'Planet' Progress

I now have a self-propelled model of a self-propelled skip. The 'Planet' is moving! A rare and extremely swift process during a few days of modelling in the last week of my 3 week summer vacation has seen the small Loco Remote 'Planet' evolve from naked 3D printed parts to a running semi-finished state.

Current status on Nystrup Gravel's self-propelled skip: Ready for fitting of the upper works after having gone through its first test runs.

Only a few days ago I had little hope of finishing the self-propelled skip anytime soon, but vacations works wonders and with time enough on my hands, a simple kit and Loco Remote's user friendly mobile phone control solution less than a week on I have a running model ready for the layout at home. Not a finished one, but another piece of running machinery to fit into the production of gravel and sand.

In my last post on the 'Planet' I had begun sanding parts and test fitting them together. From there the first parts were glued, new details were fitted, the drive line was tested and control interface established on my mobile phone. 

Loco Remote has done a lot of work in advance. On/off swith and connecting wires supplied finished. Wires attached to motor/gear box. Loco Remote Mini B unit supplied with kit. I have bought and clipped on the small 3.7 V LiPo battery. These gadgets power the skip in combination with my mobile phone.

Detailing in progress. New front buffer from plasticard. Bolt heads from hexagonal plastic stock and old 1/35 scale etched brass parts to top off the axle boxes. I had to remove a good deal of plastic on the front of the frame to add the new buffer type. The rear buffer will be a piece of wood as no coupling is fitted in that end of the vehicle.

I had planned to divert from the instructions but it turned out that only a few things had to be added out of sequence to make me comfortable. I'm sure it is possible to assemble the model entirely after the supplied instructions.

I thought the top of the frame looked a little bare, so I built a haphazardly applied cover over what would have been a usual open skip chassis with brake hangers and chain transmission. One steel plate and a piece of steel with tread plate pattern make up the covering to ensure no lost gravel gets in the working parts of the 'Planet'. New springs were made from copper wire and AC-glued in place. With the trunnions to carry the skip body glued in place I was ready to prime the underside and sides of the model in preparation for fitting the drive line.

Ready for a coat of my usual primer 'Chaos Black' from Games Workshop.

Primed, wheel sets and O-rings fitted. Mini B-unit fastened between the axles, motor/gear box to the left and battery (still unattached) to the right.

As per the instructions I fitted the electrical components, wheel sets and O-rings. With the power switched 'on' and connection made on the mobile my little 'Planet' took off on my short test track. As the track was very short I dispensed with track and simply ran the model on the table. A clear advantage to battery powered railway models!

The next task is getting the upper parts ready for priming and painting. The skip body needs sanding and fitting of a few details and the cab area is also in need of a little improvement to create my own personal version of a great kit from Loco Remote.