Jump to content
 

Please use M,M&M only for topics that do not fit within other forum areas. All topics posted here await admin team approval to ensure they don't belong elsewhere.

Wright writes.....


Recommended Posts

19 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

I wish I could be more enthusiastic about them, as they are such exquisite pieces of miniature engineering. To provide some balance, there are 33 currently installed and working on Grantham, with a further 5 on Shap, all now protected by Andrew's electronics. Since the last of the protection circuits was installed, we've done four shows in total with no failures.

 

I have been using these small spring return solenoids bought for £1 each from eBay (though they are now £1.98). Very basic but they work. Rated at 12v but seam to work well on 9v. They do not have the force to throw through several cranks but work with a single crank.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC12V-Push-Pull-Type-Micro-Solenoid-Electromagnet-Mini-Solenoid-Stroke-4mm-120mA/252590841258?hash=item3acf965daa:g:-2EAAOSwOVpXbK0a

 

signals.jpg.a60bdd2815959ac0b3d85e72d4ab9e9d.jpg

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

  • Like 6
  • Informative/Useful 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Thanks for the help on SEAGULL’s tender a few pages back. I decided it was easier to start again than dismantle the tender that I had, so I dug a second kit out of the roundtuit pile and made up this tender from that. It’s had the bottom beading removed, the streamlining reduced round the front of the tender, the top of the tender cut down either side of the corridor connector and the faring reduced in height all along the length of the tender. From what I can ascertain this last item was done to two of the three cut down tenders; the other Just had the faring cut down behind the coal division plate - this third tender was on SEAGULL in 1948 but transferred to LORD FARRINGDON in 1954.

 

FF24526B-ABFC-444D-8160-6D36FC604732.jpeg.c3b53c29f6dbf0e05f2d749f29a3b5be.jpeg622F1F95-86F3-45B7-99C0-C18746FF7319.jpeg.d7ac0640f89f83cfd2e30882d1b4a317.jpeg

 

I found the reinstatement of the beading round the back of the tender a right fiddle and it’s not very neat but I’m hoping I will lose the imperfections under a coat of filler primer - which will be required to cover the poor quality of some of the castings anyway.

 

Andy

  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks Jesse,

 

What a lovely overall scene. I'm delighted you're delighted with your Klondike.

 

I assume the decoder (which I installed!) needed the CVs setting for optimum performance? I know that sounds if if I know what I'm talking about, but I'm an excellent actor. I had no means of testing it, other than ensuring it worked on DC.

 

Good to talk just now. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.

I’m delighted that you’re delighted about me being delighted.....

 

I actually haven’t done anything, apart forming changing the direction, as forward was reverse and changed the decoder number from the factory 3 to the number on the cab. 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I can understand a white metal locomotive body being beneficial to a kit build - it gives plenty of mass for traction.

 

However, seeing the A4 above, I struggle to understand why its a good medium for a tender body. Surely it's just dead weight to haul around at the expense of a coach or two. Does anyone replace the flat body sides and coal space with plasticard to reduce the weight?

 

Steven B.

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Thanks for the help on SEAGULL’s tender a few pages back. I decided it was easier to start again than dismantle the tender that I had, so I dug a second kit out of the roundtuit pile and made up this tender from that. It’s had the bottom beading removed, the streamlining reduced round the front of the tender, the top of the tender cut down either side of the corridor connector and the faring reduced in height all along the length of the tender. From what I can ascertain this last item was done to two of the three cut down tenders; the other Just had the faring cut down behind the coal division plate - this third tender was on SEAGULL in 1948 but transferred to LORD FARRINGDON in 1954.

 

FF24526B-ABFC-444D-8160-6D36FC604732.jpeg.c3b53c29f6dbf0e05f2d749f29a3b5be.jpeg622F1F95-86F3-45B7-99C0-C18746FF7319.jpeg.d7ac0640f89f83cfd2e30882d1b4a317.jpeg

 

I found the reinstatement of the beading round the back of the tender a right fiddle and it’s not very neat but I’m hoping I will lose the imperfections under a coat of filler primer - which will be required to cover the poor quality of some of the castings anyway.

 

Andy

Good afternoon Andy,

 

I agree that soldering on the rear beading is a fiddle, but a necessary one. 

 

Your reduction of the front faring is excellent. When I first built these tenders, I was in ignorance of this necessity.

 

By the way it's Faringdon with only one 'r'. I refused to photograph one of a manufacturer's high-priced O Gauge RTR A4s on one occasion. Why? Because the nameplate showed LORD FARRINGDON. I also refused to photograph another, because its nameplate was KING FISHER! Lost in translation in Korea, I think.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

  • Like 2
  • Funny 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Steven B said:

I can understand a white metal locomotive body being beneficial to a kit build - it gives plenty of mass for traction.

 

However, seeing the A4 above, I struggle to understand why its a good medium for a tender body. Surely it's just dead weight to haul around at the expense of a coach or two. Does anyone replace the flat body sides and coal space with plasticard to reduce the weight?

 

Steven B.

Good afternoon Steven,

 

Though I agree white metal is heavy, it's actually a good medium for a tender because of it. It gives superb stability, especially when it's between the loco and a (very) heavy train. 

 

Despite the weight, with a sub-frame, the actual friction isn't too much, and all my white metal tenders run really freely. In fact, any tender I build from brass is substantially-ballasted with lead. 

 

The 'proof' as they say - even with heavy tenders, LBs big locos will still pull full-length, heavy trains; by full-length, I mean in excess of 12 kit-built cars...............

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

I’m delighted that you’re delighted about me being delighted.....

 

I actually haven’t done anything, apart forming changing the direction, as forward was reverse and changed the decoder number from the factory 3 to the number on the cab. 

So,

 

Is that all there is to it?

 

From what I've read, folk can spend hours getting the best from a chip's performance.

 

I'm also delighted about my being delighted at your being delighted at my being delighted at your...................................... Enough is enough! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

  • Funny 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
4 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

So,

 

Is that all there is to it?

 

From what I've read, folk can spend hours getting the best from a chip's performance.

 

I'm also delighted about my being delighted at your being delighted at my being delighted at your...................................... Enough is enough! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

How delightful.

  • Funny 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

So,

 

Is that all there is to it?

 

From what I've read, folk can spend hours getting the best from a chip's performance.

 

I'm also delighted about my being delighted at your being delighted at my being delighted at your...................................... Enough is enough! 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Erm, I’m not sure, I haven’t really delved into that dark side of DCC, I just put the chip in and run them. I’m sure once I take up Johns offer to pop round with the C2 he will show me the ropes. 
 

 

Oh come on just one more? We were on a delightful roll then.

  • Like 1
  • Funny 4
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

 

You live in Australia.  How much more space do you want?

I need about 50ft to create Welwyn North with Digswell viaduct included....there you go, that’s how much space I need.

 

 

  • Like 4
  • Friendly/supportive 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

I have some corrugated sheets you can have next time you're over.

 

The funny thing is, I have the space and I’d happily pay to build such a shed. However, there’s three reasons why I won’t, not yet, one being that the property is owned by my grandma and I’d feel rude asking, seeing as she’d already gifted me the room that BJ is in now. Two, in case I decide to eventually move out of home and get my own place, I’d like to have the layout at my place of residence - (maybe I should just buy next door, there’s plenty of room there, that’s what us w o g s do). Three, I don’t think I’ve reached the level of skills to undertake such a layout. I think the viaduct would be a commission job, I don’t think I’d have the skills for that, a small viaduct I could knock up but not one 20ft long. 
 

Unless I start it soon and it be a lifelong project, just like Retford. Either way it will be the ‘Layout of a Lifetime’, either I finish it or die before it is finished, the harsh reality. 

Edited by Jesse Sim
  • Like 2
  • Friendly/supportive 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Can I ask the great and good on here about wagon couplings?

 

I've been building some Dapol presflo kits but don't want to use tension locks or kaydees and I think three link or instanter couplings are quite fiddly to use. Do any of you employ a similar style as Tony uses for his carriage couplings? 

 

Regards Richard 

Link to post
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, sdmjsmith said:

Here's a building I've been working on these past few months. 

 

It is my rendition of the water tower at Colwick in later years.  Based on black and white photos of the real thing, I'm really not sure of the colours, although the brick was definately brick!  From aerial photos I'm pretty sure it had acquired some sort of flat roof by the post war era and I've taken a bit of a punt as to what was actually up there!  Topically, if it looks familiar that is because it is/was very similar to the tower at the Retford GN engine shed.  Great Northern Railway Engine Sheds Vol.2 by Griffiths and Hooper is an excellent research source.

 

Constructed to 4mm scale from polystyrene, sheathed with brick plasticard and, mostly, etched brass windows.

 

Next on the to-do list is to finish the Old Shed and build the Erecting (!) Shed.  Oh and I have a J6 somewhere that I really must start!

Ah. Lovely stuff, Matthew. Modelling Heaven in 4mm scale :-) I look forward to seeing the erecting shed. Always a very interesting part of the shed to go round when I was a youngster. Often something unexpected in there.

Edited by Clem
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, rka said:

Hi sorry I should have mentioned that they are going to be in fixed rakes. 

 

Regards Richard 

If they are in fixed rakes whey not stick with 3 link, after all you only have to couple them up once?  You could still put automatic couplings on either end of the train if you need to be able to detach the locomotive from the train.  They are easy to fit. even if slightly harder to couple.

Regards,

Frank

  • Agree 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, rka said:

Can I ask the great and good on here about wagon couplings?

 

I've been building some Dapol presflo kits but don't want to use tension locks or kaydees and I think three link or instanter couplings are quite fiddly to use. Do any of you employ a similar style as Tony uses for his carriage couplings? 

 

Regards Richard 

Hi Richard. 

How long have model railways been going? And in all that time, I'm not sure anyone has fully solved this issue. In many ways, for automatic coupling, I don't think there's ever been any substantial improvement on the old Hornby Dublo coupling. I use 3 link myself and since the disappearance of Exactoscale 3 link couplings, I now make my own and use Masokits hooks. For screw couplings I've started using Masokits for those too.  Making a couple of good uncoupling poles and it's not as fiddly although coupling up in the middle of a row of full sidings can be a challenge. A lot of folk still use tension lock and live happily with them. I can't abide them myself. I still use Kadee for a few of my carriages although I'm starting to standardise on a method not too different from Tony's.

 

 It all depends on what you are prepared to tolerate in looks and how important shunting operations etc are, on your layout. Hope this (my own personal take) helps. I'm sure there will be many other comments on this.

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, rka said:

Thanks for the input guys, I suppose "proper" couplings might be the way to go then. 

 

Regards Richard 

 

Sorry Richard, forgot to mention Alex Jackson couplings. They used to be all the rage on finescale layouts but seem to have gone out of fashion a bit. I've never used them but it may be worth looking up.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
23 minutes ago, Clem said:

 

Sorry Richard, forgot to mention Alex Jackson couplings. They used to be all the rage on finescale layouts but seem to have gone out of fashion a bit. I've never used them but it may be worth looking up.

Hi clem, 

 

I'm aware of them but being a student with a young family and renovating a house I'm aiming to buy as little as possible hence me thinking about a system similar to Tony's coaches. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...