FFF's Plarail Customs - C38, Daisy

Oh my, whatever could it be?

Just before I do actually say anything, I should mention that I wasn't sure which sub-forum to post this in given it isn't technically a modification though some modification would be necessary to another Plarail toy in order for it to work. Sounds odd, right? No, you've probably already guessed that you'll be cannibalising something, but for what? Well, over the course of about two weeks I set about designing something that I'd always wanted as a kid but had never been able to obtain. If you're a TLDR kind of person, just skip over the next paragraph.

Some history; As I was a child, I watched Thomas the Tank Engine and to be honest I'd be surprised if the majority of the people on this forum didn't. Trains were the coolest things on the planet back then, so my parents took me to a local rail museum - the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum, as it used to be called, in Thirlmere - during one of their annual big events. This was around 2004 I believe and there were two massive green engines which absolutely blew my four year old mind, not least the beautiful five chime whistles. They were, of course, 3801 and 3830 of the NSWGR C38 class. 3801 is a streamlined engine and most likely the more famous of the two. Visiting this steam festival at Thirlmere became as regular as the events themselves until eventually my family and I moved half-way across the country. Since then I've made sure to visit the museum at any chance I get, the most recent being in March of this year where sadly only 3820 was accessible though 3830 sat further away in a fenced-off area.

TLDR: I like the NSWGR C38 pacifics.

As a child I always wanted toys of the engines I could go see and ride behind in person and as TOMY/Plarail was my favourite range of Thomas toys, I really wanted a plarail C38. Plarail didn't make them - and if they began now that wouldn't be terrible - so earlier this year I took it upon myself to whip up something to potentially be 3D printed as I have a printer and without meaning to sound like I'm blowing my own whistle as it were, because I definitely am, I'm quite good at 3D modelling. I held off from joining this forum once I had finished the design and rendering stages of the model because I ended up using it for a school assignment and to avoid someone seeing it online and saying "Oh you didn't make that".

TLDR: I designed it a while ago.

Designed? Don't you mean you made it a while ago? Not exactly, I haven't printed any parts yet though I have a lot more free time on my hands now and will most likely do so.

Now, for what you most likely came here for; images!




Now, I'm sure some people will have questions and so I'll answer what I presume will be the main one; "What pre-existing TOMY toy did you base that on?"
A TOMY Henry that I'd rather cruelly cut up many years ago to use for a custom project which didn't happen. I also had a Gordon I disassembled at some point too which helped with a mock-up of the motor, but the tender area was based on Henry specifically to use his parts. Theoretically.

"What of the future?"/"Will you make more?"/"Will you make X engine for me?"
Who knows?

Enjoy.