Jump to content
 

To stimulate discussion, post photos and exchange ideas, and (being an open public forum) help encourage others to try S scale modelling.

What's on your S Scale Workbench?


ScottW
 Share

Recommended Posts

On 08/07/2023 at 19:39, flubrush said:

 I haven't bought any of this product but the supplier has a good reputation on the ME forum so hopefully it is actually 2mm diameter and not 1.9mm diameter as is the rod from MK Metals.

 

Continuing on this thread,  I purchased some of the 2mm steel rod from M-Machine and got it yesterday.   I've had a chance to check it over and it is actually 1.95mm diameter measured with my micrometer.   It's also not dead straight,  probably been unwound from a coil and roughly straightened.   But would probably be OK for short lengths like wagon axles,  especially if you machine a wheel seat at the same time as the parallel journal.   It machines very well with an HSS tool in the Cowells.

 

Ordering from M-machine is a bit old style - you email them an order,  they email you back to say the order is OK and can you phone them with you bank card details.,   A very pleasant lady took my details on the phone call and my order arrived the next day.

 

One of the reasonably priced sources of 2mm (exactly) straight shaft is from the Far East via Ebay from an advert such as this

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325232156039?var=514121653272&hash=item4bb958dd87:g:TdoAAOSw3qhiquGl&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8HoO0HiN495fjbrdE6RXTwyGwolNnO7Zw%2FjYSRPpZKRPM%2BsO2W7hEaUzwux2ZTucPVtLEvNy1z4kcaZCJ83i8GGjoQEKzivLyPpERH1RS4r54ZFF0y%2F2wrWGQS4F7kHVAgV0bsbTD3a4wlTenAujPUPevCCnMW7AWQxM93RwYZ04SaO06u8mjRGzb9%2FC%2BESYrB33o5e68unWHxrryeq4DXS5ZHjda%2BBSHuDRXZbBkvgiti77hxkErZrgXn5shHtDyeCwNc8Xf%2FxAtGOTnpb7H0f4Qqr1CYNaNgwxo8o6hJCZ%2B8h1I1pEHOu9S2OVTxl0RA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9Sl1PqrYg

 

The material I've received doesn't machine as well as the EN1A material from M-Machine or MK Metals.

 

I wondered where the 1.95mm rod (M-Machine) of the 1.9mm rod (MK Metals) could have come from since there is no equivalent SWG size,  but 5/64ths Imperial is fairly close to both.

 

Jim.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

This is a picture of my latest project, a Southern Railway P Class locomotive.

 

10.JPG.974b114932e79d03f1c6bebe7d150021.JPG

 

The locomotive was built in 1958/59 by Norman (Bill) Hall. Bill was one of the early S Scale pioneers and society member. Over the years he built a number of superb locomotives which I am very fortunate to have in my possession.

 

30.jpg.a94d815221b1a502f0bbf56e7b5ea706.jpg

 

As you can see from these pictures, the model is very well made although the chassis does pretty much exhibit the techniques of the period: heavy duty rigid chassis, course scale wheels and a large underslung paddle for stud contact pick-up.

 

My intention is to revive this little loco and bring it into the 21st century. The body needs stripped of paint and a few minor repairs made to it. At some point the rear buffer beam has taken a knock and sustained a little damage, along with one of the buffers. I'm going to replace both buffer beams and install new sprung buffers. The cab roof has been soldered on, but has started to break loose from the cab. This is a bit of luck as I much prefer cab roofs to be removable so my intention is to completley unsolder the roof and possibly add a little detail inside the cab.

 

Moving onto the chassis, a completely new compensated (split frame) chassis is to be made with Mashima motor, High Level Gearbox, High Level Hornblocks and society wheels/tyres.

 

This locomotive is over sixty years old and hopefully, with a bit of work, it will be good for another sixty years.

 

  • Like 11
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

The Brecon and Merthyr Railway had two Number 11 engines.   The model here replaced the original number 11 a Sharp Stewart 2-4-0 that was damaged after a derailment.  Here are the two number 11 side by side.

2.png

Edited by Timber
  • Like 13
  • Craftsmanship/clever 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Not on the bench but on the floor.  A big thank you to Grainge and Hodder who have made some baseboards for me.  They spent considerable time producing all the art work and laser cut pieces.  The quality is superb.   One down nine to go.  It is for a circular layout of Fochriw a small through station on the B&M.   The shaded area of the track plan is the viewing side.  I just need to add a couple of catch points to the plan.

IMG_3343.jpg

IMG_3344.jpg

Screenshot 2023-12-06 161347.png

  • Like 13
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Steve - Thank you - the diameter of the circle is 9 foot.   There will be a fiddle yard at the far side away from the viewing side - i have not drawn this yet but it will be a sliding tray so that I can swap engines and stock.

 

When (if) it is finished I will stand in the middle and watch my engines running round!  I will need a good few wagons but will get to that at some point in the future.  

Edited by Timber
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Baseboards are finished so I can get back to track building with Templot plug track.  The track will be elevated onto an embankment but first I will build the track and lose lay it onto the baseboards before working out the landscape profile of the elevation.  

Screenshot 2024-01-05 134559.png

Edited by Timber
  • Like 7
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

In the last edition of the Gazette I shared progress on securing a supplier for loco wheel tyres.   I have just received a second test batch.   These are made with polished Stainless Steel - recomended to me by the people making them in China as more of their work is with stainless steel.  Be interesting to see how stainless steel works out but a bit of research so far suggets that some of the better known RTR O Gauge manufacturers uses stainless steel along garden railway suppliers.

 

In parallel exeprimenting with an ABS like resin to see if push fit axles are suitable.  My immediate impression is that it could be.  Need to test to see if warping is a problem but these have been made a week now and all good so far.  Next step is to fit to a locomotive. 

 

The total cost of the wheel set here compares very favourably with any thing you can buy.

 

 

 

Screenshot 2024-02-11 111637.png

Screenshot 2024-02-11 111916.png

Edited by Timber
  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

These look really good, well done - I look forward to seeing them in the flesh soon! The test will be conductivity and I cant see it being any different to the normal mild steel and maybe better if there's no rust or tarnishing?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think I remember from a discussion  on wheel tyre metals many years ago that mild steel gives the best adhesion.  But I doubt that we should worry too much about adhesion in S scale with the shortish train lengths we tend to have.   There could also have been a preference for suppliers to use mild steel since it is an easier material to machine than stainless steel.

 

Jim.

 

PS.   I think the longest train I saw in S scale was a train of wagons behind a MET tank on a continuous layout I had at my previous house in Yate.  The MET tank was a scratchbuilt insurance replacement (by Vic Green IIRC) for Alan Cruikshank's original which had been stolen off a stand at an exhibition.   Les and Carole emptied their stock boxes to provide the load and I think there was in excess of thirty vehicles behind the loco.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I need to carefully test.   Initial testing show no material drop in voltage across the tyres.   I connected my analogue controller to one side of two steel tyres and my multimeter on the other side - and then did the same with the stainless steel.  From 1 to 16 volts there appeared to be no difference in voltage loss.   Hopefully one evening this week I will get time to re-tyre an engine.

 

I have only got six coaches and two wagons so I will have to think carefully how to do a load test....

 

Interesting that someone stole an S Scale locomotive at an exhibition.   They must have done it out of love for the locomotive....otherwise they would have had to go home and build a layout just to run it.   With such a small community of S Scale modellers you would think that at some point it would turn up.  But given the time it takes to build a locomotive it is a mean thing to do.....

Edited by Timber
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I found that twisting the axle into the wheel rather  than a straight push worked better for the 3'6" split spoke wheels I did a while ago.

That and a taper in the bore and a clean, burr free bevel on the axle ends.

I'll dig out the wheels I did and see how they are doing.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Rob R said:

 and a clean, burr free bevel on the axle ends.

 

I found I had to do that when assembling the wagon wheel sets I made using 3D printed centres and parallel journal axles.   The main axle ends were square and sharp and could quite happily cut their own seat when press fitting them.

 

Jim.

  • Interesting/Thought-provoking 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

A long time since I posted progress on the J67, probably more than six months. Anyway work started again towards the end of January and is now approaching completion. It’s missing the handrail, no short knobs in stock, and it needs a general tidying up and cleaning. Hopefully it will be painted by the agm, well,  primer at least.

I do have some serious scenic work to do on Emwell along with rolling stock which is always needed.

 

Brendan

 

 

IMG_2837.jpeg

Edited by Beechnut
Image missing
  • Like 9
  • Craftsmanship/clever 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted (edited)
On 17/02/2024 at 23:06, Beechnut said:

A long time since I posted progress on the J67, probably more than six months. Anyway work started again towards the end of January and is now approaching completion. It’s missing the handrail, no short knobs in stock, and it needs a general tidying up and cleaning. Hopefully it will be painted by the agm, well,  primer at least.

I do have some serious scenic work to do on Emwell along with rolling stock which is always needed.

 

Brendan

 

 

IMG_2837.jpeg

 

Just been catching up on this Forum.

 

Brendan, that looks absolutely superb. You must be very pleased with the finsihed result. It's a shame I missed the AGM.

 

Edited by ScottW
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Scott, and others. I did hear you were otherwise occupied and not able to make the agm. The autumn meeting will be in Tutbury, Staffordshire, 29/09/24. Hope to see you there.

And the J67 has had a coat of paint and light weathering, I never know quite how far to go.

 

 

IMG_2863.jpeg

  • Like 6
  • Craftsmanship/clever 4
  • Round of applause 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...