First engine suggestion?

[Smalltrainsgreatpains]

I'm thinking of getting a new commercial spare body and using an association chassis kit to make a start in 2FS.  Not sure what to choose, ideally something industrial or GER/East Anglian and steam   Does anyone have a suggestion for a model?

I guess DCC makes a difference in chassis building?

I have a proxxon vertical drill and a Myford ML7 that needs putting together.  Maybe I ought to get a mini lathe in time? I know that's all quite advanced, but the idea is to build fiNe models. 

Got to make a start somewhere.     

[Nigelcliffe]

DCC makes no difference, other than planning space for a decoder and any other electronics you wish to add.   

 

Loco - pick something simple, probably six driving wheels.   Perhaps with a tender, and not really small.   As you've said "Association chassis kit", then the obvious is pick a loco for which those kits are designed to fit.     

 

If no locos meet your requirements, then scratchbuild a chassis.   Which isn't as scary as it sounds, there's an Association booklet which I edited on the topic.  The Proxxon drill might be useful for a scratchbuilt chassis - with the drill fence, you can ensure that three axle holes and three coupling rod holes are in a straight line.   The ML7 and/or mini lathe are not required, though have their uses (and end up as a whole hobby diversion). 

 

 

[Smalltrainsgreatpains]

I've always been fascinated by articles on how to build from scratch.

I'm struggling to find that booklet, Is there a link to it?

 

 

[VRBroadgauge]

I've nearly completed a scratchbuilt 0-6-0 that I designed an etch for.

 

If I can do it - anyone can. I've received plenty of help and encouragement from Association members along this path.

 

I'd find a kit out of the Association shop and do that first. You can always modify said kit to suit which is half the fun.

 

For me it's more about doing something and learning from it. There's lots to read and videos to watch but actually doing it is way more useful.

[Kris]

9 hours ago, Smalltrainsgreatpains said:

I've always been fascinated by articles on how to build from scratch.

I'm struggling to find that booklet, Is there a link to it?

 

 

From memory it is in the members only area.

[Nigelcliffe]

11 hours ago, Smalltrainsgreatpains said:

I've always been fascinated by articles on how to build from scratch.

I'm struggling to find that booklet, Is there a link to it?

 

P-103  in shop 1.  

 

Or there are several articles in backnumbers of the 2mm Magazine in the member's area.    Suggest reading up on quartering by John Greenwood, and two of the simplest chassis designs going are "Mighty Mo" by Mike Bryant (also read Mark Fielder's update), and the DY1 I wrote up best part of 20 years ago. 

The DY1 was done deliberately without any machine tools, not even a mini-drill, though that would make it a bit quicker to do.   And if re-doing a DY1, I'd swap the motor to something much cheaper, there are decent motors around now at 1/10th the price of a Faulhaber.  

[Happy Hippo]

Lucky you to have an ML-7.

 

Remember that you can make small components on a large lathe but you cannot make large components on a small lathe.

 

Although working in 2mm scale, that is not really an issue.

[Klaus ojo]

You do not tell much about the experience you already have.

Doing a chassis from scratch you might have to overcome that "horror vacui" building up something from nothing and so for me it was a good idea to approach this step by step.

Be prepared that you will redo some steps more than once until it works or you are satisfied with appearance. With soldering this is not much a problem.

The publications above are fine, the 2mm conversion chassis´ as well. As said: Take something simple but large enough preferably with gearbox and frame assembly jig to "get the feeling".  As quartering is more difficult with more axles the M7 would be an idea (but you need to think about how to mount the motor and worm onto the chassis)

If you like something for your learning curve after that perhaps try a Worsleyworks "scrach aid kit". There are no instructions and the chassis parts are very basic but with holes etched for the correct wheel base. For details, motor and gears you need to find your way. My choice was simply plonking and glueing on a gear and a motor.

If you are not posh and just want to find out if doing your own chassis might work for you: take the Worsleyworks´Class 04 diesel etch and 3 pairs of wheels (3-040 and tram etch if you do not want to bother with connecting rods and quartering ) or the Class 02 diesel and 2 pairs of 3-003 wheels for practicing a little in quartering. However, these models are quite small, the motor is only 6mm diameter. The class 04 chassis 3-680 from the 2mm SA shop is another option here and is providing jig and gearbox...and even cosmetic spoked wheel covers.

Have much fun!

best wishes from  Klaus

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Klaus ojo
etches added

[Nick Mitchell]

27 minutes ago, Klaus ojo said:

My choice was simply plonking on and glueing.

 

Judging by your results, @Klaus ojo, I'd never have thought of you as a plonker!

[Caley Jim]

I've built 11 locos so far without any machine tools, other than an old Black and Decker drill and a minidrill. These include total scratch-builds, white metal and etched kits and from my own etches. As @VRBroadgauge as said, it's a matter of having a go and learning from your mistakes. 

 

Jim 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Caley Jim
Typo

[Smalltrainsgreatpains]

On 22/10/2023 at 18:02, Nigelcliffe said:

DCC makes no difference, other than planning space for a decoder and any other electronics you wish to add.   

 

Loco - pick something simple, probably six driving wheels.   Perhaps with a tender, and not really small.   As you've said "Association chassis kit", then the obvious is pick a loco for which those kits are designed to fit.     

 

If no locos meet your requirements, then scratchbuild a chassis.   Which isn't as scary as it sounds, there's an Association booklet which I edited on the topic.  The Proxxon drill might be useful for a scratchbuilt chassis - with the drill fence, you can ensure that three axle holes and three coupling rod holes are in a straight line.   The ML7 and/or mini lathe are not required, though have their uses (and end up as a whole hobby diversion). 

 

 

By drill fence, do you mean a cross table/compound table?  Sorry if I got my terminology mixed up.  I have been looking at getting a KT 150 compound table for the Proxxon TBH Bench Drill, but was put off by the poor reviews of backlash.  Yes, the tools are easily a thing on there own!

[Nigelcliffe]

19 minutes ago, Smalltrainsgreatpains said:

By drill fence, do you mean a cross table/compound table?  Sorry if I got my terminology mixed up.  I have been looking at getting a KT 150 compound table for the Proxxon TBH Bench Drill, but was put off by the poor reviews of backlash.  Yes, the tools are easily a thing on there own!

 

"Fence" is the little metal T-shaped thing which can slide back and forth, and be clamped to the drill stand base.  Its part of the standard Proxxon drill stand.  Its for drilling holes in a straight line - slide the work along the fence, and all the holes are in a straight line.   

 

Whilst not directly relevant to the question:  backlash is a feature of any screw driven slide.   It can be reduced (at a cost of wear) by anti-backlash nuts, but never eliminated.   With machines, one has to learn to work with it, not against. 

 

 

[Smalltrainsgreatpains]

I don't remember getting any accessories with it.  Are we talking about the same drill here, the Proxxon 28124 TBH?

Ah wait, just realized, you must have the TBM 220!

[DCB]

For a first loco something easy nicely balanced so it doesn't drag it's backside on the sleepers or do a nosedive every time it stops and big enough to take a half decent motor and decoder   0-6-0 T or 0-6-2T or a 2-4-2T  maybe  a J17 (I think the big Belpaire Boiler one)  rather than a 2-4-0 or 4-4-0 or even a B12 which is a bit nose heavy    Also best to avoid  an anorexic 0-6-0 without the space for motor or DCC decoder in the boiler and requiring the DCC gubbins in the tender).   There were some great books on scratch building by John Ahearn and Guy Williams on scratch building in 00 but equally applicable to 2mm FS

Edited October 24, 2023 by DCB

[Nigelcliffe]

7 hours ago, Smalltrainsgreatpains said:

I don't remember getting any accessories with it.  Are we talking about the same drill here, the Proxxon 28124 TBH?

Ah wait, just realized, you must have the TBM 220!

 

You didn't say which Proxxon you owned,  there being many.     However, you could make your own fence from any old scrap of material, clamped to the drill bed.   Just needs to be a straight line, doesn't need to be perpendicular or parallel to the T-slots.    A posh version would use T-nuts in the bed slots.  

 

( I don't have any Proxxon's, but I do have a fair bit of model making machinery experience)

 

[Smalltrainsgreatpains]

I may have found a Farish J39 as a donor.  The seller wants to keep the motor/chassis for spares.  Are there any other original parts other than the original loco and tender body needed for 2fs chassis kit conversion?

[Izzy]

Possibly the tender underframe if that isn't included with the tender body. There are no spares for the loco on the Bachmann spares site.

 

Bob

[65179]

14 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Possibly the tender underframe if that isn't included with the tender body. There are no spares for the loco on the Bachmann spares site.

 

Bob

 

The etch includes tender outer frames and appropriate axleboxes are now available in the 2mm shop.

 

 

Simon

Edited November 12, 2023 by 65179

[Izzy]

Oh thanks Simon, didn’t realise that. It does looks good, tempting if you’ve got the bodies…..!

 

Bob

[65179]

2 hours ago, Izzy said:

Oh thanks Simon, didn’t realise that. It does looks good, tempting if you’ve got the bodies…..!

 

Bob

 

Mr Higgs has done a lovely bit of etch design for this one. The double thickness frames and slot in tender outside frames give a good positive fit and the loco frames are nice and rigid. Doing a dry run to check the fold over and fold down portions that act as frame spacer location guides fit with the inner frame layer, and a bit of filing where the tender side frames meet the bufferbeam/dragbeam are all that was needed from memory.  There is no lubricator drive so if you want to add your own you'll need to make that up from etch waste.

 

Simon

[Chris Higgs]

On 12/11/2023 at 17:25, 65179 said:

 

The etch includes tender outer frames and appropriate axleboxes are now available in the 2mm shop.

 

 

Simon

 

As seen here, LNER tenders had disc wheels which means a significant saving on the price of the wheels you have to buy.

 

Chris