Any Question Answered

[Chris Higgs]

Sorry for any confusion - but this is much more true the other way around. N Gauge (9mm) stock usually runs quite happily on 2FS plain track (9.42) as the wider wheel treads take up the difference. It is, in my experience, just about possible to test a 2FS loco on N gauge plain track, but it will wobble about a lot. Turnouts are a different question both ways around!

 

The shunting plank we tested the 37 on still has 2FS track, although I am planning to reuse that board for a Finetrax/TomE style 2mm turnouts with N flange ways test project now I've abandoned "Snape".

 

There have been several layouts with both N gauge and 2FS lines - including Copenhagen Fields predecessor, Chiltern Green, I believe.

 

J

 

OT, but last week I arrived an hour early in Luton to pick up my son, and not being at all keen on hanging around the town centre, went looking for and found the real Chiltern Green. Now disfigured with overhead gantries.

 

Chris

[Steven Draper]

Thank you for your quick and friendly replies.

Brill News about the Castle progress as it's a really beauty 8^) and the fact these exciting conversion projects are being worked on demonstrates to me a lot about the scale. 

I'll be honest - I've been flip flopping between OO and N for so long I've never got around to making a layout. I like the possibilities in N but generally find things look a bit crude as you get closer, and I'm rarely 100% happy with the RTR running with lots of things wobbling or bumping along. OO has provided some advantages, but has other issues too. 

Years ago (back in the 80's) 2mm appeared something of a hard core modeller scale -- but having re-investigated it I've discovered that it has really moved on to the stage where although a project would take me well out of my comfort zone, I think it would bring into the model railway experience a level of satisfaction that goes beyond just ordering something, waiting for the post man to deliver it and then placing it on the track. Seeing the 64xx on the club page after converting and some weathering is really convincing me to give it a try. And having fewer but much higher quality models hopefully combats the want to buy every interesting new livery or model that is produced issue I tend to suffer from (we will see !!!!!)

I thought about just tweaking n models to look a bit better, but in all honesty I think as soon as you start doing that, for a little more effort you might as well go the whole way !! 

My initial plan is to sell off a whole load of my OO collection to invest in some tools, membership and grab some desirable loco's before they sell out and the bits to build a very small test project and start practising skills. 

Longer term I've a the dream of a smallish model based on the old Gunnislake station on the Callington branch with the option of running it in some kind of period mode and maybe for fun and variation some kind of might have been preservation.  My house overlooks the former station site and recreating what would have been the experience from the kitchen window without the washing being covered in soot seems like a good idea 8^) This will probably be portable as by the time its finished I might actually have the chance to retire and exhibit it !!!!!!

However to be honest a lot of the time I get most pleasure from just watching a few 'trains' go around and around while I unwind after work - and a larger 3 / 4 line effort around my basement is another plan - and this is where I'm considering providing having a dedicated track for N gauge for running non converted stock. So provided the points are N gauge the running line could be 2mm, or nearly 2mm !!! 

Anyway thanks again and I'll keep you updated. 

[Lacathedrale]

The viaduct I'm thinking is basically a backscene to the layout, I've just realised I've got enough width to plonk a double track on it rather than having it as a 2D flat. Given that I've got a jigsaw I may as well use some leftover ply for the sub-roadbed just incase at some point it ends up being an operable area. Cheers! 

[Nig H]

Hi,

 

I'm seriously looking at a 2mm project but just wondering if there is a relatively straight forward way to convert the new Graham Farish Castle to 2mm ?

 

On a variation, have any layouts been built that have both 2mm and N gauge running lines ( obviously not connected !) so that non converted stock has somewhere to play as well ?

 

Many Thanks,

Hi Steve,

 

Association member Steve Dunkeyson and his clubmates have been involved in two sizeable such layouts. The latest is I called Millsbridge and succeeded Honley(?). This is the link https://huddersfieldrailwaymodellers.weebly.com/2mm--1-foot-n-gauge.html

 

Concerning your later posting, the Association now provides a number of replacement chassis for more recent N gauge RTR models, most of the releases being of very high quality. A number of the conversion kits are quite quick to do, although a little experience or a guiding hand is always useful. 

 

Some Association members, me included, also market conversion or replacement chassis kits (see the Members Products pages), though I suspect that you are inclined to the GWR so may not be interested in these other products.

 

Nig H

[Steven Draper]

Hi Steve,

 

Association member Steve Dunkeyson and his clubmates have been involved in two sizeable such layouts. The latest is I called Millsbridge and succeeded Honley(?). This is the link https://huddersfieldrailwaymodellers.weebly.com/2mm--1-foot-n-gauge.html

 

Concerning your later posting, the Association now provides a number of replacement chassis for more recent N gauge RTR models, most of the releases being of very high quality. A number of the conversion kits are quite quick to do, although a little experience or a guiding hand is always useful. 

 

Some Association members, me included, also market conversion or replacement chassis kits (see the Members Products pages), though I suspect that you are inclined to the GWR so may not be interested in these other products.

 

Nig H

 

Thanks Nig,

 

What a super layout, many thanks for the link.

 

That is all good to know and I enjoy loco's from pretty much all regions and era's.

 

 I shall have my membership application on the way very soon 8^)

 

Cheers,

Steven

[Donw]

Shop1/Gareth got back to me yesterday night so I'm as happy as a clam.

 

Speaking of card modelling, I've got the texture packs and card to build a viaduct, but to be clear, I should be using a ply/foamcore base for the surface on which I'll be affixing the track, right? I can't imagine that 2mm card would appreciate being soaked in PVA for ballasting, etc.

A coat of shellac or Knotting will make card much stronger and more resistant to water should be fine with the pva but not total immersion. Also a coat of PVA allowed to dry should stop it causing problems. My chiuce would be the shellac.

 

Don

 

chiuce how did my fingers  turn choice into that.

Edited February 20, 2018 by Donw

[dpgibbons]

I'm about to finescale a Farish Class 24 (370-060) but the loco service sheet does not reveal how to remove the existing wheelset. Can somebody assist please?

[2mm Andy]

I'm about to finescale a Farish Class 24 (370-060) but the loco service sheet does not reveal how to remove the existing wheelset. Can somebody assist please?

 

Turn the loco upside down. At the inner end of the bogie is a small plastic clip. Insert a jeweller's screwdriver into the recess and twist it to release the cosmetic outer bogie frame. You should now be able to see the existing wheelsets. Remove them by pulling carefully. When fitting the replacement wheels, be careful with the phosphor bronze pickups - they are quite easy to distort (and may also need adjusting to account for the larger back-to-back dimension of the 2mm wheels.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Andy

Edited February 21, 2018 by 2mm Andy

[Nigelcliffe]

Turn the loco upside down. At the inner end of the bogie is a small plastic clip. Insert a jeweller's screwdriver into the recess and twist it to release the cosmetic outer bogie frame. You should now be able to see the existing wheelsets. Remove them by pulling carefully. When fitting the replacement wheels, be careful with the phosphor bronze pickups - they are quite easy to distort (and may also need adjusting to account for the larger back-to-back dimension of the 2mm wheels.

 

 

When refitting wheels, I hold the pickups in to the sides of the chassis block with a pair of self-closing tweezers, then once wheels are in position, slip out the tweezers.  

 

I agree about needing to slightly adjust the pickups for the back-to-back.  This is easier done with the wheels out. 

[Steven Draper]

Membership paid for 8^)

All very easy, and while I await all the details, is there a group in the South West ?

Looking to get going soon - come on ebay find me new homes for some fab goodies 8^)

[dpgibbons]

My Class 24 is now sitting on a set of shiny finescale wheels. What's the best way to blacken them please?

[Donw]

Membership paid for 8^)

 

All very easy, and while I await all the details, is there a group in the South West ?

 

Looking to get going soon - come on ebay find me new homes for some fab goodies 8^)

 

I do not know of a South West Group but I you can come to the SWAG (an RM Web area group) meet end of April Jerry Clifford will be there with something 2mm. The South West is quite spread out whereabouts in the south west are you?

 

Do

[Steven Draper]

I do not know of a South West Group but I you can come to the SWAG (an RM Web area group) meet end of April Jerry Clifford will be there with something 2mm. The South West is quite spread out whereabouts in the south west are you?

 

Do

 

 

Hi Don W

 

I'm not too far from Plymouth - Yes, I cover the 'large' SW area in my work and boy do I do a lot of Driving, most of which isn't motorway  !! 

[Donw]

Not my neighbourhood. The SWAG meet I mentioned is at Taunton 29th April and worth the trip if you can make it.  

 

Don

[Lacathedrale]

I've got a bunch of various kits from the association shop (LMS Vented van, SR 12T Van, etc.) but there are no instructions. I'm happy to blunder along but just wondering if I could expect to find them anywhere obvious?

[Ian Smeeton]

If you check the 2mm website ordering page, there is often an icon 'i' next to the item.

 

Click on that, and it should open up instructions in a new window.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Nigelcliffe]

I've got a bunch of various kits from the association shop (LMS Vented van, SR 12T Van, etc.) but there are no instructions. I'm happy to blunder along but just wondering if I could expect to find them anywhere obvious?

 

As Ian said, if there are instructions, probably via the "i" symbol on the website, or the word "instructions" beside the item.   Note that items marked as from the NGS (N Gauge Society) will be to N gauge (1:148), and may have other compromises for N gauge. 

 

A lot of the plastic bodies are just two sides, two ends, and not much else.   So, nobody writes instructions for those.   Not even for the kits where the two sides are different, and you combine two kits to make two different vans, using side-1 twice on one van, and side-2 twice on the other van  :-)  

[Steven Draper]

Not my neighbourhood. The SWAG meet I mentioned is at Taunton 29th April and worth the trip if you can make it.  

 

Don

 

Thanks Don - I'll see if I can make it 8^) I see there are a number of other activities and meet ups so should be able to make a few

[Lacathedrale]

Cheers guys, I was being a bit dense! I'm starting off (again, after a somewhat bumpy start with the Stephen Harris kits - should have gone with something simpler!) with the RCH 7-plank mineral wagon kits. The chassis (2-327 as recommended by Shop2/Tony) requires me to make a decision on type A, B or C brake units in the construction - but I'm not clear what the distinction is? I'm looking broadly at a period spanning the Grouping to end of WW2 in terms of timelines for these wagons. Instructions linked here: http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/instruction_sheets/326-instr.gif 

 

Many thanks,

[Chris Higgs]

Cheers guys, I was being a bit dense! I'm starting off (again, after a somewhat bumpy start with the Stephen Harris kits - should have gone with something simpler!) with the RCH 7-plank mineral wagon kits. The chassis (2-327 as recommended by Shop2/Tony) requires me to make a decision on type A, B or C brake units in the construction - but I'm not clear what the distinction is? I'm looking broadly at a period spanning the Grouping to end of WW2 in terms of timelines for these wagons. Instructions linked here: http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/instruction_sheets/326-instr.gif 

 

Many thanks,

 

Assuming you mean body 2-552 (1907 RCH 7-plank) I would have thought that brake type A (2-shoe) woud be the one. brake types B and C are two early single brake block types and which you might see on pre-group wagos such as http://www.williamsmodels.co.uk/wagonkit01.html

 

I forget when this form of brakes were banned, but by WW2 I would only have expected two-shoe brakes to still be in existence. Some photos here. http://www.williamsmodels.co.uk/wagonkit05.html

 

To be honest, by WW2 I would expect almost all such wagons to have double-sided brakes with four shoes fitted, which 2-327 does not cover. Brake levers on only one side were banned by the RCH on new builds from 1911, with retro-fitting required to all stock by 1938. So 2-327 can only really cover wagons built 1907-1911. 2-324 is a better chassis for later. 2-327 can build 2-shoe Morton brakes which meet the RCH requirements, but 2-552 has bottom doors so would not have had that kind of brakegear.

 

If phrases such as Morton brakes are bamboozling you, I would recommend you spend some time googling how brakegear works. There is better stuff online than we can describe here.

 

Chris

Edited February 26, 2018 by Chris Higgs

[Lacathedrale]

Hi Chris, quite right that I meant kit 2-552, affixed to chassis 2-327. I've only got a pair, so happy to consider them outliers for a late thirties layout. Tony suggested the RCH 1907 over the 1923 wagon because it was a better looking kit, and 2-330 chassis (for the '23 wagon) was out of stock.  Now you have described them, I can see that the illustration was not partial of the main brake linkage, but instead separate etches. . I'll look at 2-324 for any further wagons, and I guess it's time to get googling for brakes, many thanks!

[Chris Higgs]

Hi Chris, quite right that I meant kit 2-552, affixed to chassis 2-327. I've only got a pair, so happy to consider them outliers for a late thirties layout. Tony suggested the RCH 1907 over the 1923 wagon because it was a better looking kit, and 2-330 chassis (for the '23 wagon) was out of stock.  Now you have described them, I can see that the illustration was not partial of the main brake linkage, but instead separate etches. . I'll look at 2-324 for any further wagons, and I guess it's time to get googling for brakes, many thanks!

 

2-324 is a direct replacement for 2-330. 2-330 uses castings for the axleboxes, whereas 2-324 has etched versions. Both of them have axleguards that are a touch on the heavy side for pre-1923 wagons.

 

Chris

Edited February 26, 2018 by Chris Higgs

[Lacathedrale]

After a successful wagon build (huzzah - https://i.imgur.com/EvZVNeE.jpg)I'm thinking about trying my hand at a chassis as an intermediate step before I tackle the full J72 kit I've got lined up - but if I understand correctly those chassis offered by the association require one to fabricate their own gearbox/motor/mount/cardian shaft. Is trying a chassis ahead of a full kit a sound idea? If so am I better off with a tender or tank loco? I can see possible benefits and drawbacks for each. In the meantime, more wagon kits for the experience I think.

[2mmMark]

The replacement chassis kits have holes etched for the gear train including the worm/wormwheel combination.  All you need to do is provide the necessary motor.

 

You can find the instruction sheets here:

http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/info/?prodnum=h-etched-loco-chassis-kits

 

What you could do is print off the etch diagrams and fold them up to see how it all goes together.

 

I would recommend a tank loco to begin with.  The J94, 57xx or Jinty would be the easiest to assemble.

 

Mark

[Chris Higgs]

The replacement chassis kits have holes etched for the gear train including the worm/wormwheel combination.  All you need to do is provide the necessary motor.

 

You can find the instruction sheets here:

http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/info/?prodnum=h-etched-loco-chassis-kits

 

What you could do is print off the etch diagrams and fold them up to see how it all goes together.

 

I would recommend a tank loco to begin with.  The J94, 57xx or Jinty would be the easiest to assemble.

 

Mark

 

I would recommend a tank engine, as it is indeed the case we do not have (at least not yet) components for the drive shaft arrangement between loco and tender and this you have to fabricate yourself.

 

Also the tender engine chassis are either for a body no longer available (the Peco 2251) or for a body that is a kit (the Raithby 4F also stocked by the Shop).

 

Printing off the diagrams is a good idea and you can even print them out bigger if that helps in understanding them 

 

EDIT you could just start off with bulding the chassis of the J72. Bob designed it for a generation of motors which are now generally superseded by smaller can or coreless types, however, it is not that diificult to adapt it.

 

Chris

Edited February 27, 2018 by Chris Higgs