robertc

I think i understand why so many model engineers have said they get more use out of their mill than the lathe Chris :>) I have a Taig and considered using the money I would spend at the metal fab shop to purchase the vertical slide (milling attachment). Due to the way my motor is mounted I couldn't get enough travel. I think I might get the slide one day anyhow. Yes, you do need a bit bigger equipment sometimes with 7mm. regards Bob

Thanks Chris, initial measurements showed mine 7mm too high. Could not do it on my little lathe so have sent it to the local engineering works to have the slot milled out. Think it might have been forgotten when making the chassis mould as Col's bearing blocks are normally inset. Yes, Ron's products were predominantly for the 3-rail market even though he modified his own for 2-rail use. regards Bob

Hi Chris, the TAM does look nice. You are certainly making the most of your limited space. You said you had a 59, interested to know if the bearing block sits flat under the chassis or is inset on your one. regards Bob

Have they managed to remove your tree yet Chris? regards Bob

OK, look forward to seeing it Chris. I'll keep an eye out on your thread. Sounds to me like you are in the wrong scale Martin. I had N scale when I lived in a bed-sit. HO I can do in spare room, S is the largest that will fit in the garage and I have had gauge 1 in the yard. Should I end up in a bed-sit I'll be back in N scale :>) regards Bob

My memory tells me this kit or a 35 was the last of the kits that Ron had left a few years ago when we did a trade Marty. The 35 was never high on my list despite numerous trips behind them so it had to be the 59. You could ask around, you never know. Access to a drill press would be useful if you get one as there is some serious cutting out of slots in the body and frame to be done. regards Bob

Thought I might make a move on a pile of bits taking up room in a box. A Ron Fox 59 class kit with Slaters wheels. regards Bob

In the interim you could make your own set track if it is sorely needed. I did just that for a test track some years ago. I made it from code 100 and pc sleepers. A rail joiner was soldered on at each end. I made a template for the 3' radius sections ,which was nothing more than a curve drawn on a plank and some pins for guidance. It allowed me to test various coupler options and other ideas if I had to work in a restricted area. One thing I do remember from the exercise was not needing any gauge widening on those tight curves. regards Bob Comerford

Thanks Mirek, that explains it well. Finding good card is not so easy. regards Bob Comerford

Marvelous Mirek. How are you doing the rivets?

A silver lining perhaps Chris. Your wife has a very handy job when disasters strike. :>) regards Bob

Could have been a lot worse with the gum tree Chris. I removed mine before they became a danger........ as they all are. Hope you were prepared and will have power back on soon.. I keep a min of a months supply in the house at all times in non perishable food and essentials and a supply of camping gas to cook if needed. When we got cut off with the floods and landslides a year or two back the supermarkets were running out in a couple of days. 'Just in time' only works in a perfect world. :>) regards Bob

Thanks all. I also have one on the wrong underframe too, just to add to the prototypical mix Chris :>) regards Bob

Today I got to trial run the hopper rake. A few things to tidy up but I was impatient to see them run. So after the ANZAC day dawn service I took them out for a run in the sun. regards Bob

Nice touch on the 44 Chris. Bob

Fortunately a Corolla isn't a throwaway car. Cheap to run and maintain and reliable.

Car comes before toys Martin; hopefully not to big a job. Many of the new cheap cars are very expensive to repair, comes from being cheap to make sadly. good luck Bob

It's all a compromise Chris. I often just enjoy running the railmotor around. Look at our pommie mates, live in a crappy climate yet still build lots of outdoor layouts. A lottery win would see a big shed with it all in, but probably not much more in the way of trackwork, just some more storage sidings. At night and when it is raining I miss my S gauge layout in the garage :>) regards Bob

Did you mean something like this Chris ? 49 class on the mail. For those not familiar, the front and rear are other peoples work. The louvre van is an O-Aust kit and the 49 class is Asian brass from Auscision ( a present). The carriages are constructed of cardboard with some rough cut wood parts from Col Shepherd shaped and sanded to fit. 3 rail bogies were modified to 2 rail. The photo reminds me; I must chase up the local guitar heroes for some more broken strings so I can finish off the ventilators. :>) regards Bob Comerford

I see plenty of progress happening there Chris.Look forward to seeing the finished project. I've finally received the rest of the parts needed to get on with the coal train so I might get back into that project. regards Bob

Here are a couple of shots of traffic in the Autumn sun. The CPH railmotor is arriving at Seven Mile Mulga. Hopefully the recent resurfacing works on the platform will be appreciated. The crew of the Fowler enjoy a cuppa while waiting for the stick at 7MM. regards Bob

Apart from Slaters wheels you don't need any of that stuff. I build it myself if I can't afford to have others do my model building for me in the form of kits or RTR. My "good" grill is made from some fine mesh overlaid with strips of styrene. Louvres can be impressed into wood with a pen or carved into styrene with an Opha-P cutter or similar scrawker. My Buffers are made from styrene pieces carved and filed on the X200. They were deliberately shortened as I originally used Kadee 802 couplers. I am not interested in competing with commercial models, such a practice would mean spending a long time going nowhere. I'm building a model railway not a collection of models. If you want to rivet count and price is a big issue then modelling British prototype is the logical choice. No other market in O gauge can compare in value for money. I often look longingly at the ads in the Guild magazine when I am frustrated at some aspect of building. :>) There are some very good offerings for modelling NSWGR but they will always be at a premium price due to the small potential market. It is in part the price we pay for the mentally retarded that could not honour their commitments to a uniform gauge ( and still can't). An NR class would be the first locomotive with broad Australian appeal apart from Tasmania. For the benefit of viewers not conversant with NSWGR prototype the X200 is the little red one on the right. It is a rail tractor for use by a 'driver only' within yard limits and around workshops. regards Bob Comerford

Perhaps start building and less thinking Marty :>). I only had to buy the Kadees and Slaters rolling stock wheels. The rest was scrap ply and paper clips (or maybe tie wire) , plus some other bits from the junk box. Even if you could not get an old Hornby or Lima GM mech for free as I did, they shouldn't fetch much on feebay. regards Bob

Here are three results of the cheap loco building program. Scrap ply and balsa from my aeromodelling bin, tie wire,thumb tacks, paper clips, styrene and a couple of commercial parts. The CPH railmotor probably is catching up to the prototype in (scale) miles run. regards Bob

Hi Marty, the grade up my access ramp requires plenty of grunt and all wheels doing their bit! My railmotor has needed all wheel drive to do its job with the various mechs that have been installed in it over time. I look forward to seeing your efforts on your thread. Having proven to myself that there are inexpensive ways of doing O gauge that work, I now mostly use the regular Mashima 1833 (or similar), gearbox and chain drive. My steam has used regular motor/ gearbox from the start. Don't like any sound out of them unless it is from a sound decoder! :>) Bob