Bachmann’s RTR V2 is on the horizon, but in the interim, Tony Wright feels this bodyshell is the most accurate-to-date and the fastest route to ownership of Gresley’s 2-6-2 mixed-traffic design.
Bachmann’s RTR V2 is on the horizon, but in the interim, Tony Wright feels this bodyshell is the most accurate-to-date and the fastest route to ownership of Gresley’s 2-6-2 mixed-traffic design.
For a number of years, Bachmann’s RTR V2 has been available, though by its own admission and the fact that an all-new model is en route, it's not to the latest standards. Those who wanted a 4mm:1ft scale V2 either bought it, made it, or commissioned kits from the likes of Bristol Models, Nu-Cast, Pro-Scale, Crownline or, if he/she wanted the very best, Finney.
So, things moved on – Bristol Models and Nu-cast were confined to history, and the Pro-Scale V2 disappeared. PDK and Finney V2s are still available, but what else in 4mm:1ft scale is there? Well, at last Bachmann’s new RTR V2 is on the near horizon, and now we have a new method of obtaining a V2 – a 3D-printed body, in mainly one piece! It’s made by Mike Trice who can be contacted via his page on Shapeways.com.
The prototype is one of the mostcelebrated of Gresley’s locomotives, the ‘locomotives which won the war’ dependent on how partisan one might be. 184 of these heavyweights were built and ran all over the RA9 routes of the LNER and its successor. They could tackle just about any job and were masters of their work.
In Green Arrow we have the sole survivor – though it no longer runs – and the type is ever-popular with modellers. Indeed, any ECML steam-age depiction is incomplete without several V2s.
Mike Trice asked if I would assess his new-technology V2, and sent me a prototype body to finish as a complete locomotive. He revised the design as I was working on it, so sent me a second body, which I also finished as a complete locomotive. Obviously, other components have to be sourced from elsewhere, but the following photographs show how I got on...
Conclusion
Though I'm definitely a 'metal man' when it comes to locomotive construction, I think the results from using the Mike Trice 3D-printed V2 bodies speak for themselves. They're beautifully finished at source, without 'witness' marks, and capture the look of these elegant ‘Prairies’ perfectly.
Yes, we're soon to have an excellent RTR V2 from Bachmann, but this is an ideal way of getting one for those who like making things. Just be careful with regard to the brittleness of the material, however.
The driving wheels temporarily in place to check the clearances. ‘Internal’ splashers are part of the 3D-print. A nice touch, and often missing from kits for V2s.
The ‘45mm nickel silver pick-ups fully installed. The set of Markits drivers I had were all fully-insulated, so pick-ups were needed both sides. It would make for easy alteration to DCC if necessary, in the future.
This is how the body arrived, along with the Comet parts. The body is designed to fit either a Bachmann V2 chassis (older one) or the Comet frames. The appropriate Isinglass drawing was a prerequisite.
There were no clearance issues, other than my having to file away the footplate’s bottom section in the vicinity of the Comet’s motion support bracket (altered on the subsequent print). Simply drilling and tapping the resin footplate at the rear made screw fixing easy.
Ponies made-up and installed as well, ready for initial road testing. The brakes are also now soldered in place.
In order to get the ride-height right, I fixed a fibre washer underneath the cab.
Using my ancient Jamieson jig, the frames were readily made-up and fitted the body with relative ease. Note how I cut some of the spring detail away to accommodate the pick-ups.
The hefty Portescap installed and the rods on. This locomotive will need to be able to pull heavy loads, so a decent prime-mover is essential.
Cylinder stretcher temporarily in situ and Cartazzi axleboxes soldered in place. In my over-zealous filing of the underneath of the footplate, I damaged one of the internal splashers. I reinstated it with Slater’s Plastikard strip, fixed with superglue.
The body/chassis fit was very snug and I found it necessary to curve the front fixing lugs inwards. Note the slug of lead soldered to the top of the pony to aid stability.
The rear end, with the drawbar arrangement soldered to the rear frames. It’s more secure than gluing to the resin body.
There were no boiler bands printed on the body. Not a problem where lining will be present, but they were needed on the firebox. I used my usual expedient of selfadhesive PVC insulation tape, cut to the desired size.
I ordered a South Eastern Finecast 4,200Gal GS tender, but before I built it, I tested a previous one I’d made for a K3. It married up just fine.
I used Alan Gibson’s short handrail pillars on the cab and medium ones on the smokebox/boiler/firebox, with .45mm nickel silver or brass wire, the pillars being fixed, carefully, with superglue into pre-drilled holes. Note the characteristic wiggly pipes on the smokebox, made from short handrail pillars and 5A fusewire, again secured in place with superglue.
Oh dear! Plastic (of any type) is not my preferred medium for building locomotives, but I was still surprised how brittle the 3D-printed resin was. Drilling the holes to take the buffers and then broaching them resulted in the buffer beam shattering. Drilling (smaller) holes to take the lamp brackets (scrap etch strip) and the smokebox door dart had presented no problems, however.
The resin body is inherently light, so I ballasted it with strip and ‘liquid’ lead, held securely in place with epoxy resin.
Everything, apart from the motion, just about in place now. How did I cure the busted buffer beam? By making a new one, in brass and gluing it in place.
I used my preferred method of soldering lace pins to secure the valve gear together. I find it much easier than riveting.
Now with its tender completed, I think it looks the part.
Complete and ready for painting, cylinder drain cocks were made from 15A fusewire. I didn’t get the positions of the motion support brackets right where they’re attached to the ends of the slidebars. They’re a bit too low, but aren’t that obtrusive, particularly after weathering.
No locomotive I build goes anywhere near the paint shop until it’s been thoroughly road-tested, under full load.
As mentioned, I also built a second V2 from the same source. This one was quicker because I used a spare Bachmann B1 tender. I was more careful with the buffer beam on this one!
My painting skills are not to the standard I insist upon, so both V2s were painted for me by my good friend, Geoff Haynes. A top pro’ paint job is worth it!
After completion, both V2s are seen in full service on ‘Little Bytham’. Both are now ready for the paint shop. 60828 doing what I made it to do – hauling heavy trains on ‘Little Bytham’. An ideal layout locomotive, I think.