Exley

[amdaley]

That looks very smart almost new. I have a couple of 6 wheelers and three 4 wheel WR ones but not in the condition of yours. So far I have not got around to cleaning them or sorting out the wheels.

 

That GWR No 17 is very good but the corridor connections seemed to be perished as there are little pieces breaking off.

I'll have to see if I can source some on line.

Do you know of anyone who makes corridor connections similar to the Exley ones ?

 

Do you make those etched bogie mounting plates you mentioned yourself ?

 

I have quite a few other Exleys as well.

I'll have to dig them out.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony, regarding the corridor connectors Modellers Mecca seem to still sell them, they did stop for a while so I don't know what they are like now, especially as they do all different types.  Another source could be York modelmaking who laser cut them.  At the moment I am having a go at making my own replacements.

 

With regards to the etches I do the drawings and then e-mail it to a company who does the actuall etching which comes back as a flat sheet as per photo.  The bogie mounts are folded up and a 6BA screw soldered in the centre hole for the bogie to be fastened to.  I just glue these to the floor but holes are there for screws if necessary.  There is a small tube between the screw and the bogie to allow it to turn freely with a nut in position.

 

The underframes are just folded as per Exley then assembled as usual.  All the parts have half etched fold lines/relief detail where necessary.

 

The window ventilator frames are for the coaches that don't have these and the ends are used on Westdale coaches in a similar manner to the Exleys and then a whitemetal casting is glued to them.

 

Garry

[amdaley]

Thanks for that information Garry.

I'll look into those corridor connections.

[amdaley]

I dug out some photos of Exley Southern items I have stored somewhere.

I'll put up some more when I get a chance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony, very nice coaches.  I love the Buffet car and again it is a new design I have not seen.  It is nice to see these "oddities" appearing at times.  The large bogie parcles is another I have not seen in this colour, I have this myself in Maroon and brown and cream I think and a shorter green parcles van but it has a different window formation.  The condition is super, you have looked after them well.  Do you ever run them? I take it these are all 00?

 

Garry

[amdaley]

Hi Garry.

I have never run any of them.

They just sit in boxes which is a waste I know.

I plan at some time to put them on display.

 

Here's another few i have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Golden Fleece 30]

Another fine set Tony,  the GWR sleeping car is the same as the last one I bought a couple of weeks ago but I doubt I will go for anymore of those.  I am on the look out for the maroon sleepers though and yours again looks superb.

 

Garry

[amdaley]

I sent Modellers Mecca a couple of emails inquiring about the corridor connections.

Never got a reply.

In any case they can't be that hard to make.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony, they are reasonably easy to make if you get the correct thickness of paper.  There are at least 3 different ways I know of but for ease would prefer to buy.

 

Here is my West Coast Postal express although I am not keen on the Black Duchess/City livery.

 

The nets have been made on a brass wire frame and using a "ridged" cotton glued to it which looks more realistic than the acetate ones. 

 

Here is a link to a You Tube clip showing the train running on my layout which obviously is still under construction.

 

[amdaley]

Very impressive Garry.

That netting looks just the job.

 

I was also looking at those hinges you use for the lift up.

I presume its to get in & out a door ?

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony, here is a photo of the layout as of July 2014 and one taken this week, February 2015.  The baseboards meant to be in pairs to fold up but I decided all the long lengths had too many tracks crossing them so these are now full length.  There is still the one near the door which does hinge up to allow me to get in and out easily.  Most of the coaches on the layout are Exley, The Pullmans are Bachmann (did Exley make any?), the 6 wheelers are Dublo and all the rest on the layout are Exley, a few of which are in the carriage sidings.

 

[5050]

Ah, pasting table hinges.  Very useful things if you can find them.  I like the way you have used them 'doubled up'.  Used individually they can be a bit fragile especially in the type of situation yours are.  For a lifting section they automatically provide a gap for the tracks to fit when open.  Normal hinges require a small block etc.

 

Great selection of stock!

[amdaley]

That's a lovely setup you have there Garry & very well constructed I might say.

I like the stock shelving under the layout. I presume they're on wheels.

Did you construct them yourself or are they bought in units ?

 

I can also see you're running in DC.

Im in DCC myself.

 

I think Exley may have made Pullmans before the war but I can't see them mentioned post war.

 

Here's a photo of something interesting.

Its the Motor Car 3rd Class Brake End.

Its fitted with a Romford "Bulldog" Motor Bogie.

 

 

 

[Golden Fleece 30]

Thanks 5050.  The hinges are actually set on top of a 1" lip which gives a 2" gap for platforms etc to be fastened down without damage.

 

Thanks to Tony, the baseboards were made by Robin Hair of Classic Baseboards in Cambridshire.  These are the 3rd different sets I have and are very lightweight, the other two have proper Dublo 3-rail track on.  The whole lot did fold up and fit in my Fiesta, just.  Everything else I have put together, the units underneath are basic kitchen ones with the layout set on top of the frames.  There are some extra supports as the units are narrower than the boards and are not on wheels, just the standard legs.  I do need a couple more under the right hand side but will have to wait as I have the station canopies and other items there waiting to be used on the layout.

 

Yes, DC only I am not a big believer in DCC for a few reasons 1) most layouts I see at shows stop working due to faults, 2) I hate the sound people use and never heard one realistic one yet, steam is especially poor, 3) possibly difficult to do Dublo 3-rail locos which are the vast majority and 4) cost with the amount of locos I have.

 

 

I like the Exley EMU you have and tried to win the trailer for this model this week but it was more than I was prepared to pay which did not really surprise me.  Again yours looks really neat and tidy.  I will still be looking out for one though.

 

Regards

Garry

[Martin Shaw]

I thought in light of this thread you may care to see these. 7mm in crimson and cream, which I think may well make these some of the rarer Exleys around.

 

I acquired them from now sadly departed good friend as a rake of 4, it included an LMS liveried restaurant car which I didn't really want to keep so I exchanged it with a local O gauge group for the Wayoh bogies and fine scale wheels. They originally had some pretty grim cast bogies, possibly original, possibly Leeds, and coarse scale wheels.

 

As models they are obviously generic LMS, and of them the middle one, a TK numbered M2321 is actually pretty good. The real thing being built at Derby in 46-47. The top one is obviously the exact same model with the addition of first class designation on the doors and a number M3377, which is really two fudges too many. The pre war FKs' were 5 full and one coupe compartment, the post war 6 compartment with added doors on the corridor side which makes the model completely wrong. Nor can I find any evidence that the LMS ever had a coach, of any description, numbered 3377.

 

The BTK whilst lacking the guards lookouts is a reasonable interpretation of a dia 1968 vehicle, built primarily at Derby with one lot at Wolverton between 1937 and 1946. I feel however that the guards door should be nearer the end. The LMS built over 500 of these so they would have been common. The number is a complete fiction, it having been carried by a 60' BCK of period 2 design. The first lot of 1968 vehicles were numbered 5957 - 6020, the remainder 26100 - 26545, with the the very odd quirk that 26190 wasn't used.

 

Dimensionally they are accurate and the finish is typical Exley high quality. One has to acknowledge their shortcomings but also recognise that even today achieving a similar quality is not for the faint hearted, or me. It's likely more than 50 years ago I first saw Exley coaches and of course wanted some, way beyond my fathers disposable model railway budget, and these three are probably the only ones I will own but a boyhood dream has been fulfilled and they serve as a timely reminder of a very good friend. Can't ask for more really. I hope my Sunday afternoon ramblings may be of some interest.

 

Regards

Martin

 

 

[amdaley]

Thanks 5050.  The hinges are actually set on top of a 1" lip which gives a 2" gap for platforms etc to be fastened down without damage.

 

Thanks to Tony, the baseboards were made by Robin Hair of Classic Baseboards in Cambridshire.  These are the 3rd different sets I have and are very lightweight, the other two have proper Dublo 3-rail track on.  The whole lot did fold up and fit in my Fiesta, just.  Everything else I have put together, the units underneath are basic kitchen ones with the layout set on top of the frames.  There are some extra supports as the units are narrower than the boards and are not on wheels, just the standard legs.  I do need a couple more under the right hand side but will have to wait as I have the station canopies and other items there waiting to be used on the layout.

 

Yes, DC only I am not a big believer in DCC for a few reasons 1) most layouts I see at shows stop working due to faults, 2) I hate the sound people use and never heard one realistic one yet, steam is especially poor, 3) possibly difficult to do Dublo 3-rail locos which are the vast majority and 4) cost with the amount of locos I have.

 

 

I like the Exley EMU you have and tried to win the trailer for this model this week but it was more than I was prepared to pay which did not really surprise me.  Again yours looks really neat and tidy.  I will still be looking out for one though.

 

Regards

Garry

 

Garry.

I didn't see that trailer up for sale otherwise I would have been all over it but like you up to a certain price point.

When I bought the Motor EMU there was also a trailer up for sale but it went for about twice the price I paid for the Motor end ?

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hello Martin, your 0 gauge ones look very nice and as you say the rarer livery.  I only have the one in these colours, the 12 wheeler 00 as in an earlier post.  I have seen a photo of three 00 ones owned by someone who sold me a few others.  He said he may sell at a later date so I have my fingers crossed for those.

 

I am not too worried about the numbers etc, to me everything is a compromise unless you are scratch/kit building every individual item then you can number as prototype.  00 numbers etc on Exleys are the only downfall where they are painted on into a pressed recess but for 50 or more years old they are still the best.

 

Hi Tony, I cannot remember if it was £137 or £173 to give you an idea.  Out of interest some Dublo EMU trailers go for nearly the same as the motor vehicle, odd times even more too.

 

Garry

[sagaguy]

I like those.The 3rail track intrigues me,is it peco streamline with a centre rail added?

 

   Ray.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hello Ray, the points are Peco Streamline which are modern universal and are a little finer than the originals but not finescale as such.  All the rest of the track is Peco Setrack.  This is because all these have a rigid plastic base to which you can glue.  The flexible Streamline track is impossible to use any glue on it and even Peco will tell you that. The centre rail is C and L finescale code 82 rail with their chairs and because I use the rigid base I can "weld" the chairs on using Plastic weld like Butanone.  These chairs are spaced fairly evenly as it would be a nightmare putting them on every sleeper.  The points are all live frog except the diamond crossings, the long one having it "centre" running rails fitted with a DPDT to allow either running rail current or centre pick up current.  These newer points still allow old Hornby Dublo wheels to run through even smoother than the original ones.

 

Garry

[Il Grifone]

I believe the Peco sleeper base is polythene, which is (in)famously immune to adhesives..... 

1656

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is a drivers eye view around the layout from Platform 4 to Platform 2. Just imagine yourself behind the regulator and passing the Royal Scot pulled by a City loco. I will have to see if filming during the day is any better with the lighting as I can leave the shed door open, weather permitting.

 

Every coach but 1 in the clip is an Exley coach which is what I was hoping to show/highlight, may be with better lighting it will show more and the odd 1 being the blood and custard in the main line rake which is a Westdale looking like an Exley.

 

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is clip going in the opposite direction. Before anymore are made I will try to alter the lighting form "early evening/dusk" to more of a "daytime" feel  Again the coaches are Exley.

 

http://youtu.be/RBnnOw5_RKI

 

Back to getting on with the layout now.

[Il Grifone]

1002

That's really effective!

 

I really must set up some sort of layout rather than my miserable test oval of Trix fibre base track, I could use some of my stock of Formoway and add a third rail. I thought of fitting a copper clad sleeper at intervals and Dublo conductor rail from my stock of scrap curved rails. These were bought for spare joiners and as cheap rail for a fiddle yard - My idea was four rails interlaced 00 and EM so that one EM running rail would serve as the centre rail for 00/H0 trains. Careful laying would allow N gauge or H0e trains to use it too.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi David, here is a Peco point I had modified using copper clad sleepers.  To me it looked a little over bearing as such with the code 100 rail and the copper sleepers needed to be painted etc.  I actually did quite a few and did use Streamline flexible track as soldering copper to it was no problem.  It was all taken up to use the newer finer scale universal points.  I am still using the copper sleeper method in the loco shed and some goods yard lines as the infill will hopefully cover the sleepers.

 

Formoway track, I have not heard of that in a long, long time.

 

Good luck with setting your rails to run all those different scales/gauges.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is another video testing a small 72 LED light.  It does show the Exley's behind the A4 a little better, 12 wheel dining car and Buffet car in tow, and tomorrow I might try a normal video to show more of them.

 

http://youtu.be/Re8JJA-8ZqU