Over the holidays I assembled the UGears Steam Locomotive moving model. It was my second UGears project. I assembled the Chronograph a couple years ago. UGears models are very intricate and the working gears, mostly driven my rubber bands, add a fun aspect to them.

The Chronograph was 107 parts and the Locomotive is four times more at 443. I found the Chronograph directions confusing numerous times. The Locomotive was much more complex, but UGears has vastly improved their manuals.

I made one mistake with the side panels, putting them on the wrong side and reversing the text. I realized too late and didn’t want to try and disassemble it to fix it.

The Locomotive has an impressive set of gears. I haven’t had great luck getting the rubber bad “engine” to smoothly move the gears. You use a lot of candle wax as lubricant for the wooden gears, but mine catches too much to work reliably.

Assembled UGears UG460 wooden steam locomotive model with tender on a track, sitting on a wood table near a window. Assembled UGears UG460 wooden steam locomotive model with tender and visible gear mechanisms sitting on a wood table UG460 wooden mechanical locomotive model with visible interlocking gears, sitting on a wooden track on a table

The coal car has doors that rise up when you move the lever on the side.

UGears BR-1104 wooden tender model with open top hatch beside the UG460 steam locomotive on a wood surface

The doors that open and even a retractable ladder are nice details.

UGears UG460 wooden 3D puzzle steam locomotive model with visible gears and wheels sitting on a wooden table Assembled UGears 460 Steam Locomotive wooden model kit on a wood table, showing intricate laser-cut gears and wheels on a small track.

Here is the Locomotive sitting next to the Chronograph.

Two assembled UGears wooden mechanical models on a shelf: a gear-driven Chronograph clock and a UG460 steam locomotive with tender.