Mapleton Tramway Whole Stick Cane Wagon Prototype

Over the last few weeks I have been busy designing in Tinkercad various iterations of how I have interpreted the plans for these wagons from John Knowles' book "The Mapleton Tramway". Now I think I have finally settled on the designs to use for the prototype and follow on sets.

There wasn't a specific set for the Whole Stick Cane Wagons as used on the tramway however reading the book and examining the photos lead me to an interesting revelation. The Mapleton sugar cane wagons were very versatile. Running on the smell of an oily rag, the Tramway made do with what they could afford and re-purpose.

I learnt that these wagons were actually used as bogie wagons when needing to pull log disconnects on logs too large to be put on the usual long flatbeds. They also used these as mini flatbeds for carrying cases of produce and other supplies to the communities along its route.

So using the plans for the log bogies and referencing various photos and a plan for the sugar wagons used by the Moreton Mill in Nambour (similar but not the same as far as I could tell), I scaled the plans 1:20.3 that my Shay is made in and converted to metric (mm).

I 3D printed the chassis, side frames, wheel brake, and brake handle supports. I used strip wood for the timber areas and stained these with the ink/metho blend to age the timber. I'm just deciding if these need to be darker or look perfectly OK. I'll let the reader comment their thoughts. Brass was used for the brake handle, log bolster chain hooks and swivel, and locator pins for the log bolster and removable end stanchion. The wheel sets are to scale 13" as used on the Tramway and these were sourced from the UK. One day I'll teach myself to use a metal lathe! The wheel gauge is not to scale for this Tramway but to 45mm so I can use it on the Club's G layout.

I also designed and printed a individual storage case for the wagon to protect it when in transit.

I've printed another 7 sets of 3D prints to clean up and assemble. I still have to cut all the timber required to make the 7 sets. I also have to print off 7 storage cases. I will then have to get the correct size chain (well as close as possible) for the log bolsters and disconnect connections, sort out coupling pins and chains. Then sugar cane loads (old straw broom bristles), logs, and produce/supplies wooden cases. Busy, busy, busy!

Logging bogie / sugar wagon

Front of storage case. What could be in here?

A sugar wagon securely stowed

The utilitarian sugar wagon. The brake end is fixed

Head on view of the brake end

Brake assembly on the left end wheel

The non brake end removed and the logging bolster fixed into place ready to become a logging bogie

Top view (excuse the chipped paint on the bench)

2024 and into 2025 update

I'll fess up to my slackness with blog updates for 2024 and now into 2025. I just didn't have much to say as what I was doing was slow going or not happening at all. 

The Qld Sugar Loco has still to run on rails pending the redevelopment of my control software. This had progress towards the end of 2024 but has stalled again because as usual with this hobby there are numerous sub-hobbies that distract you or get priority. 

The main topic of update for 2024 was the purchase of the Accucraft Shay 13T Class A live steam G scale loco modelled on the Mapleton Tramway prototype here in Qld (up behind Nambour). It has taken me quite a while to get used to how to run this loco as it has numerous quirks compared to my Roundhouse Bertie which is so simple to run. I have been engaged with a G Scale forum on the matter of its running quirks and have had some wins on the board but still working out some issues. The one really odd thing is that my loco has a issue with the burner going out if the smokebox door is closed. It has less chance of going out if it is open. Hence why in the photos and videos below you will see it open. It does run better though when pulling a train of wagons. I have borrowed my Bertie's train of 1:19 English narrow gauge wagons which it pulls well. One of my fellow G scalers loaned me his logging wagons for a run and it pulled them really well and looks great. So a train of those is a must. 

Which brings me to what I'm doing modelling this year. As the prototype Shay was used to pull full stick (old style) sugar cane wagons, general goods and animal freight, logs and timber, and passengers this little railway has many pieces of rollingstock I could model. One thing I realised when reading about the railway and looking at old photos was an ingenious way they used the cane trucks. These were very utilitarian. One end had a fixed frame handbrake attached. The other end was removable. Why would this be removable? Because they also used them as log disconnects by putting in a pivot bolster in the middle of the wagon. They also used them as small flatcars for transporting boxed goods etc. So these will be the first thing I model because of the variety of uses that can be shown. 

I purchased a new 3D printer in February (Anycubic Kobra S1 with the ACE Pro multi filament system) to replace my aging Creality Ender 3 (one of the original models from 5-6 years ago which technology has raced past). 

Over the last couple of weeks I have designed and printed a prototype wagon based on wagon plans I have access to (along with a bit of modeller's license) which I am happy with. It will be hybrid merge of 3D plastic and scale timber for that authentic look. I was able to purchase scale steel wheel sets that match the 1:20.3 of the rollingstock. These a pretty good weight wise so I may not need extra weight to counter the lightness of the plastic. So hopefully this will encourage me to provide regular updates on the progress of this wagon's development for my readers. I intend to do 8 of these wagons to start with. 

Ciao for now 

Greg

2023 - Where did it go?

Well I have no idea where it went and apologies for the complete lack of updates during the year that was 2023.

The year started with the completion of the painting of the Qld Sugar Loco, suitably scaled to represent Qld 2 foot gauge. So it looks quite big placed on the club's 45 mm G track. I had decided to try a new programming language (Micropython) for the train microcontroller and this kept me busy when I got a chance to devote time and brain capacity to it. As of this blog's date of posting I hadn't looked at it since about October but intend to get back to it this year. If it doesn't work out within a couple of months then I will revert to Arduino code.

Mid year I finally took delivery of my Roundhouse "Bertie" live steam loco. Initially not remote controlled I later put a servo in it and control it via a Micron R/C controller and receiver. This has been keeping a smile on my face every time I run it on the club's 45mm track. 

Bertie in steam. Not radio controlled at time of photo

To complement the steam loco I have also been progressively putting together a number of resin kits I ordered from the UK to give it that narrow gauge industrial freight look.

Brake van in last stages of painting and construction. Red to match loco colour.

Completed water and open sided wagons

Small box van and open wagon primed and waiting for final painting

For a bit of fun at the club's Xmas modelling competition I entered a section of 45mm G gauge track suitably landscaped and weathered to give it an abandoned look.

Well that's the 2023 wrap up. Hopefully I can be a bit more diligent in the blog updates in 2024.

July 2022 update

Well those 7 months flew by!

So what has happened since the December wrap?

I did purchase a LocoRemote controller and installed it in the diesel shunter. Works very well and a very compact unit. The webpage displayed on the smartphone is similar to my own but it has some nice features that I will have to look into.

I did 3D print RM55 "Red Fred". I obtained the original STLs from madram.net, sliced it up in Meshmixer in order to print it at 1:19 scale to give it close to prototype Qld Railways 3'6" gauge (3" in scale but what is 6" at that scale - don't go there ;-) ). Some tinkering in Tinkercad then through Cura to get the print file (gcode). I had to design and print a number of custom parts as well as rescale a number of STLs from Thingiverse. It uses a Tamia gearbox kit powered by a 6V battery. I designed and soldered my own protoboard for the various bits of electronics to run it. Priming and painting, mostly by airbrush, has produced a very nice replica. I tried airbrush pinstriping and letter stencilling as well, which came out pretty good. Here are some photos and videos of "Fred" at the RMCQ G track.

I am still saving for the live steamer, whether that is a kit or RTR I'm now reconsidering my options. We'll have to see if Mr Tax Man gives me a nice refund this year!

What's next? A Qld Sugar Cane Loco, similar to "Daintree", a dual bogie loco. I've printed the cab, engine hood and chassis, along with some bits and bobs. I have to source a couple of power bogies and I think I will try to emulate the LocoRemote controller setup.

Until the next update, happy modelling.

December 2021 wrap

The final blog update for 2021 may not be all that big however I have been busy with a few things.

Following on from the success of the J70 (Toby) tram project I began looking around for the next G project. This lead me down the path to narrow gauge industrial railways and discovering sixteen mm to the foot scale (1:19). As the club track is 45mm the choice between SM32 or SM45 was already made - SM45 (sixteen mm on 45mm gauge). 

Using the links provided by the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers (https://www.16mm.org.uk/) I researched what was on offer in kit form. I also joined to get access to a variety of publications. All kits seem to be reasonably priced however I thought what was on offer in 3D land. Thingiverse provided a number of options for the loco and wagons. So I fired up the 3D printer and started printing these 'kits' out. It took probably a week of sporadic printing in between going to work and being at home to keep an eye on the printer but once done the assembling began. First the loco. Superglue slow set gel was my preferred adhesive. Painting either via airbrush or hand was then used to bring the model to life followed by some light weathering. I printed a driver and painted him up. My thoughts at this scale there is no excuse for not having a driver (just a pet peeve that in the smaller scales no drivers are put in the cabs by most manufacturers - how hard would it be at very little additional cost)!

Then onto the wagons. I found a tipper in G scale that I altered to suit 16mm. I could also use the wagon chassis as the base for other wagons like a passenger seat wagon and tools flatbed.

Following a bit of post printing prep work on the tipper body using Tamiya white filler, acetone to thin it down, and an art rubber spatula, I was able to smooth out the print lines into a solid looking one cast tipper bucket. An undercoat spray was used (Tamiya red) followed by Tamiya Dark Iron XF-84 airbrushed on made these tippers look really good (in my opinion any way).

Whilst all this modelling was going on I also revisited the control app I used for Toby. I was concerned that as it was written in a code I didn't understand or could export easily, if anything happened to the publisher of the app writer (MIT App Inventor) I would be in a bit of a problem. So I started looking into the options. Coincidentally in my 16mm research I stumbled on LocoRemote (http://locoremote.co.uk/) in the UK who does what I was thinking of doing myself. So taking inspiration from his browser control I started the research. After many weeks/months of going down various rabbit holes I came back to the KISS principle and settled on basic HTML, Javascript and CSS style sheets. The intent was to use the NodeMCU controller as a webserver to cast a web page with the various controls to the old smartphone (or anything with a browser) and then action any commands sent from the browser via the NodeMCU to control the loco. This took a bit of time to get an understanding of Javascript coding and how the three basic components interact to create a dynamic and useable web page. I finally got there and it has been successfully tested on Toby running at the club.

Back to the diesel shunter and working out how to control it. The battery fits in the control desk. The motor is under the hood but there is space for other electronics. I couldn't fit a NodeMCU in as it is too long. Once again looking at LocoRemote's controllers I could see that a Wemos D1 Mini is used along with some other boards which I think are custom made. The owner is an electronics engineer! So I sent away for some Wemos D1 minis (basically the same as a NodeMCU but they cleverly fit the esp8266 processor and antenna on the reverse side of the PCB whereas NodeMCU is all on one side. I also needed a very small motor controller. I found a Pololu driver which is very small from Core Electronics and sent away for one of these and a DFPlayer sound card as I wanted sound in the loco similar to Toby. 

Now this is where things turned interesting. Using the same basic code as Toby and when connected via USB to the PC, the Wemos advertises the page fine however I can't get any functions working (WTF!). When I connect a battery to the Wemos 5V in via a voltage divider (9V to 5.1V) OR via a voltage regulator to 5V, nothing happens AND the voltage across the board is about 1V or less. I've tried a diode in the source voltage to no effect. I have since discovered these Wemos D1s are clones which look slightly different to the OEM version, but as these are open source, there could be slight variations in manufacture. The only thing I haven't tried is a buck converter. This would similarly have to be very small to fit into the space allowed for. Very frustrating!

So what for 2022?

As of the time of writing this blog entry I am on the verge of buying a LocoRemote controller just to see if (a) it controls the diesel loco and (b) how the controller and accessories board/s are put together to see if I have missed something in the electronics.

I'm also looking into a live steamer kit. I've always wanted a live steamer however the cost of RTR is very expensive, even in the smaller gauges. A kit is cheaper and would allow me to understand how they work in order to service or repair it. I would be having to learn to solder brass which I have never done before but maybe with the help of Youtube and possibly club member/s it may not be a big issue.

The other option is 3D printing a Qld Railways 'Red Fred' railmotor scaled suitable for the 45mm track at the club.

I have a couple of QR passenger carriages kits in resin to make up and paint, along with RTR wagons to weather. Rainy day projects!

Let's see what time, money and whatever 2022 throws at us can do! 

May 2021 update

 The last six months have been busy with the J70 Project. Up until April I was pretty well sorting the loco electronics and developing the Android app to control the whole thing. I will not bore my readers with the development of the programming code for both the J70 electronics and the Android app (unless you really want me to!) but suffice to say the loco electronics were written in Arduino IDE and the app was with the MIT App Inventor online IDE using visual block coding as I have no idea how to do this via an actual Android coding language!

The Arduino code was developed initially using STEM teaching robot code that I found online and enhanced for using in the loco's electronics. The electronics consisted of a NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller which creates its own wifi network that a smartphone can connect to and control via an Android app. I also included a MP3player for making the various sounds (steam whistle, bell, and various speed sounds). I had to include a DIP switch to isolate the MP3 from the NodeMCU when I programmed either of them. I utilised the blower fan hole from the original design my placing a 57mm speaker in it and 3D printing a baffle box to go over it. I included a Seuthe smoke generator which was controlled via a relay as I had to power it from a separate power source. I used 9V rechargeable LiPo batteries for both the smoke generator and the rest of the electronics and motors. 

After much troubleshooting between the Arduino code and the Android code I successfully took the loco for a test drive on the Club G layout sometime before Easter. Once I was happy with this I went about and 3D printed rollingstock consisting of a flat wagon, an open wagon and a brake van. I placed a crew in the loco and a guard in the van. These were pewter castings I had ordered from England but painted myself.

Over a couple of club meeting days I further tested the whole train, finding little things to fix or add to enhance the working. I made my own drawhooks from 2mm brass rod, these had a spring each which I had sourced from our local RC model shop. I 3D printed a spring retainer and retainer box for each of them on each of the rollingstock. The models were very light so I followed some club members' suggestion of adding weight to them. This I sourced as post washes which fitted perfectly between the frames. 

Some of the wagons don't run through one of the points on the club layout very well, so not sure if my wheels, the point's frog or check rails, or a combination of both. A fellow G scaler has offered some spare metal wheels to try and I will do this when I next see him at the club.

I'm getting very interested in the G modelling so far. This weekend I took out membership to the UK based 16mm Association to gain a better understanding of the scales etc that I could use on the 45mm Club track as well as take up the narrow gauge aspect as I have always been interested in the quirkiness of the narrow gauge railways of both the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Some pictures below for your enjoyment.

Android app screen that I designed

Front view of loco. I can remove Toby's face as it is only held on with BluTack. I put it on to amuse the little kids that come to the Open Days.

Side view of J70. I found a bell from a USA loco suitable to print for this loco as the original design didn't have one. I must mention before it is commented on that the chimney is not prototypical as it should be along the centre line of the roof, not the side, but I was working with what I had printed. I had to design and print a reducing collar for the chimney as the base print hole was larger for a static chimney.

The beauty of this model is that it is basically a box on wheels which allowed for plenty of room in the inside of the model. This photo shows the various components I was able to place inside the cabin. Fun fact: the green wire on the right is connected to the main power supply (not the smoke generator supply) and allows the NodeMCU to measure the voltage and transmit it to the Android app to visually show the voltage and condition of the power supply/battery.

Flat bed wagon

The underneath of the flat bed (also applies to the two other wagons). Axles are 3mm brass rod cut to length. The drawhook provides coupling and the spring supplies semi-rigidness for the couplings. Originally loose fitting, I found connecting the drawhook with a brass link between wagons troublesome as it was always twisting. So I designed and printed a retainer box for the drawhook assembly. Not shown is a designed and printed spring retainer at the end of the brass rod that is kept in place by the retainer. The post washer provides a suitable weight for the very light wagons.

Open wagon

Brake van. I designed and printed a brake stand for both the van guard and the loco driver to use. The stand handle was 1mm brass rod bent and cut to shape.

J70 idling away and making smoke

I have to link off to my YouTube Channel for the next video as it is too large for Blogger. The video is of the full train running at RMCQ's May Buy & Sell Day.

J70 Train 

So what's next? I'll continue to tinker with the J70 and run it at the club, but will now look at other G scale based trains. These may or may not be 3D printed in entirety but 3D could be used to enhance other materials.

I am will still continue with my OO home layout as that is not yet finished. 

HO and HOn3.5 will also be on the roster.

3D design and printing of railways based models is now an integral part of my enjoyment of the hobby.

December 2020 update

 Since the last update in May modelling slowed down. I was able to put together and paint up a couple of coal stages for two locations on the layout. However my main activity was printing out on the 3D printer a UK water tower from files from the Net, as well as CAD designing and 3D printing a number of enhancements to the original to suit my layout. I still haven't found or perfected brick walls on the 3D printer so in this instance I used Wills/Ratio red brick styrene for he walls. The windows and door lintels and posts were also made from white styrene just because it was easier to do this than design and print out appropriate ones. For the water I came across a product that is a MS Polymer on a wargaming site. I was looking for a non-resin and non-silicone based product I wanted to make sure that the tank sides where not heat damaged by any resin that generated heat when curing as the 3D plastic is a thermoplastic and could melt or deform. I am not a great fan of silicone hence why I didn't use it. I then painted and weathered the model. 

The MS Polymer product I used. I designed and printed the two paddles to assist in smoothing the compound in the tank.

I was pretty chuffed about how the water tower turned out so I entered it in the Club Xmas Modelling Competition in December.

I won the Intermediate Category.

My mate Mr Mackie put a challenge on me to design and print a NSWGR Staff Machine. Challenge accepted and I came up with this little model which is actually four smaller components glued together. I subsequently made it into a kit for sale at the Club buy and sells, and through the grapevine. $5 for two machines. You have to paint it though ;-)

Mr Mackie was also on the hunt for a cement mixer. I can't claim the design on this however I had to rescale it to HO and it came out OK. It also was a kit of components that required assembly.

The Club's G scale outside layout was commissioned this year and I was interested in operating on it but couldn't afford the model locos at present so once again 3D printing came to the rescue. I didn't want anything big at this point in time, just something small enough to 'give it a go'. I came across a design for a 1:32 scale LNER J70 tram loco (similar to Toby from Thomas the Tank Engine) as it is basically a box on wheels. I intend to operate it via its own wifi control chip, along with some accessories like sound and a smoke generator (I have always wanted to give one of these a go). Printing is basically done now and assembly has started, I am waiting on some electronics to come in the mail. I am also designing my own Android app with the help of an online design tool MIT App Inventor 2. More updates to follow how this goes!

On a sadder note, I asked my son Matthew if he still wanted to persist with his layout but he advised me that he wasn't really interested in train modelling at the moment as he has other interests. I thought this was going to be the case as he always looked bored when we did work on his layout. He may come back to it later in life like most of us! So I have started reclaiming models and scenery from his layout for safe keeping and will dismantle the layout.

So this will free up some shed 'real estate' that I may be able to use on another layout possibly based on a fictional trans-shipment location between NSWGR and QR.

Wishing all my readers a better 2021 and stay safe from Covid-19.

Until next time, maybe keep an eye on the Facebook site https://www.facebook.com/GregsRailwayModellingMusings for updates.