Three locos are converted for EM and the blog includes some details.
The following pictures show the locos posed on my S4 layout 'Birch Vale' with all three grouped on the other S4 layout 'Bowtons Yard'..
I'm currently building two more locos from scratch, a J10 and a Q4 but it will be a while before they can pose on a layout! May put up some progress pics though.
But my next entry is more likely to be about the point control and mimic panel for Wheegram Sidings, the layout this blog is supp
Sorry for these long delays between inputs but modelling time must take precedence over key-board time! I'm underway with two ex GCR locos and their tenders, being identicle 4000gallon Robinson types. These are going to be my first attempt at this new-fangled CSB suspension thingy; at least, my version of it. More perhaps in a few weeks time.
But last time here, I was going on a bit about loco conversion to EM gauge so what follows is a run-down of my detailing of a Bachmann J72 and a J50 kit l
OOPS!
Posted the wrong picture there. That one is just prior to painting with most of the mods. carried out.
So here's a few showing the chassis with old motor but new wheels, coupling rods& crank pins, and one showing the bright, new shiny magnet.
Well that's Christmas over and a few bits of old age illness seen off, so perhaps its time to key in a few more words.
The third loco for conversion, which I predicted as a "quickie" was a very ancient OO LNER J50, 0-6-0 shunting tank. This was a favourite model in my OO days being one of the best performing models which operated on various OO layouts owned by members or club at Huddersfield RM. I had purchased it second hand because it was beautifully finished in lined apple green and it was L
My first conversion to EM wheel standards was a Hornby (nee Dapol?) J94, and that must be one of the easiest of conversions to either of the wider gauges.
My second was a Bachmann (nee Mainline?) J72, and that must be one of the most difficult!
There is some guidance in the EMGS Manual and, certainly at one time, though I'm not sure it's still available, the EMGS sold a kit of bits and pieces to help the conversion.I did not follow that route
Now the J72 is one of Bachmann's older models and
My first loco conversion to EM wheel standards was a Hornby J94 0-6-0 shunting tank but it must rate as a most exceptional gauge change! My J94 had previously been converted from its purchased condition of OO to S4 wheel standards & had served well, with a DCC chip on board, on both of my S4 layouts, - 'Birch Vale' and 'Bowtons Yard'.
Question: - How many other modellers have converted a P4 model to an EM model, and from digital to analogue, ? Not so many is my bet.
However, the choic
Gosh! six months have flashed by since I last made an entry here.
Partly this is due to a serious attempt to cut back on time at the key-board in favour of time in the workshop but partly too to becoming very involved in other things not of importance here.
OK then, what's been happening at 'The Tank'?
In the entry 7thMay, there were two pics. showing that the track was down. On the left-hand side of the first pic can be seen the home made, hand-operated point levers with a standard 'V3' limi
Rest over so back to the track laying.
Plain track is C&L flexitrack purchased via EMGS stores and once the P&C work was completed the whole layout quickly got its ballasted track down and fixed.
First viewed from the hidden siding area
and then from the opposite end
Track at the ends of baseboards is rather vulnerable to damage and to strengthen things up a bit at such places I pin and glue copper laminate sleepers and aim for solid, soldering of rail to these:
So now all the t
We have the baseboards but what about track?
The first pic shows my original track plan in sketch form but I wanted this layout 'Templotted'. My good friend and fellow Manchester MRS member Les Fram is far more Templot literate than I, and kindly offered to convert my sketch and " nothing tighter than 4' radius or B6 turn-outs" to a scale drawing. Thanks Les, a great job with the final result, albeit in sketch form is at pic2.
I have been building track since about 1964 in TT then in OO,
Well the pictures are there but probably need some explanation, so, from the top:
Picture 1
The green bit is the hinged extension designed to hold the two boards together when in the folded position. The machine screws fasten into pronged 'T' nuts fixed into the board end.
There is a step in levels shown here to. That's the start of the hidden sidings which are cassettes. More about those later.
Picture 2
The hinged extension folded down to running position and extending the length of t
]I promised some pictures and then only up-loaded one; sorry! Here's a few more:
I'm not too sure of what I'm doing here. I think I've attached the pictures so I'm going to press "Publish" and hope I've done it all correctly.
The need was for super-light weight & to fit the boot of my small family car (Diatsu Sirion). With various off-cuts of MDF and plywood I came up with the estimate that a 'coffin' 3' x 1' x 1' would nicely slide into the boot. Thus was the size of the layout fixed
Next was the basic construction. "Super-lightweight" really ruled out the good old 2" x 1" and chipboard but I ruled those out many years ago. 3mm ply with 1" x 1/2" PAR built up in box girder was also likely to be too heavy; tri
"Honley Tank" is my workshop and it gets its name from the old Great Central locomotive works at Gorton in Manchester because my hobby is building models of steam locomotives which have a close connection with Gorton Tank and/or Gorton Engine Sheds which were adjacent to 'The Tank'.
Well OK my hobby is not solely building locos but that is where I derive my greatest enjoyment and satisfaction. However I'm no great believer in pretty models which stand around in glass cases or museums; my locos
