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Wantage Road 1880 4mm Broad Gauge


Charlie586
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2 hours ago, Gareth-Ingram said:

Superb thread. As I saw this I realized that it was a station just down the road from East Hanney, where I lived at my parents house as a young man. The modelling in this thread is quite honestly intimidating, although I'd love to jump in and do something like this the level of care and effort seems beyond what I could do.

 

I looked on the 'net at some old maps, and found that the station in question is smack dang on the corner of 4 intersecting sheets.

Wantage Road Station nr. Hanney.png

Thanks Gareth, really appreciate your comments. It really is a long term project, I've gone round in circles a few times, but hopefully I'm starting to get somewhere. 

 

Did you ever see the station when it was operating? I lived in Grove in the 80's so it had been long shut by then. 

 

I've come across similar maps before that are on a join there. It's very annoying. 

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Charlie, I never saw nothin’!

 

The station closed when I was around 6mo old, and at that time I was living in Didcot. As a kid I went with my mates to play on the disused trackbed of a line that ran near our house but I’m just too young to have been part of steam. I was at High School / college age when my parents lived in Hanney, a lovely place. I remember getting milk and stuff from the shop in Grove.

 

It’s nice to see some BG modelling. I’ve yet to get my hands dirty, it’s going to be a case of getting back to the hobby since giving it up as a lost cause when I was a just about teenager. And BG has caught my interest, somehow it seems to be the ‘gentlemans’ gauge, and the road less travelled.

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I worked briefly in the Gateway shop in Grove back in the day. I think it's a Costa coffee now. Oh well, I'll eventually find someone who caught a train from the station, though maybe not in the 1880's...

 

I agree with Northroader, the Broad Gauge Society is the place to start, only £20 a year too. You don't have to build everything from scratch. Things crop up on ebay every now and then as well.

 

https://www.broadgauge.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 06/09/2021 at 07:31, Charlie586 said:

20210906_150227.jpg.58792eb7676dc4917d5e9b33601b3bf4.jpg

 

George the foreman continues to paint windows, while an unfortunate accident has befallen the flower girl. Meanwhile Sir Reginald Itstop, along with wife Penelope and twin daughters, once more complain after travelling to the station and finding yet again that the train won't be running.

 

Anyway, I was going to run the Rover but there's a short which isn't really unsurprising. I need to take it apart again and isolate a few places. The frames being in the wrong place is really annoying me so I'm going to try unpicking the solder from inside with a craft knife and tiny file. Hopefully they'll come off intact and go back on a mm and a bit forward. I need a little socket so I can connect and disconnect the wires from the tender easily, and am nearly finished on getting the tender frames ready for soldering.

 

1411513435_tendrend2.png.93617f0811347f24bc87793c460f3054.png

 

The Queen tender is ready for a test print. It just needs mirroring which is about 3 mouse clicks. I've kept it in 2 halves as the rover tender was a pig to print. I've got some more resin, went for the eco plant based one this time so it won't be as toxic and apparently doesn't smell as bad. It's supposed to print quicker as well, which means I'll have to test other smaller things first until I get the settings right. Should keep me busy for a bit.

 

I did wonder if there was a rtr tender with same wheelbase I could just overlay the frames on. Though I would have to reguage it as it needs to be p4-ish for this layout.

lovely Model there mate, is that engine a rover?

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5 hours ago, stephensons_wolf said:

lovely Model there mate, is that engine a rover?

Thanks. Yeah it's supposed to be Bulkely in about 1880 condition. Taken over 3 years so far, but it's the first thing I've scratchbuilt so had to learn quite a lot. The wheelbase and a few dimensions aren't quite right, but it's near enough.

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The thread has been going 4 years,  these anniversaries seem to creep up fast.

 

I had a look back through the thread, and 3 years ago I had barely started chopping bits out on the rover 

 

post-28891-0-07313100-1536952074_thumb.jpg.c607ca744b3f11581ad5b4a336c1701b.jpg

 

2 years ago I seemed to have more rolling stock than I have now 

 

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And last year I was sidetracked by the hawthorn 

 

20200807_092402.jpg.ed768020c7d6343767f5f70beb12b902.jpg.cb0b2dbcfc3d11708e4c1434ad3f1224.jpg

 

I really need to just do one thing at a time, it's so easy to put off the harder or boring bits. If I keep doing that I'll never get anywhere. 

 

Anyway, 2 bouts of soldering the past week.

 

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First one repositioned 1 frame without disaster, started on the tender frames and put the buffer plates on a buffer beam. I've also started making hooks for coupling using a fret from a kit as guide.

 

20210913_135910.jpg.546368e66a7c0df33aa468cfeff124df.jpg

 

2nd round today,  not cleaned up yet. Other rover side back on in the right place.  Tender frames went together quite well, but the second buffer beam, for back of tender, is a bit of a mess and will need a good bit of cleaning up.

 

I got some new resin for the printer, so I could 3d print the Queen tender (ignore the bit earlier about one thing at a time),  but had to do some tests as it's a different type of resin. And I underexposed it which meant it fell off into the vat while printing. 

 

20210913_152514.jpg.f8ccbbdb19d111c6fc51d42c2a617a31.jpg

 

A big lump of resin then set and got stuck to the bottom of the vat and while trying to remove it, I damaged it.

 

20210913_155716.jpg.394a08c426802d3f13b7e091a44effb0.jpg

 

Probably a better pic. Luckily, that part is replaceable and I've changed the plastic film sheet today,  but now need more testing until I get the settings right. As the Queen class is supposedly 5th in the loco queue I guess there should be no rush, but .... 

 

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A couple of early mornings with the scratch pencil and the solder blob is about gone. Nearly finished the first hook as well 

 

20210915_063001.jpg.19fdedee1ae63bf4fb2ff23ff2e32acb.jpg

 

Had little fiddle with rover to try and find where it's shorting

 

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It's not clear from pic, but top right wheel touches the splasher edge of the body. But for it to short, something else the other side must be touching too ? Its probably the driver as it's got the largest splasher. I'm slowly looking at each wheel and filing metal back that's near it. I may have to add washers to restrict sideways movement,  though they can't move a great deal anyway. 

 

20210915_181941.jpg.be7d0a972a7b91fa0d96e956823cde58.jpg

 

Finally got the 3d printer working and tried the Queen class tender 

 

20210915_182005.jpg.d1eec71c6fde11d0c4d85cba3654bdc2.jpg

 

However,  the other side is a bit pock marked. I'm not too disappointed as they don't normally print in one piece so it's a bonus. I haven't had this sort of mark / hole before though. Could be the new type of resin, but the lines are quite parallel. A bit of filler and primer should hide the worst of it.

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Thought I'd fixed the short and tried to test it. The wiring seems to have come loose on the layout board somewhere underneath, so rather than clear everything off I tried it on the test track.

 

20210917_144210.jpg.f4c5c2ef73af0fd58ca5fa7b1e962235.jpg

 

But it crept forward a few mm then stopped. Tried again a few times, same thing. Something still isn't right. I've got some small connectors on order so will wire it up properly and do a proper towbar, I'll be able to add weight properly then and whack the tender top on and try again. 

 

However ...

 

 

 

I did create a rolling road from a battered masking tape roll and wired it straight from the controller. I ran it for about 10 mins in each direction, over various speeds. It seemed to turn pretty freely, though at a much faster speed I thought I could hear it rubbing. Probably just how the motor and gearbox sounds though, it was only a quid from the ebay.

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13 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Why does the title run up the spine, US-fashion, rather than down, in the usual British way? Is this some Churchwardian innovation?

 

I thought something looked not quite right with photo, but couldn't work out what.

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12 hours ago, Mikkel said:

These Midland types always ask such awkward questions :)

 

Congratulations on the thread anniversary Charlie. Very pleasing to see those big wheels spinning!

 

 

 

Thanks Mikkel. It can get a bit hypnotic if you stare at it for too long.

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14 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Why does the title run up the spine, US-fashion, rather than down, in the usual British way? Is this some Churchwardian innovation?

 

Don't think it'd a GWR thing, possibly mostly a Bradford-Barton thing (yes, I know two of them are the same book...), the little red one was published by the railway gazette in 1951. 

 

20210918_101656_copy_1600x1200.jpg.3e39297eb7ad9fad82d65ffa7489ba8d.jpg

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I've been put on different tablets that have made me temporarily wobbly,  so I've had some spare time but I've done some cutting out so I don't ruin anything already made.

 

20210919_160923.jpg.37f93e06b8528c8c7cba4471f98e7014.jpg

 

First up the cylinder front covers. I tried these before and made a pigs ear of them so this is attempt two. There is a 3d one on standby if it fails. The olfa cutter doesn't go small enough so had  to scratch round the inner circle with verniers.

 

20210921_104811.jpg.eab9c875ad3fef9c43f3fc066418cc32.jpg

 

Other bits . Top left is a plate that will go on top of tender. The plugs have arrived for connecting tender to loco, but they might be too small. Bottom left, the tender buffer beam is different to loco's so I'm doing another one. Hopefully the other will come in handy for something else. Bottom middle, squashed the end of a bit of brass wire to go with the shaped bit that goes at the front of rover (sorry, don't know the name of it). It should be connected to it by bolt but things are getting too small now.

On the bottom right, the splasher has a lower part that I've ignored so far, hoping it will go away.

 

188087202_10--Gauge-Model-GWR-Rover-Class-Locomotive-13-delcampe-static.net_.jpg.8b47a6e8bce352f3a0e299b4000b8451.jpg

 

It's in the middle of above picture.  I can't attach it to body as the chassis won't drop in, so I'll have to attach to chassis. Its quite an odd shape as well as it fans out. Should be fun. 

 

20210921_105122.jpg.b5bc3e46cb22ee7e3592d9506145811e.jpg

 

2 cylinder covers slowly being cut out. I need to push rivets through from the other side (which is where I went wrong last time).

Big piece of copper clad is for tender pickups and lead end of plug. I'll epoxy it in and attach weight to remaining room on top. The bolt and nut should secure if I can attach nut to underneath of tender top.

Small piece of copperclad and socket will fit on loco chassis near back axle. I'm not sure where bolt will go on that to secure it to body. I think it might need 2, smoke box and somewhere near back.

Did all that make sense? Probably not.

 

 

 

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I am wondering if the wire you are using to connect to your motor/pickups might be an issue. I've found short lengths of wire like this are surprisingly inflexible, causing the frames to lift or not track properly. Compare to the fine wire attached to your mini plug/socket or used by Hornby to make loco to tender connections. 

Just a thought.

These are an impressive challenge to model and I look forward to seeing it (them) completed.

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23 minutes ago, Darwinian said:

I am wondering if the wire you are using to connect to your motor/pickups might be an issue. I've found short lengths of wire like this are surprisingly inflexible, causing the frames to lift or not track properly. Compare to the fine wire attached to your mini plug/socket or used by Hornby to make loco to tender connections. 

Just a thought.

These are an impressive challenge to model and I look forward to seeing it (them) completed.

Thanks, Darwinian. I thought I was going to have problems the other way round with it being small but I know little about electrics. There will be some form of drawbar with the thin wire not taught between the loco and tender. I was thinking of replacing the wire from motor to pcb at back end because it gets in the way. I'll dig out my Hornby models tomorrow and have a look.

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Couple of bouts of fun with the soldering iron.

 

First up, though

 

20210925_073036.jpg.0aa259757864111acdba103e9b29677c.jpg

 

Found these the other day in a box, after I've made my own coupling hooks. Will still come in handy though.  I think the buffers are the wrong type, I need round shank not square ? The mainly trains etch was a blast from the past. I used to spend hours on the website or reading the lists.

 

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Soldered tender frames on

 

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Half of one side came detached.  I'll just ignore it for now and hope it goes away.

 

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Got bits ready for attaching plug cables and the draw hooks and buffers

 

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Soldered up. The cables are too long, I'll have to cut and shut them a bit.

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Part 2, as too many photos 

 

20210925_144312.jpg.0cd5558988839e474c9af17195619d44.jpg

 

Buffer beam now on front of rover

 

20210925_144335.jpg.fc6c49aaaba8b35cc6007e17a80f7b64.jpg

 

And little one on back. This should have gone in between the frames not outside,  but didn't realise until afterwards. I need to put the steps on so that will hide it.

 

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Tender buffer beam being soldered,  needs a good clean up

 

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And attached. I just need to attach tender body to the chassis put it all together and I'm ready to test it all on the track again.  I got some lead off the ebay so I can add that in too. Hopefully, this time next week I'll be doing carriages again... 

 

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I've got no hair to pull out, so trying to get the pick ups and everything to work together is getting more than a bit frustrating. So, a small diversion...

 

Two Mekarski compressed air trams were trialled on the Wantage tramway for a few months in the summer of 1880. Due to the high cost of fuel to make the compressed air  (four times the steam cost) and the slight gradient at the end of the return journey into Wantage, it wasn't a success. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but part of the reason for me picking 1880 is so I can have the tramway running (though obviously I need to build a baseboard for that bit, etc) and I can have the Mekarskis and the Grantham trams. The other thing I have in mind, is how they would have arrived at Wantage. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have arrived in pieces via horse and cart. So I think it's fairly safe to assume they would have been carried to Wantage Road on GWR rails. Probably not broad though, unfortunately.

 

Trying to work out what the tram actually looked like is where I kept hitting brick walls. There's various photos of Mekarksi trams out there

 

Tram_Nantes_AMTUIR.jpg.19855a8ea62dfa4a0b9f8f629ef9dd98.jpg

 

This photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

 

But is that the ones that were trialled? There's a limit to how many dead ends I want to go down on this, as there's quite a lot of other stuff to do and other more relevant dead ends to get stuck in. The Pearce Higgins Tramway book suggests the tram resembles a private omnibus, which in 1880 would I think look a bit like the above. There are other photos of a very similar but more flatter ended Mekarksi out there, various links to articles below

 

https://www.tramwayinfo.com/Tramframe.htm?https://www.tramwayinfo.com/tramways/Articles/Compair.htm

 

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/10/17/the-mekarski-system-compressed-air-propulsion-system-for-trams/

 

A drawing also keeps appearing, apparently from the 1875 patent, which only has 5 windows, I've not found a photo with 5 windows to match. Another version of this drawing is on Getty, so I'm not going to put it here.

 

There's also this 1880 woodcut

 

https://www.alamy.com/historic-tram-a-pneumatic-motor-air-motor-or-compressed-air-engine-compressed-air-tram-at-the-filling-station-1880-historical-woodcut-england-image243319790.html

 

Possibly not a Mekarski at all, but it's 1880 and has 5 windows and looks a lot more like an omnibus.

 

the below has no Mekarski's but lots of other info on early compressed air locomotives.

 

http://douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/airloco/airloco.htm#cb

 

one particularly atmospheric photo of a Nantes tram scene is here

 

https://collection-jfm.fr/p/cpa-france-44-nantes-la-rue-de-l-arche-seche-et-le-pont-sauvetout-95197

 

seems to be like the French equivalent of Getty or Alamy so I won't post the pic here. I think if I was going to model French trams, which I'm not, this would be what I'd chose.

 

So dead ends aside, I've been doing a bit of occasional 3d of the one pictured above, simply because it's easier to get dimensions as there's more photos out there

 

render.png.2d2124085e17f6720547fa8e2db05c2b.png

 

When (or if) I finish it I'll adjust the end to the flatter type, which my head says is probably older. I might shorten it by taking a window out then print the one I prefer. After I finish, sod's law states I'll find a photo of the actual ones at Wantage. Then, I can try to work out what it would have been transported to Wantage on.

 

Hope the little diversion has been entertaining or informative. I'll be back to swearing at things that don't work next time.

 

 

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There's been a bit of swearing at the rover. I'm pretty certain the problem is lack of pick ups,  there's only 2 each side in the tender. So I've been adding more, the final axle in tender and the driver in the rover itself. I'll add another pickup to the leading wheel but the other two have got a lot going on around them. I've been taking my time and to avoid too much boredom with it, the carriage works have reopened. I just need to sort a few bits out then I'll do an update on them. 

 

Annie recently posted this really good detailed photo on her thread, and it got me thinking about the much put off smoke box door.

 

 

 

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I cut a circle of brass out and bent it into a convex type shape. This took ages, I pushed it onto a slightly rounded small bottle top (ecig liquid) then used thumbs and a small pair of smooth nose pliers to help create the curve. I also got some handrail knobs, but think they're too long, I'll get some of the small ones and use them instead. I did think about making my own, but things are close to getting silly. The edges of the bottom piece of metal is for the little steps on the guard irons (I think that's what they're called)

 

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Soldered the wire around the back of the metal. The only way I could think was to hold it, do it sections and get my fingers burnt. I used 188 solder as well, so the iron was even hotter.

 

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It still needs a bit of cleaning up, the wire cutting back and the hinge will go over the join. The bit of scrap fret I was going to use is probably too thick so I'll have to cut a few strips out.

The rover chassis is looking a bit more heath Robinson with its new wires. You can't see the new pick ups from this angle which is probably a good thing. 

 

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