers, at the moment they look a bit 'bricky' which is odd considering it is LEGO after all. But I think I would try changing the 2x2 round plate the other way around and then using those round inverted tile plates on them, the type you get on the underneath of the boats so that they skim better if you know what I mean? They would give a much better buffer shape.

[Sir E Fullner]

She is a lovely engine, but a wee bit awkward in the back. However, what do I know? It's probably like that in real life. Will you be making coaches for her?

[ScotNick]

Have you tried this?