Further to my previous blog, herewith pics showing springing/mounting details for bogie as requested.
The pics should be self explanatory but I am happy to help with any other queries. The large washer bears on the upper face of the bogie (which you can't see in the pics). The slots in the bogie need to move freely on the tube pivot post. The lenth of the tube will determine the amount of longitudinal and lateral rock on the bogie.
I apologise if the pics appear in the wrong order (as th
Well to be more precise building an etched chassis to a Hornby Castle.
I had been waiting for Brassmasters to release one of their fold up chassis conversions for the Hornby Castle, but it seems that this has been put on the back burner while they concentrate on LMS locos. So I dug a Malcolm Mitchell kit out of the cupboard to see if I could use the chassis from that as a short term fix.
The Mitchell kit follows the prototype very closely which may be OK in 7mm but in P4 it means that cl
This weekend Clinkerford was put up for the last time at home to be checked over for its final outing to Manchester in October, after which it passes into new ownership. A sad day! I couldn't resist the temptation to take a few last shots, mostly from the side the punters don't see. Hope you enjoy them. See you in Manchester.
After a break building CDR wagons and refurbishing the ex Andy Cundick Letterkenny and Donegal Town layouts, I finally got back to the Class 5A which has been waiting for the electrical pick-ups to be fitted. These were installed and tested this morning and this afternoon I have been doing a spot of fine tuning as it was running beautifully going forwards but rubbish in reverse. I think I may have built in too much play in the rear axle (to cope with tight curves on the layout on which it is to
Having finally got around to fitting some (temporary) chimney pots, I have been waiting to take some suitable 'on location' shots of the model here in Killybegs. Unfortunately, the weather has had other ideas, so here are a couple of indoor shots to be going on with. It still looks a bit bare without the train shed but at the moment that's on the long finger as I am still building 4mm CDR stock.
Spent a few hours today planting trees and undergrowth on Abergynolwyn, just enough to fill the background in the photograph! However, I'm now running out of leaves and because I foolishly didn't put the labels back in the various bags when they were first opened some time ago, I will have to wait for Railex when, hopefully, I can pop along to Greenscenes to match up my samples.
This is the Backwoods Miniatures Class 5 kit with the Worsley Works kit to convert it to a 5A. The latter provides new footplate, valances, tanks and bunker which go together reasonably well although some of the tabs don't fit the slots and there is a gap below the front of the tanks. Matching it up with the original kit is more problematic, there is a poor fit between the cab/bunker/tanks, particularly in relation to height but this was overcome relatively easily. The 5A is 1'5" longer than the
Since the my last post, I have put a 'base coat' down in preparation for future 'planting'. Most of the hillside will be covered by scrub and trees in due course. The access road and platform have also received some initial treatment and the back scene has had a splash of colour added. It's amazing how just a bit of colour starts to bring things to life.
For PcnPete, I'm also attaching a close up of the track as requested.
Having been following poor Pete's tales of woe with regard to filling, I was prompted to return to 'Abergynolwyn' (after far too long a gap) and finish the filling between my own tracks using my trusted method of lightweight filler (as also used in the MPD on Bruckless Junction). This is set far enough below rail height for the rails to stand just proud of the finished surface after ballasting. I used a bit of 40 thou plasticard to to create the flangeway while the filler was setting then cleane
Well, it's finally finished, running and painted, although I might try and tidy up the black lining and give it some light weathering. Nice sunny day here in Donegal!
While looking for something else (that I haven't yet found) I did find these old pics of my Kingham Junction layout that are well over 20 years old. I wonder if it's still around somewhere! The second attempt at a back scene looks a lot better than the first, rather bright, one!
Following on from my last blog, and while transferring pics of Kingham - see separate entry, I found this pic of No. 5 Drumboe that I built some time ago, approaching Killybegs past the engine shed. I can't find any of the pics that I took when it was built, must have been pre-digital so will be in a shoebox somewhere!
Not that much progress this week. Both Railcar No.4 and Class 5 Drumboe have both been primed, filled and the primer touched up.Not only is it amazing how the primer shows up little imperfections that had previously gone unnoticed, but the odd one even appears after the first coat of colour has been applied, hence the filler below the front window on the railcar! This has put back the application of red paint a day or two. I also have to decide what to do about the red. In my opinion, the Precis
Having sorted out what couplings are to be used, I have been able to get on with detailing the buffer beam area. The central buffers/ couplings, which are purely cosmetic, are knocked up from bits from my scrap box. It would have been nice to have some castings! I have also added some detail to the rear of the bunker which was looking a bit bare. I will leave off the rear vac pipe until after painting and lining.
I have also finished off the drive assembly on Railcar No. 4 so that is now run
After much blood, sweat and tears, the Class 5 is finally running reasonably smoothly under power (that's tempting fate!). Electrical pick up from the track is not perfect, I think partly due to the rigid chassis and maybe to the mazak wheels. I don't know what mazak is like as a conductor and the treads seem to get dirty pretty quickly - they were filthy after 45 minutes on the rolling road. I'm waiting for couplings before doing much more. It all comes apart for painting.
At last we seem to be getting somewhere. Since the last blog, the coupling rods have been fitted. I beefed these up a bit to look more like the prototype and to give a wider bearing on the crank pins. I had to modify the fly cranks for the centre drivers to take my new return cranks (see later). The bogies have also been assembled and fitted. I made a mounting on the chassis for the rear bogie as it is designed to mount on the body in the kit. Brake gear was then fitted and the whole lot receive
Progress has been very slow as I had to find some way of fitting the wheels inside the frames while maintaining the back to back gauge and giving some degree of side play to allow the loco to negotiate curves. In the end I had to file the top hat bearings down to almost nothing (not so much on the front axle as I want minimum play behind the cross-head) and then do the same with the insulating bosses on the outer faces of the wheels. It wasn't quite hit and miss as I was able to work out the sid
After a pleasant break over Christmas, when I was able to work on my rake of coaches for 'The Cornishman', it's now back to work on County Donegal Railway Projects. The 5.5mm/ft model of Killybegs station building is now finished and painted and is just awaiting chimneys (and the train shed) - I must get around to taking some new pics. Having knocked off a lot of 4mm wagon kits, I have now started on locos. I have 2 Class 5's and 2 Class 5A's to build which should keep me busy for a while but I
Having had to abandon our Christmas trip to Scotland (set out to catch the ferry from Larne but were beaten by the weather without making it to the border!) I had plenty of time on my hands to get on with the 'Cornishman' rake. Five coaches are now sitting on Bill Bedford sprung bogies and Exactoscale wheels. This really is the best running combination that I have found to date, they positively glide through slips. I have now run out of bogies but I do have some corridor connections to get on wi
Can't get to work today, the council are running out of grit and only treating primary routes. Having spent 30 minutes digging out the drive and slithering up the lane, we were defeated by the first hill on the main road. So, I have moved out of the workshop and into the sitting room with the turf fire lit and am building coach bogies on the dining table while watching the birds on the feeder. Isn't life tough! Attached pic taken between alternating showers of snow and hail!
I haven't been able to do a lot of work on Peter's layout since the summer due to holidays and work commitments. However, the ballasting to the front scenic section is finished bar weathering and I have done a bit more planting. On Phase 2 the track is laid and wired giving 12 long storage sidings for rolling stock and a fan of short sidings, served by a Peco turntable, for locos. Peter has stock covering the period from BR steam to the present day and some of this needs storing when not in use.
The basic shell for the station building has now been put together and work has started on the roofs. Next job is to make up and fit the brackets for the barge boards, then get on with the low level roof. That will just leave chimney stacks, slating, rainwater goods and flashings and all the other bits and pieces before I can think about getting out the paint brush. That will just leave the train shed, platform and water tower. I think I will be busy for a while yet!
Maybe it's all the rain we had in the last two months, but the vegetation has certainly been growing on the junction.
The ballast isn't really that colour! I eventually found some more ballast and the front section of the main line should get finished next week. Then, when I get back from my hols, I can do a spot of weathering to tone it down a bit
Day off today as the builder is knocking a hole through a wall to provide access to Stage 2 on Bruckless Junction which will provide a lot more storage sidings for stock. Spent Saturday morning taping plastic sheeting over everything to keep the dust out. Hopefully, when we get back from holiday next week, there may even be a baseboard erected! Thought I was going to have a lazy day today doing a bit of packing but the boss gave me a big list of jobs to do as she is having to work! Might pop ove
