From such small beginnings… not quite a might oak, but I now have a virtually complete chassis. I tweaked the connecting rods a bit (ok, I made two eccentric bushes to correct slight length errors). I haven't fitted the strong springs yet, as I don't yet know final weight. I need to rethink the brake gear as the front cross bar fouls one of the drive gears!

A general view from the front:

And from the back (I like the steps, with their support rod and the sand tank from sheet brass):

This is a detail of the crank, with dummy rivets around the 'hydraulic gearbox' – still some countersunk screws missing and to be filled. The running board has a frame from brass angle and steel brackets silver soldered up, and is the bit I struggled to solder a flat plate on top of:

This is the front – I had to remake the plate in the previous picture, it was too narrow:

This is the gearbox, with four home cut gears and bevels from a burnt out angle grinder. Note the slotted motor mount so I can change the gear ratio if it is over geared.

And this is the solenoid for the brakes. It will just pull them on gently at the same time as a relay shorts the motor for back-emf braking:

Neil