Dulina Geekiyanage, Wooden S Class Diesel Electric Locomotive (STUDENT 2022)

Student:

Secondary

Name of school or tertiary institution, and name of woodworking teacher (if you have one):

Keilor Downs College

My handmade model of an Ex Victorian Railways S class Diesel-Electric Locomotive, built in the 1950s by Clyde Engineering in Australia. This style of locomotive is unique for having a streamlined nose and body. I attempted to replicate this by rounding off as much as possible off the front with a saw, then filed and sanded to get the ideal shape. The wheel frames (Bogies) are detailed with brake cylinders and axel ends, which I gently carved and chiseled. Sanding the model from 60 grit through to 200 grit was key, as the real locomotive is smooth and round at almost every corner and edge. I used almost no power tools in this project, only a drill for cutting out the wheels and a small disc sander for the rounded nose. Everything else was done with a coarse file, handsaws, chisel and carving tools. On a trip up to Bendigo, I came across an abandoned railway line which I thought would be perfect to take some photos of with my model. This specific locomotive is still in service today, often hauling several thousand tonnes of grain from Piangil, Nullawil, Denilliquin and Woorinen back to Melbourne.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.