The Irish Railways 3d printing thread

[leslie10646]

On 4/7/2026 at 12:44 PM, Mayner said:

 In a way some 3D prints are not unlike some of the more 'challenging/ropey loco and stock kits produced in the past by MTK, El Crappo & Jindenco/Falcon brass. Interestingly some resin manufacturers now produce 'machinable' 3D print resins.  Like the kits of the past modifications to fit the chassis, could be down to design or material or to keep the customer occupied.

A modeller who largely pioneered 3D printing for model railway use in New Zealand has transmissions parts (gears and flywheels) and gear boxes 3D printed in aluminium from his own CAD work and I have had lost wax brass castings produced from my 3D CAD work (brass details castings JMD 52 Class /D17 (buffers, raised firebox step ring etc).

I was lucky/spoiled in that the Auckland 3D print shop that produced the prototypes for the JM Design CIE Goods Brake in 2020-1 produced consistent high quality prints in a suitable resin, down side was printing 'small scale models" was more bother than it was worth! 

Eventually selected a Chinese print shop that consistently produced high quality prints using a similar resin,  after trialling print shops in New Zealand, Singapore and China main issue was original Auckland and current Chinese supplier used a suitable resin (stable and not too brittle!)

Protototype and production models printed with separate roof body and (rigid) chassis (detaiul added in production version) no sign of warping/distortion after 5 years. 

One piece Chinese printed wagon chassis. (this was a spare/reject on of the brake levers broke most likely during clean up stage)

 

Having had a few of @Mayner's kits through my hands, I can testify to the excellence of his Chinese "printer".