So another damp cold Saturday allowed me to get all the track laid on the centre board. The adjustment the screws allowed for at the baseboard joints worked really well - allowing for the differences in alignment that somehow crept in between mine and Santa's workshops 😉
Just need to wire up the centre board and then we at least have a layout for the Mansfield Show 🙂 Didn't take long for George to move in though ...
The lack of power does not deter
George's train set whilst operational had it's issues. The main one was the need for the S bends on the centre board.
This was because the layout was originally just two 4 x 2 ft boards with an oval across the corners to maximise the run length. When the centre board was added by Santa it had to have the curves to make everything join up.
All those curves meant that my APT-E would not run and even the baseboard joints on curves gave the occasional
As most people (me included) will spend their time looking down on the Hymek I thought that the roof deserved more attention than say the underframe. Sadly this is the weakest part of the Triang model, apart from the roof section joins everything else is either wrong or missing!
So first to the fan grille, which should be offset by quite a margin. Existing grille filled and flattened and then a card template made with a 38mm hole fixed in place to mark out the new hole
The Hymek took a turn on Fourgig East at the Mansfield show and after a few initial hiccups performed well. I quickly learned that due to the large overhang the loco could not shunt wagons in the goods sidings - buffer lock was the order of the day. So one of the shunters took over these duties whilst the Hymek simmered next to the camping coach.
Traction was also an issue, ok on the straights but couldn't get more than two wagons and the brake van into the goods loop. It was happier
Big thanks to Paul Chetter, a parcel arrived this morning with a Zimo sound chip and a selection of speakers to try to see which sounds best in the Hymek. Liking the look of the big round one to go under the fan 🙂
Also cab roofs are getting there, vents are in place, just need the airhorns then I can get them painted
EDIT: Cab roofs fitted out and painted, couldn't resist adding the pipework to the horns ....
Thought it was time for an update.
I've lowered the loco on it's bogies by removing material from the bogie pivot - the thickness of two washers, so about 1.5 to 2mm. These washers sit inside under the shoulder screw to compensate.
JLTRT couplings have been assembled, just need to chemically blacken them and get them fitted
Green stripe has been airbrushed on using Humbrol 36 and electrical tape for a nice clean masked edge - a trick #1 son picked
Quick update:
cabs are now painted, small amount of fettling to do but basically waiting for the body to be complete then satin varnish and glazing/wipers. Here's a couple of shots of it as it stands at the moment. Must get on with that roof!
Progress over Christmas The main body is painted, just need to add handrails and buffers etc. Cab roofs are stripped of details and are waiting for new roof vents and air horns.
Main progress has been the bogies, pickups added and wired up so it now moves under its own power!
Wheelslip is a big issue but once I've added a couple of pounds of lead it should be fine
One thing I have been doing over the summer is making #2 son's first layout. Quite refreshing bunging down set track!
It started as a 1st and 2nd rad loop set across the corners of two 2x4 boards using my now familiar dowels and toggle clamps. Power transferred from one board to another via the clamps.
Santa is bringing him a centre board with turntable and engine shed
So he can still have the simple 2 boards for a quick play or all three on a weekend (and Dad has a te
Quick update from yesterday's progress:
Bogies have met the razor saw and the front section that carries the coupling have been removed. A strip of plastikard replicating the rib at the other end for strength.
Pickups next and a 10mm hole for access to the new roof fixings in the undriven one.
I've also cemented in small sections to the body sides where the switches used to be and cleaned, lubed and test run the original power bogie - noisy by modern standards but at the sp
Well I am steadily gathering parts together. Big thanks to Lord Flashheart for donating TWO spare drive bogies - I now have loads of possibilities should I need more traction
I've also taken delivery of some A1 Models air horns and some lovely sprung buffers from NMRS-Models.
The cleaning up of the bodyshell is continuing and I'm thinking of how to attach the roof now that the fixing holes have been filled in - I would prefer to retain the removable roof rather than bond it in place as
Been a while but here's the start of another budget loco build for Fourgig East - A Triang Big Big Hymek.
I bought a pretty good example for £39 from eBay and the process of converting it to a running O gauge loco has started.
First off the raised lettering on the side has been scraped off and the moulded handrails removed. I've also filled in the fixing holes on the roof and fixed a crack. The switch assembly has been removed ahead of filling in the body sides.
The plan is to r
One thing that has been evident from operating my O guage layout Fourgig East at shows is that my makeshift uncoupling hook for 3-link couplings is a bit, well, poor, and I only have one of them so operators have to share!
Having seen 3 Link of this parish's "key idea" ( http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/50279-o-gauge-auto-couplings/&do=findComment&comment=579380) I thought I'd have a go. I first made a plastic mock-up with 1mm sheet and a bit of tube that I squirrele
I have another 8F to do a sound fitting so I thought i'd show how I fit the excellent ABS-230 speaker in the tender
First remove the weight and prise off the plastic supports. using a razor saw cut down the rear weight fixing pillar flush. Drill some holes in front and behind the centre wheels. Cement in two small fillets of 1mm plastikard to seal the bottom of what will be the output chamber for the speaker - a couple of nicks in the corners will allow the pickup wires to pass through.
So I finally got it finished
Pretty pleased with the finish, could be better but having the drill press made the machining of the case loads easier One thing I would do different, and this goes out to anyone else who is contemplating building one of these bits of kit is that the LEDs are mounted on the track side of the pcb. This makes them very prone to being caught during subsequent handling and wiring up which cracks the pcb track!
I should have drilled a couple more holes in th
Last night I managed to get the LEDs and push buttons fitted to the pcb and then fitted the front panel.
The front panel was tricky and takes time to get anything like right. A bit disappointing that the legend for the rotary controls does not line up fully. Something not quite right in the print methinks.
Anyway, here it it ready for the next stage which is completing the electronics.
The signals on Fourgig East are driven by MERG servo driver boards that for now are set-up using a laptop and the appropriate software. However lugging an ancient laptop (it still has a 3.5" floppy drive!) around just in case I need to adjust a signal was bugging me so I spent some Christmas money on a MERG kit 76A Servoset II.
SWMBO also arranged for Santa to bring me a nice new shiny drill press (pillar drill to the masses) so the two were brought together last night for a pleasant hour wi
Took a snap last night of the S9 with it's sister T34 brake coach.
it's 95% complete and ready for RMweb Live!
I've still got to make and fit the step end handrails and the couplings are just hooks at the moment, I will complete the JLTRT screw links before Wycrail, honest .......
Another PH Designs custom etch with some fancy Slater's bits has made an appearance on the workbench
It's O gauge again but distinctly West Midlands ........
peter220950 will know what this is for
As promised, the GWR coach brown was applied by my trusty 6 quid airbrush - which is now stripped down and it's vital parts soaking in thinners
That's all for a few days whilst the paint hardens, next step will be to flood the cream into the panels
Bit of a jump forward, but all the detailing is now done on the body and this morning I masked off the windows and got a few coats of grey primer on
Now baking off in the sun. Should get the bits that will be yellow masked off and the brown on later
Last night I got the roof drilled and the fixing strip drilled and tapped 8BA to take the threaded roof lamps. Next I got on with the end detailing - steps one end and brake gear the other, plus all the lamp irons etc
I also applied some Squadron White filler to the edge of the roof - the kit was second hand and whoever had cut the roof from the sprue had been a bit over zealous and the edge was ragged to say the least (sorry Ian if it was you ) hopefully it will clean up ok, if n
Luggage racks now have their netting - strips of carefully cut up mozzy netting bought off eBay. I have enough netting to do the racks from the entire Slater's production until the end of time
AND FINALLY - the door ventilators are fixed and I've also cemented the top plastikard strip in place. I hope to start drilling and tapping said strip tonight to take the roof lamps which will hold the roof in place.
I'll be getting that paint out before you know it
Interior almost done. I've painted the seats, fitted them to that partitions, soldered up the luggage rack brackets and fitted them, printed out some railway type posters on sticky labels and painted the mirrors with silver paint.
just got to add the netting then I can get on with the exterior fittings ahead of the masking off and paint!
Still not fitted those door ventilators ....
Last night I refitted the wheels and made up and fitted the brake pull rods.
I can't remember if I did this on the Brake Third, but all the linkages on the pull rods are pinned and would pivot if the vacuum cylinder moved! Just a lick of paint and they are done
Today I spent my lunch hour cutting ten sets of seats out of their sprues ready for assembly and tonight I got the basic bodyshell together as far as the floor. Here's a snap of the body after gluing still sitting in my nift
