Quantum Coachworks

Quantum Coachworks Designer and manufacturer of custom model railroad equipment. Specializing in G-Scale and 1.5" Scale

I'm a mechanical engineer, been drafting and 3D modeling for 20+ years and working on aerospace applications for 15+ years. I bring that knowledge and effort into the hobbies that I love.

These are going to look pretty good on a flat car!
05/11/2026

These are going to look pretty good on a flat car!

Closing in on the last few pieces being assembled. There's still some detail painting to be done and decals for the hood...
05/01/2026

Closing in on the last few pieces being assembled. There's still some detail painting to be done and decals for the hood, but the twins are nearly complete!

Over the last month I've repurposed an old toaster oven so I could make the curved window panels for these JD7330 tracto...
04/13/2026

Over the last month I've repurposed an old toaster oven so I could make the curved window panels for these JD7330 tractors. Custom made some frames that slide right into the oven with the PETG sheet clipped into place. Just a few seconds in there on broil and the sheet is nice and soft, perfect for forming over these printed bucks. A little bit of trial and error on the times and temps and they started coming out perfect.

Now the rest of the tractor is getting paint and final assembly before I install the windows permanently!

The printer continues to be busy cranking out a 1/8th scale tractor. There have been a few tweaks made to the model so f...
03/02/2026

The printer continues to be busy cranking out a 1/8th scale tractor. There have been a few tweaks made to the model so far, a couple failed prints, but I'm getting close to having all of the pieces printed for the first unit. Soon there will be paint, at least the weather is cooperating and it's starting to warm up.

I've actually been modeling this tractor in 1/16th scale because that's the scale of the model I have sitting beside me....
02/02/2026

I've actually been modeling this tractor in 1/16th scale because that's the scale of the model I have sitting beside me. Now that it's mostly done (I still need to do all the 3-pt hitch and PTO at the back end) I'm just scaling it up to 1/8th scale for printing. Started with the wheels and I think it looks kinda fun.

With a foot of snow on the ground and temperatures near zero, there's not much going on in the shop or with the railroad...
01/27/2026

With a foot of snow on the ground and temperatures near zero, there's not much going on in the shop or with the railroad. The snow is deeper than the plow I have on the front of my locomotive so there's no chance that it would work.

So I'll be sticking with CAD work for a while. The JD tractor is nearly ready for prototype printing and test assembly. The windows could be tricky, but that's a problem for future me to figure out.

Making more progress between robotics events with the kids. There's a pretty big snowstorm coming this way this weekend...
01/22/2026

Making more progress between robotics events with the kids. There's a pretty big snowstorm coming this way this weekend so I might just be stuck inside on the computer and working on this even more!

Again, not exactly trains but still a fun little project.I picked up an entry level 3D and I've been this project as an ...
01/11/2026

Again, not exactly trains but still a fun little project.

I picked up an entry level 3D and I've been this project as an opportunity to learn the hardware and software, allowing me to better capture the complex contours of the hood in this case. Pretty neat little piece of equipment and it's making me look at some of the more expensive scanners that can capture smaller details and larger objects, but who knows if/when I'll get something like that.

Not specifically trains, but it's 1/8th scale and would make a great load on a flatcar!This was done to test some new PC...
12/10/2025

Not specifically trains, but it's 1/8th scale and would make a great load on a flatcar!

This was done to test some new PCTG material for outdoor use. I have another JD tractor that needs to be modeled and printed, this model was already available so I started with something easy.

The geometry checks out; The launch tube goes from horizontal to launch position with it nearly centered on the car.Afte...
11/11/2025

The geometry checks out; The launch tube goes from horizontal to launch position with it nearly centered on the car.

After a few iterations, the math checks out; Estimating a 100 pound launch tube and missile means there will be a 500 pound force pushing against the lower end to start elevating the launcher. I've identified an appropriate lead screw and motor which can provide that force. That also means that it will take approximately 8 minutes to fully deploy the launcher.

The next step will be printing some prototype pieces and getting the lead screw and motor to verify that the math still checks out. In the mean time, I get to start working on the mechanical bits for the stabilizers and the roof.

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Dayton, OH
45433

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