Scalextric Italian Job
Discussion
This was a much bigger task than I first imagined. Here's the idea: build the Harrington Legionnaire coach from the 1969 Italian Job film, sounds straightforward?
What this actually translated into was:
1. Design the coach with its opening rear doors, floor to let the Minis drive inside, steering and everything else to make such a huge vehicle work on a regular Scalextric track.
2. Agonise over how to manufacture a few copies. Slush cast? Pressure cast? 3D print? A mixture of a 3D printed front, slush cast roof and fabricated floor? Revisit this several times over the course of its development.
3. Source some Mini Coopers and almost fall over in horror as I realise they are far too rare and expensive to mess about with.
4. Make a resin Mini bodyshell.
5. Come up with a completely new chassis to fit under the Mini with its tiny overhang, the main problem being a rear axle contrate gear that's smaller diameter than the tiny wheels and tyres.
Yeah, yeah, stop the moaning and get on with the pictures, will you? As usual, the coach started with a 3D model
Make sure the Minis will fit inside, design a steering system which is a modification of my normal system being wider and linked together.
The torque to move all of this comes from the same 2 stage gear reduction system used on a truck I built last year. Not especially speedy but plenty of go to deal with all the weight.
Hinged doors and ramp came next.
And they were printed, it's 340mm long, 13½ inches.
Paint, graphics and we're done!
For the Minis I made a resin bodyshell based on a mixture of Scalextric and Airfix parts
The chassis uses motor and rear axle from the Carrera Go cars. It doesn't need suspension like my other slot cars as Minis don't lean in corners, but it does need steering so I used the front end from my PCS32 steering.
Get the graphics done and build it up.
And this is how they look together.
When I've got a little more time I'll do a video for these, but the Minis seem to work well on the track.
Youtube
And so does the coach. Don't be a wimp with the power, kick the tail out and get it sliding so the inside rear wheel doesn't drop off the inside curve.
Youtube
What this actually translated into was:
1. Design the coach with its opening rear doors, floor to let the Minis drive inside, steering and everything else to make such a huge vehicle work on a regular Scalextric track.
2. Agonise over how to manufacture a few copies. Slush cast? Pressure cast? 3D print? A mixture of a 3D printed front, slush cast roof and fabricated floor? Revisit this several times over the course of its development.
3. Source some Mini Coopers and almost fall over in horror as I realise they are far too rare and expensive to mess about with.
4. Make a resin Mini bodyshell.
5. Come up with a completely new chassis to fit under the Mini with its tiny overhang, the main problem being a rear axle contrate gear that's smaller diameter than the tiny wheels and tyres.
Yeah, yeah, stop the moaning and get on with the pictures, will you? As usual, the coach started with a 3D model
Make sure the Minis will fit inside, design a steering system which is a modification of my normal system being wider and linked together.
The torque to move all of this comes from the same 2 stage gear reduction system used on a truck I built last year. Not especially speedy but plenty of go to deal with all the weight.
Hinged doors and ramp came next.
And they were printed, it's 340mm long, 13½ inches.
Paint, graphics and we're done!
For the Minis I made a resin bodyshell based on a mixture of Scalextric and Airfix parts
The chassis uses motor and rear axle from the Carrera Go cars. It doesn't need suspension like my other slot cars as Minis don't lean in corners, but it does need steering so I used the front end from my PCS32 steering.
Get the graphics done and build it up.
And this is how they look together.
When I've got a little more time I'll do a video for these, but the Minis seem to work well on the track.
Youtube
And so does the coach. Don't be a wimp with the power, kick the tail out and get it sliding so the inside rear wheel doesn't drop off the inside curve.
Youtube
These models and videos are really excellent. Now I have a really strange request and I am hoping someone can please advise me. I am looking for a really good high resolution image or images of the coach used in The Italian Job. It is for an academic paper and I am not able to use a still from the film. But a photo of the offside of a model of the coach with his rear half hanging over the edge of the precipice would work, as would a really good drawing/ painting of same. A diorama of the scene might be ideal but I could get around this simply by having the coach in sharp focus and any background really blurred (bokeh). I would not be able to offer payment as I am not being paid for the paper. I am a teacher and I am writing the paper for 'fun'. The journal would need permission to use the image(s) but the image owner would be credited. If anyone has any ideas then please let me know or I will have to resort to coming up with my own drawing. If not too far, I would be happy to travel to take photos or perhaps there is an inexpensive model I can buy on eBay or similar.
mickybob said:
These models and videos are really excellent. Now I have a really strange request and I am hoping someone can please advise me. I am looking for a really good high resolution image or images of the coach used in The Italian Job. It is for an academic paper and I am not able to use a still from the film. But a photo of the offside of a model of the coach with his rear half hanging over the edge of the precipice would work, as would a really good drawing/ painting of same. A diorama of the scene might be ideal but I could get around this simply by having the coach in sharp focus and any background really blurred (bokeh). I would not be able to offer payment as I am not being paid for the paper. I am a teacher and I am writing the paper for 'fun'. The journal would need permission to use the image(s) but the image owner would be credited. If anyone has any ideas then please let me know or I will have to resort to coming up with my own drawing. If not too far, I would be happy to travel to take photos or perhaps there is an inexpensive model I can buy on eBay or similar.
Not sure if this will help, there was an art installation of the coach (mock-up) hanging off the edge of the Pavilion in Bexhill. There are loads of images of that in Google, maybe one would be available to you for free??
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