Possibility for auto's for 60's and 70's era auto racks

[fishbelly]

I came across this video a couple days ago and wrote in the comments that it would be cool to have these cars in HO scale to fill 60's and 70's era auto racks. His response was. "I'll look into it". Maybe if there is enough interest. it possibly could happen.

If you watch the video and like what you see. Leave a comment supporting HO scale autos. It couldn't hurt.



Brian

[Mr. Trainiac]

I have a lot of respect for people who can design automobiles in CAD. Maybe I'm just using the wrong software, but the geometry is much more complex than a freight car. Finding drawings detailed enough to make curved forms in 3D is another issue altogether.

If I had a good source for digital models, I would be printing automobiles all day. Cars always seem to be lacking in HO scale, and I suspect it's because model railroad manufacturers are not familar with designing them. I see plenty of 1/24 car kits at the hobby shop, so I don't think it's an issue of technical information. The resources are there, we just need to find them.

[12bridge]

I fear at some point (and probably soon) licensing issues are going to hit the 3D world hard...

[rockfan]

I didn't watch the video, as much as I criticize a bad locomotive or car the last company I thought would make anything I would want was model power.

They made the MP mini's, wish they would've kept it going.

[lvrr325]

They didn't make them, they imported them. What they imported seems to have morphed into Oxford Diecast.

[onequiknova]

May 8, 2024 18:25:30 GMT -8 Mr. Trainiac said:

I have a lot of respect for people who can design automobiles in CAD. Maybe I'm just using the wrong software, but the geometry is much more complex than a freight car. Finding drawings detailed enough to make curved forms in 3D is another issue altogether.

If I had a good source for digital models, I would be printing automobiles all day. Cars always seem to be lacking in HO scale, and I suspect it's because model railroad manufacturers are not familar with designing them. I see plenty of 1/24 car kits at the hobby shop, so I don't think it's an issue of technical information. The resources are there, we just need to find them.

Most of these guys selling 3D printed model kits in various scales aren't designing from scratch. They buy their files from guys like "EDM 3D Models" on facebook and convert the file to something that can be 3D printed.

There are literally hundreds, possibly thousands of vehicle files available out there.

[Colin 't Hart]

May 9, 2024 2:19:33 GMT -8 onequiknova said:

Most of these guys selling 3D printed model kits in various scales aren't designing from scratch. They buy their files from guys like "EDM 3D Models" on facebook and convert the file to something that can be 3D printed.

Can these files be scaled down to something that would be printable in HO?

[onequiknova]

May 9, 2024 9:06:39 GMT -8 Colin 't Hart said:

May 9, 2024 2:19:33 GMT -8 onequiknova said:

Most of these guys selling 3D printed model kits in various scales aren't designing from scratch. They buy their files from guys like "EDM 3D Models" on facebook and convert the file to something that can be 3D printed.

Can these files be scaled down to something that would be printable in HO?

If you are good with CAD, yes. There are plenty of files out there already set up to 3D print, mostly in larger scales, which will give you too thin of a cross section once scaled down to 1/87 scale. You'll have to modify the 3D model to make it printable in small scale.

The files from EDM 3D and others are just 3D renderings not designed to print. The walls of the designs have no thickness to them. Think something designed for a video game. It's just a hollow digital rendering. Those files need to be worked in CAD to extrude every part of the model to give it wall thickness. You can scale the model to whatever size you want at that time.

I have no clue how to actually do this, or I would have a 3D printer already.