Gauging interest in 1936 McLaughlin Buick 3D model

[downeastrailfan]

Is anyone interested in a 3D model of a 1936 McLaughlin Buick? I want to model the track inspection car in O scale.

I have someone who is willing to make one, but he needs to sell around 100 to make it worth his while.

Here is the model makers website: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/madaboutcars

[stem]

Interesting. Estimated price for one?

[downeastrailfan]

Going by his existing model prices, I'd say $17 - $22 for a pair in N scale, $12.75 - $16 HO, $31 - $35 O scale. US prices, plus shipping. I'm sure you could go with a larger size model as well.

So that's two potential sales. Only 98 more to go!!!!

[Paul Charland]

Those prices are pretty low, I have a friend who does a lot of railway models through Shapeways and the prices are usually a lot higher... but that really depends on what the model is. If the price is that low sign me up! Might not have room for a layout but there's space beside my coffee mug!

Paul

[stem]

Like Paul, wouldn't mind the larger O scale (1:48) as a desk piece. One wonders if it could be modeled as M-107 itself? Can you imagine starting our Musuem Piece Series offerings with M-107 and every year creating a different piece for the museum and purchasing it ourselves as well?

Can he work with any 3D digital files the like that Paul has created for the MSTS sim?

If that's too much, I'll book 2 vehicles anyway.

[downeastrailfan]

Paul and Steve,

Still waiting to hear back from the guy with the '36 Buick I forwarded to you both. I came up empty handed so far looking for blueprints. So, perhaps a 3D scan of the real car is the way to go. Not sure of the cost, but probably not cheap.

Steve, I thought about Paul's 3D models. That could be a solution.

The cheapest way to get a model of this thing is a British O scale (1/43) Russian clone. http://www.ebay.com/itm/162185987381?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT The problem I have with 1/43 is that it's too big.

[Paul Charland]

Hi Sam and Steve,

You suggested that you had approached Jason Shron about renting his 3D scanner but when he does a piece of rolling stock for Rapido he is hiring someone to do this and it's not free. I've been told that creating a 3D scan is pretty involved including placing small white markers in what amounts to a six inch grid on the object, that's that the scanner picks up and translates into data. Not just is the can owner is aware someone would be doing that to his car.

The 3D cars I've used on my pre-60s route are Wayne Campbell's cars, nothing I created. I talked to Wayne about how he made them because in Microsoft Trainsim an object must be under 1750 polygons or it won't open in the sim, but Wayne's cars run around 4000. He used a professional software I've never heard of that creates objects using very small triangles and that's how he was able to get all the nice smooth contours. From what I remember of the conversation (years ago), Wayne didn't actually draw these, he found them on a file sharing site and asked permission to convert them into MSTS objects.

There is a 3D model of a 1936 Buick Roadmaster available:

https://hum3d.com/3d-models/buick-roadmaster-1936/

Would need to be reworked and you'd have to find out what software you'd need to do that but that could be a "company secret".

I've also been told the person you want to deal with to make these through Shapeways has at bast a questionable reputation. For the most part he takes other's work, makes minor modifications, and sells it as his own, so just be aware of that sort of thing.

Paul

[stem]

We want 1:48 of course. Pretty common to have 1:43 in model cars.

[downeastrailfan]

Here is an alternative: http://www.locopainter.com/store/product.php?id=53

This could be used to model no. 6: http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=File:DAR6.JPG