What lies beneath

Now that my Ed project is back on track, I have started looking at the jobs that need doing to get it finished. Todays session focuses on the undergubbins. I started off by making the sandboxes. These were cut out from a 3mm strip of 2mm thick plasticard to the right length (8 of one and 4 of another, plus a spare for each). I made the cuts to shape the bottom of the boxes, and then glued some 1mm wide strip on top for the filler caps ( I think they are supposed to be round, but its hard to see under there in any of the photos I have anyway). Finally I glued some round bits on the bottom cos they were there too. Not sure If I'll do the sanding lines yet, they are just asking to break.


Full of the enthusiasm I then made 18 axleboxes to glue on. just a rectangle of 0.5mm plasticard with a 2mm diameter bit of round plastic. I have glued these where they should be rather than in line with the (slightly) incorrect wheel spacing. It's hard to tell that they are not lined up correctly from most viewing angles. I probably should have made a mould and cast all these things, or even had them RP'ed and cast in brass or something, but it was nice to sit at the workbench and churn them out (while watching 'Top Gear' on TV).


After all this I filed the axleboxes so that they were all square, and then added the axlebox retainers at the bottom. These were cut to length from 0.5 by 1mm strip and glued into position


The final step tonight was to add the (well I think it is ) emergency signal trip doodad. I have only seen this well documented on Paul Berntsens model of 101 in the journal, but theres enough photographic to suggest that there is some sort of device in that position, and the rest of the underframe is remarkably uncluttered, so its probably correct.


And this concludes the underframes. Theres only a step to add at one end on each side. I'm not doing the underframe cutouts as they are in the too hard and not seen easily box. My inner finescaler is slumbering quitely in the corner as I type.