Castle Aching

[TurboSnail]

I generally do include rivets and details on CAD for 3D printed models, mainly because the cost of those parts individually add a lot to the cost of the finished model. Using resin printing, you can generally get away with it as the surface finish is just about good enough to not have to sand it back. Takes a while to design though! 

[Edwardian]

Sem is surely right to highlight the material issue.  My preference is not to buy from Shapeways, as a Photon printer seems to offer a smoother print and less cost (even with a trader's margin); witness the superb prints of the Sharp Stewarts purchased from Knuckles, and the resin prints I have of Tom's designs.

 

I agree with Tom that there is no particular difficulty in adding rivets in a 3D print product.  Of course, the superiority of the Photon finish over Shapeways FUD (let alone WSF), means less sanding, which is kinder on surface detail!

 

However, Dr Newman has a different business model, as he has elsewhere explained, and that is understood; it does not suit everyone's circumstances to produce printed pieces as a cottage industry manufacturer, and I accept this, just as I accept that these were conceived as N gauge models, so just having them available in OO is a bonus.  I would not rule out trying another model in the range, but much of the work I have done on Lion was to compensate for the effects of upscaling, rather than a lack of detail per se.  If the models had been designed for 4mil, many of the issues would not be present.

 

As I say, my concern is not the need to work on the model, which, of course, I have enjoyed, but the fact that my skills are just not up to compensating for the limitations of a model designed for a smaller scale.

 

In primer, it looks OK, so I have hopes that the finished model may yet pass muster.  Only when looking larger than scale in photographs does the ragged nature of my work start to become apparent!    

 

[brack]

I've put rivets on my 1/24 designs. It does take a while. It also rather gives the lie to the idea that you can easily rescale cad to any size. Technically you can, but unless they're similar scales (eg 1/48 and 1/43.5) you probably shouldn't. Moving a design from 1/43.5 to 1/24 essentially meant redrawing it, and took about 60% of the time to do a new model, as I had to change/hollow all wall thicknesses, check tolerances again, adapt to a different chassis, add extra details and rivets and consider the material and print processes suitable.

 

1/43.5:

(My design, fleischmann 7000 chassis, my model on Tim Tincknell's layout, Mick Thornton's photo)

1/24:

(My design, Bachmann Percy chassis, Steve Holland's models and photo)

 

1/17:

(My design, ETS 32mm gauge chassis, Henrik Laurell's model and photo).

 

Anyway, such as is possible on this thread I fear we digress. Back to CA?

[sem34090]

1 hour ago, RedGemAlchemist said:

You guys are lucky. No way would we be able to afford one ourselves. 

It was a stroke of luck that we even had the money available. But given 3/4 of the household have a definite use for it, we all contributed and it's proven a worthwhile investment.

[Dave John]

Good debate, I am following the development of 3d printing with interest. I have used 3d printed parts, but I'm not quite at the point where I would want to try a full model. My lack of confidence with the medium I suspect, but I see many modellers working to improve the technology. 

 

Mass still worries me. Lessons learned in the past, adhesion and electrical contact. I am leaning towards a view that I may not be able to see a rivet from a yard away, but I can see a bad runner. 

 

Those models shown by Brack look excellent. If only I had the room. 

 

Anyway the whole 3d printing thing is very new so I don't wish to be negative, I see the potential. 

[TurboSnail]

7 hours ago, Dave John said:

Mass still worries me. Lessons learned in the past, adhesion and electrical contact. I am leaning towards a view that I may not be able to see a rivet from a yard away, but I can see a bad runner. 

 

These are a couple of mine, complete with printed rivets. I always try and leave space (usually in tanks) to fit some lead sheet - the loco at the front weighs 270g! I have had a few running issues, but these have come from my inability to set up a chassis - all my 3D printed locos on RTR chassis run fine.

 

[Edwardian]

The Todd, Kitson & Laird 0-4-2 substantially complete ....

 

[Annie]

Oh very nice, very nice indeed James.  That very much looks the part.

[Hroth]

I tried to get a K's one on ebay a while ago, but it went above what I was willing to pay for it!

 

Very pretty!

 

umm - are the coupling rods on the right way up?

[Skinnylinny]

Oh, I say, that's something rather special! You've made a beautiful model there, James, and your modifications really make it stand out from the crowd. 

[Skinnylinny]

Oh, I say, that's something rather special! You've made a beautiful model there, James, and your modifications really make it stand out from the crowd. 

[sem34090]

They were so impressed by it they had to say it twice!  

 

Well done, Sir!

[RedGemAlchemist]

5 hours ago, Edwardian said:

The Todd, Kitson & Laird 0-4-2 substantially complete ....

 

Very nice indeed James. Fantastic!

[sem34090]

This video (uploaded within the past 24 hours) just appeared on my recommended list -

 

[Edwardian]

Some goods stock for the Norfolk Minerals Railway ....

 

Here are the mineral wagons, newly coated in Halford's red primer.

 

These are from Chris Cox's excellent 5&9 Models range and represent Birmingham & Gloucester Railway mineral wagons, which, according to the gen included with the kit, featured in Francis Wishaw's 1842 book The Railways of Great Britain. Small and old is what they are, though pretty close in dimensions to the Caradon railway's 1860s opens.

 

While almost as broad as they are long, we have some sharp-eyed parishioners, so, before anyone comments, the kit instructions state that the floor planking was longitudinal. 

 

One dog is saying to the other "if only Alan Gibson would send those 10-spoke wheels, Master could finish them".

 

 

All good things must come to an end, including Norfolk aggregate trains, so I had entertained vague thoughts about some ancient and archaic brake van for the line, and then I lighted upon a great addition to Dr Newman's 3D printed range, Link. 

 

 

I recognised it as the LNWR brake van featured in 19th Century Railway Drawings In 4mm Scale by Alan Prior. The design is credited to the splendidly named Henry H Henson and dated at c.1850.  The Prior drawings should enable me to bodge up the underframe. It's an interesting design, not least because it's dumb-buffered at one end and sprung at t'other.

 

[Annie]

I do really like those short wheelbase mineral wagons James.  I'd love to have something similar for my 1860s engines to bunt around.  I've got some very nice short wheelbase iron bodied wagons of ancient kind, but there's something about a planked wagon that just looks so much better.

 

And that early LNWR brake van is seriously nice too.  I've got E&GR mineral traffic ones, but they're not as nice as that.  Absolutely perfect for your Norfolk Minerals Railway.

Edited August 17, 2019 by Annie
fumble brain

[Edwardian]

10 minutes ago, Annie said:

I do really like those short wheelbase mineral wagons James.  I'd love to have something similar for my 1860s engines to bunt around.  I've got some very nice short wheelbase iron bodied wagons of ancient kind, but there's something about a planked wagon that just looks so much better.

 

And that early LNWR brake van is seriously nice too.  I've got E&GR mineral traffic ones, but they're not as nice as that.  Absolutely perfect for your Norfolk Minerals Railway.

 

I do like your old iron wagons and mineral brakes.  I've been going through some of your posts recently, gorging on Victoriana.

 

For the Norfolk Minerals Railway I wanted something that was the equivalent of a chaldron wagon without being one; something old and small that would contrast with the West Norfolk Railway's varied collection of dumb-buffered mineral wagons, now used for the coal workings from Wolfringham Staithe.  I had a search round and felt that these Birmingham & Gloucester wagons had the right look and feel; I like the idea of the sides hinging down to discharge the load, which could, for instance, be coal, gravel or carstone.

 

Alan Prior's book has a drawing of an old GNR mineral/ballast brake type, which I thought would do well for the WNR's Wolfringham branch coal trains.  By way of a contrast, something different, yet equally low and archaic, was needed for the NMR, and I'd taken a shine to the 1850 LNWR brake, also drawn by Prior. Then, whilst at Dr Newman's Shapeways shop in pursuit of the upgraded Derwent, I thought I'd take  a browse and, serendipitously, there was the body for said 1850 LNWR brake van! 

 

I like it when a plan comes together!

 

(It doesn't happen very often)

[sem34090]

I cannot help but be immensely jealous of your gorgeous dogs, Sir!

 

Oh and the railway modelling is good too.  

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

I do like your old iron wagons and mineral brakes.  I've been going through some of your posts recently, gorging on Victoriana.

 

For the Norfolk Minerals Railway I wanted something that was the equivalent of a chaldron wagon without being one; something old and small that would contrast with the West Norfolk Railway's varied collection of dumb-buffered mineral wagons, now used for the coal workings from Wolfringham Staithe.  I had a search round and felt that these Birmingham & Gloucester wagons had the right look and feel; I like the idea of the sides hinging down to discharge the load, which could, for instance, be coal, gravel or carstone.

 

Alan Prior's book has a drawing of an old GNR mineral/ballast brake type, which I thought would do well for the WNR's Wolfringham branch coal trains.  By way of a contrast, something different, yet equally low and archaic, was needed for the NMR, and I'd taken a shine to the 1850 LNWR brake, also drawn by Prior. Then, whilst at Dr Newman's Shapeways shop in pursuit of the upgraded Derwent, I thought I'd take  a browse and, serendipitously, there was the body for said 1850 LNWR brake van! 

 

I like it when a plan comes together!

 

(It doesn't happen very often)

If there were a few more different kinds of 1860s engines and rolling stock available for Trainz I'd most probably completely disappear into railways of that era, but since there aren't I make do with minor railways of a later time that have a habit of collecting anachronistic museum pieces and keeping them running.  The Broad Gauge is always tempting, but I try to keep a lid on that.

 

The rolling stock items you've chosen for the Norfolk Minerals Railway are really ideal James and are perfect choices, - or at least in my opinion they are.  I don't think I could have chosen better myself.

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, sem34090 said:

I cannot help but be immensely jealous of your gorgeous dogs, Sir!

 

I agree, Labs are the most complete family dog that you can have.

 

However, they come with one or two minor problems.

 

1. They prefer a seafood diet (See Food. Eat Food)
2. They'll jump into anything watery to hand. Puddles, garden ponds (with or without goldfish, with or without neighbours having afternoon tea besides said pond, then see problem 1), canals, rivers, etc.
3. They'll bring you anything they find in said watery environs (dead fish, ducks, bodies...)
4. If there's no water to hand, they'll roll in "something" pungent.

Apart from these minor character flaws, they are most excellent dogs!

 

[sem34090]

This is why I want to have one again.  

[Nearholmer]

Some very nice waggonery.

 

I’m always impressed by the complexity and deliberate ornateness of the carpentry on early wagons, especially brake-vans, and that LNWR one is certainly a festival of skilled cabinet-making.

 

Its a pity that pictures of horse-drawn road vans from the early C19th are so seldom seen, in comparison with the ‘glamour girl’ stage-coaches, because it would be interesting to see how much of the style was carried-forward into rail vehicles.

[RedGemAlchemist]

Very nice wagons, James. Very nice.
And I miss my whippet now

[Edwardian]

3 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

I agree, Labs are the most complete family dog that you can have.

 

However, they come with one or two minor problems.

 

1. They prefer a seafood diet (See Food. Eat Food)
2. They'll jump into anything watery to hand. Puddles, garden ponds (with or without goldfish, with or without neighbours having afternoon tea besides said pond, then see problem 1), canals, rivers, etc.
3. They'll bring you anything they find in said watery environs (dead fish, ducks, bodies...)
4. If there's no water to hand, they'll roll in "something" pungent.

Apart from these minor character flaws, they are most excellent dogs!

 

 

Yes, they cannot pass a body of water of any kind without jumping in.  Full of sheep sh1t as they are, I find that northern becks are preferable to stagnant fen drains!

 

They come and lie on top of me in the night and wake me up at 5 am. Love is unreasoning. 

 

Thought I'd get Dr Newman's brake body rolling.  The solebars are spare 16' solebars from a Cambrian Kits kit (I only use 15' solebars as a rule), and they were the right dimensions. The fold up irons are from 51L and the bottle buffers, as per the Alan Prior drawing, are loco buffers from RT Models.

 

The vehicle sits quite low, but is a very good match for the drawing and seems ideally suited to run with the Birmingham & Gloucester wagons. 

 

I think I will need to build the springs and axleboxes. Having built springs for Lion, I'm fairly confident that I can make something semi-decent. 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by Edwardian
Picture

[Nearholmer]

I’ve just realised that those open wagons are very similar to those of the Glyn Valley Tramway.