Soon They Will Be Gone Forever
Showing the end, to make sense of the beginning.
Watch this video
https://youtu.be/K1zV8JMwrvs
To help you understand the vision we thought it best for you to have a focus on the hoped for end result.
Modeling Historic Locomotives Using 3D Print Technology
It’s amazing, even back in 2013, how 3D printing was changing how we viewed things. Not to mention, how it has changed manufacturing.
Here is how it began for me.
After retiring in 2010 I started geo modeling for Google Earth,using a simple 3D program called SketchUp. I became a Certified Geo 3D Modeler, and enjoyed placing 3D low polygon buildings in Google Earth. That was a springboard for doing a geographically located collection of Carnegie Library buildings.
[url]https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/collection/a7f735f62ab5f0f55455dab34d864ef9/Carnegie-Library-Buildings-of-California[/URL]
I realized that a part of history was disappearing, and 3D modeling an accurate representation of something could save it. At least a record that it existed at all.
I expanded my Google involvement by becoming a Google Trusted Photographer,shooting 360 degree tours of the interior of businesses. When I got an opportunity to shoot a tour of the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. Man, I was excited. Being a life-long train buff, this really was an opportunity to help showcase the museum's efforts, and their exposure.
I soon discovered how rich a railroad history there was in this small city in Central California. This littleknown narrow gauge railroad called the Pacific Coast Railway was only a 76 mile line, but had a major impact on the growth of this area of California.
After this discovery, I had to do some more digging, to find out how I could model this little jewel of a railroad. Not having the room to do a layout that would represent this unique railroad, I got into creating it as a train simulation in theprogramTrainz.So much for for retirement, huh?
Using Sanborn Maps, Historic DEM information, and bycollaborating with afewgood 3D modelers, we brought this once abandoned railroad back to 3D life. (Still a work in progress.)
The picture above shows locomotive #2 of the PCR, because there was no real representation of their first locomotive, the Avila, a small 2-4-2T Baldwin built wood burner.
That is when I ran across the video you watched at the beginning.That is when I knew I had to build this lost locomotive.
Meet the “Avila.”
This is the only known picture of the first locomotive used by the Pacific Coast Railway.
So now the adventure begins
From the book titled “ The Pacific Coast Railway” by Kenneth E. Westcott, and Curtiss H. Johnson the Avila was mocked up in this picture to show what she may have looked like.
What made theabovepicture even possible were the build records of the “Baldwin Locomotive Works” found by doing some extensive research.
Some of that type of work has been done by myself in wanting to find out more about this little 1875 beauty. Through various contacts I was able to dig up more about this type of locomotive and received some of the following information.
This information confirmed the type and detail about what Baldwin had built.
These were the build records used by Kenneth Westcott for his book, and as you can see, the build record has quite a few details. All very helpful in our research, but we needed more to pull up an accurate 3D model.
Along comes David Fletcher.
A well known artist, illustrator, and train buff. Through our contact with David and the DeGolyer Library we were able to access the extensive Baldwin Locomotive Works actual drawings. (see Below)
From these scanned drawings and the Baldwin build records, David was able to do the CAD work needed, and also some very nice illustrations showing detail and color based on our research.
This was where things back in 2013 came to a halt. Building up a skill set with more industry accepted programs and formats became a bit overwhelming. But now there are very talented 3D modelers out there that can be collaborated with. Their abilities to take our information and pull up accurate, acceptable models to be 3D printed makes this project more of a reality today than it was 8 years ago.
So who would be interested in these models?
Showing the end, to make sense of the beginning.
Watch this video
https://youtu.be/K1zV8JMwrvs
To help you understand the vision we thought it best for you to have a focus on the hoped for end result.
Modeling Historic Locomotives Using 3D Print Technology
It’s amazing, even back in 2013, how 3D printing was changing how we viewed things. Not to mention, how it has changed manufacturing.
Here is how it began for me.
After retiring in 2010 I started geo modeling for Google Earth,using a simple 3D program called SketchUp. I became a Certified Geo 3D Modeler, and enjoyed placing 3D low polygon buildings in Google Earth. That was a springboard for doing a geographically located collection of Carnegie Library buildings.
[url]https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/collection/a7f735f62ab5f0f55455dab34d864ef9/Carnegie-Library-Buildings-of-California[/URL]
I realized that a part of history was disappearing, and 3D modeling an accurate representation of something could save it. At least a record that it existed at all.
I expanded my Google involvement by becoming a Google Trusted Photographer,shooting 360 degree tours of the interior of businesses. When I got an opportunity to shoot a tour of the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. Man, I was excited. Being a life-long train buff, this really was an opportunity to help showcase the museum's efforts, and their exposure.
I soon discovered how rich a railroad history there was in this small city in Central California. This littleknown narrow gauge railroad called the Pacific Coast Railway was only a 76 mile line, but had a major impact on the growth of this area of California.
After this discovery, I had to do some more digging, to find out how I could model this little jewel of a railroad. Not having the room to do a layout that would represent this unique railroad, I got into creating it as a train simulation in theprogramTrainz.So much for for retirement, huh?
Using Sanborn Maps, Historic DEM information, and bycollaborating with afewgood 3D modelers, we brought this once abandoned railroad back to 3D life. (Still a work in progress.)
The picture above shows locomotive #2 of the PCR, because there was no real representation of their first locomotive, the Avila, a small 2-4-2T Baldwin built wood burner.
That is when I ran across the video you watched at the beginning.That is when I knew I had to build this lost locomotive.
Meet the “Avila.”
This is the only known picture of the first locomotive used by the Pacific Coast Railway.
So now the adventure begins
From the book titled “ The Pacific Coast Railway” by Kenneth E. Westcott, and Curtiss H. Johnson the Avila was mocked up in this picture to show what she may have looked like.
What made theabovepicture even possible were the build records of the “Baldwin Locomotive Works” found by doing some extensive research.
Some of that type of work has been done by myself in wanting to find out more about this little 1875 beauty. Through various contacts I was able to dig up more about this type of locomotive and received some of the following information.
This information confirmed the type and detail about what Baldwin had built.
These were the build records used by Kenneth Westcott for his book, and as you can see, the build record has quite a few details. All very helpful in our research, but we needed more to pull up an accurate 3D model.
Along comes David Fletcher.
A well known artist, illustrator, and train buff. Through our contact with David and the DeGolyer Library we were able to access the extensive Baldwin Locomotive Works actual drawings. (see Below)
From these scanned drawings and the Baldwin build records, David was able to do the CAD work needed, and also some very nice illustrations showing detail and color based on our research.
This was where things back in 2013 came to a halt. Building up a skill set with more industry accepted programs and formats became a bit overwhelming. But now there are very talented 3D modelers out there that can be collaborated with. Their abilities to take our information and pull up accurate, acceptable models to be 3D printed makes this project more of a reality today than it was 8 years ago.
So who would be interested in these models?