X200 getting close to finished

I count about 20 items to be added externally to the loco now plus the addition of a driver and decoder inside. I will have to get on with somewhere for it to be run now.

Siderods

Here is more useful photo showing the horrors of the construction. Siderods are HO PC sleeper material ( would have used code 125 bullhead if available). They are mounted on tinplate epoxied to the wheel boss with 14BA nuts and bolts soldered on for crankpins.
The siderods have no function and are a sloppy fit; principally because both axles are driven by sloppy gear trains .
It wont compete with the smoothness and quietness of the usual Mashima and 40:1 worm gear drive but it has proved to me that it is possible to obtain a working O gauge locomotive at little expense if a suitable 16.5mm gauge toy market mech is on hand.

X200 lives!

The loco moved under its own steam today. Pulled its first payload of 4 wagons to the the end of the test track ( 4 inches).
A few more hours to go before it is completed (siderods, exhaust pipe, sand fillers, inspection holes, brake equipment, windows, interior detailing, driver, lining, lettering, lights and decoder.....)

X200 mechanism

There has to be a use for an old Hornby S//GM/42class mechanism. I will insert the decoder when I make the siderods and finalise the mounting to the body. Cheap O gauge loco !

Original CHG

Having been presented with a set of W irons and some 3'6" wheels I had to find a use for them. Make unknown to me, they were originally sold in the 1960's in Melbourne as being suitable for a NSWGR S truck ( something there were not suited to). Looking in my plans I found the early version of the CHG brake van was a suitable candidate.
The model cost less than $10 to build from styrene, tie wire and paper clips.
If I had to purchase the donated components the wagon would have been about $40.
Who says O gauge has to be expensive!

X200 with buffers

Managed to make some buffers and mount the handrails correctly on their platform today.
Starting to look a lot more like an X200 now.

X200 progress

Just added handrails temporarily to the X200. They will get a final tweak when they are in to stay.

7mm Rebirth

Changes are afoot. Having essentially achieved what I set out to do (having an operating NSWGR S gauge layout)I have decided to return to my main interest; NSWGR O gauge, 7mm scale. I guess I have never really left as I have been dabbling on and off while pursuing the other scales. Given the shortage of funds the new layout will be quite small to start. The first new loco is being built on a Hornby HO GM mech. This is taking an S gauge idea and stretching it a bit further.
The photo shows progress so far. A few 4 wheel vehicles under way (8 plus brakevan planned initially) and an X200.