Toy Side-Tank Porter - Plarail/Trackmaster Compatible!

What is this?

The next evolution of my stylized Wooden Railway porter! Now upgraded to the Plarail track and coupling standard with easier assembly than ever before! It prints with no brims, rafts or supports to waste plastic*! Measuring in at 52mm tall, 38mm wide, and 132mm long, this little loco is sure to fit on even the tightest of layouts. New features include fully printed couplings, more detailed wheels with working coupling rods, and a clip-together system that makes assembling the engine a snap!
*With a well-tuned printer

Please read assembly instructions fully before assembling locomotive! Parts may not fit together if assembled out of order or incorrectly!

Assembly

Wheels

1. Take the Axle Core and slot it into the center hole of the Wheel. (This step may need some force! Consider using pliers and light tapping to help!)

2. Slide the Axle Shell over the core, and align its tabs to the wheel's.

3. Complete the Wheelset by adding another Wheel on top, ensuring its tabs are aligned to the Axle Shell. (Please note the tabs on the Shell are offset by 90º to make the coupling rods move smoother!)

4. Repeat twice to create two Wheelsets. (Ensure the offsets on the wheels are the same and that the wheels are fully seated onto the axles)

Chassis

1. Slot both Wheelsets into the Chassis, ensuring not to break the chassis. (See Printing! for more detail) The Wheelsets must be facing the same direction so the pins align. (Do not install the Clip Bar before this step! Otherwise assembly will be made much more difficult)

2. Snap the ConRods onto the wheels to connect them together. (Check the Wheels and ConRods roll smoothly at this stage!)

3. On the front, take the Hook Coupler and snap the smaller hook into the front pilot beam. (The Hook will be very difficult to remove after this step!)

Boiler

1. Place the Numberplate upside down (Slot up) on a hard surface (e.g. a table) and push the Boiler into the Numberplate. The Numberplate can only go in two ways, so make sure the tab inside the Boiler is aligned to the slot on the Numberplate!

2. Optionally, slide a AA battery into the back of the Boiler to add weight and heft to the locomotive. This makes tracking easier and play more fun! (Please note using old batteries may be dangerous due to potential acid leaks, so be careful when giving to young children! Consider using another similarly sized weight instead)

Final Assembly

1. Attach Clip Bar to the underside of the Boiler assembly, and slot onto the top of Chassis. You should hear a "snap!" Using your fingers to help seat the bar may be needed towards the rear of the engine.

2. Align the Cab to the Chassis, but do not push it down fully! Just before the Cab is fully seated, place the Hook Coupling fin-side-down onto the post. To lock it in place, fully seat the Cab onto the chassis.

3. And you're done! Enjoy your new porter!

Printing!

Please note that these still may be difficult to print! The outer axle can be prone to failure (Small bed area combined with tall structure) so consider slowing your prints down!

As well, the Hook and Loop couplers may warp as well, so consider using a brim if this is a known issue with your printer!

For best results, the wheels and axles should be given the "Random" seam position! The provided 3MF should already have it, but if you use the STL or make a remix it's something to keep in mind!

When removing the print from the bed, please be careful with the Chassis! It can break easily if bent backwards, which can happen when forcibly pulled off the print bed. (Use a bed scraper or wait for the plate to cool!)

Minimum build volume

104mm x 38mm x 32mm (Individual parts)
118mm x 123mm x 32mm (Fully plated)

Last Notes

"Why is the Loop Coupler like that?" This design of loop coupler lets the engine be pushed more easily, whether by rolling stock behind it or by motorized engines with front couplers. (E.g. powered tenders or special edition engines) This coupling is still fully compatible with regular Plarail ones, and has minimal performance impacts. (from what I can tell)

As per this model's CC-BY-NC license, please do NOT sell prints of or products made with these files! As well, please don't repost the model and call it your own work! I'm a small creator doing this as a hobby, and building my name as a creator is the easiest thing you can do for me! (Other than post your makes of course!)

Using "Split to parts" on the STL of this file doesn't work very well, so please use the 3MF to print this unless you're making a remix! (Produces many small objects that won't print, and have to be manually removed)

That's all I really have to say really, just a simple little tank engine. Feel free to modify as you wish and happy printing! 

Changelog

• Oct 28 - Originally published (V2.34)

• Oct 31 - Updated instructions for clarity