Local resident 3D prints locomotive for SLO museum
Unveiling to happen at festival in October
– The 14th annual Central Coast Railroad Festival (CCRRF) will host an unveiling of a 100% 3D-printed Pacific Coast Railway Locomotive on Oct. 5. Designer and builder Jack B. Erhart, a local resident, will present the John Harford Locomotive at the SLO Railroad Museum at 1 p.m., followed by a Q&A portion.
Erhart visited the SLO Railroad Museum in 2013 for a photography assignment, where he "first discovered the rich history of the Pacific Coast Railway." As Erhart discovered that photographs or models were not available of the late-1800s locomotives that worked on the railway, he began planning on how to design, print, and build scaled down models using existing records, some of which date back to 1875.
"I continued to do my research, and through doing that, word got out to a 3D printer manufacturer that loved the idea of restoring history using modern-day technology [and] loved the idea so much that they donated every piece of equipment I would need to make it happen. So now I'm learning not only new design techniques, and building and putting together a new 3D printer, but now printing out every nut, bolt, and parts to create a 3D representation of an actual 1875 locomotive," Erhart said.
The locomotive is Erhart's second model for the SLO Railroad Museum. The first locomotive was the Avila, a three foot long model which made its debut during the 2022 CCRRF. As Erhart was completing the Avila, he invited the SLO Railroad Museum team to see it; the result was an ongoing renovation of the museum's Pacific Coast Railway display with Erhart commissioned to do six 1:10 scale locomotives.
"The first locomotive I made for the museum only had mocked-up pictures of their first locomotive. Now they have a three-foot-long 3D printed model to show folks what it really looked like. Restoring history using today's technology is kind of the tagline," said Erhart, adding that "most museums have small budgets, and can't afford, let alone find anything full sized dating back that far. This makes it doable for most smaller museums."
The CCRRF will be held from Oct. 4-6 at various locations on the Central Coast. Along with exhibitions and presentations at the SLO Railroad Museum, there will be model train layouts around SLO, Atascadero, and more.
"The Festival is designed to attract the attention of avid and casual rail fans as well as curious folks from across the western United States. It presents historical, educational, and recreational events for local citizens, the area's large population of second home owners, and visitors," according to the CCRRF website.
Donations and sponsorships help contribute to the cost of materials for the 3D printed locomotives; those interested in supporting them can find more information
"This project is a labor of love for me, so I truly enjoy every aspect of this project. We could always use more support to cover the cost. But it is very satisfying to take old build records, design each individual part to scale, print them out, and assemble them into 1875-76 locomotives," Erhart said.
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