Large Scale Central

7/8ths "tin turtle" armoured simplex

Modeling Technical Modeling
#1

So I am gonna do a bit of boasting. Mike Williams (my lurker friend on here and local club member) commissioned me to design him another CAD project. If you recall I designed his sugar cane cars and an oxy/acetylene welding set for him.

His latest project is an armoured cab for his simplex chassis. A replica of the ww1 armored simplex. I designed the two end “cowels” and the roof.

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A second version is soon coming that is a fully enclosed roof.

The doors will be separate styrene pieces so they can be kept thin.

A HUGE GIGANTIC THANK YOU to Dan H for his teaching me to do rivet patterns especially on a curved surface. Not only did Dan tell me how to do it. He provided me with a PDF study guide with pictures. Couldn’t have pulled this off without him

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#2

These are available on his Etsy site if you are looking for a unique 7/8ths train

#3

Here is a picture of the chassis and drive he uses that I designed off of

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#4

I saw this on Facebook, its very nice. And Chris Rennie has done some nice slate wagons, with load. Great stuff. I have a 7/8 Simplex that I bought about 20 years ago. I need to re-motor it, its a fun little engine to have puttering around the layout.

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#5

really excellent work!

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#6

Thank you John. Its was and continues to be a fun project.

#7

I have pretty much deliberately have avoided 7/8ths. The only reason being is that I had no idea what I wanted. I don’t want to go 7/8ths. I want just a single consist for fun running. But everyone does one of two things, either small 2 foot Maine type stuff (which is awesome but I would get addicted) or they do a backwoods geared logger (again awesome and I could get addicted). You do have the sugar plantation stuff which is interesting. I thought I had my mind set to do a small gas mechanical pulling torpedo (molten metal) cars for steel production. Not something seen.

Well then Mike came to me with this. And I instantly knew what my 7/8th train was going to be. First its just a cool and unique model, a little tank. But in a former life I was a cannon cocker. My time in the Marine Corp Reserves was spent with A Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Marines, 4th MarDiv. We were artillery and shot the M198 Howitzer. So a WW1 munitions train hauling shells and powder to the front is right down my alley. I hope to add a couple low sided two axle “wagons” filled with shells and powder to pull behind it. Maybe a small troop car. we will see where it goes.

#8

7/8ths has been described as “Big models of little prototypes,” and they really are. I have a tidy collection of various 7/8ths bits Ive mostly scratchbuilt, and a couple I purchased:

EIMCO mucker

Simplex locomotive

Boxcab project

Trammer

Latrine car

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#9

Well done, Devon. That turned out to be a nice looking little engine. I like your idea about the WW1 munitions train. Are these Simplex chassis off the shelf products or one off custom built items?

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#10

Just what you need , another size to start building stuff for! I have to admire your 100% lack of focus and your 100% ability to keep trying newer sizes/ scales/ gauges! Keep it coming there is a whole bunch of ride on scales you have not started messing with yet!

#11

They are his design and he sells them as complete locos. here is the link to his Etsy shop. He has built several locos of a couple different designs. And the various simplexs are there. So its not really a one off nor is it a stand alone chassis. I am sure if someone were to want to buy just a chassis he would sell you one.

#12

No that’s the whole point Pete. I refuse to go down this rabbit hole. All the work I am doing is for him and we are working a great trade for the work. In a round about way this was a hired commissioned piece. It is not my model, and I won’t be doing much with it. In fact I will be acquiring mine from him and I will only have the one train. I really don’t see myself getting to wrapped up in 7/8ths. Had I not become invested in regular size trains 1:20.3 to 1:29, I very easily could have went strictly 7/8ths. Its a neat size and you can model a lot in a little spot. 7?8ths would have been a better choice for my limited space. But we are not starting over. Heck I even resisted doing 7/8ths for the ceiling. There I am sticking to my rubber 1:24 ish sorta scale that I have been always working toward for my indoor.

#13

Not my idea, it was all him. I just fell in love with the project. I am just the designer. He is the idea and creator.

#14

That is so true Bob. Had I really known in the beginning what I know now about my space and my modeling desires, I really kind of regret not going 7/8ths outdoors right off. The 1:20.3 empire is not really practical in my space nor does it lend itself to the kind of detail I want. Its the major reason I am shrinking the vision (not the layout) from an empire modeled through out the Silver Valley to modeling 1 town in that area and focusing on making the layout basically once giant scene.

Had I went 7/8ths I really could have done a neat large industry. If I did it again my entire layout would be a single steel mill.

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#15

Nice stuff Bob.

There is one of those muckers (they call it a scoop tram) at the CT Antique Machery Assoc. Mining Museum in Kent, CT…

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#16

Here is the fully enclosed cab roof version. This is my personal favorite.

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#17

Still wouldn’t want to be inside that thing if any ordinance exploded nearby!

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#18

Or on any hot day. You sit on the engine next to the exposed radiator in a metal box. Shy of stopping small arms fire this thing would not be fun to be in.

#19

Just name her the ‘Jenny Craig’ :sunglasses:

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#20

Pretty sure I wouldn’t be fat anymore if I ran that for a couple months in a 100 degree heat on war rations.