PenrithBeacon Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Wow! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted August 13, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 13, 2018 Looking fantastic Simon, very much looking forward to these etches being available. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 Thanks everyone; the trouble with the pesky things is the time it takes to do all the test builds and then go back to tinker with the drawings then wait for the next etches and build them and then real life happens! All very enjoyable though and I'm still in awe of 2D drawing; it's like metal magic from a cloud! The 1400 is overtaking the Spinner at the moment but I intend to have something to show at the NGauge do in Warwick in September. I'm demo-ing at the 2mm stand on the Saturday. Meanwhile, big splashers! First I bolted the boiler to the cab and the smokebox. I find it's easier to be able to take things apart when doing fiddly things like splashers. (This photo was taken after the splashers were fitted.) The half etch splasher strip fits into a slot in the cab front after a quarter bend has been made. I marked the start of the reverse curve and bent it round a drill after testing for a good fit. Then the final big bend was made with a bit of brass tubing. When it all fitted properly I could solder it mostly from the inside. The splasher is held in place by the slots in the cab front and in the footplate and also where it touches the firebox and boiler as the etched boiler bands stop short of the edge leaving little steps for it to locate against. I checked everything was square and true. And took the boiler off to clean up and adjust things. It look as though it's ready to pounce: quite insect-like! Cheers Simon 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 Just a quick post. Bradwell J27, finished and awaiting weathering in a lovely photo by Gordon Woods. Cheers Simon 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 And back to the 7mm Tilbury tank... I beefed up the PCB spacers with some U-channel. Then soldered up the chassis using my Hobby Holidays jig held on its side. With the jig back the right way up, a quick test run wih the motor and driving wheels...and, oh joy, those self-quartering Slater's are so nice to use! And then a think about how to add the rear wheels and front pony truck. I'm going to pick up through the wheels using insulated axles, so I'll need to adapt a few more of those. The compensation on the drivers is by two seperate beams to avoid shorting across the frames. Cheers Simon 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 Another diversion...here's Geoff Hayne's beautiful paint job on my scratch-built MSWJR 4-4-4 and 2-6-0 tender for Stephen Duffell's lovely Roxey "Galloping Alice"...such a great name for a loco! Cheers Simon 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 After having successfully plugged in a Dapol O gauge 08, I thought I'd have a go at some proper DCC wiring as my scratchbuilt Armstrong Whitworth doesn't have a plug! I had a long email conversation with John at YouChoos (other DCC manufacturers are available). John is very patient...and after considering his advice I chose a sound-chip with a hefty capacitor as the loco is a rather short wheelbase 0-4-0 and I wanted belts and braces as well as the bells and whistles... There's a nice big speaker inside on the right, smack in the engine compartment and the chip is stuck up under the bonnet. The original small capacitor is still attached. I took that off and added the SuperCap,making triple sure I got the + and - terminals correctly wired to prevent small expensive explosions. The metal casing of the capacitor needs to be insulated, I used some Kapton tape (I think it's Kapton...), anyway it works well. And the capacitor was secured inside the front of the bonnet. The main wiring uses microconnectors so I can take things apart if I need to. I made double sure everything was insulated before putting it all back together as the inside of the loco is basically a bare metal box. All the components are held in place by "Black Tack" which is both sticky and rubbery! And there she goes.Marvellous! My first home wired DCC sound installation. Great fun although I drove everyone quietly mad playing with it at last night's meeting. Next; to learn how to tweak the CV settings, including the fantastic sound volume. Anyone interested in 7mm modelling or learning or more about stuff like this, there's a West Midlands Workshop Day supported by the Gauge O Guild coming up in March! Cheers Simon 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted February 22, 2019 Author Share Posted February 22, 2019 Some more adventures in DCC, this time courtesy of the fabulously patient Kevin at Coastal DCC. I wanted to fit a stay alive to the J27 which has a small chip and loudspeaker fitted in the tender. Kevin supplied a charging circuit and nice big capacitor. The charging circuit manages the power from the capacitor and I had no idea how to wire everything up. I'm not good on circuit diagrams and the terminology involved and I couldn't understand the instructions; so on the phone to Kevin with lots of simple questions and a pad and pencil at the ready. And Bingo! Success! Thanks Kevin! Here'sthe original set-up with the charging circuit and capacitor already and waiting... The charging circuit can be trimmed to size as I only needed one set of connections. The side shown in the photo is called the top, the underneath is the bottom. I wired the charging circuit and the capacitor from my sketches as described to me by Kevin. A start has been made on insulating the contacts, I covered everything later in the translucent tape I used with the Lady Armstrong. Then everything was wired to the chip...the blue wire and the "ground" which turned out to be one of the unused tabs on the chip. I removed some of the plastic and very carefully soldered the remaining wire. I zoomed in on this photo to check that the solder hadn't strayed. Then everything was checked and insulated with yet more tape, then eased back into the tender. I forgot to take a photo whilst doing this and I'm not taking it apart in a hurry but it does work very nicely! Here's a link to a swift video... www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUFfG4jviHo ... Cheers Simon And of course, don't forget about the West Midlands Workshop Day! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 Here are a couple of quick piccs of my O gauge Tilbury build (with it's 4mm cousin close by...) before I move to my new house with workshop and garden! Heaven! 14 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I got a copy of you first book last week I have learned a lot. Loved the Armstrong 0-4-0DE, I have always wanted one. We have planed to go up to Tanfield next month with a tape measure and a camera. Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 (edited) Thanks very much Marc. I've always wanted to visit the Tanfield railway and see the loco. If you don't mind sharing them I'd love to see some photos, particularly of inside the cab if possible. I'm about to start building another one! Cheers Simon Edited July 4, 2019 by sej mis-spelling 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted June 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2019 All looking great Simon, any news on the 2mm MR 1400 2-4-0 Best of luck with the house move Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 On 28/06/2019 at 16:46, sej said: Thanks very much Mark. I've always wanted to visit the Tanfield railway and see the loco. If you don't mind sharing them I'd love to see some photos, particularly of inside the cab if possible. I'm about to start building another one! Cheers Simon I will post as soon as I visit. its not going to be for a few weeks as I have to get most of the way through the orders for Telford be for I'm allowed out. Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted July 4, 2019 Author Share Posted July 4, 2019 Thanks very much Marc, hope you have a good time when you're allowed out! And Jerry, house move successfully accomplished and new workshop being untidied, I hope to get on with some editing of various drawings this year (plus hopefully a GNR 2-4-0). I'll be demonstrating at the N Gauge show in Leamington and I'll try to post a bit more regularly on here! Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sej Posted October 3, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 3, 2019 Current progress on the 7mm Tilbury tank. Some work on the chassis and a bit of fettling, then ready to paint! 20 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Bit more Tilbury... Nearly there... 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted November 5, 2019 Author Share Posted November 5, 2019 And a bit more... 16 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 A backhead... And a bit of running in before wiring in the sound chip... 7 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 And she's finished! 13 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 So, generally in 7mm scale the rules are; if you scratchbuild something, then someone will bring out a kit and if you build the kit, then someone may eventually bring out a ready to run version. So I'm just waiting for one of these to arrive as r-t-r. This version of "The Lady Armstrong" is built from the excellent new Alphagraphix kit, with some extra detailing and using Slaters spare wheel centres for the jackshaft. It makes up to be a very nice looking little loco, ideal for a minimum space layout. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Daddyman Posted October 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 28, 2020 40 minutes ago, sej said: So, generally in 7mm scale the rules are; if you scratchbuild something, then someone will bring out a kit and if you build the kit, then someone may eventually bring out a ready to run version. So I'm just waiting for one of these to arrive as r-t-r. This version of "The Lady Armstrong" is built from the excellent new Alphagraphix kit, with some extra detailing and using Slaters spare wheel centres for the jackshaft. It makes up to be a very nice looking little loco, ideal for a minimum space layout. Very nice! Just one little thing - the connection hose on the front should be Westinghouse, not vacuum: Wright's book says just "air brake equipment." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 My latest lock-down project almost completed - a 7mm Hull and Barnsley horse-box from a very nice MSE kit. Added detail and painted following Mike Trice's excellent methods. A very enjoyable build, the first vehicle for my projected garden line! 17 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 Another lock-down project; a GER F4, LNER condition, in P4. Detailed Gibson kit with a Marcus Burrow's chassis. Near ready for the paintshop... 4 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coal Tank Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 16 minutes ago, sej said: Another lock-down project; a GER F4, LNER condition, in P4. Detailed Gibson kit with a Marcus Burrow's chassis. Near ready for the paintshop... Hi Thats very nice indeed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdb82 Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Brilliant as always! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now