> 3. Just a thought here, will the styrene bolster (and glue joints) > be strong enough to handle the weight of the loco as it pounds > through turnouts at 50 mph hauling tons and tons of coal? A styrene > loco body will not be very heavy and might not pull too well. So > then you will think about adding weight. And then the plastic > bolster might groan under the load. Just a random thought here since > I have never used a styrene bolster like that and have no experience > along that line.
Bob, I'll second Ed's remarks and offer a suggestion. From the photos it does not look like it would be difficult to cast the bolsters in metal. Micro-Mark (http://www.micromark.com) has both the RTV mold rubber and various low melting point metals that you can cast. Their two part RTV is very easy to use. In addition to being stronger than the styrene the metal would add a lot of weight right where you need it. I scratch-built a locomotive in a very similar fashion, brass frame, plastic body. I found that the motor, frame, and trucks did not provide enough weight and the engine slipped on the slightest incline. You can also cast custom fit metal blocks to really add some traction. kbt [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
