Chaps, I introduced you to Martin Rindlisbacher in Martin's Spur 80, part 1.
He is a largescale Railroad builder at a scale of 1:11.25, or 80mm gauge (Spur 80). His railroad is entirely hand made in wood,
and is battery powered.
Martin is the Wood Shop Teacher at the Viktoria-Stiftung Foundation, Switzerland, a school that teaches skills to the
underprivlaged. His role is primarily teaching girls between the ages of 12 and 18 new skills. More is written about it in the
above web site.
Masterclass 2002 has been taken up as a project in Martin's wood shop, and many young girls have been building several Masons
under Martin's Instruction for the past 6 months. Amazingly just about every kind of wood working excersise has to be be
undertaken in building one of these Masons! I think this is about the most extraordinary project, and outcome of MC2002 yet.
I'm so proud of Martin and what his young ladies have been doing. I think the world should know about it.
The models being built at the Viktoria Foundation are all based on the 1883 version of DSP&P #44, with the new addition of
the air brakes. Every part of the models is hand turned, hand made and assembled. Much of the complex geometry is made by
laminating wood sections together, and then sanding and using the Lathe to turn the solid into a Mason form.
Here's Viktoria Foundtation's Building Log, under the instruction of Master Martin:
Scaling the plans up from 1:20.3 to 1:11.25 scale..almost twice the size of our 1:20.3 Masons!
Fabricating the boiler made from laminated wood. The boiler is hollow for battery and motor space.
The cab/tender deck made exactly to the Mason drawings, but all in wood!
The boiler bands made from a different wood cut to create the contrast. There is no metal in this model, other than fixings
Every rivet hand made to be inserted into the Mason chassis frame.
Working up the dome fixing positons
Laminating up the Steam Dome base.
Dome fabrication
The steam dome base finished
Working the dome tops on the lathe.
The steam dome cluster on the lathe
The entire dome assemblies layed out
Three Mason Bogies under construction.
The boiler and framing shown together
Martin's Mason Bogie Manuals, courtesy of MLS!
The finished domes sit on the boiler, awaiting sealing.
Working on the upper Congdon Stack. The section is made from segments of wood laminated together and then worked on the lathe.
The Congdon takes shape
The flanges for the stack base.
Assembly of the stack base.
The boiler with stack and domes in place
Martin's student coat the dome parts with a clear finish, as martin explains about the finish:
"Now, some information above the surface treatment. These questions are often not simple. Sealing with varnish paint, based
on nitro, white sprit, or two components?
Varnish paint with permeable of air and water?
I decided for me the system of a refined linseed-oil, made in Denmark, call Trip Trap. This is a wood-floor oil.
Problems with oil are to consider. Rests of glue give ugly spots. They must be eliminated with careful sanding."
A box load of dome parts ready for three Masons.
The finished domes, oiled/clear coated.
The completed Congdon stack, oiled/clear coated.
Using the MC2002 templates to set out the rivet line around the smokebox.
The rivet holes drilled, ready for rivet insertion.
Fabricating the running boards.
Running boards and tender deck come together
The boiler mount in place on the running boards
Martin's ladies assembling the boiler to the running boards
Working up the lower boiler below the running boards
The entire tender part set, ready for assembly.
Assembling a tender side
The tender shell takes form
The Mason Bogies as they look to date, The drawing shows the prototype being built and is a 1:20.3 scale drawing. It gives you
an idea of just how large these 1:11.25 scale Masons will be:
More pictures will be added as they progress. Martin has noted quite a lot of info on how the parts were made. It is far more
complex than it looks. These students are getting an amazing lesson from a real wood shop master. There is nothing they cannot
make in wood. The final models will be absolute perfect 1:11.25 scale models of the famous 2-6-6T.
