1/120 scale TTm 1000mm narrow gauge coal wagon 6t
General Information
I started developing a printable design of a 6t coal wagon from the Spremberger Stadtbahn, a 1000mm narrow gauge railway in eastern Germany (Spremberg). This railway was founded about 125 years ago (1896/98) and was used until 1956.
One part of the railway was the coal (lignite) and briquette transport from nearby mines to the town to feed the steam engines mainly in cloth factories. There were about 70 of these wagons and trains could carry up to 15 to 20 wagons according the source[1 (p. 43)].
I’ve build two of these from N scale models long time ago ...
The pictures are from V10 or V14, pretty similar.
I did some important changes in V16, so please use the latest chassis. Sides from V14 are nice but according to an image from the nearby Forst Stadtbahn[1 (p.31)] there is no bar below the full length opening. They mentioned these are regular gauge wagons - I doubt, because I see no buffers. So the V16 sides are changed. I'll keep both variants.
Ignore the warning if something isn't watertight, we don't build tank wagons at the moment. We are printing near minium wall thickness and with 0.1mm layer below the normal minimum!
Check the axle holes results, sometimes you have to redrill them.
Try fit first, sand until it work, first layer are somehow difficult.
This design is based on the technical drawing made by Klaus Jünemann [1(p.55)].
Discussing printer settings
Printing the sides causes a problem at the gap, made to position the front part.
If I print 3 wall lines, one string hangs into the gap, but is easy to remove with a small v-shaped knife.
You should have a 2nd view on the wheel bearings, they should run soft but I had problems printing a perfect bearing, V16 seems to solve the problem.
You need
... to Print for Coal Car with Brakes
- 1x floor
- 2x locking plate for couplings
- 2x sides (decide vor V14 or V16 - depending on the look)
- 1x one front with steps
- 1x one front without steps
- 2x frame with brakes
- something to make a seat for the brakeman
- some brass to add a brake handle and seat, you will find some hints here on TikTok
I added a 'printable' seat and handle but ...
... to Print for Coal Car without Brakes
- 1x floor
- 2x locking plate for couplings
- 2x sides
- 2x front without steps
- 2x frame without brakes
... additionally
- 2x N-scale wheel-sets (you may try the included wheels and 2 1.5mm nails)
- 2x N couplings T-head including springs. I found a printable version of T-heads from wsvenny on cults3d .
- I expect, you have something to sand, (super) glue and paints
- you can glue some lead between the bars under the floor or add additional weight the load
What could happen next
- Spring loaded couplings are nice but I think I will add a different floor with a non spring loaded variant for very small track circles (not high priority)
Diary and Updates
- 2022-10-03 changed sides and chassis. The Gen2 chassis has better running properties and a deeper cut for the couplings. So all V14 chassis parts are replaced. I've found a picture of a similar wagon from Forst Stadtbahn and realized there no frame below the sides. So the V16 variant has lower sides. The pictures above are from the V14 and I will keep the V14 side part, because it looks nice.
- 2022-09-30 picture of the current collection of 3 wagons added, removing the "Work-In-Progress" sticker. The build is okay but could improved in future.
- 2022-09-29 added an exchangeable floor plate for various loads
- 2022-09-27 iteration V14: minor improvements, idea of a alternative coupling
- 2022-09-27 V13: some tries with alternative couplings (they don't have the right height)
- 2022-09-27 iteration V12: added a simplified alternative for wheel bearings (if the gap is filled from printer anyway, we could have this easier ...
- 2022-09-27 iteration V12: Final version with spring loaded T style coupling? Don't know.
- 2022-09-27 iteration V10 is a good starting point for printing, printed both. Minor changes on V11 improved floor and a gearbox and holes for brake system on the front are better.
- 2022-09-26 iteration V11: updated floor / coupling
- 2022-09-26 iteration V10: making planks a little smaller so have a cleaner gap, when printing, changed the brakes, as mentioned only between the wheel-sets.
- 2022-09-26 iteration V09: minor update for sides (improved the cut-out for positioning the front plate) and added a running gear variant with brakes (as test, this trucks only some had brakes and these only between the wheel-set)
- 2022-09-26 iteration V08: some parts a slightly update (still testing), added some wheels, just for testing
- 2022-09-25 iteration V07 floor plate added (still testing)
- 2022-09-25 iteration V06 okay, but coupling box to wide and needed a small lift
- 2022-09-25 iteration V06, on the way to the printer
- 2022-09-25 iteration V05, ... like V05
- 2022-09-25 iteration V04, failed on level of couplings
- 2022-09-25 iteration V04, still on printer, don't know if everything will be fine ... sure, it won't be
- 2022-09-25 iteration V03, forget it, somewhere between in V03 FreeCAD decided to cry for help and saving under a new filename
- 2022-09-24 iteration V02, reset the scale from the source, because of ...
- 2022-09-24 FIRST try
Additional sources
I will post some videos on TikTok and pictures on Instgram
TikTok one minute from the making process
Instagram post during construction
Instagram look around
Sources and some source analysis
[1] Jünemann, K. & Preuß, E. (1985): Schmalspurbahnen zwischen Spree und Neiße. (Transpress-Verkehrsgeschichte, 1. Aufl.). Berlin: Transpress.
Here we had my first problem, scaling given values doesn't work equal, so I used not the longest way to determine the printed scale:
| Source | Book | g. Value | 1/120 | to scale? |
| mm | mm | mm | / |
| overall length | 88,9 | 5990 | 49,92 | 1,78 |
| gauge | 17,2 | 1000 | 8,33 | 2,06 |
| width | 41,8 | 2300 | 19,17 | 2,18 |
| wheel distance | 30,0 | 1700 | 14,17 | 2,12 |
I decided to use 2,1 as down scale value from the book.
2022-10-28 Update:
Finally ... yes, the vales were wrong, had a look at source [2]
Origin and licensing
- Technical drawing was publish from Jünemann, K. & Preuß, E. in the book marked as source [1 (p.55)].
- You are free to print and rescale my work for your projects and close friends.
- I don't want any commercial use of this design and prints.
- If you are representing a model club, a school or something comparable with these and want to use it for educational purposes in higher numbers, please tell me.
