When TT3 was the next Big Thing

[Robert Shrives]

The layout is quite fantastic - a lovely piece of work . For me I could just add some goods items in yard and perhaps a little debris by engine shed - ash pile that sort of thing. Maybe a porter having a crafty cig on the platform but it looks just like a 1930s GWR station - busy at work but tidy all the same.

 

I guess point rodding and signal wires but my mind engineers those in the photos- I guess the signaling staff were at work that day  in the second picture.

 

Well beyond what I could do do  in a 100 years ,cap off to you !  

Robert 

[NCB]

The layout is quite fantastic - a lovely piece of work . For me I could just add some goods items in yard and perhaps a little debris by engine shed - ash pile that sort of thing. Maybe a porter having a crafty cig on the platform but it looks just like a 1930s GWR station - busy at work but tidy all the same.

 

I guess point rodding and signal wires but my mind engineers those in the photos- I guess the signaling staff were at work that day  in the second picture.

 

Well beyond what I could do do  in a 100 years ,cap off to you !  

Robert 

 

Yep, the goods yard details, a bit more coal and activity in the coal yard, a few more people around... that's the sort of stuff needed. I've in mind an annex tacked on to the back of the engine shed, if I can do it convincingly (the back wall is slightly warped, so maybe not).

 

I realised after I got stuck into it that the point rodding would have been a great addition, but the design doesn't allow it to be easily added (things a bit too cramped).  Likewise the signalling is really just token signalling, because if I added all in that should be there it's too cluttered. In retrospect maybe I should have gone for a simpler, less crowded design, and design in everything I wanted at the start. Next time, maybe ....!

 

Nigel

Edited April 12, 2018 by NCB

[NCB]

This pic shows the current stage of the second board. Nothing is yet fixed down. The water tower is Airfix on a scratch built base. The wooden coaling stage I'm not too keen on and will be replaced by a stone-based structure. There'll be a signal box just off left and beyond it the main line will disappear under a bridge.

 

 

The layout is L shaped; the final two boards were built over winter. The line curves round 90 degrees on the third board and that and the fourth board provide a base for cassettes. I was thinking of some scenery on the third board but can't get something I like, so instead the third and fourth board, as well as holding cassettes, will be a useful extension to my workbench. Next thing is to get the track needed for the third board down, plus a few cassettes to test it. Can't really do more to the second board until that's fixed.

 

Nigel

Edited April 12, 2018 by NCB

[Golden Fleece 30]

Had intended to get around to doing something in one of the other sections, such as 3mm/ft. However, here's a taster. The layout has taken a long, long time to develop, mainly because I get distracted by building rolling stock.

 

This one is after the basic track has been laid, and a couple of buildings built and positioned to see how they look. The layout is called Port Aeron, and is a take on Aberaeron with a suitably modified history to enlarge operations. Period is GWR immediately prior to WWII.

 

m150b.jpg

 

Here's a shot of the end board while scenic stuff was being developed.

 

m55b.jpg

 

Here's more shots of the end board, which in essentials is now complete, although more detail will get added.

 

m83b.jpg

 

m78b.jpg

 

g0140b.jpg

 

Not much has been done on scenery for the second board, yet. The white-balance on the 2nd and 5th pics is a bit up the creek.

I like the 22xx, is it the old BEC kit on an etched chassis?

 

Garry

[NCB]

I like the 22xx, is it the old BEC kit on an etched chassis?

 

Garry

 

Nope, it's a Brynkits (Brian Golding) kit. Think it's excellent; an awful lot of 2251 models look a bit odd. This one has captured the firebox/boiler/smokebox spot on; that bit and the tender body are resin castings, otherwise etched brass for the bodies and etched nickel silver for the chasses. This pic will give the idea:

 

The only problems I found were that the cast smokebox saddle is a bit high and needs to be filed down, and the firebox inside is a bit narrow, although I managed to squeeze in a Mashima 9/16 open frame motor, attached to a High Level Compact+ gearbox. I had a bit of trouble doing a neat job of attaching the coal sheets to the top of the tender, as the pics show.

 

The chasses and tender are available separately. 3SMR may have some but I think Brian has now taken back marketing and selling his kits.

 

I built it with a rigid engine chassis and a sprung tender, with the springs being pickups on top of the wheels and split axles to isolate things. It works but overall I'm not too keen on the arrangement; the tender wheels drag a bit. At the moment I'm experimenting with a compensated engine chassis and an 8x16 coreless motor to see how that works. That should also improve haulage; the resin castings do mean the engine is a bit light.

 

Nigel

Edited April 16, 2018 by NCB

[Golden Fleece 30]

Winston Churchill.  Although it is a M/N I have taken the liberty to change it's identity to a B of B.  The tender, although difficult to see in the photo, has had its raves cut down with a sloping top made to the coal sides and then cut right down to the water tank top.  Due to the rebuilding of the tenders the lining out changed to the "standard" rectangle shape with no black base.

 

As I have ran out of left and right hand later crests I have put on a pair of right facing ones, which is correct, but I prefer the forward facing.

 

Being gloss finished (ready for the funeral train) it is hard to read the name so I may end up at a later stage using a satin varnish over it.

 

Garry

Edited April 16, 2018 by Golden Fleece 30

[NCB]

Dimension wise, how close is it to a Merchant Navy or Battle of Britain? Or to put it another way, could it be converted to a reasonable representation of a BB?

[Golden Fleece 30]

I think there is a difference in length between both rebuilt and unrebuilt locos and think (I say think) there is a greater difference on the rebuilt versions.  In reality the bogie and driving wheel centres are I think the same, there is about a foot more to the pony truck and a few more inches to the tender on the M/N due to a larger firebox grate area.  The unrebuilt M/N's are 2'8" longer.  The rebuilt are 4'2" longer with the M/N going from  69'8"  to 71'7" when rebuilt.

 

I do have some dimension drawings somewhere and will try to locate them.

 

Garry

Edited April 16, 2018 by Golden Fleece 30

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here are some drawings.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Has anyone fitted new replacement couplings to the Tri-ang DMU motor bogie? Could be tricky with a metal cooling as the side frames are the pick-ups.

 

I have started on an idea and will see what happens or how others have managed.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Further to my last post here is my attempt. Coupling soldered to nickel angle soldered to paxolin sheet which is screwed to the plastic frame.

 

The sellotape is to prevent shorting as this is fitted to a brass plate inside a class 25 diesel, later I hope to fit two motor units in.

Garry

Edited April 18, 2018 by Golden Fleece 30

[Golden Fleece 30]

Number 35003, Royal Mail, has just left the paint shop.  This is another loco that has had a modified tender fitted.  I guess I should have painted the tender chassis's too.  I did not try to paint any flags on this one as it looks like it had twin ones which is a bit too challenging at the moment.

 

35011 is awaiting its tender transfers from Fox then it is ready for varnishing.

 

There are two more in "works grey" on the production line soon to get their BR green put on, these being 35017 and 35006.  I need another loco to use up the last set of plates, 35015, as all the ex Kings Cross ones will then be gone, unless the out of stock one is reproduced.  They are a pain to cut out but a very nice looking and readable ones when on the model.

 

Garry

 

 

[Golden Fleece 30]

This crest was not too easy to paint but due to its small size it is not too bad, I decided not to do the sun under the flag.

 

A close up photo shows some material still around the edge which I may need to attempt to remove.  I am more patient cutting out than 40 years ago but the eyesight is a lot worse.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

35006 and 35011 finished and ready for the road.

 

The class 25 is a resin body, which is not too good, but will do as something different.  It does need its second motor bogie fitted but runs well as it is.  Sometime I need to look at making a dummy centre underframe and attempt to make some bogie sideframes.  Buffers will be standard Tri-ang as I need it to go around Tri-ang curves.

 

The Peak, again a resin not too good body, will not be finished for a while.  The grills were atrocious, sunk in and raised in places, so I have smoothed the sides down and will get some etched ones made that fit on top just outside the pale line seen around them, thankfully the flush ones on the bonnets are acceptable for me as I did not want to start cutting these out..  The bogies will get a front pony wheel and some dummy outside frames with front buffer beams made.

 

Back to another couple of M/N re-paints.

 

Garry

[NCB]

Hi Garry

 

What did transfer did you use for the BR totem, later style, on the BoB tender, and the diesels?  A non-Society person has been asking.

Cheers

Nigel

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Nigel, all transfers are 00 ones which are usually quite close to size. BR totems are Fox medium size ones, loco numbers are Fox and the Diesels are Modelmaster.

 

The Fox numbers come in two different colours, yellow and pale cream.

 

Garry

[cctransuk]

Hi Nigel, all transfers are 00 ones which are usually quite close to size. BR totems are Fox medium size ones, loco numbers are Fox and the Diesels are Modelmaster.

 

The Fox numbers come in two different colours, yellow and pale cream.

 

Garry

 

Be aware that virtually all of my transfer sheets are available for TT / 3mm. scale.

 

https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Be aware that virtually all of my transfer sheets are available for TT / 3mm. scale.

 

https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

I know John thanks, but at the moment I use what I am happy with and obviously need to use Fox lining as you don't make TT loco lining.

 

At the end of the day it is all compromise and these are not far out of scale for purpose.

 

Garry

[cctransuk]

I know John thanks, but at the moment I use what I am happy with and obviously need to use Fox lining as you don't make TT loco lining.

 

At the end of the day it is all compromise and these are not far out of scale for purpose.

 

Garry

 

Garry,

 

I can do dead scale 3mm. scale coach lining, if it's any help.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Garry,

 

I can do dead scale 3mm. scale coach lining, if it's any help.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

I have seen those on your site John thanks but at the moment I have 3 or 4 sheets of HMRA coach linings to use up.

 

Garry

[NCB]

Be aware that virtually all of my transfer sheets are available for TT / 3mm. scale.

 

https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

Garry, John, thanks for the replies. John, it seems that the person in question was directed to your site and is now happy

 

Nigel

[fallen]

Many thanks for posting this, I had not come across this source before and it looks very useful.

 

Frank

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is the rebuilt West Country loco (masquerading as a M/N) I bought recently which has been stripped and repainted. I don't know when it will be finished as I have run out of varnish and it could be a week or two before I can get any and the valve gear does need cleaning up.

 

The nameplates are Kings Cross which took nearly an hour each to file to shape.

 

Once stripped there were a couple of anomalies spotted but as there are no other models of this loco available it is a fine machine. There is a possibility I may make some kits of this loco.

 

Garry

Edited April 27, 2018 by Golden Fleece 30

[Ravenser]

Here is the rebuilt West Country loco (masquerading as a M/N) I bought recently which has been stripped and repainted.  I don't know when it will be finished as I have run out of varnish and it could be a week or two before I can get any and the valve gear does need cleaning up.

 

The nameplates are Kings Cross which took nearly an hour each to file to shape.

 

Once stripped there were a couple of anomalies spotted but as there are no other models of this loco available it is a fine machine. There is a possibility I may make some kits of this loco.

 

Garry

 

Something is jarring about the driving wheels on the Pacifics . It can't be the form - they're Boxpok. I think it's the lightish grey. Would painting them into a darker colour work?

[Golden Fleece 30]

Something is jarring about the driving wheels on the Pacifics . It can't be the form - they're Boxpok. I think it's the lightish grey. Would painting them into a darker colour work?

Their "colour" is just the casting as such but I don't normally paint wheels unless I have to like if they have been over painted before. The tender frames should really be painted too but I don't often do that as spraying is the best and that needs the wheels removing. When I get around to re-wheeling the tenders I may paint them.