Thunderforge

I’m sure an AI could generate track plans; tell it minimum radii, the area of the baseboard, some basic rules like double-track main lines etc, and it could generate several dozen options. Maybe feed it a few C.J. Freezer books first 😁

Thank you for your recommendations! I feel rather daft, but I will admit for the benefit of the thread; when the wagon is placed on the track the wheel flange was touching a horizontal strut. A bit of filing and modifying the 3D file and they run as good as I’m needing! Here’s a photo of some of the wagons I’d made (probably belong in the card/scratch-build section):

I’ve put together a little chassis piece to go under some OO gauge wagons, to fit the Hornby metal spoked wagon wheels. First version I did was too tight and the wheels didn’t turn. So I widened the sockets, now the wheels have some vertical and horizontal wiggle room, BUT the resin I use is slightly rubbery and causes a lot of friction, preventing free spinning. I don’t really want to buy brass bearings until I’ve tried a few more ideas. I’ve tried upping the UV bath time, and also tried dropping a blob of superglue in the socket to leave a more brittle surface, but not much luck. Has anyone else had similar issues? I’d love to know how you’ve resolved them.

Leaf springs are a pain to make, I had made one for some Gn15 wagons and then made moulded copies using ‘blue stuff’ and milliput. But for O scale I’ve been gluing strips of card around a plastic tube then cutting to length.

I’ve managed to level up my skill in card rolling stock, but not yet got track laying or controller ability! I use thin superglue to strengthen the edges of the card, and I use mount board for the body and cereal box for details. There are a few tricks I’ve figured out along the way; use a little block of wood to keep everything square, and a glass mirror to get the wheels level (glue three first then the final one afterwards). My buffers are clout nails set into brass eyelets, the couplings are card swamped in superglue and the three links are from some cheap jewellery chain I found on eBay. But I work in O gauge. I’ve started a Jim style traverser but not finished yet. I’m looking forward to seeing Yff progress! I was thinking of using your method to make an O gauge turnout from a OO one, but I couldn’t figure out if it would work in my head. But I think I’ll give it a go having seen your one!

I suffer from the same trouble whenever I have to buy carpet or laminate flooring!

I’ve used a chunk of wall insulation board for my O gauge layout, it’s the four inch thick stuff with silver on each side! I gorilla glued a hardboard back and sides to brace it. It’s surprisingly sturdy!

Back in the nineties I bought many railway magazines, and very often there was a layout based on some bleak northern line, some wind blown moor with sheep and stone walls. The engines would be bluish grey black and the carriages were always red. I never appreciated them at the time; I liked tiny shunting yards, not twenty feet of double track main line broken only by a catch point! Does anyone have any photos or names of the layouts I recall? There were always dusty little six wheelers pulling endless coke trains, miles and miles of wire fencing and spratt & winkle couplings. I’d flick past them thinking ‘boooring’ but the images stick in my memory and I wonder if anyone else has the same recollection? Back then I was a philistine who never appreciated brass kit building, hand laid track or historical accuracy, I just wanted the latest plastic gadgets from Hornby. But looking back these were layouts full of skill, realism and dedication, and it must have sunk in somehow! :-)

Thanks guy, that’s really helpful. I like the look of the Highland scrap tanks so I might try one of those first. I want to keep the 4f chassis in tact so I can multipurpose/reuse it a bit. Now to find some drawings!

Does anyone know of some tank engines with 5’ plus drive wheels? I’ve got hold of an O gauge Lima LMS 4f, (5’3” drivers) and want to construct an alternative body as an 0-6-0 tank loco. Obviously not many tank locos have such large wheels or such long wheelbase. I’m not too concerned about exact scale but if anyone can suggest a prototype I can work off I’d be grateful. The older the better! I think the early GWR saddle tanks had some big wheels. Thanks in advance

Having worked in the print/copying industry I’d recommend getting a copyshop to do a laser print. For a few quid you should be able to get decent colour accuracy and have it on some stout card (up to 300gsm). If you pay a bit more they should be able to get it on self adhesive label paper. The advantage of laser is that it isn’t water soluble like inkjet is, so you can weather and varnish it easily. I’ve made platforms this way stuck to a wooden form; with a dab of matt varnish it looks great!

I’ve put together some five plank wagons, loosely based on a Midland drawing I have. Only one is finished off below the waterline because I’ve run out of wheels. Thought I’d post a shot before spraying. And a pic of the underneath, I’ve added as much weight as I can because it only weighed about 37g on its own! The structure is mount board, details are thick sugar paper and cereal box card, and cocktail sticks. Buffers are clout nails mounted in brass eyelets, couplings are mount board soaked in superglue. I bought a metre of 8mm chain for three-links as I was fed up with winding paper clips! The only thing I’ve had to source is wheels, but I’m contemplating resin printing them, having seen the accuracy of resin printed war games figures. EDIT: Following the theme for my Deepwood Motte layout; I

Yes that is a concern, I’m in it for the enjoyment of building, but it does seem silly if the cost of the gubbins is nearly the cost of a rtr! Thank you for the link, they sell other loco chassis too which would be very useful. It surprises me with O gauge that you have a lion’s choice of buffer types and axle boxes for every pre grouping vehicle you could wish for, but not an off the shelf 0-4-0 chassis. Someone’s missing a trick!

There is an abundance of motor bogies available for OO (black beetles and suchlike) but I’m having difficulty finding one (or any at all) for O gauge. The wheelbase doesn’t matter too much as I’m wanting to scratch build a steam Sentinel over it! Can anyone recommend a manufacturer? Thanks in advance!

If you’re willing to include a traverser in your plan I’d recommend looking at Jim Read’s micro layouts; https://ogaugemicro.blogspot.com/p/maltby.html?m=1 Lots of shunting potential there. Also I’m a fan of Maldon Market Hill as well; https://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-59a-march-2007/

I didn’t even think of that, no water supply for the injectors!!

Here’s a question I’ve been wondering about; I’ve heard about a few small turntables which are too short to turn a loco connected to it’s tender. So you turn each one separately and the loco runs around it’s tender on a return loop, now facing the right way. BUT... a tender loco running anywhere without it’s tender would be a safety nightmare wouldn’t it?! Would the loco just have to run tender-first until it reached a station with a ‘proper’ turntable? How far is a loco allowed to travel without a tender and at what speed?

I just skipped back a few pages and saw the GER carriage in ‘pen and ink’; it seems there is potential to create some Heath Robinson ‘Railway Ribaldry’ trains. I might have to look into this Trainz programme after all...

Nice! I believe the Headmaster in Gormenghast was named de’Ath. Will you be making the “Hugh, Pugh, Barney, McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble & Grubb” wagons? :-)

Hi, I want to do some hand painted lettering on private owner wagons, my previous attempts ... leave something to be desired. I’ve tried searching YouTube for help but I just end up with how to apply transfers or pen & ink calligraphy. Does anyone have any tips or links which might help me? Thanks in advance!

There is a Games Workshop brown wash called Agrax Earthshade, and another called Seraphim Sepia, a slightly different hue. I’ve seen people use several thin layers over a light tan to get the desired depth of grime/varnish.

I dusted off my railway stuff the other day and made a salt wagon and the beginnings of a new loco. The wagon has card W-irons, leaf-springs and brake handle. The loco is a freelance 0-4-0 using OO scale wheels from a duchess. Yes she’s leaning back but I need to add a support thingy at the back. Gotta make some springy wheel pickups and connecting rods. Last loco I made I cheated and put tram plates over the wheels instead! Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to try external cylinders... Update: I’ve added some handrails, step-ups (what are they actually called?!) and levelled her out a bit. Shown here in nearly ex-works humbrol grey. I guess the steps should be directly under the cab door, but didn’t want to risk fouling the coupling rods. NB; everything looks really wonky in this photo, but I promise it doesn’t look so bad in real life! Further Update: I’ve primed, painted and transferred. Next job is weathering and finding another excuse not to make connecting rods. Final update: Weathered and connecting rodded! I’ve stripped out the motor/gearing/pickups as they were pretty shoddy and the loco only managed random shooting spurts. I think I’ll look into radio control soon. But in the meantime here are some shots.

Following a discussion about the new HS2, I tried to find some figures on past speed records between London and Birmingham. All I could find was that one of the first services took five and a half hours (and was rope hauled up some of the distance!) Does anyone know the quickest a Royal Scot might have taken to cover the distance?

Also doodling track plans! (Now, was that coffee or paint water...?)

The carriage ends are made from 5mm(?) foam-core, with a beam along the top. I’ve added one side (card) because I want to create an interior.