Progress on the railway

It was a busy weekend what with plumbing problems to fix. I did finish the main construction on the tank engine model.

The wheels are drilled out ready to pin in place. I'll make four buffers and fit drive rods, and put 'coal' in the rear hopper once painted. After that comes the question of which colour to paint it. 

Most engines on colonial-era railways were utilitarian black which I find boring. I could paint it black with brass and copper areas for contrast. I also have a nice blue paint - but the end result would look a bit too much like Thomas the Tank Engine.

I'm leaning toward a deep magenta similar to the old London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) livery.

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I've been asked about the materials I use to make molds and castings. The mold is a two-part silicon medium called OOMOO 30 from Smooth-On, available in the US and UK. It mixes at a 1:1 ratio and has a good curing time and shelf-life at room temperatures. Be sure to stir it well, and avoid any contact with water or latex as it won't cure at all.

The resin is KastEZ, a two-part epoxy resin with a short mix life and curing time. Typical decanting time from a mold at room temperature is a matter of ten-fifteen minutes, leading to a quick turnaround time for fast production. It's a little smelly and can be messy. All in all, though, it's easy to work and can be drilled, sanded and cut without problems.

The kit comes with two 8 ounce bottles, a mixing cup, stir-stick and disposable plastic gloves. I find using plastic disposable spoons to be the easiest way to measure out the two parts in the small quantities needed for some casting jobs. 

All in all, though, since I already have the materials and molds I'd be happy to make an engine body and wheels to order for gamers who'd like such an engine. Drop me a line and we can work something out.