Lines of Character Models

23/08/2021

At long last something to show. First, the Dickson 0-6-0T project. The parts you see are just sitting on top of the chassis. There are quite a few changes to do before I can present anything for Shapeways to print. The result looks very nice and quite different from your usual Baldwin or Porter. However, trying to make everything line up with the Life-Like chassis has been very trying, what with the complete lack of precision in manufacturing. So alas this project has been sidelined for the time being.

On the other hand, I finally have something to present which is already live and ready-to-go at Shapeways. This is a HOn30 Plymouth locomotive body shell, designed to fit the Bachmann N scale MDT chassis, slightly hacked. The model is available in two versions: one with "Euro" style hook-and-loop couplers compatible with Roco, Minitrains, etc. (the photos refer to this version); and a second version to take the Rapido/knuckle couplers supplied with the chassis. The model is freelanced, as such is mostly derived from the AHM Plymouth model, but with many changes to reflect prototype Plymouth practices. As such the locomotive resembles Plymouth models JDTW or JCDW (J: series type; D: Detroit Diesel motor; C: Caterpillar motor; T: Torque converter (hydraulic) drive; D: Direct (mechanical) drive; W: 6-wheel locomotive) but with some modifications to fit the intended chassis. The small “skirts” on the underside of the chassis are one variation from Plymouth practice - they represent cast-iron weights which were bolted on after purchase by a hypothetical purchaser to increase adhesive weight and tractive effort. In fact, they are there to hide some greebles present on the chassis side frames which would require milling out for correctness.

Available now:

HOn30 Plymouth body, "Euro" version - http://shpws.me/SMXV

HOn30 Plymouth body, Rapido/knuckle coupler version - http://shpws.me/SMXZ

Cheers LOCM

22/04/2021

Things have been rather quiet of lately for several reasons - mostly technical. First my 3D resin printer (which I use to see if the project will work before sending then to Shapeways) called it quits with a failed LCD screen. This has been seen to, although the printer vat now needs a new FEP sheet. The other hindering factor has been the weather - after three years of warm temperatures in February we are now having a decidedly chilly April. My workshop is unheated which means I can't run the printer at its correct setting - I have to bump exposure times up, which means that parts come out not quite the correct size and fit. So prototyping gets delayed. This doesn't mean that nothing is happening, quite to the contrary - I'm still busy behind the PC, drawing, designing, concocting...

So I here present my newest concoction: Dickie the Dickson. This HOn30 loco has been designed with the Life Like 0-6-0T chassis in mind. The loco is based on a composite of two Dickson Manufacturing Co. locomotives delivered to Russia in the early 1900s - designs from an almost forgotten "dwarf" locomotive builder whose demise in 1903 gave birth to two giants of American industry: ALCO (American Locomotive Company ) and Allis-Chalmers. The arched cab windows give the locomotive its unusual appearance and character.

03/02/2021

I've been rather neglecting the social side of the business of lately, however it doesn't mean that I have not been busy with new projects. The latest is a response to calls for a cab to fit onto the Life-Like N scale 0-6-0ST to convert it into an HOn30 locomotive. Rather than doing this I decided to create a completely new locomotive - or the first of several locomotives - to fit onto the LL chassis. Below is the rendering of the first part to be designed - the front pilot with cylinders. This is designed to replace the original pilot/cylinder section with one more scale-like, with properly contoured cylinders. I'll be making both road and switching pilot versions. Please watch out this space for further news.

12/01/2021

After two weeks of misery with what felt like two flus rolled into one (but which I believe was something worse than just a flu...), a bit of goodness - Keith Lawrence from Apremont, France sent me a couple of images of his build of a Minitrains Baldwin 2-6-2T using the Dress-Up Kit (http://shpws.me/Sngc). In fact he made two locomotives using the same kit - one locomotive he left substantially intact and just added the capped stack from the kit, while the second engine was modified with the cab and balloon stack from the same kit. With a few other details added the results are very nice indeed!

24/12/2020

Merry Christmas and a better 2021!

Was EDEKA mit seinen Kassen kann, können wir auch. Und deshalb haben wir ein Orchester aus 2 Bussen und 6 Bahnen zusammengestellt und wünschen mit "Stille Na...

22/12/2020

It's ready! The Dress-up kit for the Minitrains Forney is now available for purchase at our Shapeways store.

This kit is designed to "modernize" the Minitrains Forney and to give crews proper windows they can look out of and doors the can go past without getting stuck. The resulting locomotive is a bit small as far as Forneys go, however it's far from unprototypical - for example, H.K. Porter listed in its catalog the possibility of erecting locomotives with 6x10" cylinders, 20" driving wheels and an 8ton weight in working order. At 17'6" long the resulting locomotive would have been, in HO scale, smaller than the Minitrains loco!

Check it out here: http://shpws.me/SraQ

14/12/2020

Almost there! Need to finish writing the instructions... dress-up kit for Minitrains 0-4-4T Forney locomotive. Gives the locomotive a more modern look and improves quality of life for engine crews (larger doors/windows).

10/12/2020

Not all designing efforts go directly towards making models - sometimes one needs to create tools (even virtual ones) to help the process. The image show one example, an approximate digital model of the Bachmann N scale USRA 0-6-0 chassis, a staple of HOn30/OO9 modellers. This will allow me to create locomotive designs with less guesswork regarding fitting and dimensions.

05/12/2020

One of the inspirations... The Perus - Pirapora Railway in Brazil was a 22km/14mile 2ft gauge limestone hauler connecting the Cajamar quarries with the cement mill at Perus, just north of Sao Paulo city. As one of the last steam operations in Brazil it attracted quite a bit of photographer attention in the 1970's. In the picture locomotive #6 (H.K.Porter 7913/1945, 2-6-2 wheel arrangement - one of the last two 2ft gauge steam locomotives built ion the USA) slogs its way uphill on the last leg of its journey to the mill.

05/12/2020

Another work in progress...

01/12/2020

Over the last couple of days I have unfortunately been receiving feedback from our customers about our Dress-Up Kit for the Minitrains 2-6-2T being declared unprintable by Shapeways due to problems with the design file. I would like to apologise to all who purchased or have been trying to purchase the kit, we have been working to sort and smooth out problems as they come.

The printability issues also caused the product to be taken out of sale at the shop. If you tried to purchase it and it was marked "not for sale", please try again.

I'm feeling genuinely embarrassed 😳😳😳, when we made the prototype Shapeways didn't bat an eye over the order...

28/11/2020

Welcome again to Lines of Scale Models! Our idea is to provide modellers with 3D scale accessories and models. The focus will be on bringing out the oddball, the strange and the different, be it free-lanced or drawn from the "Export" pages of the "Car Builder's Cyclopedia" and the nether depths of old locomotive and rolling stock builder's catalogues. Additionally we will bring out parts to "improve" commercial models. The main scales will be HO narrow gauge (HOn30/HOe) with a bit of N scale on the side.

For the time being, Shapeways is our outlet of choice for printing service and delivery - please visit our shop at https://www.shapeways.com/shops/lines-of-character.

Our first "official announcement" is for a kit of parts to improve the Minitrains (http://www.minitrains.eu/) Baldwin WW1 2-6-2T "trench engine". As it comes the model is a quite accurate model of its prototype, but lets face it, the real loco is rather strange as Baldwins go... so we decided to create a "beautification package" for it to turn the Spartan warrior into an early 20th century Baldwin "lady":

https://www.shapeways.com/product/X4TWTPZSF/dress-up-kit-for-hoe-hon30-minitrains-wwi-2-6-2t?optionId=124563541&li=shops

The kit contains a wood cab and bunker, two pilots (front and rear), Radley & Hunter ("balloon") stack and flanged cap (both force-fit onto the original stack), rear headlight and bracket and an insert to close the front pilot and allow the mounting of a "Greenwich" coupler (this can be omitted for Micro-Trains couplers). There are little holes on the cab side to permit adding handrails.

All going well the resulting loco should come out like the one in the photo - one of these days the builder must come round to it and finish the model... Apologise for the stains, these are the builder's fault, not Shapeways'.

(locomotive, track, cars and brass detail parts not included)

Enjoy!