Gmeinder Gap

[Bilco]

Continuing in the theme of imagineered Gn15 versions of German critters, I thought I would have a bash at a Gmeinder. As I have the motor left over from the UE Inspection Car body I butchered to make Welsh Ernie I'm using it as the power unit - with a little modification.




The hapless power unit after I attacked it with a variety of sharp implements. The side skirts succumbed to the trusty Xuron cutters, and the base plate was narrowed with razor saw and knife. The base plate was a bit flimsy after that assault, so some stiffening was added. Amazingly, after this hideous mistreatment, the unit still runs





The Gmeinder underpinnings are based on drawings I found on Buntbahn, adapted to match the Wot the Deutz and Diema-like dimensions of 70mm long and 35mm wide, but the side-frames are deeper. The buffer beams are an odd shape, too, and took several goes to get right.





Looking into the underpinnings, showing the false 'floor' that the power unit is screwed to, in order to get the height right. Also visible are some of the white-metal bars that I fixed between the 'floor' and footplate to add weight.





Underpinnings and power unit mated together. The extra weight certainly improves running. Next job is to add details to the side-frames - I have some ancient white-metal axle box/spring units I found in the back of the garage which are a reasonable representation of the Gmeinder units. They will add some more weight and I won't have to wrestle with quite so many fiddly little bits of plasticard.

[Arthur Inch]

Bill, neat job, like the idea of the "skirt"

Re "Underpinnings and power unit mated together" has your modification stopped the power unit from rocking?

Ps if your not using your light, can I have it please!

[dieselwater]

Hi Bill,

A smashing foundation to an exciting critter build. I love how you make great adaptions of prototypes.

[Ken Hamilton]

With the mechanism tucked down into the frame,
all types of detailing are possible up top!
I'll be watching this very closely.
Nice work, Bill.

[Bilco]

Many thanks for the kind comments chaps - Ernie-bashing seems to be 'in' at the moment!

Arthur - yes, the rocking fore and aft was a problem, particularly when I cut off the little platform the driver stands on. I experienced it when I did the Ernieplex critter, and the fix is to glue a piece of 1.5mm plasticard under the baseplate so that end of the motor unit is supported - you can see it in the photo on my previous post. I did the same at the other end as part of the stiffening and attachment work, and the motor unit is held in place - not rigidly, but with very little rock or twist. It runs well with the additional weight at respectably slow speed.

The white-metal axlebox/spring units are a little too unlike the Gmeinder for my liking, so I'm using the units off Steve Bennett's Gnat sideframes, and I'll have to think of another wheeze to add weight low down.

Hours of fun

[michael]

Bill A great start on this model very nice foundation, I think that the next model I will follow your lead and use styrene instead of card, it just looks a lot crisper. I will be following along with your build.

[Bilco]

Thanks Michael - plasticard has a lot of virtues and has been my material of choice for many years. The various sections available help a lot, too.

Meanwhile, progress is being made at what is, for me, a cracking pace.



Despite using the axle-box/spring units off the Gnat side-frames I still ended up fiddling about with little bits of plasticard, losing the usual quota in the pile of the carpet. The result is a bit more Gmeinder-ish than the white-metal ones, but is more "in the manner of" rather than accurate representations.




I've made a start on the engine compartment, and now need to apply some elbow-grease and a sanding block to get the top curvature right.





I've made an oversize cut-out in the front for the grill. A thin overlay with the correct size opening will go on the front, leaving a recess for the grill behind, if I've got it right.

[Arthur Inch]

Bill, thanks for tips on solving the " rocking motion" now my little fella runs much better!

and I'll have to think of another wheeze to add weight low down.

[Bilco]

Hi Arthur - Glad to be of assistance! The weights look very neat - I have a tin of fishing weights somewhere.


A little progress this weekend:





The engine compartment has been profiled and the joins filled with Tipp-Ex to get a smooth finish. I've stuck the overlay on the front and the resulting recess works as I intended. I've also made 2 assemblies for the coupler pockets, each one from 11 pieces of plasticard More work with the sanding block to get the curve right is in prospect.

[Olov Kalderén]

Just a small comment on the coupler pockets - they are not the same size. The rear one is bigger and heavier then the one in front to compensate for the weight of the engine. This way the axel load is equal on both axels.
It might not matter to you, but as a Gmeider owner I just happens to know...
/Olov

[Ken Hamilton]

This is turning out great. What a nice job of scratchbuilding!
Good work.

[Bilco]

Thanks chaps. Olov - that's a very useful piece of information. It seems to be quite difficult to find a photo of the back of a Gmeinder 10/12, but I found this site http://www.uhlenhooker-feldbahn.de/Aktuelles.htm which had a side view drawing which shows that the rear buffer beam is deeper than the front - although the pictures of the actual restored loco show quite a different style of buffer beam! I'll make sure mine is right

[Bilco]

Also found this http://www.buntbahn.de/modellbau/viewtopic.php?t=8696 on Buntbahn - a bit more high-powered than my effort, but useful 3-D drawings and parts shown.

[dieselwater]

Smashing job so far Bill

Here's a link to a few more Gmeinders:

http://www.werkbahn.de/photos.htm

[Artizen]

I love buntbahn.

Makes my efforts look really sad in comparison.

Nice array of tools to make every part you need in stunning detail. Need to win the lottery now to have fun at that level.

But the Gmeinder being concocted here is every bit as good because it is being built with the heart with everyday materials instead of what looks to be about $100,000 worth of equipment!!!!!!

[Bilco]

A little more progress this weekend:



Front and rear buffer beams now finished (thank you for the heads-up on those, Olov), and louvred doors fitted to the engine compartment. Lots more fiddly little pieces of plasticard to come for latches and hinges

[dieselwater]

It's coming on Bill. Good shaping work there

[Bilco]

Thanks for your comments and links, David. This weekend has seen a lot more of those pesky, fiddly little pieces of plastic being lost in the pile of the carpet - in fact I think that there must be so many they stay on the surface now, so that I can find them again. Some even got stuck to the critter.



From the front - fiddly bits of plastic well in evidence - and a fiddly piece of brass.




Side-on - the cab front and sides turned out better than I expected, so I'll probably keep them.




The view from the rear shows the gearbox in process of development. The real thing is long and narrow, but I have to cover the back of the mechanism, and that is short and wide! Things are obviously different on the 15" gauge version.

I've been reading the label on the Plastic Weld I've been using and see that it says "Do not inhale, harmful" - never affected me

[gfadvance]

Bill,

thoroughly enjoying following this build, its looks great!

Looking at yours you have definitely captured the "look" better than my attempt especially around the bonnet shape



note to self ;- really, really must finish a few models


Think you have most of the info but there might be some more info buried in my build thread supplied by other Gnatterers's

http://forum.gn15.info/viewtopic.php?t= ... highlight=

[Bilco]

Hi Gordon - nice to see your Gmeinder critter again - definitely time it was painted though . The sources you mentioned in your thread have been very useful - it's amazing what information is out there.

[Bilco]

Some progress has been made, but Izzy will have to wait a bit before she can get her hands on her critter.





It's just a kit of parts at the moment, as I try to summon up the bottle to start painting it - given my track record in this department

I've eased myself into it gently, with the smaller, simpler parts primed, and done some masking on the footplate. I shall paint the assemblies separately and then stick it all together, on the grounds that I can't louse the whole thing up that way. This isn't my usual way of working, but I tried it with the Diema-like and it worked out quite well. Watch this space

[Willow Creek Traction]

This weekend has seen a lot more of those pesky, fiddly little pieces of plastic being lost in the pile of the carpet

Just imagine the mystery you will provide for some future archaeologist

Watch this space

Will do

[Bilco]

It was all going so well .... I primed the footplate and engine cover with red car undercoat spray, and all looked OK. I then sprayed on Railmatch Royal Mail Red - the footplate went well, but there were strange surface tension effects around the hatch on top of the engine cover and the cab front (which I'd stuck to the cover). I tried a further gentle spray but in the end the Model Strip had to be bought into play.

Now the engine cover is back down to the primer, and the sides of the cab are stuck back on - they came off during the cleaning process - I'll try again. I've brought the can of Royal Mail Red indoors to keep it warm, and I'll shake it until my eyes wobble in an attempt to get decent spray coverage.

Perhaps I should have all my locos in car primer colours, as they seem to work every time

Forrest - you can stand down from watching this space for now.

[Bilco]

It's not going well - I stripped off the first attempt at painting the engine compartment and tried to respray it very carefully. I warmed the can and shook it can until my teeth rattled in sympathy with the ball bearing, then I sprayed a little at a time - and got the dreaded orange-peel effect. No matter what I did it just got worse

I suspect that I hadn't shaken the can enough the first time around, and sprayed all the carrier and not much paint, giving the surface tension problem I encountered at first. Then what was left was thick paint and not much carrier, so I got spots of thick paint instead of a smooth coat the second time.

I thought that weathering would hide it - but as you see, it didn't.




So - I'm in the process of building a replacement engine compartment, and I bought a new can of paint from Howes this morning, so I hope the mark 2 will be better. But don't hold your breath

[Olov Kalderén]

Sorry about the paint job. Good luck with the new attempt!
As you ca see in the photo there are examples of real ones with less successfull paint jobs...

Yes, it's mine and it lacks the front buffer in the photo (but I have it!).
/Olov