Fun in 5.5mm scale

[detheridge]

George then started a smaller TR influenced layout 'Bryn Einon' based loosely on the upper end of the TR. Once again, he made great progress, but decided to sell the layout on Ebay in January 2016!

These pics are again from the Ebay listing.

Two very lucky people have George's layouts as a result, and yes, he's STILL modelling in 5.5mm scale!

[DLT]

Wow!

[detheridge]

Dolgoch in 5.5mm from George Williamson, complete with smoke unit AND sound!

Macolm Savage's take is a well known candidate from the Skarloey Railway. :-)

[detheridge]

Here's a corner of George Williamson's Tywyn Wharf that will be familiar to all TR fans.

Horticulture in 5.5mm scale, and yes, it's all scratchbuilt.

[Jeff Smith]

5.5mm/ft which is also 1/55th scale has the potential to be a useful scale for US modellers as 16,5 narrow gauge track for On30 such as from Micro Engineering and Peco  represents 3ft gauge which was the most predominant US narrow gauge.  In fact some of the On30 locos and rolling stock from Bachmann is considered somewhat undersized for 1/48th and closer to 1/55th.

[detheridge]

5.5mm/ft which is also 1/55th scale has the potential to be a useful scale for US modellers as 16,5 narrow gauge track for On30 such as from Micro Engineering and Peco  represents 3ft gauge which was the most predominant US narrow gauge.  In fact some of the On30 locos and rolling stock from Bachmann is considered somewhat undersized for 1/48th and closer to 1/55th.

Hi Jeff,

yes indeedy.

You'll find more info on this here: http://www.55n3.org/

Harold Minkwitz's site gives details of converting Bachmann 0n3 locos and stock to 1/55 scale, plus a lot more!  :-)

[rue_d_etropal]

For USA theme there are loads of laser cut kits designed for wargamers.

Mind you you don't have to model American  to get big locos on 2ft gauge. Look at the Decauville Mallet 0660 which were used in Morocco, and one even returned to France and was converted to a tank engine. It was one of the locos on my list to design for 3D printing. I suspect I won't be building a working model that soon, as the chassis is tricky. Also my interest in 5.5 is mainly metre gauge(squeezing it onto 16.5mm gauge track). I am building something in 1/19th though(SM32) but will be WW1 themed, but probably get away with a simplified chassis for that. For small scales, even 5.5mm/ft, tender drive might be an option.

[Jeff Smith]

The excellent Banta range of laser cut kits for US O scale seem to be a bit undersized and may well be closer to 1/55 than 1/48.

 

Here's a couple of Banta buildings with some O scale 1.5" figures and an O scale Ford Model T.

 

[rue_d_etropal]

there is a big range from 'Old West', said to be for 28mm and 25mm wargaming . Arcane on ebay have them  example here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Old-West-Cowboy-Building-RAILROAD-STATION-25mm-28mm-Terrain-/400963293675?hash=item5d5b4651eb

[Jeff Smith]

Not being a wargamer I don't understand the scale, please explain.

[Moxy]

Not being a wargamer I don't understand the scale, please explain.

 

Wargaming scales are the height of a figure in that scale, usually from feet to eye level, equivalent to roughly 5' in a 5'8" person.

 

For example, 10mm scale = 5 feet = 2mm/ft in railways scales, 28mm scale  = (just over) 5 feet = 5.5mm/ft scale in railways scales, etc.

 

Wargaming descriptions may look odd to us, but model railway scale use of 'so many mm/ft' probably doesn't make much sense to wargamers either!

 

HTH

 

 

Moxy

[Jeff Smith]

Thanks, I thought maybe it was something like that.

[malsav55]

Hi folks,

Here's a selection of pics from the world of 5.5mm scale modelling, showing what we've been getting up to over the years.

We've recently started a Facebook page showing models from the past and present, and anyone interesyed in joing us can go here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1708721226014499/

 

Let's start with some original Gem models:

Malcolm Savage's version of Gem's Linda Kit, one of my Gem Dolgochs, and Andrew Wilson's Double Fairlies (the original behind a scratchbuilt Earl of Meirioneth

here's the scratchbuilt version in greater detail

David strikes again - the model of Linda has nothing to do with the GEM kit, as it was completely scratch-built before the GEM kit was produced.

[rue_d_etropal]

Wargaming probably owes more to military figure collecting than modelling. look for 1/32 scale figures and you will find them listed as 54mm figures. 

Thing about people is that they come in all sorts of sizes, and the 28mm is only really a rough guide. It just opens up another avenue to try and find accessories, and one reason I opted for 1/55 instead of 1/64(S scale) for my project, the other reason being that the loco was too small to fit the chassis and I found the increased size gave me so many new options. Siku off 1/55 scale vehicle(including modern tram) and Norev do quite a range(mostly modern, but some old French ones)  vehicles in 1/54 which is close enough. Lledo(now Corgi) do a Citroen and another French van in very near 1/55 scale. I had thought they were 1/64 then measured wheelbases . I think some of the other older Lledo models(and figures) might be suitable. As 1/64 is one scale that is marketed by diecast vehicle manufacturers, there might be other ones which are are very close. Some cheap railway coaches offered as tos, sometimes with a loco, loook about right size.

As a mathematician there is something about having the scale 1/55 matching up to the Greenley term 5.5mm/ft. Sounds like it could have almost been designed that way! I suppose we could try and market the scale as the only perfectly balanced one, but it would probably go over the heads of many people in the hobby, some of whom thing N gauge and OO9 are the same!

Edited April 29, 2016 by rue_d_etropal

[detheridge]

David strikes again - the model of Linda has nothing to do with the GEM kit, as it was completely scratch-built before the GEM kit was produced.

Whoops! I stand corrected.. :-)

[rue_d_etropal]

I am working on a new loco design, based loosely on the Chinese C2 080 , I say loosely because there were so many variations(might even be possible to do European version as well), and they were not treated that well, so if it is not battered it is not authentic(unless you want a nice preserved museum one). As with other designs, I start with 1/35 then rescale the models.  I think Berliner Bahn or similar chassis might fit, or possibly tender driven. Possibly more accessories available thanks to the wargamers.

[rue_d_etropal]

keep finding new sources for buildings and road vehicles, or more likely I had forgotten, then I remember . Anyway, for rustic buildings(Wales?) the buildings produced by Pocket Bond, now under Bachmann umbrella, and Bolt Action do some nice WW2 era utility Bedford lorries. 28mm is often referred to as 1/56, but that is close enough.

 

http://www.pocketbond.co.uk/Product.aspx?ID=1981

 

Some of their military things like Pill boxes might also be suitable

http://www.pocketbond.co.uk/Product.aspx?ID=1958 

 

Granted many can and do make their own buildings, but these r2p ones might be a way to tempt new people in, possibly wargamers. When I get the chance I will start building up a list of suppliers/manufactures. There are a lot out there, and they don't seem to network as wll as railway modellers.

 

http://www.warlordgames.com/new-bedford-30cwt-trucks/ 

I have seen a picture of one with glazed windows, so assume they can be modified.

Edited May 1, 2016 by rue_d_etropal

[Dava]

Is real live moss more realistic than synthetics for modelling wild undergrowth? Compare the layouts above & decide. I've used lots of moss over the years, inspired by Malcolm Savage, but Fatthew Valley is something else.

 

Dava

[detheridge]

Is real live moss more realistic than synthetics for modelling wild undergrowth? Compare the layouts above & decide. I've used lots of moss over the years, inspired by Malcolm Savage, but Fatthew Valley is something else.

 

Dava

Further details are here (plus much more in the whole thread):

http://ngrm-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6184-55mm-fathew-railway-layout/page-4

[pete_mcfarlane]

Here are some more pics of Malcolm Savage's Llugwy Valley taken in 2015.

I remember reading his articles in the RM about 30 years ago. The model of the Penrhyn's Charles is particularly good - am I right in thinking the locos are made out of plasticard?

[rue_d_etropal]

I have started to search out various suppliers for 28mm wargaming. There are a lot of laser cut kits, which look very good. List is on Facebook, but I can post it here as well if required, as not everyone uses Facebook(similarly I don't use NGRM forum as I don't want to join any forum where you have to be a member).

5.5mm/ft has probably never had it so good, but must make best use of what is available from wargaming suppliers. Scratchbuilding might be popular for some, but having kits available can persuade some to have a go.

[detheridge]

I remember reading his articles in the RM about 30 years ago. The model of the Penrhyn's Charles is particularly good - am I right in thinking the locos are made out of plasticard?

Yes - and if memory serves, he used hypodermic syringe bodies for boilers. :-)

[pete_mcfarlane]

Yes - and if memory serves, he used hypodermic syringe bodies for boilers. :-)

In which case some of these must be 30-40 years old, so there's no problem with the long term stability of plasticard locos. 

[detheridge]

In which case some of these must be 30-40 years old, so there's no problem with the long term stability of plasticard locos. 

Absolutely. In fact many 009 locos built in plasticard 30+ years ago are going strong, let alone 5.5mm ones. I now have in my collection some locos built in 5.5mm by FR supremo Andy Savage that date from the late 60s/early 70s. After 40 years in storage, they're a little fragile, but lend themselves to easy restoration.

For that matter, I once saw a W&L loco at an 009 area meeting that had been made from card, and very strong it was. in fact if I hadn't been told that it was card I would have guessed brass. Shellac is a wonderful thing!

[rue_d_etropal]

plastic is ok as long as it is stored properly. If in sunlight a lot the UV will have an effect. Also possibly depends on glues and paint used. I have found that sometimes too much glue(liquid) ill continue to react with plastic so can do damage, but usually noticed very quickly, so anything that has survived 30-40 years will probably last a lot longer.

Card, yet, and I find it even better now with cheap superglue, as it sticks to 3D printed WSF plastic very well. Will have to wait a few years to see long term effects though.