3D printing a Milwaukee Road EP-2 kit

here is the current progress on the 3D model

From my experience, if you are only going to run indoors, then PLA is fine.
But NOT if you run outside in the summer heat. Attached photo - PLA in the background.
I could not stand the fumes given off by ABS inside my house, so I use PETG, which a okay in the heat, so far!
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada

Interesting! I have been printing locomotives for a couple of years now, but nothing as big as this... I use the open source design language called Open.SCAD. My working scale is Gauge '3'.

I work by printing 5mm thick "tiles" in PLA and bonding them to plywood frames. I normally power all axles via simple printed OU shaped fitting with the motor clamped in in the O and the axle shaft dropped into the U with a retaining piece slipped into the U cavity..

The motor/axle is 5W and is fed from a 12V 7.5 Ah SLA to a 15A ESC (with a coolant fan!!!) To the buss bar.

The chassis frames are simple 3mm steel plates to which the external "gubbins" are printed and stuck to. Because of curve radius I normally produce B0-B0 and C0-C0 bogied locos. I have produced a 2-D0-2 loco but the sideplay required is just dire!

Good luck with your project and I will follow your progress with interest.

Regards

Ralph

Sorry -this should help! Just cut and paste the source code into CURA (with the open,SCAD plugin)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//axle securing block
//smemotormount

difference()
{
cube([33,20,7]);
{
translate([0,0,3.5])
{
rotate([0,90,0])
{
cylinder(40,3.5,3.5);
}
}
}
}
//END

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And the OU part
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//wonder engine SME motor mount
//12Tmod0.5 on motor
//90Tmod0.5 on wheel

//faceplate
difference()
{
cylinder(3,17,17);
{
cylinder(4,5,5);
translate([7,0,0])
{
cylinder(4,2,2);
}
translate([-7,0,0])
{
cylinder(4,2,2);
}
translate([0,7,0])
{
cylinder(4,1.5,1.5);
}
translate([0,-7,0])
{
cylinder(4,1.5,1.5);
}
}
}

//holding tube
translate([0,0,3])
{
difference()
{
cylinder(30,17,17);
translate([0,0,3])
{
cylinder(34,14,14);
}
}
}

//axle U
difference()
{
translate([25.5,0,0])
{
cylinder(33,11,11);
}
{
translate([25.5,0,-2])
{
cylinder(40,3.5,3.5);
}
translate([22,0,-2])
{
cube([7,20,40]);
}
}
}

translate([29,0,0])
{
cube([5,15,33]);
}
translate([17,0,0])
{
cube([5,15,33]);
}

//damper fitting
difference()
{
translate([13,5,0])
{
cube([9,23,10]);
}
translate([18,22,-5])
{
cylinder(20,1.5,1.5);
}
}
//END
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The motor I use is 25mm dia and has a 2.3mm shaft. By altering the raw dimensions you can adapt this to fit any motor. The axle shaft can be either 6mm (a common hear bore) or 6.4mm (Slaters wheels). The 90TMOD0.5 gear is a perfect fit for a BR 3 feet 9 inches diesel wheel at 1:22.6.

regards

ralph