Thomas gets "the treatment" total de-anthropomorphication

[vic]

Got Thomas, poor Thomas, he didnt even make it out of the shop without having his face bartered away.

Here he is with new Chief Mechanic Homer



Using the same Face-ectomy technics learned on Percy, a short stand at the workbench ended thus:



This time using a brass Trackside Details smokebox door. took forever to sand the styrene round to fit right, now onto the cab

PS after complaints about Chief Mechanic Jigsaw were investigated he was subsequently discovered to have a rather disturbing past and as such was let go but is now working as an Chief Executive at NBC. 

Besides Homer works for donuts

[vic]

Painted



Added air compressor to the front of the tank





Next comes adding the footplate



Should add, to replace the face on Thomas, unlike Percy, its necessary to remove the eye moving mechanism as it sticks about a 1/8inch beyond the boiler face, its only 4 screws.

[Bucksco]

Interesting kit-bash vic - but I like him better with his face 

[NarrowMinded]

I have a tip for you on sanding the styrene round, I use a compass to make my circles then drill a small hole in the center, I place a small bolt through it and tighten it with a nut on the back side then I chuck it in my drill to create a poor mans lathe, Just run the drill and hold the file or sand paper against it till your at the size you want, just don't run it too fast or the styrene heats up.

NM

[vic]

NM thanks for the tip, I usually cut and score the styrene, snap it, then patiently file away the sides with a jewelers file. Takes time but so far the results work but its tedious.

Jack, Thanks,  I know how you feel, parents always love their children... no matter how ugly they are....

...and I know you've seen some of my frightneing bash offspring

[on30gn15]

There's some good looking models and some good tips to learn in here. 

[vic]

Pics dont show how much has been changed, cut of the front splashers, added a sheet styrene cover over the remaining gap where it was cut, added a pair of airtanks (ex-MDC Big Hustler mufflers) onto the footplate:





Does a fair bit to further change the appearance away from the kiddy show ...working on the backhead now, very tight space, its been more a bit a pain that the red striped catapiller was.

[vic]

Progress:

New backhead in place


Crew added, tight quarters


side opening cut out, side grabbars added



Added additional panels under the footplate to fill it out and make it less toylike



I do beleive its finished


All thats left is new nameplates, and maybe a new coat of paint, but till it warms up a bit and is easier to paint here, I'll keep the color as is.

[Jon D. Miller]

Vic,
A well thought out and executed modification.  The locomotive and your work are first rate.

Great backhead detail.  Sure improves the cab interior.


One of the "Enthusiastic Children"

JD

[mudhen]

Excellent job on the boiler back plate.

[vic]

Thanks, it was a bit of a headache to install due to the way the screw holddowns are cast into the body. Prototypicaly the backhead should be right up against the cab front wall, but the motor sits too far back and the holddowns are right in that corner so I had to leave the blue plastic part of the back head in place and then build this so that it slipped horizontally into place without disturbing the holddowns spurs. It ends up with a narrower cab than it should be but I'm OK with it.

[on30gn15]

Some times ya just gotta do what it takes.
And hey, it works.

[alex wittman]

Hello there,

I am Alex Wittman and I am planning to buy Thomas in large scale, but before I do, I would like to inform that I will be doing some modifications, like thomas' wheels, the replacment of the blind wheel and placing a drive on it and to help that out a trace out the side rod then I will seperate them and make into four seperate rods so thomas can turn the corners. that's for the wheels.

Next is the face, by using the technuiqes shown in this video,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-GtCtj7bw

I will  create/ or attempt to create the original thomas face from the model series, by the use of sculpting tools and sculpy 3, plus scatch building some Eye Guides for the clearence of thomas' eyes. but if so, I might put in two servos and structual pieces to create the eye motions found only in the model series.

now this sounds expensive, but I plan on reaching this goal if it takes me one hundred years.

I would be very pleased if anyone gives me helpful tips on any of this and the wheel configuration.


Thank You for any help,

Alex W.  

[jsmvmd]

Dear Vic,

I think you are one of the steely eyed missle men !  Nicely done !

Best Wishes,

Jack

P.S.  Now if I could just figure out how to keep my house clean...