“ROUTE OF THE SHORTYS”

[jasond]

Looking forward to seeing that as 'just part of the great scenery'! BTW cut your Kadee magnets and 'reflecting magnetism' metal plate in half to give 2 squares, ie: not lengthways. Works fine in O and cuts down the risk of accidental uncoupling switching at O-scale's low speeds.

Edited February 20, 2017 by jasond

[long island jack]

Here's some progress with the feed mill, which I'm beginning to like:IMG_0904.JPG

will this be placed on the layout by Helicopter or crane, with those lifting straps  

 

looking good

 

Ray

Edited February 20, 2017 by long island jack

[Northroader]

The magnets I'm using are little block ones, not the special kadees job, so their attraction crosswise is limited anyway. I just put them on their side. Cutting them in half? North poles bits, south poles bits, you know what you're doing, well in front of me. Uncoupling is accompanied by a lot of jiggling, and the layouts that small, if a train divided, you could claim you meant it. By the bye, Jason, I do come and have a look at the Facebook page you set up, and I'm enjoying it, it's just when I do a like or a reply it never comes up, more in the way of knowing what you're doing, and pressing the right keys. (Edit: looking at this, I thought, "coupling is accompanied by a lot of giggling", best not go there, eh?)

Ray, we've got this peculiar sect round here, they dress in high vis jackets and shorts and go round pushing rubbish paper through your door, but the interesting thing is they mark their territory by leaving rubber bands lying on the pavement. I find these are most useful for holding the roof down while the glue sets, so I won't be calling up a jolly green giant thingy.

Edited February 20, 2017 by Northroader

[jasond]

I believe the rubber bands are biodegradable, so you've only got 5 years to get it finished before ...............

[Northroader]

I'll be pushing it, then.

[Northroader]

Well, it's taken some time, phased in with other jobs, but I've finally got the feed mill done.

You'll see from the boxcars nearby that it's not that big, but I'm quite happy with the way it fills the corner, blocking out the short yard entrance, and adding some balance with the other two buildings on the line, and of course forming a realistic traffic point.

[DanielB]

That feed mill looks great, and I just love that Beep!

 

Keep us updated with your progress.

[Northroader]

 

Well, it's like this, I went to a gauge O guild branch open day recently, and they had a small bring and buy stall there. There was this caboose sat there, and as it was £5, I just couldn't resist it, how many opportunities is there to pick up an O gauge vehicle for that? The more savvy of you could say I was still done, maybe I live too sheltered a life. Those end railings will have to go, but the bogies are quite nice and value on their own. The body is a resin casting and the base is a black plastic clip on, and no manufacturers marks. It's a nice symmetrical design, giving it a North Eastern area look, the nearest I've got to is possibly Central of New Jersey. I've still got jobs to finish off for the CNR, Englefield needs to go to California for the SP locos to feel at home, what was I thinking of?

(this sort of thing)

Edited July 3, 2023 by Northroader

[JAMO]

With some work, it can be a nice model!

[Northroader]

Do you know, I've just been looking at the "RMT trains" site, and I've got a sneaky feeling that my caboose is related to the BEEP which has appeared on these posts. Someone has given a bodyshell new bogies. It feels more at home now! Thanks for your vote of confidence, Jacky, I must look again at that last boxcar upgrade you did.

[F-UnitMad]

There is no such thing as "Too many Cabeese", so feel free to carry on

...and you're right; £5 in O Scale qualifies under the "It'd be rude not to" Category.

[jasond]

Yup, good for a fiver, C&O prototype?? I had a feeling it was a KMT model and I stumbled on this:

http://www.tcawestern.org/kusan.htm

I've got one of the tank cars to build. It would pass for a full-size O-scale car, but might do for a large narrow-gauge car behind a Bachmann Whitcomb On30 centre-cab ... hmmm, doh! Jason, you model D&H ~1980, c'mon ....

[Northroader]

Jason, thanks for that link regarding the KMT models and consequent use by RMT, all new to me, and definitely what the caboose is. I suppose over the pond this sort of thing is readily available for peanuts. The postal charges from the states seem to have gone mad in the last few months. Anyhow, I had an RMT meet this afternoon:

Looking at them, I decided to have a "caboose hop" using one of the CNR vans, as the new one ain't got couplings yet. Yes, Jordan, you can't have enough cabooses, but then it goes on to enough boxes, gons, tankers, and locos! Up and down and through the loop, try out magnets, decide one end coupler box is stiff and overtightened, sort that out and knock off a knuckle spring, replace that, and more trundling round. The Atlas Plymouth chassis on the beep makes enough racket without DCC, even if not quite a diesel sound. So a good time was had, and in my head I'm churning round what North East line should have the caboose and how it would fit in. I don't seem to have the iron discipline to stick to just one line or plan, so I suppose rule one is going to apply...

Edited July 3, 2023 by Northroader

[JAMO]

This composition looks good.

[F-UnitMad]

The Atlas Plymouth chassis on the beep makes enough racket without DCC, even if not quite a diesel sound

Yes, mine too!!

A good little DCC decoder for the Atlas Plymouth is the Digitrax DH126; small enough to fit in the cab, but powerful enough with a 1.5Amp rating. Non-sound obviously - fitting sound in a Plymouth would be a challenge!

 

Edit- Correct decoder number!

Edited April 14, 2017 by F-UnitMad

[Mike Boucher]

Jason, thanks for that link regarding the KMT models and consequent use by RMT, all new to me, and definitely what the caboose is. I suppose over the pond this sort of thing is readily available for peanuts. The postal charges from the states seem to have gone mad in the last few months. Anyhow, I had an RMT meet this afternoon

To be completely honest, I've been a "2 rail O scale" modeler on "this side of the pond" for 20+ years.  Can say I've ever seen either that caboose or the "beep" for sale at any model RR show I've been to.  They're not very common over here, IMHO.

 

Now, if you ask about the Atlas diesel switcher you've used as a donor for your beep's power, yeah, they're pretty common.  Saw one at a show just a few weeks ago for $25, and I decided I didn't need it, even at that price...

 

BTW - nice find on that caboose.  The body looks reasonably well detailed and well proportioned, and those end railings are easily sorted out.  Definitely would have paid a 5 for that...

Edited April 15, 2017 by Mike Boucher

[Northroader]

Hi, Mike, thanks for coming on. Thankfully, the Atlas Plymouth switcher can be seen over here, usually up to about £50, but I've never seen any of the KMT/ RMT stuff, just as well, I'd just be after the bodyshells. The third rail track just turns me right off. One candidate I'm considering for the caboose plus beepified sort of Atlas switcher is the NH, or maybe the B&M. "It's the B&M, Jim, but not as we know it."

[F-UnitMad]

Yes, mine too!!

A good little DCC decoder for the Atlas Plymouth is the Digitrax DH126; small enough to fit in the cab, but powerful enough with a 1.5Amp rating. Non-sound obviously - fitting sound in a Plymouth would be a challenge!

 

Edit- Correct decoder number!

Just a couple of piccys of my installation of the Digitrax decoder in my Atlas Plymouth. It's only a 2-function decoder, so both front & rear headlights were wired together to the white lead, and a roof beacon wired to yellow, and CV functions re-mapped accordingly! (which I have written down somewhere - but can't find at present!!)

 

 

[DanielB]

That caboose is great - cut those handrails off, solder up some new ones from wire, sand off the cast handrails on the side of the 'boose, replace with wire ones, and you've got yourself an awesome little model!

 

The work required to perfect that caboose will make it more rewarding to see it complete and rolling across your layout.

[Northroader]

Today I had a "GON-FEST", celebrating the arrival of two new Atlas 50' gondolas I've picked up cheap on eBay. So far they've had proper profile wheels put on, kadees added, and lettering deleted. Next question is who are they going to be painted and lettered for, I'm just doing a stocktake to help me decide. Their mates already on the line turned out to cheer them on, CNR, PRR, WAB. Only the CNR has a load, so that's another thing to do. Then they all went together, and the beep hauled the five of them along, a great sight, but only having about two foot of track left for the run. There's something about the beep which really grabs me, it seems to do more running than the rest. Size? easy to place on the track? low cost? character? whatever it is, there's a second one taking shape, but not having an RMT body this time. More about that another day.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Northroader

[Northroader]

Well, the RMT caboose is done now. The raised mouldings in the resin shell were scraped off, and new handrails fitted. Looking at them, I'd have probably done better using .020" brass rod rather than .030" (Slaters) Then a piece of 2 X 1 was screwed to the floor inside for extra weight. A pair of Kadee 805s went on, nearly doubling the cost of the job. This showed she was sitting rather low, and some packing went above the bogie pivot, also side bearers with a scant clearance at one end to stop any shimmying. More plastikard went in under the end platform either side of the couplers. All the railings on the end platform were trimmed off, and new railings, chain, brakewheel, and ladders made. (The ladder is Sprat and Winkle signals brass etching) Then some Humbrol no 60 Matt red sploshed and glazing done. I'm quite pleased with it now.

I've been thinking for some time now about the direction Englefield is going. What started this off was an invite to a show, but on consideration I realised that it would be tiring, and I wouldn't be able to get it there in the family hatchback, I would need a van, making the logistics complicated and expensive. It's made as a terminus to fiddle yard, and looking at it there's just 66" viewable model out of a total length of 138", less than half. The other angle is operation, as I'm finding the way it needs to be worked, with sidings facing both ways off a small loop, does make things fiddly. Shunting challenges and wagon shuffling are a bit too much, I would prefer more simple train movements. With these thoughts in mind I've started reshaping it, keeping the main station board and elements, but losing the large block of the fiddle yard end for a viewable model on smaller boards. The first of these is ready, so we're slowly getting there.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Northroader

[F-UnitMad]

... new handrails fitted. Looking at them, I'd have probably done better using .020" brass rod rather than .030" ...

No worries - It'll match any "modern" Atlas locos you have!!!

[DanielB]

Now that is one heck of a transformation. Very nice!

[JAMO]

Nice work!

[Northroader]

I feel I should point out that there is no connection between the Englefield of this thread, and the place in Berkshire where a young lady is getting married today, but even so:

GOOD LUCK, PIPPA!!! WE'RE ALL BEHIND YOU!!

Edited July 3, 2023 by Northroader