Deliberately Old-Fashioned 0 Scale - Chapter 1

[sncf231e]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

One for Fred VdeL, who I think visits here occasionally.

 

Read your interesting article about Pullman models/toys and their names in the TCS journal last night, and noticed that you didn’t have a Mills example to hand.

 

 

 

Thank you for your kind words.

 

Even before I received my copy of the Journal (which took some time to cross the Channel) I received via another Dutch contact pictures of 2 Millbro Pullman cars from Peter W (known for his book on Stronlite). I assume I am allowed to post these here:

 

Princess Helen was also a Southern Belle car and should have 12 wheels.

 

Regards

Fred

 

 

[Nearholmer]

I've given away the book that would have told me, so I'm not sure whether the real 'Bessborough' was a brake coach as per Peter's model, or a full open coach as per mine ........ the perils of transfers!

 

These models are truly magnificent, being all hard-wood, with compensated brass bogies, and turned-steel wheel-sets, so very heavy. They are like rail-borne pieces of furniture and they glide along super-smoothly, a superb evocation of the real thing in a way that tin or plastic never could be. But, to do train of them justice would need a huge layout, probably round a garden in the old style, and a mighty powerful loco.

 

Further reading, with nice picture  https://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/southern_belle.html

Edited October 1, 2020 by Nearholmer

[Keith Addenbrooke]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I've given away the book that would have told me, so I'm not sure whether the real 'Bessborough' was a brake coach as per Peter's model, or a full open coach as per mine ........ the perils of transfers!

 

These models are truly magnificent, being all hard-wood, with compensated brass bogies, and turned-steel wheel-sets, so very heavy. They are like rail-borne pieces of furniture and they glide along super-smoothly, a superb evocation of the real thing in a way that tin or plastic never could be. But, to do train of them justice would need a huge layout, probably round a garden in the old style, and a mighty powerful loco.

 

Further reading, with nice picture  https://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/southern_belle.html

According to lbscr.org  Bessborough was a 12 wheeled saloon (no expertise claimed, just on a coffee break).

[sncf231e]

Regards

Fred

[Florence Locomotive Works]

15 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I've given away the book that would have told me, so I'm not sure whether the real 'Bessborough' was a brake coach as per Peter's model, or a full open coach as per mine ........ the perils of transfers!

 

These models are truly magnificent, being all hard-wood, with compensated brass bogies, and turned-steel wheel-sets, so very heavy. They are like rail-borne pieces of furniture and they glide along super-smoothly, a superb evocation of the real thing in a way that tin or plastic never could be. But, to do train of them justice would need a huge layout, probably round a garden in the old style, and a mighty powerful loco.

 

Further reading, with nice picture  https://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/southern_belle.html

A few months back there was a mystery O gauge wood LMS dining car in pristine condition on eBay in the USA. Now I know it was a Milbro, and I certainly regret not buying it. They wanted $169 for it, very cheap IMHO, but they also didn’t have the slightest idea as to what it was. Oh well.

[sncf231e]

I assume my new locomotive might be called Deliberately Old fashioned 0 scale:

 

A French enthousiast made a small series of these. It runs on 20V DC 3-rail.

 

Regards

Fred

[Nearholmer]

Well, I can’t imagine anyone producing something as wonderfully old-fashioned in style as that accidentally, so yes, it is very welcome indeed here.

 

Is the mechanism fully old-style, with a wound-field motor, or is it a modern permanent-magnet motor?

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Question for all those here,

 

Is there a maker or supplier of coarse scale wagon or tender wheels without plastic centers? I ask as my Hornby tender which is paired with my BL GtV needs new wheels. As the GtV is in a clock repair shop for the next 3 months I have been improving the tender slightly, to make up for the lack of running.

 

 

Douglas

[Metropolitan H]

Fred - That is rather grand, I assume you already have a train of suitable (age related) CIWL vehicles for the "Wind-cutter" to haul? I will look forward to the video - when the weather is a bit less wet and windy, it would be a sin to spoil such a charming locomotive.

 

Regards

Chris H

[mervyn]

9 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Question for all those here,

 

Is there a maker or supplier of coarse scale wagon or tender wheels without plastic centers? I ask as my Hornby tender which is paired with my BL GtV needs new wheels. As the GtV is in a clock repair shop for the next 3 months I have been improving the tender slightly, to make up for the lack of running.

 

 

Douglas

You could try Model Railway Parts ( Peartree Engineering) they advertise in the GOG Gazette

[Metropolitan H]

2 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Question for all those here,

 

Is there a maker or supplier of coarse scale wagon or tender wheels without plastic centers? I ask as my Hornby tender which is paired with my BL GtV needs new wheels. As the GtV is in a clock repair shop for the next 3 months I have been improving the tender slightly, to make up for the lack of running.

 

 

Douglas

Douglas,

 

You could try Walsall Model Industries - https://www.walsallmodelindustries.co.uk/index.php/0_gauge-gauge_0_bogie-tender/?k=2111:3::

Just remember to specify "Extra Coarse scale" or give details of the wheel profile and flange "Face to Back" and / or "Back to Back" dimensions with flange depth and root radius etc.

 

An alternative could be to look in the ETS Catalogue on their website - see https://www.ets-trains.com/en/spare-parts/

 

Regards

Chris H

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Is there anything wrong with the wheels already under the tender? I ask, because it is a pretty good, and pretty early, Hornby tender, and it would be a pity to "improve" it if it is sound.

 

The Peartree wheels are very good, but if you do decide to pursue that course, check forst on axle length ......... I've got some, and a badly deteriorated tender of that kind awaiting attention somewhere, and will check for you, if I can find them.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

35 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Is there anything wrong with the wheels already under the tender? I ask, because it is a pretty good, and pretty early, Hornby tender, and it would be a pity to "improve" it if it is sound.

Unfortunate only two of the wheel sets are original, and are quite badly corroded with rust. The other has been rather poorly turned from a price of steel, and squeaks horribly, as do the others.

[LNWR18901910]

Three was an E-Bay listing for a Bing O Gauge clockwork LNWR George the Fifth 4-4-0 complete with tender only for £225 and I was considering buying it but I was thinking about cost and where to display it.

[Nearholmer]

Scour the ebay listings, sales tables etc, join the HRCA, and find a new set of old Hornby wheels?

[sncf231e]

4 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

 

Is the mechanism fully old-style, with a wound-field motor, or is it a modern permanent-magnet motor?

It is a modern permanent magnet (Johnson) motor. And some parts are 3D printed.

 

Chris, I think I might run it with Swiss Darstaed cars, but I have not yet compared sizes. Anyway a video will be made.

 

Regards

Fred

[Florence Locomotive Works]

I’m also considering adding this rather nice front bogie, as the wheels on the current one are suffering from some sort of erosion (not zinc pest though) , tis very strange. The new one will need a special bracket but that can be made.

Edited October 2, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[sncf231e]

On 02/10/2020 at 23:52, sncf231e said:

Chris, I think I might run it with Swiss Darstaed cars, but I have not yet compared sizes. Anyway a video will be made.

 

I thought the AS CIWL coaches looked good with the Coupe Vent (same time period), so here is the video:

 

Regards

Fred

[Nearholmer]

A bit of light repair this morning.

 

I’ve long coveted an original BL milk tanker from the 1930s and recently acquired one through one of the estate sales that the Chairman of the BL Society conducts. Overall as good a condition as I will ever be able to afford, so very happy to become custodian until the next chap.

 

Then, disaster struck! When I put it gently on the track, and gently pushed it along, there was a barely audible ‘click’, and one of the W-irons snapped clean off. 
 

Close examination revealed that an earlier repair, solder over a crack and a tiny replacement piece, had failed.

After a month of cogitation, I decided to fix it using ‘splints’ of copper wire, soldered to the W-iron and the underside of the wagon. All very nerve-racking, because the last thing I wanted to do was damage things further with heat etc.
 

It worked!  Next time, and looking at one of the other W-irons (see ringed items below) there will be a next time, I will try to get a better finish on the soldering to the underside by using a bigger iron, because the heat was being wicked away, but it is a good strong fix.

 

 

Here it is with a modern near-repro made by ETS. They use slightly gross castings in place of the fragile tin pressings, which I doubt anyone would know how to ‘tool up’ for nowadays anyway. I still think the original is better!
 

I wonder how many custodians it’s had so far? My guess is that I’m probably the third or fourth.

[rockershovel]

Is anyone using a rolling road? If so, what are you using? I’ve been experimenting with rolling roads for my US locos, without much success. The wheel profiles seem to vary considerably and the newer ones, with big heavy die-cast bodies fitted with traction tyres seem to be particularly troublesome. Clearance between the front bogies and centre rail seems to be a problem, too - I bought a Proses unit which has been the best so far, but not a complete success by any means. 

[sidmouth]

That BL milk tanker is a thing of beauty , many thanks for sharing  

[Nearholmer]

It’s a very accurate model By the standards of the day too.
 

 

Hornby made one too, and that is also very good, but ever-so-slightly more toy-like.

[sncf231e]

1 hour ago, rockershovel said:

Is anyone using a rolling road? If so, what are you using? 

I have for 2-rail and 3-rail 0 gauge (and for 3.25 Inch, which he specially made) one from Weloe: https://rollenpruefstand-shop.de/en/roller-test-benches/roller-test-bench.html

Regards

Fred

[rockershovel]

47 minutes ago, sncf231e said:

I have for 2-rail and 3-rail 0 gauge (and for 3.25 Inch, which he specially made) one from Weloe: https://rollenpruefstand-shop.de/en/roller-test-benches/roller-test-bench.html

Regards

Fred

 

That looks rather good. How do you find Lionel 3-rail locos perform on it? There seem to be two issues - wheel profile, and security of the rollers with large locos. The price looks reasonable, too. 

[Donw]

I have two rolling roads one is for 2 rail 0 gauge locos only. The other is adjustable to 0 or 1 gauge for steam locos  or clockwork no insulation between the rails. Neither sound much help to you.

 

Don