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Wantage Road 1880 4mm Broad Gauge


Charlie586
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I've woken up at 5 a few times this week, so got cracking on a few bits.

 

20190221_073135.jpg.da759274bcc1ff7d411823180cc5f95a.jpg

 

The first sash window finished with slideable sash. Still maybe a bit chunky but it didn't take quite as long as it seemed it would so I've marked out for 5 others anyway. At first I really only need 6 large, 2 small (for the second floor), 1 very small (possibly not a sash) and 2 combined ones for the end (middle sash with outer windows - not sure if outer's are sash as well, I'm hoping not)

 

post-28891-0-60364600-1513028237.jpg

 

 

The other thing I've done is make a start on a luggage / brake van. Although later than the 1880ish I want to do, I have a bit of a thing for wanting to model one of the last broad gauge trains. Problem with that is, there's a bit of disagreement and confusion in photos over what was the last train and whether the pictures purporting to be a last train actually were. The BGS have a lot of posts about it on their email group and I've tried to research this and other tomes and pictures at least twice and gone round in circles more than once. However, the Awdry book has a few photos of about the right time that I'm looking at doing. One of which is at Uffington cutting heading west so it definitely would have thundered through Wantage road. It's labelled the last Broad gauge train to Penzance but I wouldn't bet the farm on that. I haven't posted the pic as don't have the copyright  but it's here

 

 http://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/4382

 

So (put simply) a rover class, some luggage van K1 or K2, 4 wide bodied carriages (of which the last and possibly the third look to have different window positions to the others), another K? and a smaller wide bodied carriage (slip?).

 

Starting for now with the luggage van, the BGS doesn't have stock at the moment, so I've made a start on scratching one.

 

20190221_073103.jpg.81e7454fc65508d992571d0cb4caa454.jpg

 

The panelling will be the tricky part. I'm seriously considering fretting it out in thin brass or nickel, attaching and making copies of it with a mould. The other alternative is plasticard strips as per Gobbler's (and others) great thread(s) on here. Getting the corners correct will be the tricky and time consuming part. Third way is to sell a few unused/wrong date/area bits and buy a silhouette to do the overlay. Considering I'll have to do something similar for the carriages, the third option seems the way. I think it has come to that point where I need to start selling bits. I think I've got at an LBSCR and Midland engine somewhere, they would be first to go.

 

One other thing, a wider 10ft 3/4 inch version existed (matching the wide carriages). I can't find an online pic of this , but the sides (and therefore silhouette artwork) would be the same. I'm going to start keeping a note of things I find to stop my so called research going round in circles.

 

I'll hopefully lay some track at the weekend.

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27 minutes ago, calvin Streeting said:

nice :) makeing sashs is time consuming.. but worth it :)

 

not sure if outer's are sash as well, <-- bad news is the photo shows a distinct shadow on mid bar, and with that larger vertical divide (for the balance wieghts) i fear they will be :) sorry 

Thanks Calvin

Yes I think you're right, they are sash. I'll double check in the tramway books as I think there's a better quality photo in one of them. Just noticed that I think the smaller, top window's outer part is a single pane as opposed to 2 in the lower one. That should slightly help.

Charlie

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1 hour ago, Charlie586 said:

I've woken up at 5 a few times this week, so got cracking on a few bits.

 

Me too, it can be a very peaceful and productive time I find. 

 

Sounds like the Silhouette would be useful for you. Apart from coaches it would also help you with things like sash windows. Although of course it's not quite the same pleasure and feat as cutting them yourself.

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15 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

 

Me too, it can be a very peaceful and productive time I find. 

 

Sounds like the Silhouette would be useful for you. Apart from coaches it would also help you with things like sash windows. Although of course it's not quite the same pleasure and feat as cutting them yourself.

 

I seem to need less sleep than most, certainly less than Mrs 586. It is peaceful, with a strong cup of coffee, the dog snoring and the radio on quietly, I can get a good deal done. If I get too involved though I tend to end up late for work!

 

I think I have reached the point where a silhouette would be more than helpful. Designing CAD stuff has never really got in the way of physical modelling, as I only do it some evenings when there's nothing good on telly. I'll still do the windows by hand, it would be rude not to now I've started.

Edited by Charlie586
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1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

 

Me too, it can be a very peaceful and productive time I find. 

 

Sounds like the Silhouette would be useful for you. Apart from coaches it would also help you with things like sash windows. Although of course it's not quite the same pleasure and feat as cutting them yourself.

 

Sorry to hijack the thread Charlie - Mikkel, I love your Farthing Layout blogs, I keep following them so keep up the good work!  Can I ask what type of silhouette cutter you have?  I am thinking there are a few uses where one might be handy, so would like to read up a bit more on them.  I keep thinking of a laser cutter in the garage, but a silhoutte might achieve most of what I want.

 

Rich

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Rich

I think most people have gone for the Cameo, but if you're doing 7mm I don't know if it will be large enough.

JCL has a good thread here  (which I'll be re reading)

 

 

Also Mike Trice has a thread in the Cad, 3d printing section that is useful. 

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1 hour ago, Charlie586 said:

Rich

I think most people have gone for the Cameo, but if you're doing 7mm I don't know if it will be large enough.

JCL has a good thread here  (which I'll be re reading)

 

 

Also Mike Trice has a thread in the Cad, 3d printing section that is useful. 

 

The Silhouette is certainly capable for use in 7mm if you plan the elements carefully, I have made many parts for buildings and rolling stock during my transition from 4mm to 7mm.

Mikkels blog in respect of making longer elements shows this to good effect by taping two cutting mats together lengthwise when he made the stable block.

A quick example below showing a 7mm GW coach I started several months ago...

 

image.jpeg.d366b0e4152f606baa427abfc8ac77e2.jpeg

 

G

 

 

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Graham

 

The paneling looks great on the carriage, really crisp. That's sold me on getting one  (not that I needed much persuasion)

 

I saw a few second hand cameos on eBay for about 80 quid, but there's no guarantee they won't break down after a week. 

Thanks 

Charlie

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43 minutes ago, Charlie586 said:

Graham

 

The paneling looks great on the carriage, really crisp. That's sold me on getting one  (not that I needed much persuasion)

 

I saw a few second hand cameos on eBay for about 80 quid, but there's no guarantee they won't break down after a week. 

Thanks 

Charlie

 

Hi Charlie,

 

I was originally going down the laser cutter route but eventually settled for the Silhouette.

 

I would advise purchasing new for obvious reasons and as a trial you can download the drawing package from the Silhouette website for free to try your hand at producing files beforehand.

 

I haven't regretted getting one.

 

Grahame

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On 21/02/2019 at 23:33, MarshLane said:

 

Sorry to hijack the thread Charlie - Mikkel, I love your Farthing Layout blogs, I keep following them so keep up the good work!  Can I ask what type of silhouette cutter you have?  I am thinking there are a few uses where one might be handy, so would like to read up a bit more on them.  I keep thinking of a laser cutter in the garage, but a silhoutte might achieve most of what I want.

 

Rich

 

 Thanks Rich,  I am using the Portrait and agree with Graham's comments above. 

 

As for drawing software, I benefitted greatly from Mike Trice's tutorial on using Inkscape. But I haven't really tried the Silhouette's own drawing software, so can't compare.  Should be easy though for you Charlie with your CAD experience.

 

Edit: Just came back to this page and found I had written Cameo - but what I have is a Portrait. Sorry, corrected now.

Edited by Mikkel
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Thanks Mikkel

 

I've been re reading Mike and JCL's threads the past few days, I think the smaller portrait would be enough for me. The price difference is about 100 quid as well so I think I'll go for the portrait. Cheapest one I've found so far is an amazon seller, but I'll look again later.

 

Bit more work on station booking office 

 

20190223_090702-1.jpg.a5486bc4278af73af2b0619305d3debf.jpg

 

With the door part painted the bodged panel isn't as obvious. I need another 12 or so doors so I'll use that one as an internal one.

 

20190223_090630-1.jpg.3e13f8ff4ae06f9ce15f2bcd6d9e5134.jpg

 

Fire grate for station interior has had a weak coat of black,  but needs another. I've noticed I'm getting tiny bits of plasticard dust over things that only show up in photos, I'll have to remove them.

 

Hoping to do some work on the track today, it's quite a slow job though.

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16 hours ago, Charlie586 said:

Thanks Mikkel

 

I've been re reading Mike and JCL's threads the past few days, I think the smaller portrait would be enough for me. The price difference is about 100 quid as well so I think I'll go for the portrait. Cheapest one I've found so far is an amazon seller, but I'll look again later.

 

Charlie,

Just watch a couple of things, I have been looking at these over the past couple of days - I might not have found the cheapest Portrait but I got the price difference to about £65.  BUT the Cameo3 comes with the Silhouette software, the Portrait DOESNT, if you want it you have to buy it separately.  I need to do more reading of the threads on here, as the software may not be necessary, but if it is and (for example) cost £50, id say for £15 the Cameo3 is the better option.  But I have yet to look at the software cost, just haven't had time yet - but having said that I don't know if its necessary, you may already have other software that could be used for example.

 

Rich

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Thanks Rich

You can download a free (basic) version of the silhouette studio here 

 

https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/software

 

I had a look at it friday and you can create and cut files from it. (Obviously if that's wrong please can someone correct me - there may be some things you can't do with it)

 

I use inkscape for other things and I've seen on Mike's thread you can print/cut directly from there, so that's what I was going to use. I've made a start on K1/2 sides already. 

 

Charlie 

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A bit of work on the track. i decided to use brass droppers soldered to the rail instead of wire (I have some off cuts from using tin snips) I'll probably attach to a bus type thing underneath the board.

 

 20190224_104025.jpg.7cf4e81904def95ac6ddc11c6dfbb622.jpg

 

Had a think about wiring (though it's a long way off) but not sure whether to have the separate rails for the broad and standard (narrow) wired together or separately. Having them off the same supply would be easier, but having separate/switchable would enable a standard gauge engine to run near a stationary broad gauge one, though I can't think of a reason where they would be both on the same bit of line (the Hughes tram adding a horsebox to a train that wouldn't have stopped at Wantage??  ) Could prove handy for some rule 1 playing. 

 

Anyway, because the rail is slightly flexible and I'm super gluing track to plasticard 'packing' that is glued to wood baulks then glued to the base board, I cobbled up a little jig to tray and keep it as straight as possible.

 

20190228_064938.jpg.0252cfeacb13ad1b8e8f4f058ca9b792.jpg

 

Just 3 pieces of plasticard glued together (the middle one the same width as rail and a few mm down) then held together with the squareomiser. A piece of bridge rail is resting upside down in the hole. It's a bit fiddly but has helped so far. 2 out of 3 pieces complete on the first rail, and the second lot of rails are made first then glued to gauge - I'm stealing these off the test track, so should be done for the weekend. The scale length of track and baulks should be about half of what I'm doing, but this will have to do for now.

 

Finally, after failing miserably on last year's cakebox challenge to do anything other than start a thread, I though I'd keep this attempt at 'Waiting for a train' quiet and see how far I got. I've got no chance of finishing what I wanted to do, so I'll just post a pic here and if you squint hard, you might be able to imagine what it would have looked like when finished.

 

20190226_153734.jpg.a0b3479936c400dc5bb90a7c367d4e71.jpg

 

Obviously it would have been ballasted (I was going to cut up the test track to the right length), and building finished, platform done, and I might have stretched to some proper figures. Oh well, maybe I'll have a go at the next one.

 

Start of a new month tomorrow, so once the track is finished I'll either get out Bulkeley again or just go straight for a tender chassis.

 

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I've managed 5/6 of the broad gauge track for one line (3 sections of common rail and 2 to broad gauge ), no mixed gauge yet but it gives me something nearly 2 foot to test on. I ran my test bogie over it, it rolled fine but one section is slightly higher than the others (probably only 0.1 or 0.2mm ) so may need re-glueing.

 

20190304_115830.jpg.f632ec06c3d8fa386fe2bf5ea0e4fc3f.jpg

 

Started on the tender chassis, roughly cut from the thickest brass I have (about 0.5mm). Needs a bit of tidying up with some files.

 

20190305_091921.jpg.003907bfb681d0939c38b3ea00641cca.jpg

 

I've also started on some frame spacers using offcuts but will check all motors I have first before soldering anything up. As these will be 2mm axles not 1/8th, I'm not certain if I've got any gears that will fit them, but I'll dig out everything I've got and see. I'm going to try running the axles directly in the frames, sprung with wire, except for the motorised one. 

 

I haven't completely given up on motorising the loco chassis, but I've got to build this anyway so it's worth as a back up at the very least.

 

That's it for now, more fun and games next time.

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Hi Charlie, can I ask how you cut the brass? This is something I still struggle with so I'm always trying to learn how others do it. 

 

If you're in luck there will be another cakebox competition with a topic to match this. It would be nice to see a BG entry.

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1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

Hi Charlie, can I ask how you cut the brass? This is something I still struggle with so I'm always trying to learn how others do it. 

 

If you're in luck there will be another cakebox competition with a topic to match this. It would be nice to see a BG entry.

 

Hello Mikkel

 

I sometimes use tin snips to get a rough cut near to the line then file down, but tin snips can slightly bend the brass and curl one side of the cut. My favoured way is using a piercing saw with a new blade, you can get very near the marked line, however it's slow going compared to the snips. The above was done with a piercing saw, it probably took an hour all in to mark and cut out, though was spaced over a few mornings.

 

I'm hoping I can do a cakebox one day if future topics are kind, but I don't want to spend a lot of time on something not related to the layout or that can't be included afterwards.

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Hi Charlie,

Looking good. Very impressed with the track work, looking forward to seeing a wide angle shot of it.  My BGS membership has come through now, and I note they do some trackwork sheets for S7 which I am tempted to look at getting, along with the goods vehicle data sheets.  I decided to scratch build a simple wagon to start with, then have a go at the track. a) it gives me something to test on the track and b) lets me observe what your doing first!!! :)

 

Appreciate your modelling in 4mm, but what rail are you using?

 

Rich

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8 hours ago, MarshLane said:

Hi Charlie,

Looking good. Very impressed with the track work, looking forward to seeing a wide angle shot of it.  My BGS membership has come through now, and I note they do some trackwork sheets for S7 which I am tempted to look at getting, along with the goods vehicle data sheets.  I decided to scratch build a simple wagon to start with, then have a go at the track. a) it gives me something to test on the track and b) lets me observe what your doing first!!! :)

 

Appreciate your modelling in 4mm, but what rail are you using?

 

Rich

 

Hello Rich

 

Well done for joining the BGS! 

The rails are from the society,  effectively it's normal rail with the top milled off.  I think they also do 7mm, but have not really looked at the 7mm stock list.

Most people solder the rail to copper clad pcb, but you don't get a representation of the packing and getting a ballast dip is harder which is why I went for this way. 

I'll do some more pictures tonight.

Charlie 

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3 hours ago, Charlie586 said:

 

Hello Rich

 

Well done for joining the BGS! 

The rails are from the society,  effectively it's normal rail with the top milled off.  I think they also do 7mm, but have not really looked at the 7mm stock list.

Most people solder the rail to copper clad pcb, but you don't get a representation of the packing and getting a ballast dip is harder which is why I went for this way. 

I'll do some more pictures tonight.

Charlie 

 

Thanks Charlie,

Yes that's a valid point about the ballast dip that I hadn't thought about.  Interesting!  Looking forward to seeing more pictures as and when you have time.

 

Rich

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A pic of the board with the track so far (which is probably less than 5/6 now I come to look at it again). The Rover chassis gives an idea of how much of a run it will get (if ever it does actually run, etc)

 

20190306_081952.jpg.c84bfeee1bf3230b902d23ed157b0923.jpg

 

Here's a crop of actual Wantage Road ballast dips (albeit standard gauge, taken a few years after gauge conversion while it was still baulk road). 

 

ballast.png.5f1dfa7e7cb8d1e28541247bb9deac76.png

 

Note the horse droppings in the middle as it was mostly horse shunted. I'm quite looking forward to trying to replicate the muck. 

 

20190306_092721.jpg.ea58e50664ffb0a8e30c293cec24f1a3.jpg

 

A close up of bridge rail against a piece of old Hornby track. The baulks are a bit higher than I really need but was the only size with the width I needed. I'll probably half fill in with card before ballast or else it will be a bit costly to fill 3/4 or so in. I think someone else at the Broad Gauge Society tried a similar thing using baulks instead of pcb, but they used industrial double-sided tape instead of superglue.

 

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Got out my collection of cheapo motors for the tender

 

20190306_092438.jpg.001bb347751584d46c0add1d5006925b.jpg

 

The mitsumi thing fits the available space quite well and meshes with some spare gears, but the gears need an axle of about 2.5mm and the wheels need 2mm axles and I only have 1/8 or 2mm axles so I put that to one side for now

 

This one comes with its own axles (albeit 2.5mm again)

 

20190306_092302.jpg.689fd1959000ddca4f121fee8d2ccbe0.jpg

 

However I can ream out the wheel from 2mm to 2.5mm. The casing will need a bit removing but I think it will fit, if not a big heap of coal will be needed (which there seems to be in most pics anyway)

 

I was hoping to use my new drill stand to drill out the frames, but after a test I think my cordless drill is too fast even on the lowest speed, so I got out an electric screwdriver/mini drill which is very slow but it only takes hexagonal bits and I can't find the many hex drill bits I know are lurking in either boxes or in one of the sheds, so, I went back to the old school way of clamps and pin vice

 

20190308_140819.jpg.882f70d413709c1cd0326be60dd00e9d.jpg

 

I've ordered a set of cheap hex end drill bits and they will no doubt arrive the day after I find the ones I've got.

 

The chassis is ready for soldering but forgot to take a photo of that before packing my toys away for the day. Probably won't get a chance to solder before next weekend.

 

Did a bit more to the track

 

20190310_133046.jpg.5e33cdc2b6259df8bee48064efc625c7.jpg

 

The first standard (or narrow if you prefer) baulk and rail added. This now give a third of the board as mixed, the next third broad and just a solitary track for the last third. 

 

I added a few trial transoms to check. The first two are matchsticks which others have used before ( they're about 2mm wide) and the next two are 1mm plasticard. The picture isn't the best angle to check from, but the matchsticks look too big for me.

 

If you look at my pic in previous post above,

 

and this one from I can't remember where

 

281883575_transomheight.jpg.9ff8894ca209e8fe48199718e749703f.jpg

 

and the pic here at Didcot

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didcot_Railway_Centre#/media/File:Mixed_gauge_track_Didcot.JPG

you may agree or disagree about the width.

(note in the Didcot pic there's a turnout where the standard gauge line is crossing its common rail side,  then the standard gauge line is diverging from the mixed gauge in the bottom of the picture - luckily there's no turnouts on this base board, The next board will have 2 so I'm obviously looking forward to working them out)

 

I'll probably go for 1mm for now. Hopefully I'll get a small piece transomed up and ballasted by next weekend.

Edited by Charlie586
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I don't know much about the BG but I agree that the 1mm transoms look closest.

 

Looks like the tender is coming along nicely. I admire the no nonsense approach. 

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