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DLT's NG Workbench - Back to The Hunslets


DLT
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Are you going to be able to get this one finished for the Crawley show?

Hi Mudders,

That's the plan, but I'm not committing myself! There has been further progress, but no photos yet.

 

Are the planks scribed or are the individually put on. I like your method for the roof.

Hi Peter,

The matchboarding is Slaters Microstrip, 20thou x 79thou (.5mm x 2mm) applied directly to the 40thou walls. The barn doors are scribed as they are a slightly irregular width planking, and I wanted to make sure they looked like separate parts.

Roofs can be a pain, particularly if they are unsuported or need to be removable.

My opinion on plasticard roofs is that you must have as much bracing as humanly possible. Especially of you intend to cover them with tissue paper to give them a canvas texture. And always make sure you apply tissue to the underside as well, to even-up any stresses.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

 

PS Slaters normally quote their Microstrip in round figures; 20 x 20, 20 x 40 etc, so why is this one 20 x 79thou? Why not 80?

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Balcony railings have been fabricated using the remaining etched grills from the Branchlines kit, with framework built up around them.

Once this was installed, and a retaining pocket for it created on the underside of the roof, the oversized roof could be trimmed to size.

So it now looks more like a roof and less like a Bushman's hat.....

Dave.

 

9076831_IMG_1936Small.jpg.b2c0a4a47e1e731d84980041d190ed5b.jpg

Edited by DLT
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This van seems to be taking forever, obviously another one of my "quickies"...

 

Anyway, its got some paint on it now, the Humbrol Red Leather giving a scale red-oxide effect.

1477414540_P1040820Small.jpg.813614d817179fc12621fb72c78132d2.jpg

 

Followed this up with some lettering, waterslide transfers from the Mabex range, but fixed in place with matt varnish (Humbrol again) hence the darker shade to the panels. I'll give it another coat all over.

1159140454_P1040823Small.jpg.7b0d580630a7940e3b2c759345461212.jpg

 

Finally. posed alongside a balcony coach in similar livery. This was the final coach in the batch of Branchlines kits I built, but put aside until now. Together they represent the surviving Tramway coaching stock as taken over by the Marshwood Vale Railway.

1096120400_P1040824Small.jpg.1b154fb932b1e40b28d9a9094fc2f51f.jpg

 

Still a lot of finishing to do: glazing, lettering, handrails, weathering etc, etc.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

Edited by DLT
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I suppose nnow it is on wheels we ought to call it a sun room.

Very nice bit of modelling, it looks superb.

Or a Victorian Bathing Hut? The sort that Ladies or Gentlemen would change in while being wheeled into the sea.

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The Marshwood Vale Railway's rebuild of the old Harbour Tramway brakevan is a utilitarian "Plain-Jane" of a vehicle, with only the decorative grills on the balcony railings left as a reminder of her former glory.

The model is officially finished, although I'm sure I can find some more jobs to do on it. Just the matching coach to finish now.

622121565_P1040832Small.jpg.ee6eb6ca150b616e8962b53c59ece898.jpg

 

1818768064_P1040834Small.jpg.e13ac12a258d0eccd8e44ea242a50356.jpg

 

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1023449422_P1040839Small.jpg.6e4d6252abaa6dced516a5257060e61e.jpg

 

Cheers,

Dave.

Edited by DLT
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You must be very pleased with the way it has turned out. I like it very much. Makes me want to do something narrow gauge.

Many thanks, I'm very pleased with it. If your fancy turns to NG, take the plunge, the waters lovely!

 

I like your narrow gauge stuff, it isn't as twee as a lot of NG stuff seems to be.

It's all looking very good.

I've always attempted to keep within the bounds of possibility when freelance modelling. Plausible rather than too Whimsical, if I can achieve it.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

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The coach isnt finished, but its finished enough to be photographed; so here are my most up-to-date workshop photos.

1515058234_P1040855Small.jpg.32586fe646af74888b870c53c76083ef.jpg

 

804392167_P1040857Small.jpg.bbfcd9338bacf564f9b0515c0503b811.jpg

 

720252944_P1040876Small.jpg.dcd2b4c0ca3cd77ee33c3cc64c901072.jpg

 

And the two versions of the same van at differing periods. Must try and remember not to run them together.

65975984_P1040898Small.jpg.58bd2e8f6005b8c063f4166111cee9f5.jpg

 

I've put a few more photos on my Charmouth thread

 

Cheers,

Dave.

Edited by DLT
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Definitely going over to the "Dark Side", I've started fitting my locos with DCC chips!

Some time ago I bought an NCE Powercab, and a couple of TCS M1 chips. My first thougt when I saw the chips was that they were "Nice and compact". However, fitting the first one in my Hunslet 262 Boadicea required quite a bit of surgery, the loco had been built around the Portescap RG4 motor, and there was no space left.

More later,

Dave.

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Go on Dave try a sound decoder ;) might require a bit more surgery but one of the sugar cube speakers might fit. I've been using small German tank loco sounds and no one has complained.

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I can't believe the chips will make the locos work any better...

Hi Stu,

The Jury is still out on what effect DCC will have on running quality; I've always been perfectly happy with the DC performance.

The main reason for changing over is to get away from the cab-control switching on Bridport. With two operators we spend too much time fiddling with the section switches instead of concentrating on the running.

 

The other reason is that my old layout Charmouth is going to Warley this year, on one of its very occasional outings. Charmouth is wired with normal section switches for one controller; therefore one loco in motion.

DCC will enable wider scope and more flexible operations.

 

Go on Dave try a sound decoder ;) might require a bit more surgery but one of the sugar cube speakers might fit. I've been using small German tank loco sounds and no one has complained.

Hi Paul,

I know I've been called a Technophobe, (very unfairly I think!) but I'm yet to be entirely convinced by steam sound, and even further from being convinced that its for me. (Diesel is a different matter)

So for the time-being at least I'm concentrating on sorting out any running issues with DCC before I start going down the gadgets route. Besides DCC sound can get VERY expensive!

 

I'll keep you posted,

All the best, Dave.

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I thought I was the only one who did not like sound chips in locos. I think it sounds very odd as there is no other sounds as there would be in the natural setting.

 

I have been thinking about DCC though, it is becoming quite cheap to chip a loco now.

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Having DCC chipped two of my locos, I connected my NCE Powercab up to Charmouth this evening, and Shock Horror, it worked!

Both locos ran nicely, no short circuits or mysterious stoppages, so full steam ahead.

My crossing polarity switching may need updating. It relies on phos-bronze wipers on the copperclad tiebars, and as its nearly thirty years old it can be forgiven for being a little cranky. I will probably replace them with microswitches as on Bridport.

Cheers,

Dave.

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My last message has been bugging me for a while - I didn't mean to imply your NG work is "less twee" than the treacle mines, I meant it isn't twee at all. It's quite convincing.

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Hi Dave,

If you are going to be re-wiring, and everything will be DCC, you might want to consider Frog Juicers instead of a microswitch - but note that these do not work for DC, only DCC.

 

Hi Dave,

 

Good to see that you are getting on OK with this DCC stuff!

 

I was going to suggest the Frog Juicers as well - Ray has used these on Yard Shunter.

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Thanks for the suggestion guys, I've been having a look at the Frog Juicer descriptions.

I may not have got the full picture, but as I see it allows you to trail through a turnout that's incorrectly set without shorting out and stopping everything?

In my case this would just lead to a derailment, as the point blades are held in place by the actuating mechanism, and I would rather have the enforced stop than the derailment.

There must be more to it than that? Please enlighten me Gents!

Thanks,

Dave.

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Glad it's all working Dave :) I'll look forward to seeing Charmouth again.

 

I think it sounds very odd as there is no other sounds as there would be in the natural setting.

Yes I thought that too so I have other sounds on loops too but the rapids one did make my operators keep wanting the loo!

As with all modelling it's down to personal taste but I do think sound can be pretty realistic if you pick carefully. It's much easier with freelance locos like some of Daves too as no-one can tell you it doesn't sound like an xxxxxx.

I think my Mikados might be a little big for Charmouth to try and subvert Dave though ;)

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Sorry for being dense, at last I understand the Frog Juicers; they take the place of any actual switchgear to switch the frog polarity, and that polarity is switched when a loco reaches the frog, and before shorting out can occur.

 

Its function is explained a lot more clearly on this website http://www.handlaidt...r-p/hfj003u.htm I now see the advantages of the Frog Juicer!

 

However I dont know that it will work with my turnouts. They are what is sometimes described as "DCC Un-freindly" in that there is no electrical gap between the pointblade and the frog, so the whole pointblade is polarity switched. The flangeway gaps are wide enough to prevent the back of the wheels shorting against the blade, and so far I've not had any problems.

 

All the best,

Dave.

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Dave one of the benefits of the frog juicers is when it comes to diamonds where there is no actuating mechanism so you either need to link it via associated points or have a separate switch the frog juicers avoid any need to worry about that. Mind you there wasn't that many of NG so far as I know. There are some people who build trailing points with no actuating mechanism useful in fiddle yards where the trains are always going in one direction as a saving on point motors. I don't like such things a friend has weighted trailing crossovers on an outdoor layout when you reverse it will go over the crossover otherside things stay on the up and down lines. However somone will stop on the crossover then try to reverse back ever watched a coach trying to go along the up and down at once whilst the operator in the shed is deaf to your shouts.

Don

ps I like the coach and van

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