Tenterden Town Goods - Re-opened as a Halt down the line

[The Bigbee Line]

Here the solebar subframe has been attached with 2 very small self tappers.  One axle has a little slop, so the hole at that end will get slotted to allow the slack to be taken up:

 

 

Here with some RCH whitemetal buffers

 

 

Just couplings, door stops, a V hanger and brake handle.....

[N15class]

That looks a lot better than it did.

[The Bigbee Line]

Now on its wheels it is shown next to a Dapol 7 plank.  The 3H version is a bit smaller all round.  I've not read the reports on the Dapol model but know there was some critism.  Comments please

 

[theplasticbrummy]

Morning Ernie.

 

The 3H wagon has come on a treat.  The detachable/adjustable solebar is a good idea and I might give it a go.  I've got a Slaters 7plank wagon kit that is half built (It was given to me by one of our old club members when I was about 13, the idea being to get me into 7mm modelling!) and currently resembles how your 3H kit was before you started the rebuild - I'm a bit better at building kits now, but not by much.  I dug the kit out on Friday after reading this thread, so yeah, cheers for that!  I've just got to buy a pair of axles and some buffers and then decide on which couplings to fit.  I think it will be destined for use as an internal user wagon as I believe the new joint layout project at the Ivanhoe may be a wagon works of sorts so a decision will have to be made on couplings, most likely Dinghams. - We shall see.

 

How is the layout coming on now?

 

Cheers, Andy.

Edited August 27, 2017 by theplasticbrummy

[The Bigbee Line]

Morning Ernie.

 

The 3H wagon has come on a treat.  The detachable/adjustable solebar is a good idea and I might give it a go.  I've got a Slaters 7plank wagon kit that is half built (It was given to me by one of our old club members when I was about 13, the idea being to get me into 7mm modelling!) and currently resembles how your 3H kit was before you started the rebuild - I'm a bit better at building kits now, but not by much.  I dug the kit out on Friday after reading this thread, so yeah, cheers for that!  I've just got to buy a pair of axles and some buffers and then decide on which couplings to fit.  I think it will be destined for use as an internal user wagon as I believe the new joint layout project at the Ivanhoe may be a wagon works of sorts so a decision will have to be made on couplings, most likely Dinghams. - We shall see.

 

How is the layout coming on now?

 

Cheers, Andy.

Andy

 

The layout has been found a place to live in the workshop.  I have given the stock side of things the lions share of my attention for the last few weeks.  I thinks that is because I am finding the O gauge experience quite rewarding.  The bigger bulk of things means that you can get stuck in and have a go without worrying too much about its fragility..

 

I need to make the wiring more permanent.  The existing is cheat wiring as most was soldered to peco fishplates, in case I changed my mind....  It's now 'tablets of stone' so the wiring can be firmed up.  Just need a bit of tag strip to terminate all the wires...  I'd also like to wire the frog juicers to a three pin plug of some kind.  They can then be used on any layout just plugged in on a modular basis..

 

So look out for the next instalment.  Thanks for the encouragement

 

Best regards

 

Ernie

Edited August 27, 2017 by The Bigbee Line

[The Bigbee Line]

The latest instalment was a long time coming.  The layout got buried during a monster sort out. I must not use it as a storage shelf, unless I use it to store wagons getting the 'wagon shop' treatment. 

I have a facia with an LED strip of lights, so that could be installed, hanging from the shelf above.  I can then light the layout and have a home for the facia.  I have to do a little work underneath the board and while that is being done I'll drop the brackets to give another few inches headroom and put a sheet of thin ply or hardboard behind to back the scene...

 

 

 

[The Bigbee Line]

3-Link Couplings

 

 

Tonight I was determined to find some copper wire with strands as near as scale I could find.  A search revealed some at 0.86mm, I had scaled the links at 0.9mm so that would do.  I had a length to aim at and the shank of a jig saw blade was spot on...  I just rounded off the square corners.

 

Here are some links wound and partially cut through..

 

 

The first one of the night was assembled with a Slaters (I think) soft iron link at the end.  Here as soldered...

 

 

Here after a little fettling....

 

 

I added it to a Parkside Slope Sided Mineral.  Not too bad..

 

 

This is one of my useful modelling aids.  I find 'close work' more like 'guess work' without such an aid...

 

 

This is the wire wound on the former.  I can get 6 links at a sitting...

 

 

Cutting them off one at a time with a craft knife..  I discovered that it's best to start at one side and work the cuts across.  That way you end up with a small gap between the ends of the link.  It's easier to form to the final shape and solder than when close up.

 

 

Here I'm half way through the cutting.  A heavy duty blade is best with a slight wiggle as the press down.

 

 

A batch of 6 lined up ready for soldering.

 

 

This link has been lined up on the former.  The gap shown seems ideal for soldering.  I hold the link in some pliers on the side opposite the join, brush a little Bakers Fluid in the join, the apply the iron with a medium blob of solder on the end.  Hold steady against the joint, at first nothing happens, then the liquid fizzes, then the solder flows into the joint, slide the iron away, job done.

 

 

This is a view showing how the link is formed.  You can actually squeeze the link 'flat' against the former with pliers.

 

 

Here is a link after soldering, ready to be fettled with a file.  I found it better to file along the link rather than across to take off most of the surplus.  Finishing off with an action like you were filing your nails..

 

 

A not too focused shot of a fettled coupling.

 

 

The links are then washed, dried and put in a jar with some coarse sand.  Some vigorous shaking seems to smooth the surface a little, might be my imagination....

 

 

This is the finished product..  I use the best of the 2 copper links as the middle link, that one in most visible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sir douglas]

i made myself a brass former and use paperclip wire

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/91456-sirdouglas-o-gauge/?p=2811086

[The Bigbee Line]

i made myself a brass former and use paperclip wire

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/91456-sirdouglas-o-gauge/?p=2811086

Thanks. I will look for some paper clips of 0.9mm. Where did you get yours?

[sir douglas]

i dont know what dia' the wire is though, the pack of paperclips were from wilko

[The Bigbee Line]

Having resurrected the use of cardboard with my LSWR van.  Plus discovering that I can easily print drawings into 7mm and the stick to card, I have re-visited the station building requirement as the John Scott-Morgan book 'Railways of Arcadia' has some reasonable plans plus I have a lot of detail pictures of my own. 
I struggled to find suitable scale corrugated iron.  However a trip to Carlisle with it's obligatory visit to the local model shop saw me browsing the Wills Scenic sheets.  Hmmmm the corrugated asbestos looked promising, so a pack was purchased (I'm sure there is one at home for another project...).  It actually scales out quite well..

 

I have plenty of pictures of Northiam for the detail https://www.flickr.com/photos/55938574@N03/albums/72157648270737494/with/16424923652/

 

I didn't realise that Bodiam has a smaller building than Northiam, funny how you think they all look the same...

 

 

A general view of Northiam:

 

 

The front of the station building with the canopy:

 

 

Typical detail showing the wood, corrugated and footings interface..

 

 

A visit to Bodiam will be planned for the annual Lydd trip.

 

[81A Oldoak]

The Wills corrugated asbestos sheets do make a reasonable representation of wriggly tin in 7mm scale. The engine shed on my Cwm Bach layout is corrugated iron and I used Slater's embossed plasticard. I am pleased with the effect.

 

Regards,

 

CK

 

[Tove]

I don`t how 'reasonable' the drawings are you have,but the Colonel Stephens society can supply you with some;

 

http://colonelstephenssociety.co.uk/colonel%20stephens%20society%20drawings%20service-35/index.html

(#124 - #125 half way down page)

 

Brian.

[The Bigbee Line]

I don`t how 'reasonable' the drawings are you have,but the Colonel Stephens society can supply you with some;

 

http://colonelstephenssociety.co.uk/colonel%20stephens%20society%20drawings%20service-35/index.html

(#124 - #125 half way down page)

 

Brian.

Brian

 

Thanks. The drawings are the same, but the website has additional drawings of rolling stock.

 

Thanks

 

Ernie

[The Bigbee Line]

The O gauge empire is expanding, due to my self imposed rationalisation of my OO and N gauge stock...  A casualty is the circular rendition of the line in North Cornwall.  The boards being reused for O gauge.

 

 

Fortuitously the boards take 2 sections of the O gauge Peco setrack

 

 

 

Next a few more boards and some scenery..

[The Bigbee Line]

After a scorching day I had a couple of hours getting the track pinned down and the filler sections of rail cut on two of my curved boards.  The next stage is to solder the feed wires to the filler sections, killing two birds with one stone.

 

Here are the first 2 boards sitting on some Screwfix trestles.  I've used three part built Tri-ang Big Train conversions to see how the curve looks.

 

 

The nearest wagon represents a 10' wheelbase vacuum braked minfit conversion.  The buffers at this end have been replaced with sprung buffers from Parkside.  I think the buffer faces need to be flattened a bit with a file.

 

 

The coupling between two wagons doesn't seem too bad, considering the tightness of the curve..

 

 

The other end of the rake has an unfitted version.  In this case the body has been shortened, a new door fabricated and given some height added.  Sitting on a replacement underframe.

 

 

The feed wires will be added when the filler rails are soldered into position.

 

[Jerry1975]

I really like the look of this, I'm going to try 3 links myself in the near future, looking forward to more.

 

Jerry.

[The Bigbee Line]

We went to the Household Cavalry Open Day at Bodney Camp today.  Great day, plus I was able to photograph a Nissen Hut of the type that are adjacent to the sidings at Tenterden.

 

 

 

A test tidy up..

 

 

Then 3 test copies stood in a row.

 

 

The hut was 35'3" across the width at floor level.  I need to make a better version and print on photo paper

[Simond]

Ernie,

 

If you haven’t seen it, have a look at Chris Klein’s “Tonfanau” thread. Might be helpful with your huts.

 

Best

Simon

[The Bigbee Line]

Ernie,

 

If you haven’t seen it, have a look at Chris Klein’s “Tonfanau” thread. Might be helpful with your huts.

 

Best

Simon

Simon,

 

Thanks for the tip.  Nice huts, I can remember similar ones in the park near where I lived as a child.  It had been used by the military in preparation for the Dieppe Raid, then later for D Day.  Regarding the Dieppe Raid, the Canadians were billeted near where my Mum and Dad lived.  The Canadians did some repairs on his motorbike, he said they were al friendly, great guys, then they were gone........ Very sad.

 

Anyway, the ones I need to model are the 'monster version' used as stores rather than accommodation,

 

Thanks again, the thought is appreciated,

[81A Oldoak]

Ernie,

Here is a link to Tonfanau Camp as suggested by Simon. Post 499 shows a finished nissen hut. If you scroll back you can read the full story. In earlier pages you can see I how built the low relief nissen huts. 

 

Regards,

 

CK

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/111369-tonfanau-camp-it-aint-half-wet-mum/page-20?hl=+tonfanau%20+camp

[The Bigbee Line]

Ernie,

Here is a link to Tonfanau Camp as suggested by Simon. Post 499 shows a finished nissen hut. If you scroll back you can read the full story. In earlier pages you can see I how built the low relief nissen huts. 

 

Regards,

 

CK

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/111369-tonfanau-camp-it-aint-half-wet-mum/page-20?hl=+tonfanau%20+camp

Chris,

 

Nice modelling, I need to do the same for the bigger versions.  I have visited the Buzz Models facebook page, they have some handy looking stuff.  Looking forward to their new website. 

 

Thanks

 

Ernie

[The Bigbee Line]

At the weekend I had cut out some cardboard contours and stuck them on one side of the embankment.  Some card and 2 layers of kitchen roll fixed with PVA. 

 

It has dried well, so tonight I cut out some card for the cess.  It will get trimmed and stuck down tomorrow night...

 

 

 

[Andy137]

By the 8th July track was down and test running using the switching units for the frogs

Hi,

   Just found your post from a link you posted re Gaugemaster frog juicers, quick question if I may, have you mounted the actual juicers adjacent to the actual point under the baseboard or mounted them say in a cluster near to any control panel?

Thanks,

Andy

[The Bigbee Line]

Hi,

Just found your post from a link you posted re Gaugemaster frog juicers, quick question if I may, have you mounted the actual juicers adjacent to the actual point under the baseboard or mounted them say in a cluster near to any control panel?

Thanks,

Andy

I mounted them adjacent to the turnouts. I would like to use a three pin plug to let them serve different layouts.