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ROSSPOP

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Blog Comments posted by ROSSPOP

  1. It`s been great getting away from loco kit building and the layout is now progressing.

     

    I`ve had a period of grassing up with the Flockit using predominantly German static grasses of varying lengths which seem superior to the £20 wasted on some GB stuff which failed to take a static charge!!

     

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    At long last the layout now has a fiddleyard thanks to some of Intentio`s  cassette kits...

     

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  2.  

    17 minutes ago, bgman said:

    A real credit to you for all the time spent so far and now being able to "play" with that superbly running Railmotor, really enjoyed the video, thank you for uploading it here.

     

    Grahame

     

    Thanks Graham,   things are running well now despite the layout being idol for at least three years. I had a bit of a scare as one dropper on a 6 inch length of track was a casualty of the ballasting but I was able to use a soldered fishplate to an adjoining piece of rail which saved a lot of hassle. I`m hoping to sort out the fiddle yard , which I`ll have to do outside the shed, before summer ends. I`ve got some of Phil`s Intentio cassettes to assemble.

     

    John

    • Like 2
  3. So the last loco has been built and it`s time to crack on with this layout. I have been visiting it on and off over the past year , but was interrupted by catching Covid.

     

    Firstly the Engine shed watering fascilities have been changed.

     

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    The goods shed has been re-positioned onto the platform but still needs bedding in.

     

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    At the other end of the diorama the crossing gates have had their servo motors and associated gubbins removed as they were a total waste of time. They seemed to be activated at the slightest interference from point motors , awitch movements and low flying aircraft !

     

    The gates are now operated by hand having built a rubber band operated mechanism......

     

     

     

     

     

    All the track ballast has been chosen and mixed together with many other ground cover materials......

     

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    Today I am experimenting with Heki static grass products

     

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  4. Hi Dave and Dave,

     

    Many thanks for your kind comments.

     

    Yes, the Walschaerts valve gear,  I`m afraid, is possibly  one of the kits idiosyncrasies. The combination lever has a tendency to `waggle` outwards but it is nothing to do with catching  on anything and is ( my theory) probably to do with the Radius rod being etched too short. 

     

    The other cause maybe due to my attempt at getting the expansion link to work in conjunction with the radius rod to which it is connected through the expansion link and this caused a slight `binding` in the valve gear. Although  it all operates well the result is the `waggle` outwards.

     

    I also ignored the instructions telling me to drill all link holes 0.7mm whereas I drilled them 0.6mm to avoid `sloppy` linkages and this may be to0 tight a tolerance.

     

    Any how, the other side is just the same, so unfortunately me and the modelling world at large will have to live with it as I was`nt prepared to take it all apart again.

     

    It pays not to be too clever..... but next time...:cray_mini:

     

    As for the sound chip Dave, I prefer to use Zimo MX645 as they have a superior motor control over the ESU chips which I have only used once. I use either Digitrain sound files or as in this case Youchoos who have recorded from preserved NO 93.

     

    Overall this is a good,  (but not perfect)  baring in mind it was designed in the 1990`s,  kit which I have enjoyed building very much. There a an abundance of lost wax parts including all the  many handrails.  Unfortunately, where lost wax parts are really needed as in the underframe brake gear and autogear parts these remain in whitemetal. The vertical boiler is a work of art. Some of the coach sides and roof etching is not up to todays standard, but after a decent coat of paint is not noticeable.

     

    Overall, with all the errors  of which are my own, I`m pleased with having her built.

     

    Verdict:  Would I build another?..... Yes I `bleedin `would.... but not this year....

     

    I propose that you `go for it` Dave as I`m sure you`ll get that valve gear spot on......

     

    Cheers

    JOhn

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  5. Last entry on this build now folks as the project is completed................

     

     

     

    I seem to have inadvertently come full circle over the past 40 years as my last Railmotor build was in the late 1980`s and was, in fact, a Jidenco kit of the LSWR version.........

     

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    .....................................  that the GWR borrowed and  the results led to the building of the one I have completed this month.

     

    So, back to the plot................

     

    The vertical boiler containing the motor took a fair while as it had to be hand painted with Closterman`s black etch primer.

     

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    The coach part had a lot of detailing to assemble and add particularly the seating.

     

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    But she`s done and dusted...............

     

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    .....`scuse the roof line but I hav`nt finally fixed it down just yet...............

     

     

    No 76 is in the 1929 simple livery with extra coal rails for increased capacity.

     

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  6. A lot of careful brass bending and patient soldering to be done with this project.

     

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    The  body needs a lot of concentration to keep everything level and square.

     

    There is a novel way of using extra internal section dividers with longer tabs that protrude through the chassis to keep the roof in place.

     

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    But it all seems to provide a removable roof for later internal detailing.

     

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    ......and I made the sliding doors and windows fully functional.

     

     

    There has been a lot of work to get the prototypical steam motor bogie attachment mechanics to work properly .... but she`s  now a mover...

     

     

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  7. Today I started the Railmotor body construction.

     

    My biggest concern was shaping the flat roof etch into a GWR shaped roof profile . It`s one thing shaping flat brass in 4mm but O Gauge is a major beast.....

     

    I dont possess any rolling bars, not that they would be a lot of use to me.   But I wanted to get this worry out of the way so I could enjoy the rest of the build knowing I hav`nt got a black cloud hanging over me...........

     

    So it was study photos of the real thing and then find suitable diameter brush and broom handles and slowly work away by hand.

     

    Surprisingly, it turned out easier than I envisaged.............

     

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    I expected difficulties with the etched on roof rain strips going against the bends and considered filing them off in case of trouble.

     

    But in the end they were`nt a problem...

     

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    There are a few `dinks` here and there but these will easily be sorted later...

     

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    Whew ! that headache is out of the way.  I shall retire for a cuppa and a slice of ginger cake plus Paracetamol for my aching hands and fingers.....

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  8. Thanks Mike,

     

    Spent a few days on the trailing  `fish belly` bogie which is quite a kit in itself......

     

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    Having assembled the basic bogie chassis I spent time piecing together all the brake rigging and white metal brake blocks and after a struggle trying to get it all in place decided that there was far too much risk of electrical shorting between the brake blocks and wheels....far too risky for an impending DCC sound set up.

     

     

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    Also, I needed as much space as possible for unobtrusive wiper pickups so without all the brake rigging is going to be much easier.

     

     

    At any rate the bogie is now completed, so on to the basic body build........

     

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  9. Meanwhile, back at the shed......

     

    last night I wrestled with making no less than three cones and a round tube which played havoc with my arthritic fingers.....

     

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    Pondering about using a screw fixing to keep the boiler attached to the bogie...but at a later date. There are a myriad of lost wax boiler parts to be fitted later.

    I`ve decided to push forward with making the un-powered bogie and the Railmotor body completed  before super detailing when all the complex parts have been made.

     

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    • Like 4
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  10. 21 hours ago, bgman said:

    Lovely to see your mechanism working John, it's what has put me off slightly but your words are encouraging, I had a bad enough time making it work in 4mm. It must be much better on the eyes to assemble in 7mm.

    Certainly looking forward to the rest of your build and I think it will be well suited to the revised layout.

     

     

    Thanks Graham,

     

    I still have nightmares about the valve gear on the Jidenco  4mm LSWR Railcar from way back in the 1980`s !!!

     

    Which was the last steam ralicar I made.

     

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  11. The valve gear is small and there is not much wriggle room for errors. Pleasingly the kit etches are accurate and if you take time enough a satisfactory mechanism is easily achievable.

     

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    The gearbox is a simple fold up etch and fits the bogie innards very well....

     

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    The kit provides some lovely front axle bearing castings to help with the tightness of space behind the slide bars.

     

    All in all a very enjoyable build so far.

     

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    This kit is for an` experienced` modeller.... now there`s a funny thing.   `Experience` well you can be a modeller of 40 years plus and have achieved one experience or you can be a modeller of one year and have achieved 40 experiences.   I would say that if you feel confident and competent and not scared of soldering  then this kit is for you....

     

     

     

    Now back to Dave and his Sherton Abbas layout where a Steam Railcar would fit in nicely....

     

    An enjoyable interlude at Sherton last seen by me at ` Telfords End ` while I return to the shed........................

     

     

    • Like 6
    • Craftsmanship/clever 3
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