Annies getting a facelift:
Need to start thinking about colors
More pics as I get further along
Have fun with your trains
Annie starting a basic interior, balsa slabs and chunks
Then painted brown
from the outside makes a nice difference, gives the impression something is inside, will add some seated figures in future
All this labor and effort to fabricate only to find that you do not have large enough curves to handle the traffic. Have you developed a plan to modify the undercarriage to accommodate the tight turns on the "Pizza"?
Tom Trigg
Hi Tom, the new bottom most layer of the Pizza has an R1 circle, and I'm contemplating expanding the fold down sections to accomodate another R1 loop, Heck I'm contemplating redoing the hold thing to be a little chunk of Britain if I cant figure out some space outside to do so.
Here’s a thought. If you were to cant both axles (on the right side) about 6 to 10 degrees to the center line and extend the couplers by about 3/8 inch then the cars will run on the smaller diam’s, but never again on full size layout. Might be a bit tricky doing same to Elmo, or what ever you are calling Thomas and Percy these days.
Or you could convert to the pivoting axles that Lehmann had on some of their two axle cars. The Lehmann cars with the swing axles can negoitate curves aproximatine R0.5 with absolutely no problems.
Tom,
I just pulled my Annie out of the box to check out your idea. There are wheel wells embedded into the plastic bottom of the car so if you were to cut off the axle mounts and reposition them you would also have to grind some more plastic away for the repositioned wheel wells. Note that the cars tracked fine on the 2 ft radius curved track that came with the set. Not sure how they will do if you go smaller than that.
Rex
Too late
Finally couldnt take those single axles anymore, just too much association with the toy line version so...
Added LGB trucks, got the buffers back to almost exactly the same height as the goods wagon
added a new bolster, 1/2" w x 3/8" h basswood
Side view, the trucks should probably be closer to the ends but the couplers would end up alot farther out too. So I can live with them this way. Now I really need to add the lower running boards.
Still needs painting
Rex in Pinetop Tom, I just pulled my Annie out of the box to check out your idea. . . .
vsmith Too late. Finally couldnt take those single axles anymore . . . .
Not having one I had no idea of the construction of the undercarriage. I was merely trying to give Vic an idea but looks like he went overboard, as usual. (Well, almost anyway.) Vic I like the looks of the "trucked out" car, except that it looks a bit stubby. Have you given any thought into making the car longer?
(Yeap, I’m fitting fire by spraying gasoline on it. Just having a bit of fun at the expense of a "master basher".)
Tom, I like your ideas. Keep them coming.
Vern, Looks good and not a toy anymore.
The thing is that these are perfectly passable as 2-axle late Victorian/early Edwardian coaches, there are several around in preservation, but I'm aiming at closer to WW2 era so the bogies are more correct, plus with all the hubbub about these having trouble operating on R1 curves made me decide to axe the singles, now I have some very nice very big wheels to experiment with. Besides at $36 bucks there inexpensive enough to mess around with, if these were Tenmille or Accucraft coaches they be more like $360 bucks.
way better looking coach
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
Very Nice! I got my sisters kids a Thomas set for christmas and I have been wondering how the coaches would look converted, The freight cars are alot easier the faces just pop off
Painted
Still need to add some detail paintng and a nameplate, I've chosen "Eowyn" and if I ever do the same to another coach it will be called "Arwyn"
Must be having a very senior moment here, or I missed something! How did we make the jump from "Thomas and Friends" to the "Elf Lords?" Like the new color. Needs a touch of either chrome or woodgrain. Think the window "sills" would look great with a bit of woodgrain, chrome door "accessories" to add a touch of "1st Class."
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