I've had a rolling road for some time, but have always preferred to run locos in on a circle of track, in both OO and P4 gauges.
My 16XX (built from the old Cotswold kit, now available again from SE Finecast) was constructed a few years ago, but I've never been completely happy with the running.
I had given it what I considered to be a 'good running in' (several hours, all told) on my circle of P4 track, which has to be laid out on newspapers on the floor, but that didn't improve the qua
So now to the details of the chassis build.
This blog is essentially about putting a replacement etched chassis kit under an existing RTR body, but it's also about me finally realising a desire to get this long-standing loco running properly.
I do like Perseverence chassis kits. They are pretty straightforward and simple to build, they have helpful tabs and slots for the frame spacers (should you choose to use the manufacturers recommended configuration) and are, in my view, entirely ade
Background
Having completed my first new loco for several years, namely the 'Planet' diesel, which will form the 'modern image' motive power for the Vale of Radnor Light Railway and still not being in a position to build the baseboards for 'Bethesda Sidings', my thoughts have turned to providing one of the steam locos for this outrageously improbable light railway.
All the locos of the VoRLR are authorised by the Western Region Sectional Appendix to run into the BR yard at Bethesda Sidin
Having got to the stage where the loco was running more or less to my satisfaction, it was time to finish the work on the body, paint the loco and weather it.
Part of the cab floor area had to be removed to accommodate the High Level gearbox:
Even though this probably wasn't going to be too visible, especially once a portly driver was installed, I decided to box the gearbox in with plasticard, to represent a kind of 'control desk':
All very basic stuff and it was indeed scarcely vi
One thing I will say about the Roxey 'Planet' kit, is that is relatively easy to build, especially if you are happy to stick with the Tenshodo 'Spud' motor bogie option. Being whitemetal gives it the advantages of having some decent weight about it and also giving the builder the option to glue the main body components together, instead of soldering.
It is arguably a good 'starter kit' for someone wanting an industrial diesel and something with a bit of character. DJH do a 'starter kit' for
With regard to this project, I wasn't planning on going into loads of detail about what this kit was like to build, as there are already two threads on RMWeb by others who have also done so. One is by Paul G ('5050') and the other by Gordon A ('Steamraiser'). Paul's thread can be found here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/97619-the-next-project-roxey-planet/ and Gordon's thread is on the older version of RMWeb, and can be found here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.ph
A few years ago, I bought a whitemetal kit for a Hibberd 'Planet' 0-4-0 diesel, as produced by Roxey Mouldings. At the time, I intended to build it in P4, as (yet another) industrial loco to work into 'Callow Lane'.
The kit was originally intended to be used with a Tenshodo 'Spud' motor bogie, with a wheelbase of 24.5mm.
I'm no great fan of the 'Spuds' and in view of the fact that I originally wanted to build it in P4, I was pleased to hear that High Level had produced a bespoke 'Quad Dr
Having received my most attractive-looking 14XX from Hattons last week, I have finally got round to running it in, as per the instructions provided with the loco.
I have added lubrication to the two locations under the chassis keeper plate, and also to the coupling rod bearings, as per the instructions.
I did test it briefly yesterday, but it wasn't a particularly good slow speed runner 'straight from the box'.
I have cut out a circle of Daler board this morning, to lay my circle of
Having now glued all the cosmetic half chairs onto this copper-clad point, I tested it with a few locos this afternoon, to ensure that I had cut the inner chairs down sufficiently to ensure that Bachmann etc. flanges wouldn't foul them.
Here is Peckett 'Plantagenet', which has RP25 wheels running over the point:
Ex-LNER J72 'Charlotte', sold to the NCB, may occasionally be found on hire to the outrageously improbably light railway that will have running powers into the BR goods yard on
Further to my previous blog entry, I've now completed the construction of an A5 'right-hand' crossover in OO-SF for the new goods only shunting layout that I'm planning.
I was going to build another two A5 points for the entry to the yard, but most fortuitously found a tandem turnout that my good friend John (Re6/6) had scratchbuilt for me a few years ago.
John's tandem turnout had never originally been intended for this new goods-only shunting layout, of course. A few years ago, I had b
Following on from the testing of the left-hand point that I put up on my blog a few weeks ago, I have in the meantime added cosmetic plastic chairs.
What I should really have done, is put spacers between the copper clad sleepers and the underside of the rail, which I have done before, but I didn't do it in this particular case. It's somewhat easier, I find, when building the point, if the rails can be soldered direct to the sleepers, but you do pay the price later, when you come to add cosme
We had a good meeting at DRAG last night (Devon Riviera Area Group of the Scalefour Society), but for some, there was a 'regression' to a circle of 'O' gauge on the floor!
Andrew H brought in a selection of recent 7mm RTR releases and a circuit of Peco track to run some of this stuff in, whilst the rest of us either looked on in envy, continued on working at our tables (it was a non-test track night) or stepped carefully around the circulating 7mm trains.
David Brandreth in the process o
For a variety of reasons I've done no modelling for over two years, but yesterday I managed to arrange things so that I could at least test a scratchbuilt OO point, that I'd built prior to that. The aim is to incorporate this and other copper clad OO points that I have available in a small new OO goods yard layout in due course.
It's not currently possible to put any of my existing layouts up at home for any length of time, so it would be good to have something a bit smaller, that I can run
I managed to get the cover for the second scenic baseboard completed today, taking advantage of the fact that the model railway construction room dining room was empty, having been re-decorated over the last week.
Here's the board just put up on a pair of trestles, with the framework for the cover having already been removed:
I attached the clear plastic sheeting to the wooden frame, and trimmed it to size. Here is the frame re-fitted with the plastic sheeting now in place:
I t
Some nice, warm sunshine yesterday saw me continuing work on the baseboard covers for Callow Lane.
Last time I had got both of the scenic baseboards to this state, with the semi-permanent backscene boards in place, the removable travel board in place at one end of each board and a removable wooden framework from 1" x 1" timber also completed. Here is a photo of one of the boards:
Here is the removable wooden frame taken off, prior to the clear polythene being added:
The next job wa
Work has continued on the construction of removable covers for the two main scenic boards, taking advantage of the sunny weather this week so far.
These covers really have to be built 'in situ' on the layout, something that I learned to my cost when my first inexpert attempts at making similar covers for Engine Wood over 20 years ago, just from measurements, ended in a rather late departure from an exhibition, as I struggled to fit the covers back on the layout.
Today I've been concentra
Following on from my mis-judgement of the actual length of the two main baseboards, even though it was only by a few millimetres, I went up to the excellent TimberCut in Marsh Barton, Exeter yesterday, where an extremely helpful chap cut me some new pieces of 6mm birch ply for the main backscene sections, plus the permanent end pieces as well.
Further work was done outside this morning.
Here we see the goods shed board, with the main backscene piece, and permanent end piece attached to t
There is still no modelling to report from Kernow Towers, and Callow Lane remains in the same state that it got to, almost exactly two years ago.
However, I find that I'm having to start work on the wooden covers for each of the two main baseboards, to ensure that they are protected over the coming months, as they may get moved around the house in connection with decorating work etc. At the moment, they've got no protection over the embryonic scenic sections, other than a lightweight dust co
Greetings all,
I'm afraid that there's still no modelling to report on, but by way of an update, here are some images taken on the Harz narrow gauge system last weekend, on the occasion of a holiday in that part of Germany. We had a trip on the section of line on the Brocken (the highest mountain in northern Germany). The whole narrow gauge scene there in the Harz Mountains is quite superb.
Waiting departure from Drei Annen Hohne:
Old fashioned railcar forming a regular service trai
There's been no modelling done in Kernow Towers for some weeks now, because of recent changes to our feline demographic.
We've always had two cats in our household for many years, but sadly our 15 year old ginger female had to be put to sleep a few weeks ago due to deteriorating health.
We decided to get a new kitten a couple of weeks ago, and in order to manage the introductions to our existing cat, the room that 'Callow Lane' is normally kept in had to be completely re-orientated, and
John F (Re6/6) came over today and we spent a very convivial afternoon helping each other out. I'm preparing 'Bleakhouse Road' for it's first show in 20 months at Coventry, and John is also there demonstrating scenery, including his superb trees.
John is also taking his lovely Wye Valley diorama 'Netherhope Halt', and wanted some weathered ballast wagons (ex-Tintern Quarry) to pose on it.
I had been meaning to improve one of the trees on BHR for some time. I had scratchbuilt the armature
With the RMWeb event at Coventry a mere three weeks away, it was time to get 'Bleakhouse Road' and put it up for testing, so that's what I did today. The layout last appeared in public at Weston-super-Mare in January 2013, which, for various personal reasons, was the most recent exhibition I've attended with one of my own layouts.
The layout was put up, but I didn't bother with the buildings and trees that aren't fixed down, this was primarily about ensuring that the layout was still in full
I suppose you could say that I have a bit of 'form' when it comes to telling tall tails to support the supposed 'histories' of my first two layouts, 'Engine Wood' and 'Bleakhouse Road'. Certainly the first article in the Railway Modeller didn't give any sign that 'Engine Wood' was fictitious, and my former website enginewood.co.uk (currently temporarily off line) didn't give much away, either. At shows, both layouts have information boards describing the 'history' of each location, together with
An elderly retired friend of mine here in the village has long wanted to have a layout based on the LBSCR in Sussex, with the option to run it in either SR or BR (S) periods. He's not yet in a position to put baseboards etc. up at home yet, but for some time he's been accumulating RTR locos and rolling stock. Two locos that he's always wanted, though, were a Brighton Atlantic ('Beachy Head') and a 'K' Class mogul, both of which have specific family associations for him in the past.
Of course
I've managed to get one or two useful little model railway-related jobs sorted today.
First of all, I received a new hand-held controller from Stapleton Electronics, in Canada, in the post this morning. It works off 12 - 18v AC and has very good slow-speed control, with optional 'intertia' settings:
I've tried it out on various locos on Callow Lane and I'm very happy with it.
The reason I ordered the Stapleton controller, though, was due to my trusty AMR hand-held unit developing a
