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S7 scratch building


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On 26/03/2019 at 14:48, airnimal said:

Tricky,  thanks for the vote of confidence in my ability, I wish I had as much in myself as you do. 

Laying out a couple of templates on the floor along side a rule gives a clue on how little room I have for a S7 layout. A B10 turnout is 24" long with a B7 at 21". So I think B7 is going to be the largest size I am going to use. Laying out my chopper tank and 6 wagons on the floor  works out at 38". 

Some people have the vision of what they want from a railway but I have never been blessed with that skill.

 

 

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Mike,

 

I too swithered over track layouts and the real size of points and crossings.  The almost universal use of Peco track and points, which has a passing resemblance to real track but in no way is it an accurate replica,  does give a distorted idea of space requirements.  It is only when you look at a scale drawing of an actual point that you see just how much space the real railway requires.  However in modelling we have to make some compromises and unfortunately length is where we have to make the most!

 

When I built Auchlin I used B6’s for the main line and a variety of A switches on the sidings and pit tracks.  Most of the points were curved into Ys which saved space and saved the odd inch here and there. That allowed me to get a passing loop in a through single line station and sidings, which could hold 10 wagons, all into 15 feet.  The smaller pre group stock we favour looks just fine on the shorter switches and you will find that visiting stock from a later period will run through ok.  My Horwich Mogul could access the sidings over the A switches but the Duchess could only run on the main line B6’s!  In the real world a Duchess would be on dead slow over a B6!

 

Ian.

 

 

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    Tricky, if you are wanting to model a standard LNWR wagon then any from Dia 1, 2, or  4 would be perfect.       

  • They all share the same headstock shape which is why I made a jig to to ease construction of my models. 

  • I dont really think you need a blow by blow account on how to build any of these wagons with your level of skills having seen the quality of models on Midlands in Bristol. I would recommend Vol 1 of LNWR wagons which is brilliant with lots of drawings and photographs. 

  • Ian, as you say  it is not easy for S7 modellers especially with the lack of space in modern houses. 

  • I have laid out on the floor in my workshop a B6 template next to both B7 and B8 types and i think the deference between them is worth making a B7 the minimum for visual reasons. You only save a couple of inches between a B6 and a B7.

  • Another problem is both my wife and I would both like to move house. We have lived in this house for 35 years and before we spends lots of money renewing things we have to find a house that fits both our needs in a area we both like.  And then there is the cost. My wife wants lots of bedrooms for our grandchildren and I want a bigger workshop. Who do you think will win !

 

 

     

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

You wouldn't after you had dropped some fine crafted and tiny part into the pile of the carpet - never to be found again.

Been there, done that, many a time and oft! :huh: To be fair, I usually find them eventually, but that is long after I've fabricated a replacement. All the etched kits I design, whether purely as one-offs or for others, have as many multiples of small parts as I can fit in. 

 

Jim 

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Well it looks like we are staying put and not moving house so I have been stripping wallpaper and preparing to decorate. We also had grandchildren to stay for the last week so very little modelling time.

i did a small amount on one of my many unfinished wagons putting on the small rivets on the corner plates. There is still lots more to do but it's a start after a couple of weeks off.

i still have not drawn up a track plan for my proposed layout, but I will have to get going soon so we can get the baseboards made while the weather is kind to us as my friend Peter's woodworking machines has to be taken outside his workshop to be used. He has so kit that he has to wheel most outside to use hence the need for good weather.

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Very nice detailing. Why the caps on the top of the dumb buffers? I thought dumb buffers were usually just the 11" x 4.5" solebar timber with a block of 11" x 6.5" timber to give the full width, and all bound around at the outside end with a hoop of iron to stop the wood splitting, as well as the through bolts and L-shaped iron bracket you've modelled. With 6'1" between the inside faces of the solebars, 11" square buffers would be at 5' 9" centres, close enough to the RCH standard 5' 8.5" centres for sprung buffers. Maybe your prototype has these caps for some reason?

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Compoud2632,

i dont know the answer to your question I just follow as close as possible the drawings and photo's at my disposal. 

I try to model with what we have available of prototypes built over 140 years ago and at best, we will never get 100% accuracy. 

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If you repeated hammer a piece of wood (Knocking a fence post into hard earth for example) there is a tendency for bits split at the edge - I wonder if the top plate is deliberately there as a sacrificial piece.

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I have attempted to simulate the iron hoops on the dumb buffers after all this intrest. I did think of putting on hoops made from 5 thou plastic strip on but the drawing looks like the hoops are flush.  So I scribed them on with my Olfa cutter, not to sure wether it looks right or not. 

It is very  easy to take close up images when the wagon is in the unpainted state. 

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I have finished the bodywork on the latest loco coal wagon. 

I must get back to trying to design a small layout but domestic means modelling may have to take a back seat for a while.

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I have not done anything about the design of the layout but I have started another wagon this time a L&Y single plank steel under frame open. I made one of these before in finescale many years ago. 

The basic under frame is is complete but without any details applied. I am quite pleased with the result although one of the solebars has got a slight curve along its length.

i have taken the details from Vol 1 L&Y wagons page 106/7. I have both buffers and axleboxes in stock but not the small brake shoes which are such a feature of these wagons.

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O dear ! I have made a start on the simple body and forgot to check against the drawing before glueing everything together. The sides are to high. My better half said just file the top of the planks down but then the lines would be in the wrong place. 

I have now removed the body and will make new ones. 

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It was only 1mm to high on the body sides but I couldn't live that error. It has only taken a couple of hours work to make new sides and ends but I think it does look better for replacing them. 

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L&Y 1 plank open part 3.

I managed to get the height on the body right but got the plank line in the wrong place. 

So I removed the body and made it again. Before I replace the angle irons on the end I will go over this with a fine tooth comb to make sure I finally got it right.

The Easter bunny brought me a new grandson today so perhaps things will now go right on the modelling front.

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Edited by airnimal
Bad spelling
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Signal man Rich, 

Thank your kind comments regarding the new arrival. I hope in time to have him in the workshop with tools in hand teaching him how cut metal and solder the same as I have with the first grandson. The second grandson is only 18 months old but always wants to go into the workshop to see grandad trains. This latest grandson may be a bit more of a problem as he is in Australia.

 

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