Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Into the chop shop

Today the Life like GP 18 made the first stage of its journey towards being turned into something more useful. I arrived home to find that the lady of the house had been opening my packages again (Hands up all those here who have made special trips home to intercept the mail, or just get 'items' sent to their work address?).



I had a quick look at the plastic chassis and decided that yes, it could be altered, and we could make some space for another bogie height wise under the motor. I also noticed it was one of the early lifelike mechs with a spring drive, and so I could make these a bit longer. The faint hearted may want to look away at this point.

"Aftermath of the Nelson chassis massacre"

The bogie ends were left as is, but the motor mount had the bottom sanded off, and some material removed from the upper side of each end.

I then cut out a 1mm plasticard mount with holes cut in the correct locations, and fixed the bits in place with 5 minute araldite. This will have to be backed by something as there's one thing that araldite doesn't like, and its heat (like from a small electric motor). The drive springs were carefully stretched to fit.
I still have to solder the wires back in place, and buy a center bogie from Atlas.

7 comments:

Andrew Hamblyn said...

A most interesting chassis chop there sir!

Once the Dj is complete, it could be painted white with telecom logos in an effort to justify its plausible existance at Paikakariki...

:)

Ahem, as you were...

AH

Amateur Fettler said...

1968 Test Runs in the Manawatu? And yes, it did actually happen....there were photos on the NZHT Yahoo group a few years back of a Dj on a test train at Forest Lakes.

Kiwibonds said...

And don't forget the 'around the block' twin blue DJ excursion train run in 1990. Although I think it was dark when it came through Paekok on its way back to Wellington...

Motorised Dandruff said...

Why am i running it at Paekakariki again?
(its out of my time frame anyway)

I thought it was heading north for a south island branchline project?

Amateur Fettler said...

I think we just enjoy messing with your mind....

Kiwibonds said...

Surely you'll want something to run with your recabbed DGs?

Motorised Dandruff said...

Hmm, messing with my mind. Good luck looking for it...