A Very Complex 3D Printing Project
At some 6 feet long, the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy Locomotive is a serious and challenging model to 3D print. That is an understatement for sure but look at the result. It takes your breadth away how anyone could be so committed to make such a beautifully detailed item from so many parts – 267 parts in fact. It represents an age which has long gone – I think ” trials and tribulation” spring to mind and then congratulations.
This U.S steam train was used by the Union Pacific Railroad from 1941 until 1959 or thereabouts. There were some 25 originally built and operated, mainly to haul freight between Wyoming and Utah. Of those constructed only 8 remain as show pieces or tourist attractions.
The MakerBot Train
By Mr Fischer
6 Feet Long
Pushing A Desktop 3D Printer To The Limit
A special project was commissioned by MakerBot to understand just how far 3D printing could be pushed with their MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer. And this is the item they selected for pushing the limits and then the result.
Paul Fischer the engineer who created and assembled the locomotive apparently spent between 700 and 800 hours creating the model and 1000 hours 3D printing the parts. That is about a month of drafting the design and another 6 weeks printing it. The mind boggles how he must have felt, once this project was underway.
The model can be downloaded for FREE via Thingiverse under the Creative Commons – Attribution license offered by Makerbot.