Wantage Road 1880 4mm Broad Gauge

[drduncan]

Actually that’s not what I meant at all - but it’s a much better solution than mine for the W irons that aren’t w shaped!

D

[Charlie586]

I'm wondering again what your solution is now. The iron is pretty hidden by the wheel, with mansells and the other board it should be hidden more.

[drduncan]

http://traders.scalefour.org/DaveBradwell/rolling-stock/spring-plates/

 

This is what I was thinking of to fit inside existing/cosmetic irons. But your idea is easier as it avoids the need to make pinpoint axles.

D

[Charlie586]

I don't know if my way will work or not yet,  plus I've only got straight track to test on.

 

Found this on the BB ones, they'll definitely come in useful 

http://www.clag.org.uk/bb-w-irons.html

 

[Brassey]

On 13 September 2019 at 19:04, Charlie586 said:

Based on current kit build rate, it will be a while before it's built, but at least there is a way to get an underframe for homemade 6 wheeler bodies. Though it would be expensive as the sides and standard gauge parts wouldn't be needed (saying that the body above would make a cracking grounded mess van).

 

The Broad Gauge Society sell these underframes separately on their website

[Charlie586]

7 hours ago, Brassey said:

 

The Broad Gauge Society sell these underframes separately on their website

 

Thanks Brassey. I'll put together the frame I've got from the kit to see how it works compared to the other way. I might buy another soon either way while it's in stock.

[Charlie586]

A little done today, and I'm sure progress will go back to its usual slow pace again now.

 

 

Superglued some bent wire to the box frame and stuck the lower board on. The outer support wire is a bit too low so I've not attached it there, I'll reposition it.

 

 

Selection of brass bits that are being cut or sawn and filed for the various underframes that need scratchbuilding (K2 van, E7 and S3 carriages) and another rover chassis frames as I've now got 4 3d bodies in various states. Most is 10 thou brass (except the chassis, about 16 or 18 thou). 10 thou is maybe too thin as it's a bit flexible. I've also got some solebars and step etches from the bgs, folding the steps are a nightmare, they're the length of the carriage, 4mm wide with 1mm of that folding. In hindsight I don't need a full underframe top as one piece, the kits don't do it that way. Hopefully I'll get some time to solder the 'rocker' underframe and some other bits next weekend.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Charlie586

[drduncan]

Did you know Dart/MJT do a 6’4” etched compensated bogie (but unfortunately not the cosmetic frames to go with it) in addition to their BG w irons?

Duncan

[Charlie586]

I didn't know that, I knew the BGS do a very expensive one. I've done a 3d printed cosmetic 6'4 frame, and scratchbuilt a few of these 

 

 

I saw it in a build article (albeit for 7mm), it's supposed to allow a certain amount of flexing from the 2 pieces of wire either side of the central piece and no normal end piece. It pushes and pulls well on my straight track, so don't know how it would cope with bends, turnouts etc.

 

In terms of bogies, I'm struggling to find the date when the 7ft were replaced by 6'4. I've seen late 1880's mentioned (1887 maybe?) but am unsure which carriages/bodies and how quickly they did it. The K2 at the front of the dump photo has a 7' bogie and that's 1892.

[ChrisN]

1 hour ago, drduncan said:

Did you know Dart/MJT do a 6’4” etched compensated bogie (but unfortunately not the cosmetic frames to go with it) in addition to their BG w irons?

Duncan

 

Duncan,

Do you have a part number as I am not able to find it on their site.  

 

Thanks.

[drduncan]

37 minutes ago, ChrisN said:

 

Duncan,

Do you have a part number as I am not able to find it on their site.  

 

Thanks.

2228BG

[Mikkel]

9 hours ago, Charlie586 said:

 

Nice painting of the dog, immediately recognizable from your avatar  

[Charlie586]

1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

 

Nice painting of the dog, immediately recognizable from your avatar  

Thanks, it's a shame I broke the tail off but it was a bit thin. 

[Mikkel]

Oh dear, that's illegal these days  

 

Edit: Ahem, not quite I see and I didn't mean to start a discussion about a contentious subject, sorry!

Edited September 17, 2019 by Mikkel

[Charlie586]

Thought of this for a rough and ready bogie while trying to get to sleep last night.

 

 

Use 2 of the w irons with a strip soldered across. Can make one end rock with the rocking plate so it's similar to the kit bogie on the left. Use bearings for oo, put them outside the frame for broad gauge. There's a bit exposed at top but I think step would hide it.

[Charlie586]

Managed a bit of early morning modelling the past few days

 

 

Glued a few more underframe details to the culm valley 3rd, though they look chunky in the picture so may redo. I did some 3d printed springs and axleboxes for it last week, they're a bit flimsy so have left on support for now. I think the bearings I've used are too large, should have used waisted ones, I'll try to hollow out the axleboxes, but it could be fatal for them and might not fit anyway.

 

Also, I noticed Eileens Emporium are doing a small selection of Gibson wheels so I ordered some 'Nigels' from them and got more brass sheet for rooves. I only got 8 axles so will need loads more (plus all manner of other wheels) in a proper order but it's a start for now to get correct height etc. I'll try painting a wooden centre or two darkish brown to see how they come out. 

 

Also I've blatantly 'borrowed' Mr Northroader's idea and started on a buffer height / platform gauge. There are supports around the back that clip on the rail, I'll do a better picture when holes have been drilled. I'll try and do broad and standard on the same piece but it may be too confusing.

 

 

Finished the S3 plasticard underframe and primed it. The carriage body behind is the 31ft U16 composite I printed at an angle last week. The thicker ends are better with the support but still slightly bowed. The side however has printing marks from possibly trapped resin from the angle printed at. Next test is an endless carriage but with compartments, and a carriage with ends and compartments but split in half. I think I've covered all combinations then. I've nearly finished smoothing out the tumblehome in cad, once that's done and its okay I'll start changing eaves height for other types, LA12N is the obvious next one.

[Charlie586]

Needed some more broad axles for the wheels so cut some 2mm silver steel up

 

 

also, top left, is the other side of the buffer height gauge. I've drilled holes for broad gauge buffer centres, the right hand end needs about 1mm taking off so I can use it for platforms too.

 

 

soldered the rocker parts to a strip of brass. While I had the iron out I also did 5 more door hinges for the E7 kit until I got fed up with pinging them across the floor (16 of 42 done now).

 

I threaded thin brass rod through the eyes to assemble the w irons then walloped the wheels in

 

 

It seems to push okay, usual caveat about straight track etc, I'm not sure if one end could do with soldering rigid or not. Above it is the underframe which I sprayed black (though since have remembered the other model has it brown). It fits on but the wheels are very tight. I need to cut holes for where the axleboxes will be, so I'll thin it down a tad then around the wheel area. I was hoping to stage a photo of the carriage body and underframe on the wheels but ran out of time.

[Charlie586]

A carriage body offered up (as they say) to the underframe and wheels

 

 

The underframe's too long by about 2.5-3mm, I must have used the body length not the tumblehome area length. Bit annoying, I'll have a little look for other diagrams in case there's one 113 mm 28'3" along the tumble area, but I doubt there is.

 

One the subject of underframe / step colour, I've had a look and confused myself further. The kit built ones on the BGs site seem to have black underframe but brown steps, Heather Kay http://heatherkay.co.uk/HKshowcase.html (some great 7mm models on there )has it all black (or very dark grey)  http://heatherkay.co.uk/Resources/exibid_DeanBG6-wheelers2of8.jpg . I looked at a few photos in books and the steps are a different colour to coach sides, but possibly not dark enough to be black. Does anyone know?

 

[Northroader]

Generally carriage underframes had the solebars and headstocks done in chocolate, all the remainder in black, and it was usual practice not to paint the footboards, so they were plain wood, but would soon get extremely grimy. Several modellers recommend doing this finish in Humbrol gunmetal, although you need care with the metallic look, so plenty of chalk weathering.

[Charlie586]

Thanks Northroader, that's cleared it up and explains why some have tried to paint them brown. If it's not available in a spray can, I'm going to need an airbrush before I'm confident to start painting or weathering. 

[Charlie586]

Bit of early morning work this week

 

 

Sawed and glued tiny bits of nickle silver to the Culm carriage to see if it looked better than the plasticard. I also did the semi circular bit, drilled a hole then scribed 1mm round it and saw/file to shape. Then, after cutting it free and trying to pick it up, it pinged across the room and I haven't seen it since.

 

 

Continued sawing out chassis frames( top tender, middle 'rover' version 2, bottom is for something I'm working on 3d wise). I know you're supposed to solder two pieces together before sawing but I always seemed to snap loads of saw blades that way so am trying it this way. Obviously it will take longer this way, but will save on swearing and broken blades.

 

 

I'm a bit behind with curing models I've printed because the sun's disappearing. I need to buy an acrylic nail light so I don't have to rely on the sun. This one is another K2 (double ducket version) but printed in 2 bits. The ends came out very well on these, there was some support I left on so that may have helped, or it could be the lack of windows that's helped. However the mesh had a 'hole' around the middle I didn't spot so it hasn't quite printed right there. I think it will patch up, but I've repaired the file and will print another anyway at some point.

 

[Charlie586]

Got the paints out today and started on an interior (third)

 

 

It's quite fiddly painting inside it, which I hadn't considered, but the inside is barely visible through the windows. Also featured is Mavis Miggins's twin sister, Hilda, who received a coat of red hair while the paint was out. Fergus appears to have lost a chunk off his leg while in storage.

 

While in the paint box, I saw these, brown and cream last used about 15 years ago,

 

 

I was going to try a test paint of a side, but I couldn't get either of the lids off, completely stuck. That's probably a good thing as my brush painted sides would probably put me off modelling again for another 15 years. What I'll do is get a couple of aerosols, brown and cream, and some smaller brushes for the red and black and hope. Or just model in black and white or grey primer if that fails.

 

 

Long time patrons of the thread may remember I started scratchbuilding the station sash windows, but they were a bit chunky, took a long time to do and there are 15 or so of them. I've done it in 3d, the top part slides up and down the frame, but as you can see the support on the top part was a bit fierce so needs re-doing.

[Charlie586]

Checked the ride height of the culm valley 

 

 

Needs raising a few mil. I also did another of the semi circular 'irons' and didn't lose this one. I prefer it to the plasticard type so I'll redo them this way. Painted a mansell brown, but looking at photos I've painted too much of it, needs to be a lighter colour as well. 

 

Railmatch aerosols are £3 cheaper than phoenix so I'll get one each of brown and cream. I'll also get some indian red while I'm at it for the bolections and drop lights. I got some black staedtler liner pens in the tesco the other day (3 for £3 which was cheaper than ebay), they had a multcolour pack 10 for £7 but I couldn't remember which colours I'd need so didn't get them.

 

Apart from that been mainly cutting out pieces of metal

 

 

Rover frame, which I'm struggling a bit to find a way of holding the wheels that isn't visible from the side. Good fun trying though. And a 2-4-0, The bottom of firebox/grate should really be behind the frame, not sure yet whether to cheat or not. And another tender frame. I've also cut more step boards and bits for carriages, nearly got enough to start soldering now.

[Charlie586]

Some of the things that are still curing in Derbyshire's finest sunlight

 

 

K2 front, second version, still not printed perfectly but probably good enough. R2 with no compartments, this hasn't sagged the way I thought it would (in case you're wondering, I will be running an R2D2 train at some point). And finally a T20 third with luggage and lookout, I've messed up the blind door a bit so will either need reprinting or a bit of remedial work.

 

I'm down to about a third of a bottle of resin left, so I've stopped printing just for the sake of it and am doing smaller bits and bobs now.

 

 

One the right is a test compartment with more to scale prototypical dimensions, eaves and mid panels that are less thick (across the coach wise), droplights are slightly larger, bolections deeper and more angled but less tall, and tumblehome improved. Compared to the old style next to it, only the eaves thickness is really noticeable (to me). Front row is a test of buffers, need to be a lot thicker all round. I do really want sprung buffers so these will probably be a temporary thing. Next to that is 'dummy' 'w' irons, springs and axle box for the six wheeler.

 

Also the motorised tender. As the track is now all laid bar one small piece, I need to wire it up and electrify but don't have anything broad gauge wise with pickups, so the tender needs sorting. It has a fair bit of wheel side to side slop at the moment (about 3mm) so I'm making some little washers and will try to wire up some phosphor bronze pickups in the week. I also need to cut up the 3d tender body (or print one in pieces) to fit round the motor and somehow try to pack some weight in.

[Charlie586]

1st class interior is now nearly cured

 

 

However, due to the 'lip' on the etched sides, it won't fit. I'm not going to try bending the lip back in case I weaken it too much and it snaps. I'll cut the interior in half instead, maybe diagonally where the join would show less.

 

 

Tenderwise, I've packed the axle slop with plasticard (it's not visible in the photo which is a good thing), and cut two rocker things to sit on the rear axles to give a basic form of compensation, just need to whack a piece of rod through them. I had a look at brake hangers and realised I've done the top support piece the wrong way round, they should be behind the wheels not in front.  I'll drill more holes for them the other side. Now all that's nearly done, I know what room there is left for pick up wire. I've started bending some wire (no photo I'm afraid) but I might be able to use the incorrect brake hanger support (suitably insulated) to help hold it.

 

Other stuffwise, a house move is more than likely on the cards in the nearish future. I'm going to have to pack some bits and tools away and be selective on what I play/make. As you've probably realised, I do have a lot of things on the go, so may have to restrict to one carriage, the tender, a 'rover' and something standard gauge. Although there's 15 years of near hoarding to sort through (mine not Mrs 586's), I'll still be able to do some cad, 3d print and do some modelling/feckling.