Lord of Narnia

I know Nigel well. He is a real gent and very talented. I have a few of his 1938 and 1959/62 bogies for my EFE cars and they are excellent. He also drew up and printed the 1960 and 1967/72 tube stocks for me to make kits for Radley Models.

Some progress! The pull offs have been soldered to the pre-bent wire. I have started to insert the masts and span wire. The masts are fixed into place with a self taping screw. I found a whole box in the loft and they fit nicely into the base of the mast. I’ll probably glue and screw the real things but as this is only a test I want to reuse the masts on the main layout.

Yes made for a very poor event. I used to enjoy the modelling event. Not been for years now….

Talking of the 0-6-0 Sentinel, I’ve have just been asked to produce a model of the Diesel Tender which ran with the locos to activate track circuits and also assist with deicing duties. They were built on withdrawn Q38 bogies. They will be available through Radley Models later this year.

The experiments continue. I have set up a trial section of track to see how complex it will be to fit the overhead on a curve. For the main layout I will have needed to finish all the ground scenery including any cobbles etc. So far I plan to bend the overhead wire flat on a surface to follow the track. I have read that it is best to follow the inner rail on curves (which makes sense to stop the pantograph slip off) I think I will solder the droppers or pull offs to the wire next and then layout by masts with span wire and solder the droppers to the overhead. That’s the plan anyway….

I’ve just finished painting my Radley Models 1972mk1 stock. It came out pretty well. I just needed to fill in the calling on light from the supplied kit. Next is a 1972Mk2 refurbished version found on the Bakerloo.

I think I’ll stick to the old models then. I have enough cars to make a up a four or six car train with options for 1949 UNDM and also a 58 trailer. I have 3D printed bogies and will remove all the incorrect detail (grab rails/door fault lights etc) before respraying the cars in my preferred colours.

I’ve just ordered a BEC 7000 series PCC for my Brussels themed layout. I’ve got a 600mm wide board to provide the turning loop on so I’m hoping that will be sufficient.

Yes I’ve heard the first ones are being delivered…..

Looks like a PCC but perhaps one of the American types?

I found this excellent video on YouTube of a 3D printed PCC 7700. He has done a superb job making this. I’d love to get hold of the design for this and having printed!

These look great! I also have family in Brussels - several Aunts and many cousins. I don’t remember much before the late 80s but I do remember the old PCC trams on the 93 as were used to stay near Place Marie-Jose. In fact part of the layout takes inspiration from the terminus there. The loop is now gone sadly in the name of regeneration! I’ve read quite a lot about the tram network and there is quite a lot of information and maps on the net. The number of closed routes is staggering.

Thanks Philip I’m not sure what year you were there but there were some of the old four axle trams about in the 1970s. I’ve finished the first mast. A lot of the system is being upgraded so some of the equipment looks quite new. I’ll try and focus on the older stuff from my earlier photos. There is a newer type below for reference though.

The first mast is ready. This is first try so it is a little rough and ready but I’m quite pleased with it. I’ve used copper tube as it is cheaper than brass and should solder better. A self tapping screw fits nicely so I hope it is an easy solution to fixing the masts. My next job is to add the arm (two track side arm) and the diagonal support wire. I would like to build a couple of masts today so I can try erecting a short section of wire.

I’ve picked up some piano wire from B&Q which was very cheap for 34m. There is a 0.4mm wire for the support wire which will also be used for the mast arm support and then bought a 0.6mm wire for the main overhead. I was able to straighten the wire by clamping one end and locking the other in a drill and turning it! It has worked really well. For the registration arms and pull offs I’m going to use staples bent into shape. Brussels uses quite strange registration arms a photo of which is below. I don’t think I can realistically make these strong enough so I’ve gone for a more simple look. If I get a chance in the next day or two I’ll mock up a section to see how it solders up. I’ve read that piano wire can be difficult to solder so this could all be very tricky!

Update. I’ve started to accumulate parts to make the overhead and rails. I’ve found brass tube to be quite expensive from sites like EBay but B&Q seem to do brass tube at a reasonable price. I started with a piece of 5mm copper tube and was going to add a bottom section of plastic tube 6mm wide but this looks a little over scale. B&Q do 4mm tube at £5.70 a metre and 2mm tube at £3.60 a metre so that’s at least 10 masts for £9.30 which isn’t too bad. There is a question in here….. Is 4mm tapering up to 2mm to scale? I’m doing 1:87 HO as it’s a continental layout so I’m hopeful it is. Any thoughts welcome…..

Looks good for the price. I’ve actually used Garfar coaches for T stock steel panel trailers as there are no mouldings on these. The other donor cars are the ex Airfix Dapol coaches which can be picked up new for about £15.

Thanks they are still using PCCs 77xx/78xx on this route and the adjoining 39 route to Ban-Eik.

I’m starting to prepare a small layout based on my favourite tram system - Brussels! I hate the new Flexi trams there, having grown up with the PCCs which are now rapidly running out of time so I’ll use PCCs only. I’m going to scratch build most of it. There will be three sections: 1) a turning loop at one end in a posh square out of the city centre 2) a pre-metro section in the city and leading to, 3) a stub terminus in a more run down area where the line has been cut back and replaced by the Metro where reversal is carried out by a ‘priests hat’ or reversing ‘wye’. The stock initially with be a BEC single car 7xxx PCC as found before withdrawal followed by a stratch built 77xx 6 axle PCC. I will use the BEC kit to get my catenary heights correct. I have ordered some copper tube to make the catenary masts (with the lower section in thicker ABS plastic as it is easier to turn to make the thickening of the mast lower down. I am going to use piano wire as the main running wire. The track is planned to be Peco code 100 with a small section soldered onto the inside to form the inner flange.

Yes I’ve tried. You need to drill through the axle box from the outside to get the bearings in at the correct angle. Then I’ve had to cut the bogie head stocks to bend the frame enough to get the wheel sets in! Not tried it out on the track yet but generally that is my approach. Also got some 38ts and 59/62ts bogies 3D printed and they seem to run well.

Later the five marker light layout was altered to two high(ish) intensity headlights with the stabling light in the previous location. The inner ends also had the passenger alarm mods. Not pretty! I’d love to have a crack at the Birmingham train. The Gloucester units are far too different from a 1959/62 stock.

That’s come out well Arun. I stopped making resin bogies for Phil for the same reason. They just don’t have the resilience.

Radley Models ones are lovely. Working on a 1972 stock set at the moment.

For 4mm scale I know that service trunking has been used - it’s the ribbed stuff we run household services through below ground. You might be able to get a smaller version but might be over-scaled in 2mm.

Really enjoying this thread. I’m making a layout based on Harrow-on-the-Hill over the eras so I I’m planning a class 115 in new condition and also the 117 water jetter geeen goddess! All from Lima DMUs.