I wanted to make a shunter for my 009/H0e model railway that looked
That's a neat job on the chassis - I like rod-coupled diesels. Now for a conversion of the Knightwing body!
Now it was time to tackle the body modifications required to fit the 00-gauge Knightwing diesel locomotive body to the Graham Farish Class 14 n-gauge diesel chassis.
The first job was to plate over the existing hole in the chassis plate using plasticard stuck to the bottom of the plate. This would give me flat surface to mount the GF chassis to.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1276.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy462%2FRetiarius%2F009%2520Knightwing%2520shunter%2Fknightwing-kit-bottom_zpsec8dbe26.jpg&hash=b115d542a6a7be427692c8bf9c2780841b173021)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1276.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy462%2FRetiarius%2F009%2520Knightwing%2520shunter%2Fknightwing-kit-top_zps8edc21f0.jpg&hash=550b84ac3590d961177ac1c48d7939bc9409778a)
This was done before any parts were cut so that it was easier then to cut the Knightwing chassis to length and width
Whilst not wishing to criticise this model in any way, with regard to the practice of putting a standard gauge 4mm body on an N gauge chassis to produce a 009 loco, you might like to look at a real (full size) standard gauge loco and imagine it on 2' gauge track. Remember the VoR locos are about the widest 2' gauge locos in this country and they are 8' (?) wide.
I think you should look at reducing ALL dimensions of the body somehow.
Rod
http://www.precisionlabels.com/shunt/jpageB11.html (http://www.precisionlabels.com/shunt/jpageB11.html) managed 2.5 doors on the bonnet
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi22.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb343%2Fmbox4uk%2Fkam01xxl.jpg&hash=8d5050c5ece934b0187f7379cfe629384568ace8)
An article on RMweb.co.uk - free membership needed, managed 3 doors on a Kato tram chassis - see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/tags/gallery/industrial%2Bdiesel/ (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/tags/gallery/industrial%2Bdiesel/)
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but I wanted a longer, more powerful looking rod driven diesel,and have managed 4 doors
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1276.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy462%2FRetiarius%2F009%2520Knightwing%2520shunter%2Fknightwing-kit-assembled_zpsabb28b60.jpg&hash=2243cb417794b8f7a057f821fefaa02b313b34ce)
So I am content as I think that it better looks the part with the longer bonnet.
The joy of freelance modelling is that we do what we want and enjoy :)
It doesn't look bad to me - sort of a big main line industrial, although the Lyd2 is bigger. The longer hood looks better proportioned than the small ones in the other photos. It's better than a Drewry conversion in all respects.
Personally when it comes to the Knightwing body I would be tempted to narrow the cab front & back by making both the windows of equal size. The result is something that is still 'beefy' but does not look like its standing on tiptoes, though some of that effect can be minimised by adding bulk to the chassis - outside frames help!
Here is one I made earlier...
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.staticflickr.com%2F4041%2F4327598806_ae061fe07b_o.jpg&hash=58e9cc1d3ddb46ff0b28ff6660a4045a4718cbf9) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_webb/4327598806/)
DSCF0197 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_webb/4327598806/) by webbcompound2 (http://www.flickr.com/people/julien_webb/), on Flickr
Quote from: JulienW on December 13, 2013, 10:59
Personally when it comes to the Knightwing body I would be tempted to narrow the cab front & back by making both the windows of equal size. The result is something that is still 'beefy' but does not look like its standing on tiptoes, though some of that effect can be minimised by adding bulk to the chassis - outside frames help!
Here is one I made earlier...
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.staticflickr.com%2F4041%2F4327598806_ae061fe07b_o.jpg&hash=58e9cc1d3ddb46ff0b28ff6660a4045a4718cbf9) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_webb/4327598806/)
DSCF0197 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_webb/4327598806/) by webbcompound2 (http://www.flickr.com/people/julien_webb/), on Flickr
Nice model Julien, what chassis did you use to get the outside frames?
Yes it is an interesting model indeed, Julien. Shades of the West Clare? It's not the Liliput rod-driven chassis under there, is it?
Quote from: Retiarius on December 13, 2013, 18:07
Nice model Julien, what chassis did you use to get the outside frames?
Quote from: tedp on December 13, 2013, 19:36
Yes it is an interesting model indeed, Julien. Shades of the West Clare? It's not the Liliput rod-driven chassis under there, is it?
It's not a Lilliput chassis. It started out as a Fleischmann bogie diesel (7040?) on which I replaced the wheels and axles with those from Nine Lines County Donegal wagons. The 12mm gauge axles with the wheels pushed in gave enough extra length to fit cast brass fly ranks from Meridian, and then replacement plastic and keeper plates were made that incorporated dummy outside frames that were slotted to fit over the axles.
The body used parts from 2 kits to get bonnets & radiators at both ends. I have another chassis somewhere and a Knightwing kit so the plan is to make a second one, though I recall converting the chassis to make a 009 Pechot Bourdon - but decided against 4 sets of Walscherts valve gear!
That explains the spoked wheels! An extraordinary loco all the same, Julien.
Back to the loco being built by Retiarius, I don't think the wide cab detracts from its appearance. But then all my own locos are to colonial dimensions! I love the layshaft and the long coupled wheelbase. I might try something like that myself!
Just a quick update - after 17 months! It has taken me that long, and the building of a dedicated modelling workshop, to get around to finishing this model.
The Knightwing shunter has now received windows, handrails and nameplates by Narrow Planet. I named and numbered the loco in memory of my father who was born in '23 and received the D.F.M. from King George VI on the morning of V.E. Day' May 8th 1946. He died 20 years ago and I miss him every day.
The loco has been 'dirtied' using my first use of Games Workshop Citadel paints. The dirt is a wash using "Nuln Oil" and the rusty exhaust used a base-coat of "Typhus Corrosion" then a dry-brushing of "Ryza Rust" followed by a top coat of of "Typhus Corrosion". Where do they get those names from!
Overall I am pleased with the Games Workshop paints and will explore using more of them in the future.
Now I just need to sort out the Led lights and glue the cab roof on when it is all wired up.
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Just a quick update to show how well the Graham Farish Class 14 n-gauge chassis works under my Knightwing shunter conversion. A scale lower speed of <1.4 mph and a scale top speed of 24 mph (set on the Digitrax DZ125 DCC decoder) are easily achieved, either light engine or when pulling a train.
A YouTube clip of the slow running characteristics of this chassis can be seen here http://youtu.be/pDtNAAyGiwg