First cut-and-shut attempt

[Gibbo675]

57 minutes ago, TangoOscarMike said:

A little bit more progress. The steps are soldered securely into place. Although some of the supports are a little wonky, the steps themselves are straight and true.

 

 

 

I'm looking forward to the summer for many reasons. Among other things, I will be able to do a bit of modelling after work, then take pictures outside in natural light.

 

Hi Tom,

 

The ratio of height and length really do work a lot better than the original.

 

Gibbo.

[TangoOscarMike]

22 hours ago, Gibbo675 said:

The ratio of height and length really do work a lot better than the original.

 

Thanks Gibbo, I'm glad you approve. I'm happy with it.

 

Insofar as there's a plan behind this, I would like to have a few short-but-not-too-short coaches to make a decent-looking but small train behind my 35-year-old Hornby 4-4-0 County (if I ever get that running again!). For these purposes, I'm happy to sacrifice realism in order to get an optical illusion that works. Or something like that.

 

All this soldering - it's a huge palaver just to create an elongated version of (let's not beat about the bush) an ill-proportioned toy.

 

The thing is that Rule-1 is not simply a getout clause, it's an obligation. Like salmon swimming up waterfalls we are compelled to make the models that we want to make. It's beyond our control.

 

[LNWR18901910]

On 27/01/2020 at 23:08, TangoOscarMike said:

 

Thanks Gibbo, I'm glad you approve. I'm happy with it.

 

Insofar as there's a plan behind this, I would like to have a few short-but-not-too-short coaches to make a decent-looking but small train behind my 35-year-old Hornby 4-4-0 County (if I ever get that running again!). For these purposes, I'm happy to sacrifice realism in order to get an optical illusion that works. Or something like that.

 

All this soldering - it's a huge palaver just to create an elongated version of (let's not beat about the bush) an ill-proportioned toy.

 

The thing is that Rule-1 is not simply a getout clause, it's an obligation. Like salmon swimming up waterfalls we are compelled to make the models that we want to make. It's beyond our control.

 

Just like the old coaches from the Pioneering and Pre-Grouping era.

[LNWR18901910]

Say, can you imagine short bogie coaches like the Tri-ang Hornby Clerestory Coaches?

 

Imagine some bogie coaches halfway between the size of the regular clerestory coaches and the 4-wheel coaches? Just a thought. Maybe some short bogie coaches with Victorian/Edwardian flair to them like the early O Gauge models from the early 20th Century?

[TangoOscarMike]

23 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Say, can you imagine short bogie coaches like the Tri-ang Hornby Clerestory Coaches?

 

With 5 of the palatial compartments from the 4-wheel coaches, there would just about be room for two bogies in place of the 6 wheels in my project. 6 compartments and two bogies would have similar proportions to the Clerestories.

And 4 compartments and 4 wheels would probably make sense, although a Ratio 4 wheeler makes more sense!

 

I've made a tiny bit of progress, so new pictures are coming soon!

 

[LNWR18901910]

2 minutes ago, TangoOscarMike said:

 

With 5 of the palatial compartments from the 4-wheel coaches, there would just about be room for two bogies in place of the 6 wheels in my project. 6 compartments and two bogies would have similar proportions to the Clerestories.

And 4 compartments and 4 wheels would probably make sense, although a Ratio 4 wheeler makes more sense!

 

I've made a tiny bit of progress, so new pictures are coming soon!

 

That's nice!

 

Also, I am excited about your inside-cylinder tender locomotive!

[Londontram]

On 28/02/2020 at 23:35, LNWR18901910 said:

Say, can you imagine short bogie coaches like the Tri-ang Hornby Clerestory Coaches?

The old Triang clerestory coaches work out I believe is a scale 46ft which is about the common size for a lot of late 19th century bogie stock. 

  I use a lot of them as there almost the exact size of the Caledonian 45ft stock though cutting and shutting to get types and compartments right can throw them out by a mm or 2 but not enough to worry about.

 Only one a full 3rd made from the passenger compartments of two Triang brake 3rd came out over length but lucky the Caley followed the 45ft coaches with a 48ft version which was the right size for the full 3rd.

 

 The Caley coaches are not clerestory roofed so they require new roofs. 

 

 The full 3rd was fairly straight forward the full 1st just needed the roof changing but a 1st 3rd comp required quite a bit of chopping around and needed 3 doner vehicles. The Caley brake third required a bit of work as the Caley one has an extra compartment and a rearrangement of the panels and doors on the brake section.

 

  All great fun but it certainly eats up the old clerestorys lucky there seems to be a lot around and a few lucky finds have helped like five for £10 at a jumble sale

 

 The left over brake sections don't go to waste as back to back two make a very good 6 wheel full brake of which all this cutting and shutting has given me three so far. Here's a few photos the first a full third being made from the compartment sections of two brake 3rds

Two views of the 1st 3rd comp. The horrible thick brown paint was someone's attempt to turn them into teaks this was stripped off before going any further.

A Caley brake 3rd (Top) and an original Triang brake 3rd (again with the thick brown sludge covering it. You can see the extra compartment and how the brake section has been "rearranged"

 One of the 6 wheel full brakes made from the left over brake sections plus parts for another one

Edited October 19, 2020 by Londontram
Add photo

[LNWR18901910]

3 hours ago, Londontram said:

The old Triang clerestory coaches work out I believe is a scale 46ft which is about the common size for a lot of late 19th century bogie stock. 

  I use a lot of them as there almost the exact size of the Caledonian 45ft stock though cutting and shutting to get types and compartments right can throw them out by a mm or 2 but not enough to worry about.

 Only one a full 3rd made from the passenger compartments of two Triang brake 3rd came out over length but lucky the Caley followed the 45ft coaches with a 48ft version which was the right size for the full 3rd.

 

 The Caley coaches are not clerestory roofed so they require new roofs. 

 

 The full 3rd was fairly straight forward the full 1st just needed the roof changing but a 1st 3rd comp required quite a bit of chopping around and needed 3 doner vehicles. The Caley brake third required a bit of work as the Caley one has an extra compartment and a rearrangement of the panels and doors on the brake section.

 

  All great fun but it certainly eats up the old clerestorys lucky there seems to be a lot around and a few lucky finds have helped like five for £10 at a jumble sale

 

 The left over brake sections don't go to waste as back to back two make a very good 6 wheel full brake of which all this cutting and shutting has given me three so far. Here's a few photos the first a full third being made from the compartment sections of two brake 3rds

Two views of the 1st 3rd comp. The horrible thick brown paint was someone's attempt to turn them into teams this was stripped off before going any further.

A Caley brake 3rd (Top) and an original Triang brake 3rd (again with the thick brown sludge covering it. You can see the extra compartment and how the brake section has been "rearranged"

 One of the 6 wheel full brakes made from the left over brake sections plus parts for another one

This is something I should try for myself one day.

[TangoOscarMike]

12 hours ago, Londontram said:

The old Triang clerestory coaches work out I believe is a scale 46ft which is about the common size for a lot of late 19th century bogie stock......

 

Thanks Londontram. I've drawn a lot of inspriration from this project, and now I'll be scrutinising your pictures too. Tell me, please, what did you use for the underframe of the 6-wheeler? The Brassmasters Cleminson underframe has been rather hard work (although I'm very happy with the result).

 

[TangoOscarMike]

4 minutes ago, TangoOscarMike said:

Tell me, please, what did you use for the underframe of the 6-wheeler?

 

Ah, I think that this is the answer to my question.

[RedGemAlchemist]

On 27/01/2020 at 23:08, TangoOscarMike said:

The thing is that Rule-1 is not simply a getout clause, it's an obligation. Like salmon swimming up waterfalls we are compelled to make the models that we want to make. It's beyond our control.

This is the truest statement I've heard about this hobby in a long, long time. 

[TangoOscarMike]

If only, if only I could get model steam locomotives to run as slowly at this project.

 

I've added tanks, which are simply pieces of brass rod. It's all nice and heavy.

 

I've never been sure if these things are vacuum reserviors for the brakes, or gas tanks for lighting. I suppose, since it's my coach, I get to decide - in which case they are the lemonade tanks.

 

Hopefully this marks the end of heavy structural soldering, since the springs/axleboxes and buffers are going to be glued into place.

 

 

However, the end of the project is by no means in sight. The voices in my head have told me that I need interior lighting, so I have obediently fitted a pickup to one of the trucks. This involved drilling a hole in my coupling support and tapping an M3 thread. The pickup is a sliver of phospor bronze, insulated from the chassis by a plasticard spacer, and held in place by a nylon M3 machine screw.

 

 

M3 is actually rather big for these purposes, so I've been out and bought an M2.5 tap (I already had the machine screws) for use at the other end. I hope that two pickups will be enough, since this is all very fiddly.

 

There is a spare pivot hole, (obscured in this picture by the brake gear) just forward of the in-use pivot hole. The Galvanic Fluid will be led along a piece of wire through the spare hole and a somewhat larger hole in the coach floor. The lights will be LEDs.

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by TangoOscarMike
Restoring pictures

[TangoOscarMike]

Approaching the first birthday of this thread!

 

For me, isolation has resulted in longer working hours - there's no need for a proper lunch break, and I keep working on into the evening, trying to finish things. So I haven't had more time for modelling.

 

Nevertheless, in the last week I had a bit of a frenzy. I filed slots in the steps to accommodate the axleboxes, then I glued them and the buffers in, plus some scraps of plasticard to conceal the attachment of the springs. They are GWR carriage springs and axleboxes, and GWR buffers, as is proper.

 

 

I like the colours, whitemetal and brass. But of course it had to be painted:

 

 

Bearing surfaces and screw thread were masked before painting.

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by TangoOscarMike
Restoring pictures

[Gibbo675]

14 minutes ago, TangoOscarMike said:

Approaching the first birthday of this thread!

 

For me, isolation has resulted in longer working hours - there's no need for a proper lunch break, and I keep working on into the evening, trying to finish things. So I haven't had more time for modelling.

 

Nevertheless, in the last week I had a bit of a frenzy. I filed slots in the steps to accomodate the axleboxes, then I glued them and the buffers in, plus some scraps of plasticard to conceal the attachment of the springs. They are GWR carriage springs and axleboxes, and GWR buffers, as is proper.

 

 

I like the colours, whitemetal and brass. But of course it had to be painted:

 

 

Bearing surfaces and screw thread were masked before painting.

 

Hi Tom,

 

You have made a superbly neat job of that, most impressive.

 

Gibbo.

[TangoOscarMike]

Thanks Gibbo - I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised by how well it's turning out. I've got the chassis assembled and the body attached now - I'll post pictures tomorrow.

[TangoOscarMike]

It doesn't really matter that this plastic is white - it won't normally be visible. I've soldered wire to the pickups, and led it up through holes in the floor.

 

 

For the time being, I'm just going to leave the wire coiled up inside. Fitting lights can be a future project (otherwise I'll never get this finished).

 

 

The detail underneath seemed crude to me when I was making it, but I'm happy with it now:

 

 

And now I must decide what to do about the roof.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by TangoOscarMike
Restoring pictures

[Paul H Vigor]

On 26/04/2020 at 09:26, TangoOscarMike said:

It doesn't really matter that this plastic is white - it won't normally be visible. I've soldered wire to the pickups, and led it up through holes in the floor.

 

 

For the time being, I'm just going to leave the wire coiled up inside. Fitting lights can be a future project (otherwise I'll never get this finished).

 

 

The detail underneath seemed crude to me when I was making it, but I'm happy with it now:

 

 

And now I must decide what to do about the roof.

 

 

 

 

That's a bit exotic, Mr T! What chassis are you using??

[Paul H Vigor]

11 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

That's a bit exotic, Mr T! What chassis are you using??

A working Cleminson chassis, perchance??

[TangoOscarMike]

2 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

A working Cleminson chassis, perchance??

Exactly. The moving parts are from the Brassmasters kit. The rest of the chassis is soldered together from pieces of brass (now that I'm a grown-up, I can go to the model shop and buy brass whenever I want (except during lockdown)).

 

This project is just over a year old now. Dear me.

[Paul H Vigor]

2 minutes ago, TangoOscarMike said:

Exactly. The moving parts are from the Brassmasters kit. The rest of the chassis is soldered together from pieces of brass (now that I'm a grown-up, I can go to the model shop and buy brass whenever I want (except during lockdown)).

 

This project is just over a year old now. Dear me.

It's SO much easier when one doesn't have to rely on dodgy street-corner brass-pushers for one's supply!  Do you have a layout upon which this coach can spin a wheel?

[TangoOscarMike]

7 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Do you have a layout upon which this coach can spin a wheel?

 

Alas, no layout yet. I sometimes clip the track together on the living room floor, as I did nearly 40 years ago.

 

Plenty of ideas for a layout, though.... Sooner or later I'll probably make a testbed that doubles as a minimalist layout.

[LNWR18901910]

On 21/05/2020 at 22:42, TangoOscarMike said:

 

Alas, no layout yet. I sometimes clip the track together on the living room floor, as I did nearly 40 years ago.

 

Plenty of ideas for a layout, though.... Sooner or later I'll probably make a testbed that doubles as a minimalist layout.

Cool. It would be something based on a freelance style, would it not?

[TangoOscarMike]

On 25/05/2020 at 02:40, LNWR18901910 said:

Cool. It would be something based on a freelance style, would it not?

I'm aiming for "Freelance Edwardian", which means "brightly coloured toy trains". If I'm modelling an imaginary pre-grouping railway in the West Country, then I can also put GWR bits and pieces (such as my Hornby 4-4-0 County) on the rails. And that locomotive will be suitable for pulling this 6-wheeled coach.

 

Obviously (it's obvious to me, anyway!) a railway like this will need a cylindrical signal box, like a truncated lighthouse.

 

I'm also nursing the giddy idea of imagining that the GWR Broad Gauge had survived into the 20th century. I could have some dual-gauge track, and imaginary locomotives which (unlike the real broad gauge) would have kept up with advances in technology.

 

But right now I'm just pottering away with a paintbrush on the living room table!

[LNWR18901910]

1 hour ago, TangoOscarMike said:

I'm aiming for "Freelance Edwardian", which means "brightly coloured toy trains". If I'm modelling an imaginary pre-grouping railway in the West Country, then I can also put GWR bits and pieces (such as my Hornby 4-4-0 County) on the rails. And that locomotive will be suitable for pulling this 6-wheeled coach.

 

Obviously (it's obvious to me, anyway!) a railway like this will need a cylindrical signal box, like a truncated lighthouse.

 

I'm also nursing the giddy idea of imagining that the GWR Broad Gauge had survived into the 20th century. I could have some dual-gauge track, and imaginary locomotives which (unlike the real broad gauge) would have kept up with advances in technology.

 

But right now I'm just pottering away with a paintbrush on the living room table!

I see. Of course, it is also reminiscent of the time when model railways were becoming popular mainly with children even if they were rich men's toys like motor cars.

 

Also, I have been inspired to create some coaching stock using the Queen Mary Brake Van chassis inspired by some of the early Bing O Gauge coaching stock. Right now, I am designing it and doing a bit of research. Plus, the photographs of such examples will play a massive part in it. What do you think?

[TangoOscarMike]

On 27/05/2020 at 01:35, LNWR18901910 said:

What do you think?

There is only one answer to this sort of question:

 

Absolutely - go ahead, make it and post pictures!

Cheers

Tom