Nn3

[Chris333]

Nn3 that is all.

I had designed and started building a bigger Nn3 layout that would have c40 rail on 3D ties. The further I got I wondered if the track would hold up. So I built a smaller 12x30" test layout. I ripped the benchwork from thin plywood.


A few slices of 1/2" foam and some hardboard roadbed.

You can see it started as a loop, but then I added my test turnout.

The tie strips are about an inch long so it took a while to thread this all together.



This was just a HOn30 bridge that I bulked up a little bit so it would print in N scale.

[Chris333]

All the track files I used:
https://www.printables.com/model/1265392-nn3-track

My curves are 5" radius and so are the files, but you can cut one side of the web away to make it flexible.

[Dave V]

Holy crap, man... This is some amazing stuff. If anyone can pull this off, it's you.

[JeffB]

Damn Chris! 

That's pretty fantastic!

I suppose that because it's Nn3, you can get away with 3D printing the tie strips and turnout bases.  You'd probably need a much larger format printer for larger scale trackage.

Jeff

[timwatson]

Good job dude. Is that building n scale too it looks ginormous by comparison.

[Chris333]

This is a OR&W 25' boxcar. I think it might be the one Bachmann made in On30. It is not fully seated on it's frame because I drew it as a lowrider. Have since fixed the frame.


And it is hard to find cars, trucks, and wagons for a 1915ish layout. Artitec makes a model-T, but it is a fancy touring model. And it can go for about $35 bucks. I found this online for free and printed it for about 15 cents. yeah it is also a touring model, but what can you do?

[nickelplate759]

And it is hard to find cars, trucks, and wagons for a 1915ish layout. Artitec makes a model-T, but it is a fancy touring model. And it can go for about $35 bucks. I found this online for free and printed it for about 15 cents. yeah it is also a touring model, but what can you do?
...

Very nice.  I see you borrowed the giant comedy dime from @peteski

[Chris333]

Oh here is the model T model: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5852295  It is 1:100 scale so had to shrink it down to 1:160.

[Jim Starbuck]

And it is hard to find cars, trucks, and wagons for a 1915ish layout. Artitec makes a model-T, but it is a fancy touring model. And it can go for about $35 bucks. I found this online for free and printed it for about 15 cents.

I saw this vendor’s work at Madison in February. Pretty nice prints and not horribly expensive.

https://3drailroad.com/collections/1920s-cars-and-trucks

[peteski]

And it is hard to find cars, trucks, and wagons for a 1915ish layout. Artitec makes a model-T, but it is a fancy touring model. And it can go for about $35 bucks. I found this online for free and printed it for about 15 cents. yeah it is also a touring model, but what can you do?

Wow, the print quality is very impressive. Chris you are so prolific - a 3D printing's Tasmanian Devil!   

George, that is not a dime but a giant Quarter. Yes, Chris and I pass it along as we need it for photography. 

[Chris333]

I saw this vendor’s work at Madison in February. Pretty nice prints and not horribly expensive.

https://3drailroad.com/collections/1920s-cars-and-trucks

A few of those look good. I just wish there were photos of the prints. His renders show a hand crank below the radiator. I doubt that would print in N scale.

[chessie system fan]

Looks great, Chris.  For the track, what kind of resin are you using?  And it's difficult to tell for sure in the photos, but it looks like you're using super short trimmed rail joiners to connect the track pieces?

[Chris333]

I'm using Anycubic DLP craftsman resin in a Mars 5 Ultra. I've never tried any sort of ABS like resin. Never though resin was particularly fragile.

I bought code 40 joiners and they were very big. So I used code 55 joiners that I crushed tighter with pillars. Then I slid them onto a piece of rail and sliced about 1/16" sections with a Dedeco .009" wide cut off wheel. Whatever the gap is between ties is how long the joiners are. I soldered them all and around back left gaps.

[chessie system fan]

Okay great. And I was going to ask you about expansion gaps.  Short of a ham-fisted handling disaster, rail expansion is the only thing I can think of that might make a rail pop out of place.

[Chris333]

Another odd thing. Threading ~1" sections onto rail was a pain. So I sprayed it with ACC activator to see if they would slide easier. It didn't. I wonder if just getting resin wet makes it grip tighter?

I think if I slipped with a knife blade I could rip the rail up no matter what resin I used. I have no idea if another resin would be better. This layout is the test lol.