Next step is the front bogie (or truck in the US)...

... and the bogie axles:

Again, just as with the frame, I used rectangular steel, "key" stock, thanks to its exact dimensions and good finish. You can see how I've again milled grooves for the pedestals, just as I did on the main frame.

Here, I've assebled the bogie with countersunk M4 screws and silver soldered the pedestals. (I will replace the Allen headed screws later with hex-heads, closer to prototype...) As before, all ends of the parts are precisely faced to 90° in the lathe, so the whole thing assembled squarely and nicely on the first try.

Next, almost three months later, I made the balancing mechanism for the bogie; a set of four balancing levers that suspend the entire bogie frame, and by the weight of the loco, forces the bogie to stay centered, as this 1875 drawing shows:

Below is the central part of the suspension, made of four pieces of brass, cut to size and silver soldered - the picture is taken just after soldering, and shows the part upside down. Originally, in the 3003, this was a heavy, cast iron component. The axles are of silver steel (drill rod), hardened & tempered. The small M2 screws were only for holding the pieces together during soldering, and will be removed. And there is still some filing & forming to be done...

Here, I've attached the bogie to the frame tentatively. Still missing is the circular axial bearing that will be included between the bogie and the frame. Also, the bogie will be attached to the complex cylinder/smokebox assembly, not to a simple cross-brace as here...



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