Jump to content
 

Charlie Strong Metals (and Watery Lane Sidings)


Recommended Posts

On 16/01/2020 at 16:24, sb67 said:

I love that scene in the second photo, what layout is that from Ruston? 

It's my Calder Vale Mineral Railway layout.

 

I was just looking for something in a drawer and found this:

Knightwing.jpg.b80a92441c825cc00c108e0773bde363.jpg

It's a plastic kit for a Rolls Royce 0-6-0DH. I think it was made by Knightwing. I completely forgot about it until right now and I guess I've had it since the 1990s. I had intended to motorise it but there's no point now with the Judith Edge kit being available, if I do want a RR diesel. Instead, I will build it up as something in for scrapping and have it with the rods off, so it will roll more easily.

 

Rolls Royce 10233, ex-Manvers Main, awating the torch, at Booths. I may even model it with the engine exposed as in the photo.

RR10233-0189.jpg.8040483a742c9c76d209f2d476acd248.jpg

 

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 12
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes, it's Knightwing. I have one of those kits - Branchlines do/did an etched chassis kit for it, a basic one and a more advanced add-on with wheels and etched outside frames/springs etc. to give more clearance for EM. I have it all stashed away for a rainy day.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, DanielB said:

Oooh, anyone know if that kit is still available? I'm not confident enough to try the Judith Edge kit yet, so that would be a good stopgap :)

Mine is available. I'll swap it for the Judith Edge kit of the same.

  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
  • Funny 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Track laid, with wires on every section, regardless of whether or not they will be isolating sections. I've snipped the connecting wires under every turnout, as per Peco, instructions, and have also soldred wires direct to the 'blades'. That ought to keep all the electickery behaving itself. I've decided that this layout will be DCC, once funds are available, but will be switchable to DC so I can run other locos on it. I think that having sound will make what is otherwise a small and boring layout more interesting to operate.

 

Charliestrack.jpg.af5d21cc1bdb5e59d466c28dfbf05ebf.jpg

Point operation will be manumatic/digital, using rods and tubes under the baseboard. These will be operated from both sides for home and possible exhibition use.

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 13
Link to post
Share on other sites

I got two of the point controls done this evening.

 

Instead of buying tube I used some electrical connector blocks and piano wire.

Charlies-014.jpg.5da0b8508da7401f5f4d5ed7f70ed3ba.jpg

 

Charlies-015.jpg.6be2998c87c08d7678de761f409e3f70.jpg

Those with the plastic around them have the screws released and simply act as anchors to prevent the wire from flexing. Two bare brass blocks are soldered together and a bent length of 1/16th brass bar is screwed in, with the other end fitting in the hole in the tie bar of the point. Microswitches will be placed to bear against the brass connectors in order to change the frog polarity.

 

I'll turn some brass knobs to go on the ends of the wire to operate the points.

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 4
  • Informative/Useful 1
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I like the look of that method Dave, can you get any curvature with the piano wire or must it be pretty straight? I like the idea of using the brass connectors to operate the micro switches too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 20/01/2020 at 20:30, sb67 said:

I like the look of that method Dave, can you get any curvature with the piano wire or must it be pretty straight? I like the idea of using the brass connectors to operate the micro switches too.

Do you mean bending the wire to permanently take up a curve, or do you mean having it curve under stress? It would work either way but the former would require some skillful drilling of the plywood and the latter would require some sort of sleeve in the plywood, otherwise there would be a lot of friction with the wire on wood.

 

Earlier this evening I put in the last two wires and made the knobs. I slapped some paint on the baseboard and left it to dry.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Paint slapped on, plus ends and lower part of backscene. This lower part will form the basis of a retaining wall. I still need to make the upper part out of thinner ply but so far I've been using pieces of wood that I've had lying about from previous baseboard builds and I don't have anything suitable.

186042683_charliesyard-1.jpg.f2748f52b93e72f7ed9ee77a3704a7ec.jpg

 

Brass knobs, for point operation.

1378116235_charliesyard-2.jpg.f53a952b37e7f2aa69781acf6badfc7b.jpg

They were in various stages of completion but they will have to be fitted as they are due to a bang and a flash coming from the lathe, which caused the lights to go out. I unplugged it and flicked the trip on the consumer unit under the stairs, so the ilghts are fine but I think the motor on the lathe has gone to silicon heaven, where all the calculators go.

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 6
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Crushed/baled scrap.

 

I've been experimenting and consuming lots of calories in the name of modelling science. I made a square tube from styrene, reinforced with insulting tape. Each bale is made from half of a foil casing from a Lidl Portuguese custard. A length of brass bar is rammed down the tube until a mark made upon it is level with the top of the tube.

1449798226_charliesyardbales-1.jpg.c6dca8afba431565e112e38f0a28c49c.jpg

The back row are all unaltered, as if they are made from fresh steel off-cuts, collected from local manufacturing companies. The two on the left were roughly painted before being crushed, as if they are car bodies. The remainder are the result of rusty weathering powders being dusted into the tube before crushing. These are meant to be good fresh scrap that has been in the skip at a manufacturing company for a few weeks before being collected.

 

The unaltered ones look alright in isolation but I think that they will look too shiny once they're on the layout and so they may have to be spray-painted, or at least given a blast of matt varnish.

 

I'll have to scratch build one of these.

461587389_charliesyardlefortcrusher-1.jpg.e709f44620d3caf2c1f76decb63d4b32.jpg

 

 

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

The first train has moved under power.

459091438_charliesyard3-1.jpg.6cf97ed7a57b37b8436bca81cec8e0c6.jpg

 

The obligatory under-baseboard wiring shot.

117516765_charliesyard3-2.jpg.81f9714554f5338f07a870e6e242fc02.jpg

No section switches. Copper tape used to save on having wires everywhere. There is a DPDT switch to change from DCC to DC. As there are no sections, DC operation is limited to one engine at a time and is really only for testing engines. The grey box at the far end is the base station/control box or whatever it's called in DCC terminology.

 

I just have to build the fiddle yard board, lay the track and wire it. Then it's the awkward and messy job of cutting a hole in the bookshelves. Once those tedious jobs are done, the fun interesting stuff can begin.

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

I was playing around moving virtual pieces of track on a virtual fiddle yard baseboard and it occurred to me that instead of having just a plain board above my computer desk, I could make the fiddle yard for Charlie's Yard into a scenic railway of its own.

1690974708_charliesfiddle.png.ab23ab152d5b2e9abbe95698f1a10a47.png

The line with the circles is the edge of the board and is that shape in order that it steps back from the computer and printer but it seemed like it could be a harbour wall ,so that's what it may become. I can use this as the fiddle yard for Charlie's and Charlie's as a fiddle yard for this.

  • Like 6
  • Craftsmanship/clever 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Ruston said:

I was playing around moving virtual pieces of track on a virtual fiddle yard baseboard and it occurred to me that instead of having just a plain board above my computer desk, I could make the fiddle yard for Charlie's Yard into a scenic railway of its own.

1690974708_charliesfiddle.png.ab23ab152d5b2e9abbe95698f1a10a47.png

The line with the circles is the edge of the board and is that shape in order that it steps back from the computer and printer but it seemed like it could be a harbour wall ,so that's what it may become. I can use this as the fiddle yard for Charlie's and Charlie's as a fiddle yard for this.

Good idea re the fiddle yard.  The track plan makes a good layout in its own right and would be good fun, (it is identical to Peasevern yard)

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Fiddle Yard, wired up and joined to scenic board. It needs a lick of paint next. I won't attach a backscene to it; this will be attached to the wall instead.

1917263473_charliesyard4-1.jpg.6dfef994dc9117211403e4a37bd28d4d.jpg

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
On 18/01/2020 at 21:01, DanielB said:

Oooh, anyone know if that kit is still available? I'm not confident enough to try the Judith Edge kit yet, so that would be a good stopgap :)

I'm pretty sure Aspire models had a large selection of Knightwing on their stand at the Yate show. It may have included loco kits.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I have found some more photos of the scrapyard layout that I built in 1989/1990. I can't believe it's now 30 years since I built this!

 

Impetus kit Fowler 422 class and Cambrian kit-built POA wagon.

oldscrap1.jpg.dede555741e64aeb0d2ad36f48179e8f.jpg

 

DJH kit-built Barclay and Langley whitemetal Scammell Highwayman, with plasticard trailer.

oldscrap2.jpg.cf08627a122b06c037205e0a63664c83.jpg

 

 

A similar view to one posted earlier but showing the scrap crusher and part of one of the gantry cranes. The grounded van body, with DOGS painted on, was inspired by one at C.F. Booth's scrapyard that had that painted on the roof. I guess they kept guard dogs in there at one time. The Sentinel 4wDH was a Nonneminstre whitemetal kit that ran on a Tenshodo motor bogie.

oldscrap3.jpg.bc7873b0c97678416823ea628e0005a9.jpg

 

This A1 Models etched brass body kit for a Ruston 48DS also ran on a Tenshodo. It was a rubbish runner, as were all the Tenshodos. It was painted yellow, after the Grant Lyon Eagre Rustons but this was before I even had a computer, let alone a printer, and I doubt that Photoshop was even a twinkle in some programmer's eye, so there was no way of having lettering on. The name is from a Fox transfers sheet for something.

oldscrap4.jpg.f5bcb0e5a276290d304060e394a614d6.jpg

 

 

Edited by Ruston
  • Like 8
  • Craftsmanship/clever 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...