We're back!!!!

Just thought I'd post an update on a few things.

Industrial 3F

This is now finished, bar the weathering, and had a good running in session on Saturday at the EMGS members day. At home, my embryonic industrial layout has no more than a 4ft run at the moment - this will get a bit longer once there are fiddle yards attached but for now that's it, so you can imagine how difficult it is to run things in. The solution would be a rolling road, but I'm trying to avoid spending too much at the moment. So I took it along to the EMGS members day/AGM in Chippenham on Saturday, and gave it a good half hour in each direction. This has really sorted the running to a lovely smooth crawl - one of the fellow attendees thought it had a replacement chassis with a Portescap or something! I wouldn't go that far but would suggest a bit of running in for poor runners before anyone panics - I guess as a mechanical engineer I should know these things anyway but it's interesting how rarely we follow our own advice!

Workinton Bogie Opens

One has now been fully painted and weathered - I'm going to take some photos as I do the remaining two and put together a blog on the matter. I don't claim to be any good at weathering, but I'm quite pleased with how it has turned out.

Ravenscraig scrap wagon and other experiments in Rapid Prototyping

It's sat on the shelf looking at me funny.... I really should finish this off! You may remember it was an experiment in using rapid prototyping technology for modelmaking. Broadly successful but, like all experiments, there are things I'd do differently next time! Speaking of next time, the CAD for the BSC Port Talbot Brush Bagnall loco is also nearly finished - I've got an issue with the front steps at the moment which is driving me mad but other than that it's ready to go. I'm probably going to try a different rapid prototyping method - namely stereolithography (SLA) - for this loco as it offers a better surface finish and the chance to incorporate more detail than the FDM method used by Shapeways for the Ravenscraig wagon body test piece. Watch this space.... I've also acquired some drawings for the Alco Bo-Bo's which used to run at Port Talbot, so I think one of those may be on the way next.

Bachmann Class 20

No, I can't think of a reason to have one on a 1970's steelworks layout (unless I can think of an excuse for one to venture into the works from the exchange sidings - no? Me neither....). But I've always liked the Class 20's and saw one on offer in my local shop and couldn't say no. Another £11 for new wheelsets from Alan Gibson and I've got a beautifully smooth EM gauge loco. I'm very impressed by this model - just needs a spot of renumbering, a few extra details, screw couplings and bit of weathering. I like projects like this one - it was converted in about 3 hours including extending the pickups etc.

So, there we have it - that's where things are at the moment. I'll put some pics up in the next few days.

Cheers

Alastair