Whats on your 2mm Work bench

[Donw]

If you prefer to solder a chimney on I suggest using a fine gas torch. Tin the base of the chimney and the top of the boiler then place the chimney carefully in position a gentle application of the flame to the chimney should melt the tinning and fix the chimney on cooling. Using a flame means you do not disturb the position of the chimney. BTW do not try this with a whitemetal chimney.

 

 

Don

[Caley Jim]

My technique has been to tin both the underside of the chimney/dome and the location on the boiler where it has to go.  I then put a reasonable amount of low melt solder on the underside, put the  chimney in place and apply the iron, at it's high setting, to the edge of the skirt until the low melt starts to appear round the edges.  I once had a chimney come off when the loco was accidentally dropped and then I used Tim's method to re-attach it.

 

Jim

[Mr chapman]

That M7 looks great! Is it a WW etch? Next time you take the body off could you take a picture of the chassis? I fancy one as a first loco build I saw mention of an M7 way further back in this thread (yours?) but the pictures had all gone.

[garethashenden]

That M7 looks great! Is it a WW etch? Next time you take the body off could you take a picture of the chassis? I fancy one as a first loco build I saw mention of an M7 way further back in this thread (yours?) but the pictures had all gone.

Sorry about that. It is the Worsley Works etch. I built the chassis that came with it first, but I didn't do all that well. The current chassis is the one available from Shop 3 intended for the Dapol model. I've built it as a 0-4-2-2T. Gearing is a 38:1 Ultrascale gear. I decided to power the second driver so that I could fit more weight over the first.

Here is a picture of each chassis.

[Mr chapman]

Thanks That's very helpful! Neat job on the chassis. It's amazing the difference proper size drivers make.

[Chris Higgs]

Sorry about that. It is the Worsley Works etch. I built the chassis that came with it first, but I didn't do all that well. The current chassis is the one available from Shop 3 intended for the Dapol model. I've built it as a 0-4-2-2T. Gearing is a 38:1 Ultrascale gear. I decided to power the second driver so that I could fit more weight over the first.

Here is a picture of each chassis.

 

As I think I may have mentioned before, the Association M7 chassis is actually to 2mm scale. Dapol made a right dog's dinner of the proportions of their M7, the result of which was that the best fit of a chassis was to do a long-framed M7 to 2mm. Thus it works well with the Worsley etch.

 

Chris

Edited May 31, 2018 by Chris Higgs

[Atso]

Another not 2mm finescale post from me...

 

I've been building Finetrax N gauge track and turnouts for my Hadley Wood project and wondered if I could scratch build the track for the fiddle yard. I knocked up a basic template in CAD and ordered some rail and copper clad sleeps from the Association, which arrived this morning.

 

I printed off my plan and stuck it to a piece of board before having a go a soldering up my first test piece. As I don't have any gauges, so relied on my digital calipers to get the gauge and check rail clearances right. Amazingly it works and a Peco wagon happily runs through the turnout!

 

 

It's a little messy but I'm happy with this first attempt at scratch building a piece of track.

[Donw]

Well done. Not the easist thing to do without gauges and plenty find it takes a couple of goes to get their first working turnout.

 

Don

[Atso]

Thanks Don,

 

I'm not sure I would have gotten away with my somewhat Heath Robinson approach if I built it to 2mm fine scale standards. This has been really encouraging as I'd like to make some unusual formations for my planned fiddle yard.

[Atso]

In case another is interested, I knocked up a test track for my first N gauge turnout.

 

 

Despite my Heath Robinson approach, it seems to work very well. I'm amazed that, compared to Peco's turnouts, there is next to no drop through the common crossing - actually I'm amazed it works at all!

[queensquare]

In case another is interested, I knocked up a test track for my first N gauge turnout.

 

 

 

Despite my Heath Robinson approach, it seems to work very well. I'm amazed that, compared to Peco's turnouts, there is next to no drop through the common crossing - actually I'm amazed it works at all!

 

Splendid stuff Steve - even more so as that looks like an SDJR blue engine you are using to test it. Have you seen the light!

 

Jerry

[Donw]

Where the maunfacturers have refined the wheels used on N gauge models the Peco track standards which can still acommodate older N gauge models, are not ideal for the modern wheels sets annd hence you may get wheel drop. The Finetrack standards which I assume you are using are better suited to the modern wheels.

 

Don

[Atso]

Splendid stuff Steve - even more so as that looks like an SDJR blue engine you are using to test it. Have you seen the light!

 

Jerry

 

Thank you Jerry! The SDJR Jinty was purchased very cheaply several years ago with the intention of repainting it into LMS black to represent the North London line services that ran to Potters Bar. As you can see, I've not had the heart to repaint it... yet!!! I did see the light, but it turned out to be the high intensity headlamp on Tornado! 

 

Where the maunfacturers have refined the wheels used on N gauge models the Peco track standards which can still acommodate older N gauge models, are not ideal for the modern wheels sets annd hence you may get wheel drop. The Finetrack standards which I assume you are using are better suited to the modern wheels.

 

Don

 

Hi Don,

 

Indeed you are correct about Peco's 'catch all' track standards. Finetrax uses a check rail clearance of 1mm while I've reduced this to 0.9mm on mine as I'll need to reverse some lengthy formations in the fiddle yard. I've tested reversing three wagons (all that the test track can accommodate) through the turnout and have had zero derailments so far. A quick attempt using a Peco turnout gave around 75% reliability.

 

Following Tim Watson's incredible P2 build, I thought I'd try the technique he described to make some boiler bands from my V1.

 

 

Other than needing some practice to cut a consistently thick line, I'm very happy with how these have turned out and am wondering if this can be used for tender lining as well. Thank you Tim for taking the time to describe how you did this.

[justin1985]

Between working on loco chassis on and off, I've been dipping in to finishing off some wagon projects, including some part finished kits from amongst Bill's bits.

 

I'm quite pleased with how this LNER 5 plank came out, BUT I think I went a bit overboard thinning down the top edges of the wagon, creating a bit too much of a wedge shape that's quite visible especially after weathering the inside of the wagon.

 

I guess the obvious solution would be to add a canvas. However the Smiths ones that I have in stock seem a bit rigid, even after scrunching, as well as a bit short to cover the 5 plank. It seems like it would be a bit of a struggle to get it stuck in a convincing shape.

 

Any tips on fitting 2mm wagon canvases? Any other materials?

 

Or, any ideas for wagon loads that would fill the wagon sufficiently to hide the angle on the inside? I thought sacks might fit the bill, but almost everything that was shipped in sacks would also have needed canvases to keep if dry?

 

Justin

[Caley Jim]

Any tips on fitting 2mm wagon canvases? Any other materials?

 

I Printed some on dried out tea bags.  Drew it out in CAD, printed it on a sheet of paper, fixed the tea bag over the printout with sellotape and then ran the paper through the printer again.

 

 

It was attached to the wagon with little bits of double sided tape.

 

 

Jim

[richbrummitt]

I used rizla. It is self adhesive for sticking to A4 - similar technique to Jim, above.

[justin1985]

Thanks both. I guess that method works with an inkjet printer though? I actually have a colour laser at home - can't imagine a teabag going through that too happily! Think my parents still have an inkjet though, so might try next time I visit them.

 

Any thoughts on unsheeted loads? Wooden planks always seem to overhang one end, but I guess some extra shorter ones could raise the level at the other end?

 

Justin

[Caley Jim]

Any thoughts on unsheeted loads? Wooden planks always seem to overhang one end, but I guess some extra shorter ones could raise the level at the other end?

 

Barrels? Crates? Bricks? Blocks of stone? Pipes? Open wagons were occasionally used for carrying coal, roadstone etc.

 

Jim

[nick_bastable]

taken from Mike Oxon thread on here

 

 

 

hay makes a good high load as would Hops which where also carried in a open wagon

 

 

Nick

[Izzy]

Just got my first exGE area LNER type searchlight signal built and installed for my new layout Priory Road.

 

 

A bit more here for anyone interested.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134232-priory-road-signalling-advice-please/

 

Izzy

[Northroader]

Here’s an Edward Beal sketch showing how sheeted planks were done, you could get bulk loads of imported timber from the docks like this.

[Richard Hall]

Another not 2mm finescale post from me...

 

Perhaps we need a new standard.  There seem to be a few of us working to something in between commercial N gauge and 2FS.  We could call it "Not Quite 2mm" or NQ2 for short. I too have been working on hand-built N gauge track, trying to apply NMRA standards (around 0.75mm flangeways and check rails) to British models.  The result is this B6 turnout, constructed with a mixture of PCB sleepers with 10 thou chairplates salvaged from various etch offcuts, and 30 thou styrene sleepers with cut down Finetrax chairs. I made my own roller gauges out of washers and shims, and the whole thing comes out at a pretty consistent 9.0mm gauge after a little bit of tweaking.  It even has a hidden tiebar which is a first for me. I'm happy enough with it that I will build another one.

 

[justin1985]

I'm sure someone made a loud song and dance about a standard they called "N2" or something like that, but then it went awfully quiet again! 

 

I guess the logical name might be FS148 (as per international finescale N being FS160)

 

Justin

[Caley Jim]

......... The result is this B6 turnout, constructed with a mixture of PCB sleepers with 10 thou chairplates salvaged from various etch offcuts, and 30 thou styrene sleepers with cut down Finetrax chairs. I made my own roller gauges out of washers and shims, and the whole thing comes out at a pretty consistent 9.0mm gauge after a little bit of tweaking. 

That certainly looks a lot better than your average N-gauge turnout, especially in the crossing area.  I don't know about calling it FS148 as N-gauge RTR seems to be to an 'elastic' scale.

 

I'm currently drawing up an etch for a footbridge for the 'Dunallander' project (the layout started by the late Neil Ballantyne which the 2MM SA Grampian Group are completing), based on the one formerly at Dunblane and now at Bridge of Dun.  We have had to increase the clearance above rail level to almost 29mm in order to let some re-wheeled N-gauge locos through.

 

Jim

[Richard Hall]

I'm sure someone made a loud song and dance about a standard they called "N2" or something like that, but then it went awfully quiet again! 

 

I guess the logical name might be FS148 (as per international finescale N being FS160)

 

Justin

 

The suggestion of a new standard was a bit tongue in cheek.  We arguably have more than enough standards already for very small trains.  NEM, NMRA, 2FS, FS160, N2 (8.8mm gauge with fine flangeways, to avoid the need to adjust back to backs on RTR N gauge), and then there's commercial N gauge running NMRA profile wheels set to NEM back to back on track that makes Triang Super Four look finescale. The main thing is to pick a standard that works for you personally and apply it consistently. I'm getting good results so far with NMRA but it's early days.