Cabbage does it again....

Am_Fet writes:

Things have been exceptionally quiet lately, and save for the fleeting visit of our NY based blog author its just been work and sleep basically. I was thinking the other day that I hadnt heard from Cabbage recently either...turns out hes been busy as well; Just look what turned up in my inbox on Friday:



"Its an Nz120 UK made up of only 2 etches" he stated. "Get a leave pass for Sunday and you can have a look at it". Who was I to turn down such an offer?

SO! Here it is in all its glory, an NZ120 UK in etched brass. It is deigned to be assembled WITHOUT SOLDER (all will be explained!). First, the etch:



The underframe is in one piece and folds up concertina fashion to provide the beams, side sills and twistlocks while the triangular supports fold down as well (one day I should learn wagon nomenclature):







The twistlocks can then be folded up into position, and quite easily too...Cabbage was doing about 1 a second using a "fold and crimp" action:



(And is that a handbrake lever I can see there?)

The last job is to take the deck (with shunters handgrab!)and fold the headstocks UNDER the beams, thus holding the whole thing in place. Of course, you could solder or glue it, and being underneath you could do it as badly as you wanted and no-one need know. :



Note this is still very much in the prototyping stage so could still be miles off (depending on what Cabbage's workload for his own stuff is), but he thinks it could be in the $15 range to produce. Still to be worked out are the bogie mounts and couplers, plus I believe the IA is getting drawn as well.

Possibly the most exciting thing I've received in my inbox this year....