Visiting the Hyvinge RR museum once again, I was let into the cab of the 0-6-0, and shot many pictures - and even got one shot of yours truly at the throttle! In addition, I have detailed works drawings of the cab and the frame. This means I was able to start planning the pieces for these important parts of the loco...
CAD software to the rescue! Scanning in the drawings, and using them as a template, I designed the parts for the built-up plate frame and the cab...
An entire weekend in front of the laptop screen! The dinner table could hardly be used for anything else - since it was covered wth heaps of drawings, it could hardly even be seen...
Here is what I managed to fit onto an area of 1500 x 1500 mm (59 x 59")...
These parts will soon be laser-cut from 3 mm (approx. 1/8") mild steel plate. To assemble, I'll use angle iron for the frame, and I will probably weld the cab together.
Note the many parts needed for the cab - in the lower left quarter of the image. This is because it has "bay windows" - a distinctive feature of Finnish switchers. The bulging cab sides enabled the engineer and fireman to view the surroundings much better - quite necessary in switching work! The cab contained an integral coal bunker, you can see the profile in the parts in the lower left corner.
In addition to cab and frame, I included parts for the buffer beams, running boards, smokebox door and saddle, and even some parts for the crossheads - if you're going to laser-cut, you might as well do as much as possible at once!
Incidentally, I have already machined the hornblocks and axleboxes from the castings I made. The axleboxes will contain needle bearings. The holes you see in the boxes serve two purposes: as seating for the coil springs (which will be hidden inside the box/block pair) and as oiling holes - the bearings have an oil groove that just happens to coincide with the seating holes for the springs...