Minor Points: Annie's layout projects.

[RodneyS]

If your goods van has the old style coupling and the solid axleboxes then the underframe is in two pieces.  The join is on both sides of the coupling and is difficult to see.

There is a metal dowel about 1/16'' diameter which goes through a hole in the top part of the coupling and into both sides of the headstock.

 

I did take a damaged one apart many years ago and the dowels are a very tight fit.

I wouldn't attempt it on one in good condition.

Rodney

[Annie]

1 hour ago, RodneyS said:

I did take a damaged one apart many years ago and the dowels are a very tight fit.

I wouldn't attempt it on one in good condition.

Rodney

Ah, - so that's how they did it.  Well I won't be messing around with the one I have then.

[Ben B]

On 24/08/2024 at 11:05, Annie said:

 

I found a Lima 0-6-0 chassis complete with its ballast weight from one of those J50s that they made some years ago.  I might even have its body shell somewhere, but I won't hold my breath in the hope it might turn up.  I know that these weren't exactly highly regarded, but it might clean up Ok and if it still works it's another engine for the roster.

 

Thought you might be interested in my Lima J50's. Seems to be a rarer variant, sold in sets with British wagons, but not sure if these were ever sold in the UK. Mine came from France about 4 years ago.

 

 

Battery powered off AA's, they're destined for a layout I'm building for my clockwork and battery sets.

 

 

 

[Annie]

3 hours ago, Ben B said:

Thought you might be interested in my Lima J50's. Seems to be a rarer variant, sold in sets with British wagons, but not sure if these were ever sold in the UK. Mine came from France about 4 years ago.

Now that is a variant of the J50 I've not seen before.  Definitely something different and the six flanged wheels are something unusual to find on a battery powered toy trainset loco.

[T0ny]

Congratulations. I have over the past few days been reading, with interest, of your trials and tribulations. A lovely story and some great models. A lot of inspiration there.

A while ago in this conversation there was a discussion about laminating card. These all have laminated photo paper bodies. They are HO scale. I used the paper because it was a suitable strength and consistency and, when laminated, very strong. I used spray glue to laminate them and then a spray with lacquer to strengthen them before using black spray paint. The wheels and chassis are 3d printed, I have never come across HO 3' split spoke wheels yet. They need trueing up because they don't run particularly well. A work in progress.

I am trying to produce a 3D printed version, but I quite like the individuality of these. I don't suppose they were well treated in real life.

Edited August 29 by T0ny
Spelling!

[Annie]

2 hours ago, T0ny said:

Congratulations. I have over the past few days been reading, with interest, of your trials and tribulations. A lovely story and some great models. A lot of inspiration there.

Thanks very much Tony.

 

2 hours ago, T0ny said:

A while ago in this conversation there was a discussion about laminating card. These all have laminated photo paper bodies. They are HO scale. I used the paper because it was a suitable strength and consistency and, when laminated, very strong. I used spray glue to laminate them and then a spray with lacquer to strengthen them before using black spray paint. The wheels and chassis are 3d printed, I have never come across HO 3' split spoke wheels yet. They need trueing up because they don't run particularly well. A work in progress.

I am trying to produce a 3D printed version, but I quite like the individuality of these. I don't suppose they were well treated in real life.

Having once made some chauldron wagons in P4 from plasticard I know how small and fiddly they can be so H0 would be that much smaller again.  You certainly have a good collection of them there.

Laminated paper is surprisingly strong and durable and of course the price is right.

[T0ny]

6 minutes ago, Annie said:

Thanks very much Tony.

 

Having once made some chauldron wagons in P4 from plasticard I know how small and fiddly they can be so H0 would be that much smaller again.  You certainly have a good collection of them there.

Laminated paper is surprisingly strong and durable and of course the price is right.

Yes. It was even better since I was able to buy several boxes of big, expensive Canon Pro matte paper at a VERY reasonable price. I have still over 200 sheets left, several thousand chaldrons if I want.

I initially drew them out as nets using Inkscape, printed them out and cut them. The ends had to separate since there is a small right angled corner that prevents them being all in one piece.

The 3D parts I drew in Fusion 360 and sent the file off to be printed.

[Annie]

I have the reprint copy of Volume 1 of the 1925 Model Railway News printed by Argus Books in 1977.  My copy has the price £7.00 written in pencil on the flyleaf.  It's an absolutely pristine copy that plainly was purchased, put on the bookshelf and never looked at again until it ended up being sold to a second hand book seller possibly as part of a deceased estate.  Second hand copies can still be found for around £20 or so, but it's also available to borrow on the Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/modelrailwaynews0001unse

 

It's very much a favourite read of mine and I love that it has, 'The Model Railway News, Clockwork Steam & Electric' on the front cover and the title page.  Plainly a good and sensible kind of model railway magazine.  Much of what I learned about scratchbuilding came from John Ahern's books as well as old model railway mags from the 1950s so this lovely 1925 reprint ticks all kinds of boxes for me.

 

This is an 'O' gauge layout that was built in a 8ft X 12ft space. From what I can glean from the text and the not very clear photos clockwork, steam and electric engines were used on this layout.  The trackwork was all hand laid and from the plan it looks like some fairly exciting gradients might have been needed to get the loop to pass over the lower level trackwork, but I think the 'O' gauge engines of the time would have been able to handle it.  Apparently there was a line that ducked off down a passageway from the main layout as well.

The signalling is explained in some detail including the way the lever frame was constructed.  Fearless scratchbuilding indeed!

 

[Annie]

A favourite article in the 1925 MRN book is on page 86 March 1925.  It's titled, 'Notes on Model Wagon Building' written by Lieutenant E.A.O. Hutchinson RA and the wagons in question are Gauge '1' models.  He says that he endeavours to make each wagon as exact as possible to the prototype and to do this he goes down any handy dock or shunting  yard and asks the yard foreman for permission to measure up the wagon he has chosen.  It seems that he never had any problems getting permission with the inference that the reader of the article should be able to do the same.   (How often have you or I searched grainy old photos in the oft times frustrating attempt to discover obscure details when making a pre-grouping era model)

Sensible advice is given on things to note and be aware of when measuring up your chosen wagon and as you'd expect the rest of the article discusses building a wagon and how to go about making various parts of it.  Nothing shop bought here,- no handy castings, - all the ironwork was made by hand. 

When I was younger and working in British 'S' scale I certainly hand cut more than a few wagon parts out of brass armed with my trusty piercing saw, but I don't think I could manage to do that now,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Edited September 4 by Annie
can't spell for toffee

[Northroader]

Here’s a bit about your Lieutenant Hutchinson (later ennobled) The RM ran a series of highly useful drawings around the ‘50s era, a page or two at a time, usually  dedicated to a particular pregroup company, called “From Sir Eric’s Notebook”, where the results of the trips down the goods yard could be seen. He also built quite a big 0 gauge Highland Rly. line.

 

https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/Category:Sir_Eric_Hutchison

 

 

Edited September 5 by Northroader

[St Enodoc]

3 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Here’s a bit about your Lieutenant Hutchinson (later ennobled) The RM ran a series of highly useful drawings around the ‘50s era, a page or two at a time, usually  dedicated to a particular pregroup company, called “From Sir Eric’s Notebook”, where the results of the trips down the goods yard could be seen.

 

https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/Category:Sir_Eric_Hutchison

 

 

A leading light in the Edinburgh & Lothians Miniature Railway Club, I believe. @dunwurken could tell us more, I'm sure.

[Annie]

24 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Here’s a bit about your Lieutenant Hutchinson (later ennobled) The RM ran a series of highly useful drawings around the ‘50s era, a page or two at a time, usually  dedicated to a particular pregroup company, called “From Sir Eric’s Notebook”, where the results of the trips down the goods yard could be seen. He also built quite a big 0 gauge Highland Rly. line.

 

https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/Category:Sir_Eric_Hutchison

 

 

While doing searches in the RM archives I've often seen the 'From Sir Eric’s Notebook' series of articles and drawing, but failed to associate Lieutenant Hutchinson as being Sir Eric at a younger age.  Thanks very much for pointing that out.

[Caley Jim]

Nowadays you'll need to go on several courses to get the appropriate permits, wear a hard hat and a full hi-vis suit, and that's just to get into the yard foreman's office to ask for permission!

 

Jim

[Annie]

All too true unfortunately Jim, - and it's not just for the railways either.

 

3 hours ago, Northroader said:

...a page or two at a time, usually  dedicated to a particular pregroup company, called “From Sir Eric’s Notebook”, where the results of the trips down the goods yard could be seen.

I've just had a dig about in the RM archives and I've found soooo many useful pre-grouping wagon drawings in that wonderful notebook.

 

[dunwurken]

8 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

A leading light in the Edinburgh & Lothians Miniature Railway Club, I believe. @dunwurken could tell us more, I'm sure.

Yes he was.   He was, if memory serves me correctly, a founder member and was Hon President for many years up to his death in 1974.   I was not aware of the Brighton Toy Museum connection .  It appears items from his collection were donated in 2016 some years after I researched him for the club's 50th anniversary in 2001 so no surprise I was unaware of the connection.  There are a few photographs new to me and I will be adding them to the club archive so thank you Northroader for bringing it to my attention, should make a good article for a future club newsletter.  

 

Lady May was I think Sir Eric's second wife. 

 

Malcolm

[Northroader]

Just a mention in case you hadn’t picked it up. I think a plan of Sir Eric’s layout and a picture or two appeared in Edward Beals book “Modelling the Old Time Railways” (I can’t check as my copy went in my recent move)

The Highland does make a good prototype for a layout.

 

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Northroader said:

Just a mention in case you hadn’t picked it up. I think a plan of Sir Eric’s layout and a picture or two appeared in Edward Beals book “Modelling the Old Time Railways” (I can’t check as my copy went in my recent move)

And I have a copy of “Modelling the Old Time Railways” somewhere in my room.  All I have to do is find it.

 

Great picture by the way.  On16.5 is certainly appealing.

[Northroader]

16.5mm gauge, and 1:32 scale, although really it’s the size of the people in the scene that fix it. Ideally it would be good to upgrade the chassis on the loco to nicer gears.

[Annie]

The local auction website here in NZ, - TradeMe, - keeps offering this to me as an ideal choice based on my previous purchases.

Only $NZ 38,000.00, - how could I pass up a bargain like that!  🤣 🤣 🤣

 

[Caley Jim]

Rip off!!!  Now if it was a proper loco.......

 

Jim

[Annie]

20 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

Rip off!!!  Now if it was a proper loco.......

 

Jim

True enough Jim.  At least the English Electrics that were the first diesels on the NZGR had a bit of class to them.  Not that I've ever been fond of diesels.  

Never liked this particular paint scheme either.  Stupid looking tin boxes that they are.

[figworthy]

4 hours ago, Annie said:

The local auction website here in NZ, - TradeMe, - keeps offering this to me as an ideal choice based on my previous purchases.

Only $NZ 38,000.00, - how could I pass up a bargain like that!  🤣 🤣 🤣

 

 

Does that include delivery ?

 

Hmm, might give the neighbours something to complain talk about.

 

Adrian

[Annie]

4 hours ago, figworthy said:

Does that include delivery ?

No Adrian, if you buy it you have to figure out getting it delivered yourself.

Apparently the thing is still functional, - only one of the traction motors is duff and some of the bits have been stripped out of the cab.

[figworthy]

18 hours ago, Annie said:

No Adrian, if you buy it you have to figure out getting it delivered yourself.

 

Pah.

 

Quote

Apparently the thing is still functional, - only one of the traction motors is duff and some of the bits have been stripped out of the cab.

 

I think if I tried to get it back here under its own power, the electrics might get rather soggy.  I'm sure the neighbours will be relieved.

 

Adrian

[Annie]

I've been sleepy so I haven't been doing much.  But I have been finding and sorting out my modelling tools out and after seeing what I had that was still useful I decided that I needed to buy myself some new toys tools I've had my eye on for a while now.  Amazingly I have been able to find all my teeny tiny drill bits.  I thought they would have got well and truly lost since I was a bit careless how I put things away when I was depressed over not being able to do model making anymore back when I first developed narcolepsy.

 

Tamiya Modelling Drill Chuck.

 

Tamiya Fine Pin Vice.

 

Basic rechargeable 5 volt mini drill.  I purchased two of these.

 

My daughter would give me a right telling off if I laid my hands on a full sized mains powered electric drill, but I should be fine with these little zizzz bots.

I'm not at the stage of being able to build a layout yet, but there's nothing stopping me from making a goods wagon or two.  I used to buy my coarse scale 'O' gauge fittings & etc from Home of 'O' Gauge, but they shut their doors years ago and I wouldn't have a clue who does that kind of thing now.