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Bees Hill Models - APT-P in N gauge


Bees Hill
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Hi All,

 

An Introduction From Me, Steven Hill

 

 

As an N gauge modeller, I have modelled for 30 or so years. I was born mid 70's so grew up in the transition period from Blue/Grey, born and raised a Mancunian living within walking distance of Reddish Depot. I also used to go on alot of Railriders tours to many places around the country, one of which was Derby. When I wasn't doing either of those then I'd either be at Crewe, Warrington or Piccadilly. So that introduces me to you all with my three main obsessions:

1.     Woodhead

2.     RTC

3.     West Coast Main Line

 

A few years ago my Bestie introduced me to Sketchup and thus to 3d Printing, I watched what he was doing and learnt some of the basics, I then produced O.L.I.V.E. as it was a relatively easy shape to work with. I designed it to fit on a Tomix 11-103 chassis.

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I was pretty happy with it but then over a few years I struggled to get any better using Sketchup, so opted instead for trying my hand at buying from Shapeways, building kits, scratchbuilding and repainting to suit my needs with various good and not so good outcomes. some of my favourites are my 76's, 506 and 150.

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I was really lucky to pick up a Masterclass EM1 kit, she's on a dummy Dapol Hymek chassis, best I could do to start off with, but then came along Shapeways

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All Shapeways purchases, Tommy is on a dummy chassis atm, EM2 on a Farish cl.31 chassis and the EM1's have Dapol Cl.26 chassis. Seeing these when I first got them and the 506 too, which has a Farish Railcar Chassis, made me really want to learn CAD again so I can produce my own, and who knows maybe a full rake one day. Am pretty chuffed with the 150 really does look good.

 

So my, now wife, bought me a Geetech Prusa  i3 proB for one christmas, had loads of fun building it, but had more fun using it. Thus spurred me to have another look at doing CAD, what software though?... started to have a dabble with Fusion360, very powerful piece of software, struggled a little getting to grips with it at first but started to develop Gantry's for upcoming layout.

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All of the elements I'd created allowing to build the various types of Gantry's I wanted for my layout. Unfortunately I was still struggling creating much more though. In stepped Carl White, (145) 3D Drawing for Model Railways,  with his amazing video tutorials on YouTube. My wife had also bought me a new 3d Printer, Elegoo Mars Pro, very impressed with it.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Happy Modelling

 

 

Steven

 

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APT-P in N gauge Project

 

Having followed Carl's tutorials step by step I was extremely happy with what I was creating. Now, what project do I want 76?...506?? could do but I already have a few for now and it'll be a while before I can actually run my trains. I did try a while ago to replicate Andy Stephney's incredible APT conversion that he did in 2007, but I can't run an APT on Woodhead, Rule1, hmmm, could do! Ah, 3-car Test Train, YES, I'M DOING IT!!!

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I have created 2 different bodies for the DTS with or without raised nose. The ideas being able to drag the 3-car test train, this features a Rapido coupling pocket giving more flexibility when coupled to another vehicle.

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Each of the bodies are 2 piece, Body and Underframe, each underframe also featuring the correct interiors for each vehicle DTS - TS - TU - TRSB - TF - TFB, includes the tiny differences between TU and TF.

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The TFB also comes in 2 parts, Body and Underframe again with correct Interior. I've also drawn the BT12 with and without Airdam/Coupling. for the TBF and the DTS respectively.

 

Now, once I'd drawn these vehicles I WAS going to leave it there, I don't need the power car, so why draw it???

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Well, I've come this far, Should I?, Should I???

 

I shared a few pictures on fb and was overwhelmed by reactions

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Deliberately left the red off, I just couldn't wait any longer to show my fellow N gaugers what I'd been up to.

 

People were asking if I was going to sell my model to others, well I wasn't going to....but.......you know, maybe I could

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This has really inspired me!!!

 

I suppose I have to do the Power car now, no choice really, if I really want to bring this to people

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This was the 1st test print from an outsourcers, at 9hrs per vehicle to print on my printer with a full time job it's just not viable so I chose to find someone else to do it. I had been extremely fortunate to have Andy Stephney contact me wishing to help, that blew my mind, it was seeing his work that inspired me, so I snapped his hand off at the offer to help. I sent down to him the 1st kit from my suppliers and he absolutely thrashed it round Hatch End for 9 hrs with just 1 minor issue found in that time but even so, no derailments, she was flawless.

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They look stunning together, if I do say so myself

 

Edited by Bees Hill
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Steven has very kindly let me have a few APT vehicles to vinyl up and I will be selling both the kits and vinyls via www.electrarail.co.uk

 

The kits really are superb  and build up beautifully, including bogies, couplings and flush glazing. Just wheels and motor chassis needed to complete. Steven has commissioned decals from Railtec for those who wish to paint.

 

The Electra vinyls will wrap the entire vehicle - just the inner ends and power car roofs need painting.

 

 

APT.jpg

APT TBF.jpg

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21 hours ago, drduncan said:

These are fantastic!  How much will the kits and vinyls cost? Also what is the recommended way of motorising them?

 

Regards

 

Duncan

 

 

Hi Duncan,

 

Thanks for your kind words.

firstly, to motorise, a Tomytec TM-18 chassis available from, among others, Plus Daughters in Basildon.

 

Secondly, the first of my kits is already available at APT-P Power Car - Dummy Version (electrarail.co.uk) and can be bought with or without vinyls from Adam.

 

APT11 - A single dummy power car which will come with 2 couplings, a Pantograph, a pair of BP17 dummy bogies, Body and Underframe. £40, £48 from adams website with vinyls.

 

To complete this kit, you'll need 4x Farish 5.1mm blackened wheels.

 

I also sell the Transfers if your painting it for £6, these were produced by Railtec

 

All of my other kits will be available after TINGS, 12 Sep 2021

 

Thanks

Steven

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3 hours ago, woodenhead said:

It’s a pity you couldn’t use a Farish 91 as the chassis for the power car, sort of would have been a nod to lineage.

That is an option but its a tricky conversion, it does mean extending the bogie centres which also means replacing the driveshaft, it needs to be longer.

 

This is what Andy Stephney had originally done for his original model.

 

Thanks

Steven

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13 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

In that respect the earlier Poole version of the class 91 used an entirely different chassis that would not be suitable for extending.

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Indeed, I believe it to be either the chassis with a Sprung driveshaft or even the split chassis can be extended, Andy used the Spring Chassis if serves me correct.

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The split chassis was based around the new chassis 'Poole' Farish developed for the Class 90 (also used in the Class 87) which had a spring drive, very like Tomix used at the time, so the bogies could be repositioned on the drive spring which acted like a very long worm, the adjustable pivots locating in several cast-in teeth. The plastic pivots themselves could be used either way round (there was a hole offset on the top) providing for even more potential bogie centres. 'Bachmann' Farish used the same blocks modified to use a standard Bachmann double flywheel motor but used drive shafts so repositioning the bogies required new/modified drive shafts too.

Edited by BernardTPM
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