Roderic's Works

I am attempting to build a steam locomotive, following the tutorial on the Steam4me website. The above masterpiece is supposed to be an LSWR B4 0-4-0T. All I can say is that it goes, without boiler or cylinders, and couples and uncouples beautifully, without any couplings. I am stuck on the buffers at present. This is as character building as having toothache.

Here is is a Billinton D3 0-4-4T being built at the same time.

Go for it, Roderic!

I made the buffers and learnt a lot of new things. I am following instructions, but I think I would prefer to make separate parts, texture them, and then fit them together, saving each part for future use.

The loco couples well and buffers up well at the front, but there is a very slight overlap at the rear end, which needs to be adjusted. I learnt a lot about this too and made notes. Quite a performance it was, going backwards and forwards in Norwood yard coupling up to Darwin Smith's reliable coaches.

That's the way I approach my wagon and carriage building. It saves a lot of time when you can use standard parts in more than one model! Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Alec. I thought that was probably the way to go. R

Easy to save parts.
Just click Parts and choose Create Part File Merge List.

This not only creates a list but copies each part into your chosen folder.
Always best to texture as you go. That way you can identify parts more easily and discover part textures you misses out of the ace file.

You do not need to make everything - most of us are willing to share parts and textures.

I wasn't aware of that and need to see exactly how it works.

For myself I currently create the basic parts for a particular set of carriages; e.g. wheels, axles, hook, buffers, roof, etc. I then put them together as a starter for each individual carriage. The basic element can then be copied into all relevant carriages. I then work up the items that are specific to a carriage; e.g. ends, partitions, seats, sides, vents, etc.

As is usual we all develop a routine that we are comfortable with and in my case it has worked pretty well.

Thank you very much indeed for kind words and encouragement. Thank you, Ian, for the idea of sharing parts. I should like to try to make everything myself, but I might trouble you for the odd rivet or screw-link coupling. Textures could be difficult. I am going to Sussex to spend a weekend on the Bluebell, which should help, but how to acquire a picture of a boiler backhead I do not know. There are images on the web, but I should have track down the owners and ask permission to use them.   I shall use Darwin Smith's cab views.

Steady progress at the works on new locomotives.

My other job this week is as a juice bloke on the London Bridge to Crystal Palace run.

I have got these units fitted with a four-notch controller and the non-self-lapping Westinghouse Automatic Brake, giving, I hope, realistic acceleration and braking. The sound has also been modified. It makes a change from thundering down the line to Tonbridge with a King Arthur or steaming around Sussex with an I3 or a Wainwright D.
Roderic

Here is my attempt to texture as you go: not quite right yet, but at least I have managed to shape the ends of the valence.

Steady progress with this creation, but we have got to persuade the coupling rods to work.
Roderic

Slow progress here: I seem to have to do everything twice before I get it right, and I have been away in Sussex photographing bits and pieces for texturing.
Roderic

Only twice! I'm impressed as initially I expect to do certain parts at least three and it's taken me four efforts just for the sides to the LNWR King's Saloon!

Thanks, Alec. It is a great comfort to know that someone of your experience has to re-do things. Actually I had four attempts to get the buffers right but, fortunately, I had saved each component as a separate part, so it wasn't too difficult to alter things and reassemble a buffer.

Roderic

RIGFindlay wrote: . . . but, fortunately, I had saved each component as a separate part, so it wasn't too difficult to alter things and reassemble a buffer.

Roderic

That's how I build up all of my models, trying to get each component something like; e.g. buffer heads, buffer shank, etc. and similar for wheels and bogies. To me it's all part of the enjoyment! You then combine all the parts to create the final model - just like an Airfix or Revell kit. It means if you do discover a mistake it's a lot easier to amend one small bit and adjust the final model to suit.

This creation is coming on, following the Steam4Me tutorial. The rods are successfully animated. I think I will make the buffers from separate parts, textured as I make them.




Slow but sure progress here. Darwin Smith kindly supplied the driving wheels, which have yet to be lined.

Roderic

It's all looking good, and I shall continue to watch with interest.

What should I do about shine? The cab front and rear, inside and out are all Alphnorm at present. If I attempt to make any part anything other than Solidnorm or Alphnorm, the Sim crashes. I should like to have some parts half bright, for example.

Roderic

Unfortunately I only know what I know, but in order to get an alpha effect it's necessary to create an alpha channel for the relevant ACE file using TGA Tools. Sorry if I'm teaching granny to suck eggs!

RIGFindlay wrote:

What should I do about shine? ..............Roderic

Have a look here :

http://msts.steam4me.net/tutorials/supershine.html

Thank you both. The Steam4Me tutorial is very interesting.

Roderic

Steady work on this machine. Better coupling rods are needed, and better textures and lots more parts to be added. Much time has been spent seeing how other people do things, making notes and working out my own preferences. Roderic

Your work is showing great promise, and I'm impressed as to where you have reached.

Thank you, Alec. I am deliberately going slowly and trying to work out the most efficient way to do things so that future work should be easier.
Roderic

Steady, but rather slow, work on the D3 0-4-4T.
Roderic

I have two Wainwright Cs in Southern livery ready to upload: one in black, lined green, and one in plain black. I have Danny Gilbert's permission to upload them, but I should like to show them to him before I upload them, and he has disappeared off the map. Could someone kindly put me in touch?

Roderic

Hi Roderic,
You have a PM

Cheers,
Ged

Hi Ged,

Thanks.

Roderic

Still plodding away at building a locomotive.

If I make a taper on the driving wheel treads, when checking part geometry, I get an error: non-planar polygons.

Is that fatal?

Roderic

I have been working on this locomotive for some time. One problem is the black line on top of the boiler and buffers. Darwin Smith suggested wrapping the texture, but I failed to make that work. Paul Gausden's E2 is standing alongside to remind me how things should be done.

Any suggestions please?

Roderic