Re: Modern Parts for an Old Favorite (483)?

Hello Friends,

I seem to be late to my own party, but I'm the volunteer that 3D printed the Pyle National headlight for the SP #2479 project.

I thought I would take this opportunity to answer a few questions as well as show you come pictures of the headlight: (warning, lots of text)

1. Why 3D print a Headlight?
A: As most of you can attest, steam locomotive parts are hard to come by, especially considering how valuable they are. Collectors, thieves, other restoration projects, active railroads, tourists lines, etc. are all looking for parts. SP 2479 is certainly no exception; by the early 1980's the only headlight remaining on the 2479 was the front headlight, and even that was in somewhat rough shape. Through a number of trades and acquisitions we managed to get a spare headlight and restored it too, but we are certainly weary about mounting it on the locomotive. When we were discussing things we could do to improve her appearance for the County Fair, the need for a headlight became apparent. I'm sure that there are a number of static locomotive projects that would like to protect their "jewelry" in a similar manner.

2. How was the 3D Pattern created for 3D printing the headlight?
A: The 3D file for the Pyle National Headlight was created by one of the SP 2479 Project's long time members using the 3D CAD software Solidworks. He was the one that helped restore the headlight, and took lots of detailed measurements of the parts when he put it back together. For best possible results in creating CAD files, the prototype is usually the best source for dimensions.

3. 3D printing a headlight?
A: When I joined the SP 2479 project in 2015, I collaborated with the volunteer that had done a lot of CAD work on the locomotive to prep the model that he had for 3D printing. Originally, we printed the headlight in 1/4 scale using the 3D printers that I had in college, they were free for students. It was a fun little side project in-between restoration sessions of the locomotive. After I graduated college and got a job, I decided that I wanted to invest in a 3D printer for myself, seeing that I still had the original files from when we created the 1/4 scale 3D printed headlight I figured I could try and 3D print one 1:1 scale. I use CAD, Meshing Software, and the 3D printer software to configure large parts and turn them into files that I can 3D print.

4. How many pieces did I need to chop it into?
A: For the prototype headlight, the main headlight housing was split into 40 individual pieces for ease of printing, with many more pieces needed to create the wings, door, lens, lens, holder, etc. On subsequent attempts at printing a full headlight, I have greatly reduced the amount of individual pieces, I'm currently down to ~18. See below for pictures of the plastic pieces.

5. How long did it take to create the Headlight?
A: A long time, in the prototype's case, 3 months. But that only includes the amount of time that I put into the project to physically put it together, the model creation process also took a good amount of time. And after the prototype, there are certainly a lot of improvements that can be made, I'm still working on optimizations now (a year later). I'll probably create a website to catalog the full process, needless to say that it takes a bit of practice and effort to get the replica together.

6. What Materials were used to create the headlight?
A: The prototype 3d Printed body was created with the PLA material because I had a large amount of stock. It's not ideal for the job because of its tenancy to deform drastically in sunlight and heat, but I've been looking into getting different materials for subsequent versions. Acrylic "Glass" panels were used for the lenses, and the hardware is all standard sized to match the prototype.

7. Can it be done for other locomotives? Other Locomotive items?
A: Absolutely, with a bit of determination I'm certain that this process can be replicated for just about any locomotive item that needs to be kept safe. The process is a little involved depending on the items that need to be replicated, but can certainly act as a suitable "display piece"

8. Cost?
A: The prototype was bit expensive, just because of the number of times that I needed to mess around to get things to work; material alone for prototype replica was in the hundreds of dollars.

9.Can this be used as a fundraiser?
A: That's certainly an idea that's been floating around, but there is a lot of R&D left before I can say for sure. I'll certainly let you guys know if anything comes up.

Let me know if you have any additional questions, and I'd be happy to answer them.

Now for some pictures:

Picture of the individually 3D printed parts for the prototype replica.


A picture after initial assembly and a bit of filling.


Picture of the headlight replica after a few coats of primer, but before assembly.


The first moment I knew I had pulled it off was this picture of an unrestored Pyle National Headlight next to my replica of the headlight.


After a bit of painting, here is a picture of the headlight installed on SP 2479.


- Peter "Ferrous Equus" Savoy