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Broad Gauge on a Budget in 4mm


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Anybody who has visited my profile and had the strange urge to read the "Interests" tab will know that for quite some time I've wanted to model broad gauge. And now that day has arrived. Recently I was wandering around Shapeways, looking at new any 4mm scale body kits that had been released. And just out of curiosity, I searched "Broad Gauge", which yielded results for some very nice body and chassis kits. The cheapest of these was a Gooch "Caesar" class 0-6-0 goods, model viewable Here. And it just happened that I had the correct Gibson wheels for this engine languishing on my desk. So I went and bought one.

 

The Caesar class began production in June 1851 at Swindon. They had 5 ft diameter drivers and 17 x 24 inch cylinders, Wikipedia incorrectly describes them as saddle tanks. The class were given names as is only good and proper, Caesar, Dido, Druid, Florence, Hero, Nora Creina, Thunderer, and Volcano. Mine will be of be of Florence, built in 1861 and withdrawn in 1874. This has nothing to do with my display name, which is supposed to be Florence Street Locomotive Works, but unfortunately I forgot to add in the abbreviation of street so it became Florence Locomotive Works. The image below is of Dido, Queen of the Carthaginians. 

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Photo Credit.

 

I haven't yet decided as to what the layout will be of, but will almost certainly will not include and turnouts/switches/points. I'm thinking of part of a terminus station, or the entrance to the Box Tunnel, as I seem to remember somebody makes a kit of said tunnel or one very similar. I might also do something on the Cornwall Railway. This would not be entirely accurate, as according to my book on said railway there was a distinct lack of tender engines there. The cost will try to be kept as low as possible on this, so there will be a lot of scratch-building. The model will almost certainly not be motorized, I intend to build a purpose built goods wagon for that, on maybe find a way to shoehorn a Ringfield drive into the tender.

Edited by Florence Locomotive Works
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I've considered 4mm broad gauge running on transverse-sleepered track. My P/W options were: hand-built track on copper-clad; or, centrally cut panels of Peco Streamline or SMP relaid to gauge. The gap left in the middle would be 'filled' with cut pieces of plastic strip and/or shaped filler.

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if you can get hold of a copy of the December 1976 Railway Modeller, there is an article  (pp 368-371) by  Bill Salter called  "BG7 makes its debut"  in which he describes his 7mm broad gauge terminus  and branch line built with just three points and a sector plate.

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Post No. 2, Signals.

 

 

I felt I needed to get something done before the loco arrived, so I went looking for something simple to build. I came forth with a GWR disk and bar signal. As one can clearly see it’s very simply made, but gives the overall appearance. The crossbar will be red, as will the disk. The rest will all be painted in white, except for the base which will be left as wood.

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Edited by Florence Locomotive Works
Incorrect info
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Interesting new departure! From Mocambique to the West Country :).  I like the signal.

 

I had no idea Sparkshot did BG stuff now, thanks for the tip.

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9 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Interesting new departure! From Mocambique to the West Country :).  I like the signal.

 

I had no idea Sparkshot did BG stuff now, thanks for the tip.

He only started back in February, with just the body for a 4-4-0, and then very recently all the rest arrived. I would very much like to see the layout for which they were commissioned, as it seems that it would be rather sizable given the amount of locos they bought.

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Post No. 3, signal finished.

 

Signal No 1 has been painted. The finish isn’t exactly ideal, but I think it will be fine for the overall standard of what I intend to built. Unfortunately I’m not quite skilled enough with a Exacto knife to be able to cut the three rectangular slots in the bar, so you’ll just have to imagine them. 

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First piece of preliminary “baulk road” has been completed. It’s not the greatest thing ever, but it looks good which is what’s important in my opinion. I think the sleeper spacing might also be slightly off. This piece will probably just be for testing engines or displaying them and rolling stock.

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The signal cable tower has been completed. I made this very painstakingly from what we in the states call “toothpicks”, I’m not sure if that’s what the rest of the world calls them, but nobody uses them for teeth picking. All that’s left to make now is the Railway Policeman’s small hut, as I won’t be doing a signal box. As I’m fairly sure I’m doing the entrance to the Box Tunnel in this layout, I’ve made an attempt at doing the top part of the arch. This has been hand carved from a old building block, and unfortunately will have to be single track. This is because it’s only wide enough for one BG line, but I don’t think it will subtract from the overall appearance that much. It’s not quite done yet as you can see . . . 
 

The signal is really to short to be the one outside the Box, but it will look more proportioned with the single track, I hope.

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The signal “unit” has now been completed, photographed on top of the arch. I decided to use this type of signal to add some variety to the layout, since it will be a fairly boring approach to a tunnel. So I think a rather large white triangle sticking out will breakup the scenery, but in a good way. The string you see hanging off is raised by the triangle so it can cross the tracks to a mast outside the Railway Policeman’s hut, which has yet to be constructed.

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Edited by Florence Locomotive Works
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Well the layout is taking shape. I have wholeheartedly decided on the box tunnel for it as well. Yesterday I went out and bought a commercial tunnel portal, which is double track. But unfortunately it’s for HO so it can really only accommodate one BG line, but it looks really nice after painting and weathering. The base board has just been painted, and on the far side you can see what might become an embankment. However this will be more likely made out of foam or plaster. I've decided on only doing one embankment, so I don’t have to lean over the layout to see the activity, the accuracy dwindles as progress happens...  

 

 

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Edited by Florence Locomotive Works
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A bit of track work has been completed. Well actually quite a lot of track work has been completed! These are just the horizontal “baulks” that lay under the rail. The sleepers haven’t been made yet as I’m waiting for the chassis to arrive so said sleepers can be correctly gauged, as I’m not sure whether the chassis is made to standard 4mm BG or P4 BG, but I’m guessing 4mm.  This has been made from balsa wood with lengths of Hornby flexitrack glued on top, the sleepers will also be from balsa.

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Edited by Florence Locomotive Works
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Before you go too far I'd better point out that the cross timbers (transoms) were set between rather than underneath the longitudinal baulks. They were there to keep the rails apart – the opposing function of pulling the rails/baulks together was done with metal tie bars. The Broad Gauge Society http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/index.html will have drawings etc though you may have to join!

 

They say "never model a model" but here is a snap of a bit of baulk track as reduced to standard gauge and still i use in 1905 – at least in my model universe. If you peer closely enough, almost lost in the ballast is a tie rod just in front of the transom. Rail is bridge section from the BGS held down by imaginary fang bolts...

 

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A rather better view of the real thing at Didcot.

 

 

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Note that the transom is notched into the main baulk. Also the wood packing under the rail to stop it digging into the baulk over time, and of course the (non-imaginary) fang bolts!

 

 

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2 hours ago, wagonman said:

Before you go too far I'd better point out that the cross timbers (transoms) were set between rather than underneath the longitudinal baulks. They were there to keep the rails apart – the opposing function of pulling the rails/baulks together was done with metal tie bars. The Broad Gauge Society http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/index.html will have drawings etc though you may have to join!

 

They say "never model a model" but here is a snap of a bit of baulk track as reduced to standard gauge and still i use in 1905 – at least in my model universe. If you peer closely enough, almost lost in the ballast is a tie rod just in front of the transom. Rail is bridge section from the BGS held down by imaginary fang bolts...

 

baulk_road.jpg.07c9d36c457340813e38c96f3043360a.jpg

Yes I realized that a few days ago. I think for the sake of time I will but them underneath the baulks, but a test piece in the correct method will probably be made.

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The tunnel and embankments are now taking shape. I’ve used the card board lattice method, as we have an excess of said material. Unfortunately I’ve just run out of hot glue, so now I must go on an epic quest through the closets less traveled to find some more, hopefully. In a few days, Florence, the layouts one and only loco, will be shipped out from Long Island where it’s being printed. After much searching, I have found no suppliers in the USA who can supply the correct size axles in metal, so they will have to be styrene unfortunately. Hard, tough styrene mind you. 

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On 30/06/2020 at 23:18, Paul H Vigor said:

I've considered 4mm broad gauge running on transverse-sleepered track. My P/W options were: hand-built track on copper-clad; or, centrally cut panels of Peco Streamline or SMP relaid to gauge. The gap left in the middle would be 'filled' with cut pieces of plastic strip and/or shaped filler.

I’m using ply sleepers with Exactoscale chairs for my transverse sleepered mixed gauge ‘Nampara for Hendrawna’ layout set in 1890-92 that is very slowly emerging from the loft workshop clutter.

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1 hour ago, drduncan said:

I’m using ply sleepers with Exactoscale chairs for my transverse sleepered mixed gauge ‘Nampara for Hendrawna’ layout set in 1890-92 that is very slowly emerging from the loft workshop clutter.

What/whose rails are you using?

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