A few construction shots of my newly constructed diesel critter.
The bonnet/hood is half a can of spam, well a cheap copy of SPAM.
Now a look underneath:
This is an IP Engineering budget chassis that I cut a hole in the middle and added 2 AA cells.
More photos later
Regards, Matthew.
Rex: Here’s another concept for your mailbox construction.
The original diesel I built was among the first things I had a go at and I have been wanting to relpace it with a more detailed and robust body. First thoughts came when I saw a construction photo of a 16mm scale critter that used a Corned Beef can/tin.
I carefully cut a can of fake Spam in half with a hacksaw and used it as the basis for a design. I then sought inspiration on a number of websites and stole the ideas I thought would fit. One of the things I wanted to do with this critter was to have everything underneath so that changing batteries would be possible in a moment and no more.
Thus I took my hacksaw to the middle of a very old IP Eng. budget chassis and managed to fit a twin AA cell holder between the axles. This meant no wheel movement and side skirts to hide the batteries. The plus side is no messing about with coupling rods. I used a cheap DPDT switch to give me twin directions and stop. The 2 AA batteries produce a speed of around 10kph (15mph-ish).
Plywood chassis skirts and buffer beams were given plastic rivets from two sources, Cambrian Models and a Japanese model supplier (found at my local hobby shop).
On to the body. I had in mind those droopy-eye windows one sometimes sees on diesels. A good example is the Brandbright ‘Cricket’. The next photo shows the result of cutting the windows out with a scrollsaw and cleaning up with small files.
The photo above shows a spray with Tamiya Fine primer, which took to the metal surface of the can without need of a metal primer, phew!
The cab view shows the lack of detail yet, though more will be added.
I made a porthole in each side panel which I may leave open or cover with weather boards, not sure yet.
The next post will show a completed cab a
Coolness [:)][tup]
Toad
Matt
thanks for posting, I recieved a link to your site from the Yahoo Group…I gotta tell you, I’m wanting to dip the toe into 7/8 and couldn’t find the “right” hood to use…the Spam Can is ideal! thanks for the inspiration! now to turn Inspiration into Perspiration!
cale
Thank you for taking the sequential pixes. They are educational and inspirational to me.
Les W.
Well, my wife got to name it and she chose ‘Plum’ or Ume (oo-meh) in Japanese as I try to choose names that reflect local foods. Plums are grown and mostly pickled until painfully sour.
So, with plums we have a choice of purple or light green (the Japanese ones anyway). I already have a light green Nashi (Pear) so it had to be purple.
The front radiator is from the Cambrian Models range and is a Ford rad. The purple paint is a spray can of gloss from my local model shop (Hobby the Tommy, no really!)
The exhaust pipe is just a couple of bits of pen bodies, roughed up with sandpaper and brush-painted silver/grime. I added some rust, which needs to have a cover coat of grime and dirt to tone it down some.
The curved roof is 2 pieces of plasticard, superglued together while I bent them in what I hoped was the correct curvature. Luckily it fit well. In the cab, the brake wheel is also from Cambrian as they are plastic and next to nothing costwise.
This reverse view shows the gearstick (just a ball of clay on a brass wire). I didn’t do the droopy windows on the rear as it takes a lot of effort. Another porthole is so much easier. Now to give a coat of flat matt varnish:
Still left to do is the multi-height couplers (making them right now), make a driver from clay, add a rather sleepy dog and a few other details.
More when I do more…
Another possible can that would be good as a bonnet/hood is the corned beef can. I’m saving this for future use. It has the added interest of being tapered (smaller one end than the other).
PS - I have no connection to Libbys - mores the pity.
Regards,
Congratulations Matthew!!!
This model amply demonstates what I love about 16mm scale. It is built out of scrap, recycled “bits and bobs” and demonstrates that a garden railway need not be expensive.
Most of all the loco looks the part!!!
regards
ralph
Pear and Plum with my tea…oh man your right Matt about sour! But I cheerfully drank away.
Tost! To Spam Cans!!!
Toad
PS send me some food plates, bowls over to here, I don’t have those
Spam in a Can!
Great model and a great idea, but I’d be worried about my dog constantly following it around …[:P]
Appreciate the kind words guys, many thanks.
This week I will make and paint a suitably relaxed driver to sit on the wooden bench seat. I’ll post a final photo towards Friday.
Bestest,
I like it! My wife will be suitably impressed with the color, though I’m reluctant to show her this lest she want one herself. 
Later,
K
Battery powered purple people eater with a spam can fuselage! BRAVO! If I ever win the lottery I will get Brockway Locomotive to build me the real thing for my backyard, but I’ll need a lot of spam cans!
Rich
Appreciate the comments guys, cheers!
Here is one with nameplates:
Just finished the station and platform in the background, shall post pics later, though lots on my website.
Regards,
Hi Matt
That looks neat but what ever did you do to make it so sad[:D]
The purple is a bit much have you thought of puting cats whiskers and stripes or something on it to tone the purple down a bit??
Is the van a home brew or a kit ??
regards John Busby
cats whiskers…perked my ears up!
Toad
Hi Toad
Cats whiskers in the context of trains is a type of V stripe found on the front of UK trains and some in the colonies in the 1960’s.
You start at the point of the V the sides curve up to the waist line of the loco or rail car then a solid line runs down the length of the loco and conects to another of the curved V’s at the other end.
Refered to on the UK as cats whiskers.
That should be as clear as mud.[:D]
regards John Busby
Yeah Santa Fe has them to in white and not sure which other colors.
Toadie
Hi John,
No plans for wasp stripes as it is suppose to be from much earlier. Yes, I know it doesn’t look very vintage but, well there you go.
Regards,