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Could be a bit of a climb over Seaford Head :)

 

The basic layout is similar to our Alresford layout from 30 years ago, except it had one more point in the goods yard. With three sidings, we spent many an hour at exhibitions shuffling trucks around the goods yard while trains passed up and down the main line.

 

Have fun.

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2 hours ago, Ian Morgan said:

Could be a bit of a climb over Seaford Head :)

 

The basic layout is similar to our Alresford layout from 30 years ago, except it had one more point in the goods yard. With three sidings, we spent many an hour at exhibitions shuffling trucks around the goods yard while trains passed up and down the main line.

 

Have fun.

 

Thanks Ian; Funnily enough I have a 'three siding' variant as well, and also one with a siding off the loop, running down to a cattle dock and terminating behind/near the signal box, but part of the attraction of 2mm for me is the feeling of space, so didn't want to try and cram too much in.

 

Admittedly, I am playing a little with the geology! - although the 'might have been' would have done as well (perhaps even more so!); See https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/8fcf6125-3f05-4f65-b829-909f96456d9b 

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I understand the feeling of space, but for exhibition use we found that as soon as the goods train left the yard, or blocked the main line to access another siding off the loop (SCATS warehouse sidings on Alresford) all the viewing public disappeared. We would just shunt the yard all day and rarely try to leave. Exhibiting is different to home running sessions.

 

 

 

 

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I've barely been doing this long enough to acquire the makings of a gloat box, let alone forget what it is that I've bought to put in it. Or so I thought. I have two of these; a 30mm length of 1mm rod, with a 7mm length of copper (?) tube. Anyone any idea as to what they might be?

 

20210107_200323.jpg

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On 04/01/2021 at 14:13, dseagull said:

Any obvious flaws/areas which will cause me difficulty

 

One thing that I would suggest, is to move the 'crossover' points, leading to the headshunt, further to the right in order to increase the length of the headshunt to the maximum possible.

 

David

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29 minutes ago, Nick Mitchell said:

Could they be a PECO point motor shaft extender?

I'm going back decades, but seem to remember something with a PL-10 point motor - like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143774500829

Ah, that's a possibility.  I 'inherited' some old n-gauge stuff ages ago that included a couple of point motors.  The packaging didn't look like Association bags.  Now I know what they are, thoughts turn to what they will become!  

 

Richard

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If you were going to model this crane in 2mmFS, how would you tackle the crane chassis?

 

It has a very peculiar axle spacing of 6’6” + 6’0” + 4’6” (17’ total wheelbase) plus 3’ 7 1/2” overhang at each end. So far as I can work out, the wheels are 3’ diameter.

 

I’d imagine it wouldn’t really be viable to make a rigid chassis this long, which pretty much rules out using wagon wheels and bearings. 

 

So, functional inside frames and bearings hidden behind cosmetic outside frames, like a tender? Which would be better though? 

  • Inside frames narrower than usual to allow more side play on all axles?
  • Inside frames that step down to a narrower section to allow more side play on the two end axles only?
  • Pony trucks? (Strikes me as a lot of extra work - and vertical clearance here would be virtually nil - is it worth it?)

IMG_20210106_112352.jpg.ec97e49468c01fc84007823bfd9718ca.jpg

 

All thoughts gratefully received!

 

Justin

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I wouldn't introduce side play on the outer axles as that would allow the vehicle to twist from side to side.  There is the Fencehouses Cleminson chassis to consider, or, if you prefer to use inside bearings, mount the centre axle in a 'U' shaped bearing hanger which is them mounted on a piece of lightly sprung wire so that it can both move from side to side and also cope with minor undulations in the track.

 

Jim

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I guess the 6’ centre spacing of the two axles is under the crane pivot where logically the most weight would be perhaps, with the shorter spaced front axle under the jib, and the rear axle wider spaced back under the vertical boiler (I’m presuming it must be a steam crane rather than diesel at this point in time). I’d personally tend to try making a simple inside framed job and give axles as much side play as possible. Knock up a test chassis in plasticard quickly/simply to test the concept and the minimum radius possible.

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26 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

I wouldn't introduce side play on the outer axles as that would allow the vehicle to twist from side to side.  There is the Fencehouses Cleminson chassis to consider,

 

Thanks Jim - I had been thinking of allowing the outside axles the side play as per a 2-4-2 tank - but I see what you mean about keeping the outside axles rigid for stability on the track.

 

I don't think a Cleminson chassis would cater for a four axle chassis though? 

 

28 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

f you prefer to use inside bearings, mount the centre axle in a 'U' shaped bearing hanger which is them mounted on a piece of lightly sprung wire so that it can both move from side to side and also cope with minor undulations in the track.

 

Jim

 

This sounds promising! Would you mount the two central axles together on a single "bogie" sprung this way? Or individually?

 

Justin

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Hi, after returning to fine scale modelling after a hiatus of nearly 30 years, I’d like ask people about painting (hope this doesn’t stir up a big debate). In the past, I’d always clean up etched brass models with a fibreglass brush followed by a scrub using a cream kitchen cleaner and a tooth brush. I’d use a car undercoat spray can followed by a couple of coats of thinned enamel using an airbrush, weathering would then follow being finally sealed with a thin coat of Matt of varnish applied through an airbrush. Is it the same technology these days. I did start to use acrylic paint, I found the fumes more bearable. Any help or ideas on this subject would be welcomed. 
I’ve still got my old pasche airbrush and have serviced it ready. 

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Although many use acrylic these days I'm afraid I can't get on with them and still use the same technique as you describe. Only difference is the paasche's have been retired and a small Iwata Neo used for the benefit of less hassle with amounts of paint needed. latest exploit re it here which might be of interest/help:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/147403-priory-road-north-east-essex-in-br-days/page/5/&tab=comments#comment-4007156

 

Still use car paint for top coat as well in some cases! I think it's really whatever works for you.

 

Bob

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2 hours ago, justin1985 said:

I don't think a Cleminson chassis would cater for a four axle chassis though? 

Sorry, Justin.  My simple brain didn't register that it was a four wheel chassis.  In that case why not just make it on two 'internal' bogies, albeit with different wheelbases?  If one bogie is allow to rock about it's transverse axis and the other about it's longitudinal axis you will have a degree of compensation and the first bogie will keep it from rocking on the track.

 

Jim

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13 hours ago, justin1985 said:

If you were going to model this crane in 2mmFS, how would you tackle the crane chassis?

 

It has a very peculiar axle spacing of 6’6” + 6’0” + 4’6” (17’ total wheelbase) plus 3’ 7 1/2” overhang at each end. So far as I can work out, the wheels are 3’ diameter.

 

I’d imagine it wouldn’t really be viable to make a rigid chassis this long, which pretty much rules out using wagon wheels and bearings. 

 

So, functional inside frames and bearings hidden behind cosmetic outside frames, like a tender? Which would be better though? 

  • Inside frames narrower than usual to allow more side play on all axles?
  • Inside frames that step down to a narrower section to allow more side play on the two end axles only?
  • Pony trucks? (Strikes me as a lot of extra work - and vertical clearance here would be virtually nil - is it worth it?)

IMG_20210106_112352.jpg.ec97e49468c01fc84007823bfd9718ca.jpg

 

All thoughts gratefully received!

 

Justin


On 6w coach underframes I tried cleminson and also an alternative arrangement to allow side movement of the centre axle. I found that neither were really required and both were more complicated than the final solution of a rigid 3 axle chassis using top hat bearings. These have wheelbases of 17’-19’. When you calculate the amount of sideways movement required by the centre axle on the usual radii used in 2FS the answer is not much and I’ve always found there is a very small amount of side-side movement of the axles in the top hat bearings. With 4 axles it could make sense to have a pair of hidden bogies for improved compliance over any bumpy bits but you could equally find that it will work well as a rigid chassis. 

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I’m joining a nickel silver coach body to a nickel silver under frame, I’ve used 2mm stores 10BA brass Cheesehead screws and nuts, having soldered the nut to the coach floor. I’ve seen on Amazon sets of stainless screws and boots in a range of metric sizes at very good prices. Would stainless steel solder to nickel silver. I’d like to M1.4 screws and bolts. Is there another source for M1.4 screws and bolts in brass? Any help appreciated. 

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There are fluxes available for stainless steel: it probably depends on the grade as to how well it solders, but they are generally very corrosive.  I wouldn’t trust it for things like nuts inside a coach body. 
 

Tim

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3 hours ago, 1965Nick said:

I’m joining a nickel silver coach body to a nickel silver under frame, I’ve used 2mm stores 10BA brass Cheesehead screws and nuts, having soldered the nut to the coach floor. I’ve seen on Amazon sets of stainless screws and boots in a range of metric sizes at very good prices. Would stainless steel solder to nickel silver. I’d like to M1.4 screws and bolts. Is there another source for M1.4 screws and bolts in brass? Any help appreciated. 


 

A search for miniature metric brass nut finds: 


https://prime-miniatures.co.uk/catalog/full-nuts-open/brass

 

M1.4 nuts £4 per 10pcs. 
 

An alternative would be to create a cage or block to hold the steel nuts (available more cheaply) captive. 

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8 hours ago, richbrummitt said:


 

A search for miniature metric brass nut finds: 


https://prime-miniatures.co.uk/catalog/full-nuts-open/brass

 

M1.4 nuts £4 per 10pcs. 
 

An alternative would be to create a cage or block to hold the steel nuts (available more cheaply) captive. 

 

Gosh, metric are expensive.  Or that supplier is expensive. 

 

A very quick search, and 12BA brass nuts at £4 for 50 came up at the first half-credible supplier I found.  

 

Several years ago, I bought a few thousand screws and nuts in sizes 8BA to 14BA, divvying them up with various modelling friends, so we all had packets of hundreds of each size.     

 

- Nigel

 

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Hi.

 

Another alternative would be to cut your own threads. I use this set and have done for a number of years now.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/184571380205?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

 

Combined with the cheap screw sets 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/600pcs-Set-Electronic-Assortment-Kit-M1-M1-2-M1-4-M1-6-Mini-12-Kinds-Screw-Nuts/383522857855?hash=item594bbe637f:g:0lAAAOSwZmpepj8E

 

They both cover pretty much anything in 2mm scale.

 

Julia :)

 

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24 minutes ago, -missy- said:

Hi.

 

Another alternative would be to cut your own threads. I use this set and have done for a number of years now.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/184571380205?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

 

Combined with the cheap screw sets 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/600pcs-Set-Electronic-Assortment-Kit-M1-M1-2-M1-4-M1-6-Mini-12-Kinds-Screw-Nuts/383522857855?hash=item594bbe637f:g:0lAAAOSwZmpepj8E

 

They both cover pretty much anything in 2mm scale.

 

Julia :)

 

 

Very much a good idea. For say a coach floor you can sweat a thicker piece of brass onto a coach floor to give extra thread length if the floor is thin.

One word of warning though you may get a bill from the post office for the vat and their fee for collecting it ( can be £8) this is in part due to brexit but I believe the vat exemption on small items ordered online was due to cease in the EU in June anyway.  It is to level the playing field for British suppliers who pay VAT.  Some o the Chinese Suppliers are registering to pay VAT to keep their products competitive. 

Don

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