Michael Edge's workbench

[Michael Edge]

Once again, I can definitely recommend the London Road ones.

[26power]

5 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

I am currently trying to purchase the 60' turntable; ideally ready assembled, but in kit form if necessary.

 

The only contact email address was on the Metalsmiths website, but they have referred me to the Midland Rilway Centre.

 

I can find no mention of the model turntables on the MRC site; am I missing something?

 

John Isherwood.

There was a supplier, I think mainly for model engineering, trading as “Midland railway centre”, or a similar name, that sold these turntables and some tools, such as a rivet punch.  See here about one of the turntable kits:

https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=50348
Or search for midland railway centre turntable kits or midland railway centre rivet punch.

 

The home page for Metalsmiths ( http://www.metalsmith.co.uk ), as you might have found, redirects you to “Midland Railway Centre” for various things but the link is dead.  
 

Confusingly, you can still find Metalsmith web pages that give you details of the 7mm turntables and motorising kits etc. for all scales, e.g. see: http://www.metalsmith.co.uk/7mm_scale_0_gauge.htm If you follow the links from there you find information about installation kits for 4mm as well.

 

I found some of this when considering a rivet punch from Midland Railway Centre.  Unfortunately I didn’t act at the time!
 

I hope this perhaps help.

[polybear]

I've just sent an email to the Midland Railway Centre requesting to purchase a kit - it'll be interesting to see what the response (if any) is....

I'm also looking at the Greenwood product, which seems to be a very nice piece of kit; the indexing drive system in particular looks to be very well engineered, though costing a fair wedge

[cctransuk]

30 minutes ago, polybear said:

I've just sent an email to the Midland Railway Centre requesting to purchase a kit ....

 

That's two of us, then.

 

John Isherwood.

Edited August 19, 2021 by cctransuk

[polybear]

1 hour ago, cctransuk said:

 

That's two of us, then.

 

John Isherwood.

 

I've just had this reply from the Proprieter:

 

"Regret, I am unable to supply kits as I am retiring and the range is being offered to a new proprietor. Can’t give any more details at the moment, but assuming the transfer goes ahead I can add your request to the list of prospective customers. If you are happy for me to do this then, under Data Protection rules, I need your permission to do so."

 

 

 

[Michael Edge]

The B7 is now finished and ready for the paintshop.

Since this is going to be plain (filthy) black it won't take too long. I've weighted it up to just over 300g which will probably be enough but there's plenty of room for more in  the boiler and firebox. It runs quite happily everywhere on WJ and the fiddle yard but it remains to be seen whether there will be any any problems in Brunswick shed - the tightest curve there is unfortunately on the access to the turntable.

The bogie wheels are a bit underscale, in the continued absence of anything arriving from Gibson I've used some ancient ones from the Hong Kong made Jubilees. These run quite true but the profile isn't as good as Gibson for staying on the rails.

[Down_Under]

Very Nice Mike.  Is this one of the G-Train loco kits ? or Edge Special? 

 

Cheers

 

James

[Michael Edge]

That's the G train etch, designed by Nick Easton, tender is an old Perseverance kit because I wante a self trimming one (and I'd had it lying about for 30 years or so). I didn't use the resin boiler, I want more room in there for weight and I don't find building boilers difficult.

Next up I have a part built O4/7 to finish, this one will have one of our tenders.

[Jack P]

B7 looks cracking Mike. 

 

Is the issue with Alan Gibson just a delay, or is it more serious? 

[Michael Edge]

I have no idea, we've been unable to communicate with Colin for months now, no answer to emails or phone calls.

[30368]

Agree with Jack, the B7 looks absolutely great. I have one to build too so, as usual, some really useful tips and inspiration.

 

I was in touch with Colin about 4-5 weeks ago to order some wheels and other bits and pieces. I seem to remember that Covid had been a problem. I will be contacting him soon for some more parts and will report back.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Ruston]

2 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

I have no idea, we've been unable to communicate with Colin for months now, no answer to emails or phone calls.

You're not the only one!

 

[Daddyman]

7 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

I have no idea, we've been unable to communicate with Colin for months now, no answer to emails or phone calls.

Weird! I spoke to him about 6 weeks ago. He didn't answer the phone so I left a message as he asks, and he called me back. He even called me back again - and, I think, again - as I was at work when he called. I then wrote an email about two weeks later (early morning) as the order hadn't arrived and he answered later that morning to say there was a delay with one of the things I'd ordered.   

[Asterix2012]

3 hours ago, Daddyman said:

Weird! I spoke to him about 6 weeks ago. He didn't answer the phone so I left a message as he asks, and he called me back. He even called me back again - and, I think, again - as I was at work when he called. I then wrote an email about two weeks later (early morning) as the order hadn't arrived and he answered later that morning to say there was a delay with one of the things I'd ordered.   

It’s possible there may be a problem with his email receiving from certain email addresses. 
 

For example from @btinternet.com or @google.com, not suggesting there is any issues with these particular ones.

 

Mail can be blocked by your provider before it even gets to the spam filter.

 

Again not saying this is the issue just something else to consider.

[Barry O]

4 hours ago, Asterix2012 said:

It’s possible there may be a problem with his email receiving from certain email addresses. 
 

For example from @btinternet.com or @google.com, not suggesting there is any issues with these particular ones.

 

Mail can be blocked by your provider before it even gets to the spam filter.

 

Again not saying this is the issue just something else to consider.

He got my email from a @btinernet address.. so it isn that 

Baz

Edited August 24, 2021 by Barry O

[Michael Edge]

back to the turntable

Finished and being tested, the L&Y 0-6-2T is here for repair, it's very heavy - but mostly being used because it's the only EM loco here at the moment. I had to do the repair first...

Drive mechanism from underneath, the motor is very quiet and smooth in operation. Drive is by a plastic belt, joined by heating, two additional tensioning pulleys are provided in the kit but they are not necessary, this belt is very good at transmitting power even when it is a bit slack. Most of the machinery in my workshop now runs with this belting in place of the rubber ones originally supplied.

I was a bit worried about the pickup for the running rails but the carrying wheels transmit power perfectly, the running rail is split into two halves so polarity is changed automatically (this is for a DC layout). One side of the motor and one half of the running rail will be connected to the common return (outside rail on the layout), the other two via a two way centre off switch marked "turn", "off" and "track. When switched to turn the loco controller is used to turn and line up the turntable (quite easy, it's near the inside of the baseboard), turned to track to drive a loco on or off. The off position allows a loco to be left isolated on the turntable.

Ready now to take it over there and fit it on the layout.

[Michael Edge]

Latest test track photo shows a few changes.

The finished B7 and a couple of locos in for repair at the front, City of Truro is one of mine, built 1986 and painted by Larry Goddard (better photos of this one later), the Adams radial unknown builder and painter. The RH 48DS is in for finishing and painting as DS1169 to run on our new club O gauge layout. Sharp eyed watchers may notice that the Sentinel 0-6-0s have started to multiply, the Dorman Long one is finished and I've started on the second test etch as one of the GKN locos with a normal height cab. The L&Y 0-6-2T is ready to go back home with the turntable.

[65179]

The B7 looks great Mike. Any chance of a closer view?

 

Regards,

Simon

[Michael Edge]

Some better photos of E3191

I'll have to do something about the track dipping in the portable photo booth, it's not too bad with small light locos but this one is a bit heavy.

Also some better ones of City of Truro.

 

I built this loco in 1986, at that time I was getting out one every week or so and Larry was turning paint jobs round in about 3 weeks. His typically bulled up livery treatment looks good on this effectively preserved loco - it wasn't entirely a preserved loco though, at one time it did a bit of ordinary work as well.

[Barry O]

B7 looks really nice. It needs a fair bit of grime on it though!

Baz

[Michael Edge]

I took the turntable and glued it in place yesterday, back next week to wire it up.

The baseboard had been constructed with a 60ft diameter well but this had to be enlarged to a square hole. Temporary battens screwed to the top to hold it in place while the Gorilla glue goes off. This part of the layout is a compressed version of Dorchester South, the Garratt in the background is standing on road 1 of the loco shed, running lines behind.

This is the control panel, it works on my usual principles, two/centre off switches for the main sections (different colours) to controllers at either side, on/off link switches from running lines to the rest of the layout and on/off switches for separate sections within the main ones. The turntable will be driven round  by the controller linked to the light blue shed section, centre is off, allowing a loco to be parked there. Down connects the track power, up switches to driving the turntable motor, it runs very slowly and is near the inner edge of the baseboard so will be easy to line up by eye.

A few shots of the rest of the layout

Dorchester station, the down platform in place, although the inner face was only ever a siding - it had a railing along it in reality. The footbridge is a (I hope) temporary addition by the layout's owner, in reality there is a subway here. The straight tracks are where the up platform, with it's run round loop, will be - until the 1980s when another one was built on the running line all up trains had to back into this platform before proceeding.

The rest of the layout is not based on any prototype, it's basically a double track oval with a triangular junction in the middle to a single track branch line with a connection to the rest of the main line as well. Originally this branch station was going to be a model of Bodmin North, continuing the LSW theme but this has now been replaced by a vintage EM branch terminus. The owner's father was one of the very early pioneers of EM gauge in the 1940's and this terminus is part of his work.

There is also a 2ft 3in narrow gauge circuit round the inside.

This will be the station/loco depot area of the narrow gauge line, locos are all built by me from Backwoods kits. The narrow gauge has to cross the line from the triangular junction on the level resulting in this "interesting" mixed gauge crossing - combining EM and 009 required some compromises but it does work and is interlocked with the point motors to prevent accidental collisions.

 

Main running lines on the right, branch line over the narrow gauge.

Finally the whole trackplan with the original proposal for Bodmin North.

My part in this has been to build the baseboards and all the pointwork, lay the track and wire it all up. the owner has done all the ballasting and scenic work so far. My work is almost finished now, some track still to do in Dorchester goods yard and the turntable, some more wiring work still to be done. It has taken a great deal longer than we originally thought but the last eleven years have been largely occupied with a certain vast project in France.....

 

 

[St Enodoc]

25 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

 

 

TURN YER BL00DY LINKS OFF!!!!!

[t-b-g]

1 hour ago, Michael Edge said:

I took the turntable and glued it in place yesterday, back next week to wire it up.

The baseboard had been constructed with a 60ft diameter well but this had to be enlarged to a square hole. Temporary battens screwed to the top to hold it in place while the Gorilla glue goes off. This part of the layout is a compressed version of Dorchester South, the Garratt in the background is standing on road 1 of the loco shed, running lines behind.

This is the control panel, it works on my usual principles, two/centre off switches for the main sections (different colours) to controllers at either side, on/off link switches from running lines to the rest of the layout and on/off switches for separate sections within the main ones. The turntable will be driven round  by the controller linked to the light blue shed section, centre is off, allowing a loco to be parked there. Down connects the track power, up switches to driving the turntable motor, it runs very slowly and is near the inner edge of the baseboard so will be easy to line up by eye.

A few shots of the rest of the layout

Dorchester station, the down platform in place, although the inner face was only ever a siding - it had a railing along it in reality. The footbridge is a (I hope) temporary addition by the layout's owner, in reality there is a subway here. The straight tracks are where the up platform, with it's run round loop, will be - until the 1980s when another one was built on the running line all up trains had to back into this platform before proceeding.

The rest of the layout is not based on any prototype, it's basically a double track oval with a triangular junction in the middle to a single track branch line with a connection to the rest of the main line as well. Originally this branch station was going to be a model of Bodmin North, continuing the LSW theme but this has now been replaced by a vintage EM branch terminus. The owner's father was one of the very early pioneers of EM gauge in the 1940's and this terminus is part of his work.

There is also a 2ft 3in narrow gauge circuit round the inside.

This will be the station/loco depot area of the narrow gauge line, locos are all built by me from Backwoods kits. The narrow gauge has to cross the line from the triangular junction on the level resulting in this "interesting" mixed gauge crossing - combining EM and 009 required some compromises but it does work and is interlocked with the point motors to prevent accidental collisions.

 

Main running lines on the right, branch line over the narrow gauge.

Finally the whole trackplan with the original proposal for Bodmin North.

My part in this has been to build the baseboards and all the pointwork, lay the track and wire it all up. the owner has done all the ballasting and scenic work so far. My work is almost finished now, some track still to do in Dorchester goods yard and the turntable, some more wiring work still to be done. It has taken a great deal longer than we originally thought but the last eleven years have been largely occupied with a certain vast project in France.....

 

 

 

That layout looks like a lot of fun to operate! Lovely stuff. As somebody involved in early EM gauge historical modelling the mention of the early EM terminus got my interests going. Is it something you are able to show us or is it something that needs to be kept under wraps?

[LNER4479]

On 30/08/2021 at 10:03, Michael Edge said:

Some better photos of E3191

 

I'll have to do something about the track dipping in the portable photo booth, it's not too bad with small light locos but this one is a bit heavy.

Also some better ones of City of Truro.

 

Great to see the B7 complete, Mike. Look forward to seeing it in the flesh.

 

[Michael Edge]

59 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

 

That layout looks like a lot of fun to operate! Lovely stuff. As somebody involved in early EM gauge historical modelling the mention of the early EM terminus got my interests going. Is it something you are able to show us or is it something that needs to be kept under wraps?

I don't think so, just that I don't have any photos of it. It still needs some fettling of the pointwork and wiring but it does run. I'll atke some photos next time I go over there.