My Neodymium magnets arrived today, so I have spent the evening on a crash course in setting and aligning Kadee couplers, having never used them before.
After a lot of trial and even more error I finally found the best position for the magnets in relation to the couplers. I had done some internet research which had got me to the point of buying the rod magnets (3mm x 6mm) I did get to the point of wondering if I should have just bought proper Kadee magnets but as my 25 magnets only cost £2.
The white sticky labels have been in the printer again this evening !
This time to make some Railfreight cab side logos.
I have also applied numbers. I had some white vinyl letters that I used on the 25 so rather than getting black ones I used a permanent marker to colour them in, before peeling them of the backing sheet!
This side has also had the white window frame added but the black needs some tidying up at the edges still.
Work has now started on trying to replicate the feel of the cab interior of the 25. The first part being the front consol. This is made from some plasticard off cuts and other bits of scrap from the bit box. The dials are images composed on the computer and reduced to fit. They are composites of various interior cab pictures I could find merged together.
On the workbench
Details added and painted in the cab
John
Its not trains but I am moonlighting, doing a bit of boat modelling between the garden railways. As i posted a link to my dads trawler here are some details of my build..
Two Saturdays ago my Dad and I took a trip over to Barnsley to pick up a model kit of a fishing trawler. He had very kindly ordered and paid for it as a present to me. We picked it up the manufacturer, Model Slipway which is a small husband and wife cottage industry.
The kits are made in a series of large sheds, port
Having gone to the trouble of indexing my blog I discovered I had no entries for the garden section of the empire. So decided it was about time the big stuff got a starting post. As the weather has got colder and wetter it is far to say the garden has really taken a back burner in the priority list, but during the summer it was the only thing on the list !!
I have always liked the idea of using the garden, my return to model railways was with an On30 garden line, which became a OO garden lin
Several updates all in one now RMweb is back online....
Points ... The Big hand from the sky was not ideal, so out of interest I checked the amount the blade moved in relation to a OO point motor... and guess what it was the same... Next problem how to convert the linear motion of the motor to the rotary motion of the point control, after some thought I gave up and went for plan B, how to connect the motor to the blade and came up with this...
A small hole drilled in the end of the bl
Having been asked if I have tried using the 3mm Neodymium magnets, here is a video to show how they work.
You can just make out the magnet inside the rails as the couplers open/close.
They are much better on straight track rather than curves but I think that is a general Kadee thing, I should also point out that I haven't used them before so still need to master the "kadee shuffle"
The video is done using a loco and 2 boxcars, no editing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrbeP2Ue
Over the past few days I have been working on a new structure to replace the old brick one that was a recycled model from an earlier layout. It didn't really fit the scene and I don't think it was as good a standard as I would have liked.
The new building.
John
RJR
Last night I laid the track for the inner circuit on the upper level. It is set back from the front edge by 1/2" You may also notice that the timber for the shelf has been given a coat or 2 of Ronseal Oak rubbing wax.
On the opposite side a small piece of track is placed where the outer loop will sit, this leaves just about 1.5" for some very basic scenery.
I'm quite pleased with how it has turned out and tonight managed to get it wired for action
This afternoon I got home earlier than planned so i used the time to block up and sand the roof section with some Balsa wood
This method was a lot quicker than the one I used to make the loco roof !!!
John
Home early today for child minding duties and have take delivery of some 3' x 2' flagstones
Now obviously B&Q dont sell scale flagstones, but they do sell sticky back vinyl tiles in stone colour ...
10 minutes of scoring and snapping and .. instant self adhesive flagstones.
I also have a new helper, found in a kit of Tamiya Mechanics I forgot I had...
He is a bit rude he keeps pointing but Im sure he will point out most new additions in future weeks.
I have been expecting 3 deliveries
The kids trampoline that triggered the replanning of the outdoor line.
Whiteboard restorer for work
The extra track to finish the outdoor rework
Today 2 out of the 3 arrived, the one I wanted most, the track didnt !!
So with only the trampoline to play with I spent the evening putting it up and happily it fitted as planned
The front leg need to be sat in a trench to level it up, but my big concern, will the legs clear the track was n
Over the past few weeks since the last post I have been stealing odd moment to go to the shed and work on the section of the layout in front of the sector plate
A new platform was constructed using a length of 3" x 2" timber with a 6mm ply top on it. The front of the timber was faced with plasikard stone affect.
Next up a ramp to the left and a section of platform across the end of the line.
Below is a view from under the footbridge that shows the curve
Then a s
Over the past couple of days I have made a concerted effort to make a start on the second On30 module that needs to be ready for the January 2010 CRM Exhibition in Crewe. The first step was to dig the 2 modules out from under the workbench and store the 45mm stuff out of the way for a while.
The turntable module is a at a detailing stage and has taken up its place on the left bench of the garden shed. The Orange Growers module is somewhat further behind and has taken up reidence on the right
With a bit of spare time I decided to tackle ballasting the second base board half. I have been using what woodland scenics, describe as "Fine"
When its this big there is no point messing with an eyedropper.. So its get a half full bottle of PVA and top it up with water and a dash of Fairy Liquid
Prior to ballasting I had decided to reduce the amount of track in front of the fiddle yard, so the point work has gone and its a single line siding now.It just needs extending a littl
I was approached a couple of weeks ago to see if I was interested in parting with "Mossley Terrace" a small pass through layout/diorama that I built over the winter before last.
With changing circumstances I cant imagine me taking it to any more exhibitions and it has been stored in the shed since its last outing to Crewe in January. So I decided the space and a bit of cash were more use.
By way of a farewell I got it out tonight, gave it a dusting ready for an impending hand over and to
Over the weekend I was considering what I could fill my evenings with this week. Mrs RJR is organising a youth camp which are eldest 2 are on and the youngest has gone on Holiday with here friends family, so I am " Home Alone"
Any way I decided I would have a go at a class 20 as I could cheat and use the bogie units off the 25 to give me a head start. After sourcing some suitable plans on Sunday evening and some plasticard on the way home mid after noon today I had everything I needed
H
It is fair to say progress has been slow this last couple of weeks, finding time has been a bit of an issue.
The orange growers now have a canopy...
I cant decide if the support posts are too thin ?? but they were all I had to hand.
Its been a while since I have had an urge to model, but after a trip on our new metrolink tram from Oldham to Manchester I started thinking ............
Of course, never one to do things by halves, my chosen scale is 1:24 (G)
I dont plan to have complete internals as I need all the integral cross braces as I can get at this size.
If all goes to plan there will be limited details from seat level up, with everything below seat base hidden with a coat of matt black.
I coul
Using some Birthday present "cash" I purchased 8 lengths of peco flexi yesterday and last night laid the outer loop on the top shelf. it didn't take long but would have been a much easier job if it wasn't in the "eaves" of the shed.
Once laid and connected it was play time.................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6huw0Wch37E&hd=1
John
Tonight's activity involved erecting some fencing. I've mounted it on a piece of plasticard that is scored to look like paving stones, this allows the fencing to be done on the workbench rather than at the back of the baseboards
John
After a long break and a sudden urge to spring clean the shed... I have dug out from the back my 45mm indoor module.
Its an 8' by 21" layout in a BIG scale !
It has been the subject of previous entries on this blog, and hopefully over the next few weeks will be the subject again... As long as there is an interest of course
Above is a view from center to left, Below a view from center to right.
Beyond the footbridge is a hidden sector plate, in front of the sector plate is a
