Just finished fixing the split gears on both of my Doodlebug's. The first set were split to the point it was easy to see the crack while mounted on the axle. The second one it was very hard to see the cracks.

Here's my fix.

First the two Doodlebug's

The two front wheel sets. Note the helical gears.

Dear M-R-Hers,

Collective "Brains Trust" time.

Just picked up an Atlas Extended Vision Caboose for a kitbashing project, and belatedly realised it uses press-in friction-pins to mount the trucks. (No biggie, the caboose just arrived in original sealed packaging, with one truck flopping around loose in the box).

A quick check suggests that a M2.5 screw will fit thru the existing truck hole, and can be tapped into the bolster. However, the typical M2.5 pan head is too big to fit within the Atlas truck recessed hole.

Almost done with the second crane build. This one will have 3 NCE decoders to animate the turret, boom and big hook. I just need to add a second set of pick-ups to the second truck and add the small hook. Then it's off to a good friend of mine Jim Otto of http://Ottovation.net  to have three NCE decoders installed and tested.

Here's a pic of what it looks like up to this point.

Bernd

So I fixed the weak spots and added an end piece to the truck.

I use the 3D program Alibre Personal Edition for all of my drawings. Most of what was fixed you can't see.

I also am drafting this at 1:1 and then I scale to HO.

The ends are raised as that way the parts print as 4 parts not one.

We will see what it looks like when I send it to the printer in a couple of weeks.