HOn30 0-4-0 Baldwin Scratchbuild Project

Canopus

Member
I've decided that I need a good 0-4-0 in my loco collection. The donor chassis is a minitrix 0-6-0 that was converted to an 0-4-0 ages ago for a project that didn't go well.

I'm not a big fan of inside framed steamers. In fact, I generally don't like the look of them. There've only been two inside framed steamers in the past that I've really fallen in love with; the Joe Works Porter, and the AHM Baldwin. I've tried designing inside framed steamers in the past, and whatever it is that it takes to make them look good, I haven't got. My donor chassis being inside framed, I had to choose between the two. My immediate preference is for the Porter, but the chassis didn't suit this particular loco (even though it's dimensions were very close, it was out by 5mm in several places). This left the AHM Baldwin.

So my design brief was to design and build an 0-4-0 Baldwin saddle tank that had all the charm and character of the AHM Baldwin, but with better running characteristics and reliability. I don't want to put more details on, because I like the "spartan" look of the AHM model. But maybe correct some of the details on the model, such as the oddly positioned front windows.

First thing to do was change the wheel spacing to more closely match the AHM model. Luckily only one of the wheels is connected to a side rod, therefore it was simply a matter of removing the other wheel and creating a new notch for the axle to sit in using a dremel. I managed to get the wheel spacing exactly the same as the AHM by sheer luck, and it looks a hell of a lot better.

The second thing was to modify the chassis so that the motor didn't get in the way of the saddle tank or cab, making the overall build less complicated. It was originally a vertically mounted motor, and I wanted to reposition it to be horizontally mounted. This was simply a matter of cutting the motor mounting off, and exposing the top of the gear above the axle. The metal chassis got too hot to hold a few times, and the modification claimed two cutting discs, but worth it for how much easier the project becomes. I've included a drawing of the modification, photos to come.
 

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