Rhys Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Time for a first post under the new set up here. In New Zealand, given that our founding fathers decided on 3'6" as a track gauge, modelers ever since have been forces into modeling in 'odd' scales. These have historically been tied to track gauge. there are 3 main scales. the first is 9mm/1' on 32mm gauge track, which gives models that are roughly the same size as 7mm or O gauge. the second is S scale on 16.5mm gauge track, again approximating Ho/OO. The third is TT on N gauge track. This scale is by far the poorest cousin of the three scales, with few kits available, and is mostly the domain of the converter/scratchbuilder. However in the last year thanks to the help of modern technology some advances have been made. To show just what can be done, here is a picture of a J class sheep wagon. the model has been rendered as a 2D CAD file and then laser cut in 0.4mm plywood. Assembly is with PVA. the metal strapping has been added on with paper strips. This is the Mk1 version, the mk 2 is currently in the works with some minor modifications. Cheer's Rhys Motoriseddandruff.blogspot.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Top nice work indeed. I saw that Ironhorse Hobbies have some really nice looking kits, but there are in S scale. I really like the wagon. Def. need to see more, more more! ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Top nice work indeed. The hardest bit was making a ruler twice the normal size :v) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krusty Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Looks very nice so far Rhys. Once you get all the rods on it will be hard to tell from a three-sixteenths model in the pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 Looks very nice so far Rhys. Once you get all the rods on it will be hard to tell from a three-sixteenths model in the pictures. Thats going to wait for the next version which will have the end and floor detail lasered in as well. Just to add some more pictures, here is a shot of a pair of Ed electric locos that worked around Wellington. They were delivered in 1938, and 2 lasted till 1981. the models are plasticard and paper on a Kato Mikado chassis modified to a 1-Do-2 arrangement. They were once described by an NZR employeee as having all the aerodynamic styling of an upturned galvanised bathtub. Behind is a Clyde (Australia) G12 diesel of 1960 vintage. This particular loco (1431) is preserved and I have worked on its restoration 10 years ago (well, I painted the roof one afternoon). Normally I think modeling preserved locos is a bit hokey, but its a tribute to the man who did a lot of the work preserving them who is not longer with us) Cheer's Rhys Motoriseddandruff.blogspot.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Keep up the smashing work. They look really great. ? Like the Clyde. B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 Hmm, time for another update. Tonight I've finished assembling the Mk 5 J sheep wagon from a newly released Batchbuilt kit here in the Antipodies. . This now has nicely rastered planking on the floors and ends. The strapping is laser cut from mylar sheet. I added fine bracing wire but I think short haired cat hair would do the job just as well. A more complete review will be up at Motoriseddandruff.blogspot.com tomorrow morning NZ time. The photos really don't do them justice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 It's always a joy to see something completely different. I particularly like the locos - any chance of some more shots of them? I'm still trying to get my head around 1-Do-2! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr45144 Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 Hi Rhys, That's a cracking kit - looks about the size of a thumbnail sat on the stand next to Alec's 1:64 DA and DB kits. NZ120 had a good showing at Convention. Keep up the good work. Kev Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted May 17, 2010 Author Share Posted May 17, 2010 It's always a joy to see something completely different. I particularly like the locos - any chance of some more shots of them? I'm still trying to get my head around 1-Do-2! Finally got round to taking some shots of the Ed's. They were an odd design, I think taking inspiration from Swiss and Italian loco's. Its a strange choice given that the NZR already had 2 different classes of Bo+Bo locos in service that (from what I can determine) were reasonably trouble free. As for the models. Again, the mech is a modified kato 2-8-2. These were on sale (mech only with no bogies or cylinders) for a really silly price last year some time, so I picked up 2. The bogies are brass with Parkside Dundas wheels. I would have purchased something a bit flasher but some of the traders in Britain are stuck in the stone age quite honestly). The underframes are all plasticard. The tops are plasticard, with paper cut out and applied for the panels. the 2 sides were completely different as all the electrical guff was on one side to allow a walkway between the cabs on the other. this side had a much heaver underframe to compensate. theres still some details to add (the wheels need a correct cover so they don't look like steam loco wheels with the counterweights wizzing round, and theres the cowcatchers as well) but they are essentially done. photographed on my first stretch of hand laid track to boot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 Well, its only been 6 months since my last update. Things have moved on stedily modeling wise. I've learned how to hand make track, which is proving quite addictive (if somewhat frustrating). I've now done 2 of the 3 modules for my Paekakariki layout, which has involved making 15 points and a scissors crossover. First up, here is a view of the overall area. This was a changeover point for different traction systems back in steam days, as the Wellington commuter network was electrified at 1500V DC. Paekakariki was the northernmost limit of the system. Interestingly there were no lococmotives alocated here in the time period I was modeling. The depot was just a turnaround point. This will make for an extremely interesting operational layout, which is really why I chose it in the first place. Oh and there was going to be enough modeling challenge in it to keep me occupied for a few years, as theres all the big steam locos to build from scratch. This is the first module I built which is the south/far end of the year. The main street of the town will be at the far end. Not much in the way of spectacular trackwork but enough to cut my track making teeth on. I've used double sided tape to hold the track down during the building process, and have since used PVA glue to fix things down. There will not be any more sleepers added as the NZR tended to bury the rack up to the railheads in larger yards. I assume so shunters didn't have to worry about falling over things. This is the north end of the station and south end of the engine depot. This was much more challenging trackmaking wise. The scissors crossover is probably the most complexe thing I'll ever attempt. the pointwork for the locoshed throat was also challenging, but far more managable when done in blocks of 2-3 points at a time on the workbench. Again all good fun. I stilll have a wee bit to do, but I'm still deciding if I should build this in code 40 rail (I've used code 55 throughout, which is actually pretty close to being correct). Things I have learn't during the process. -Its not as easy as it looks to make your own track in N guage. The tolerances need to be much tighter that in the larger scales where theres a bit more wriggle room. Having made a fair few points now, anything in a larger scale would be a doddle. -Gap the track on the workbench (repeat 10 times you idiot, now put on the hat and sit in the courner till you learn!). -If you can draw the track formation you can build it. No more being enslaved to the macinations of Peco and Atlas. -Working to NMRA standards means kissing all those wagos with Peco wheelsets goodbye. Those of you who desire more info on how I've done this (including an almost foolproof method of making point frogs) should head off and have a look at my blog. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Well, its been over 6 months since thye last update, Since then I've moved jobs (crap one to a good one) and moved towns between islands here. Off shoot is that I now have Man-sion (the lady of the house points out that it is better than a man cave) to fit all the goodies in. Its out of the house which is a bit of a pain access wise, but one can't have everything. Layout wise I have been slowly extending the rails and sorting out the setup. Since I now have the space to set the layout up in place I've been doing some work to sort out the undercarriage. The leg setup is loosly based on an old Ian Rice design. This has worked out quite well. Its very fast to assemble and is quite stable. The track height is 120cm so its about teh correct height for me to work on without hurting my back. As well as this I've also been doing some 'fun' modeling. Following a 1/2 drunken conversation on local 'bush' lococmotives late one night, I purchased a Tomix tram mech on Ebay. The prototype is from a local engineering works and is built around a small boiler and a marine 2 cylinder engine in the cab driving two bogies through a jackshaft. After a fair bit of hacking around it is starting to look like the prototype. It is also fitted with a DCC chip in the cab. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Hmm, it has been a long time since I posted here. Normally I just use my off site blog to update my followers. However every so often something comes along that I should just share with the wider world. One of my friends has done me some etched underframes to go with the laser cut sheep wagon tops. Yesterday I recieved the mk3 version. The most interesting thing (dare I say inovative) is that it folds up from one piece of brass (including the axleboxes). no more lost bits of etch to try to find, just trying to avoid bending everything the wrong way. Here we are 1/2 way through the assembly. Bottom right axlebox and spring assembly is completed and bottom left one is 1/2 way through. The various brake shoes etc bend down into alighnment after the wheels are fitted (in this case 2mm association ones). Assembly is with carrs solder paste, which is absolutely crucial for this sort of thing. Here we see the finished article, about an hour on the workbench. The whole thing is 40mm long. Only 5 more to do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krusty Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Clever man, that Cabbage. But it looks a bit over-braked for a J wagon. Clasp brakes only came in with boring 70s tat like Ks and Lpa wagons. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 If you have a careful look we didn't use all the brake fold downs, just the ones on the ends plus the one opposite the handbrake. The rest were added or a reason, but its lost a few iterations back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krusty Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 we didn't use all the brake fold downs, just the ones on the ends plus the one opposite the handbrake. That's still too many, though. On wagons of this vintage the handbrake was linked into the airbrake system. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 New Zealand Model Railway Journal August 1990 page 9. The picture that everything is taken off has this brake set up. Standard J5 with~700 built 1940-1951. Tonight I added the brake spreaders and an attempt at sidechains. Have to get some more couplers cast before its ready for the convention. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Excellent work, Rhys. Looks a lot better than my old Railmaster J in S scale! I'm almost tempted to have another go at NZ120. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krusty Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 New Zealand Model Railway Journal August 1990 page 9. The picture that everything is taken off has this brake set up. Rhys, that wagon has the arrangement I mentioned, with just the two outside-hung brakebeams and the handbrake connected through the Westinghouse linkage (ie 4 brakeblocks). Are you getting confused by the wagons on page 11, which are 1930s bodies mounted on recycled 19th century underframes? Those certainly retain the old arrangement with a completely separate handbrake (5 brakeblocks), but they're a shorter wheelbase with older style horns and springy bits. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hmm, just found another photo of the same underframe and you are indeed right. This finescale modeling stuff is much harder than I thought. I'm now off to bend the offending article out of the way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krusty Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 This finescale modeling stuff is much harder than I thought. Don't worry -- you're doing better than most. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Well, after a bit more work, the wagon was ready to go to the competition. I was just about to wrap it up, when it dawned on me that I had forgotten to add the handrails. I could not paint numbers in such a small scale, so went for the next best thing and added the squiggles. at a distance over 6-8 inches you eye just assumes that it can't read them and adds the rest in. So, how did it get on? I should point out that the judging system tallys 0-100% and so a gold is over 80%, Not that it came first (3rd I think) Still, not a bad effort against the larger scales. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Congratulations - a well-deserved prize! Now, how are the locos coming along?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 That is an excellent question Steve that deserves a full answer, which is..... Seriously, after the convention last week, I've decided to try to concentrate over the next 6 months or so actually putting some more wagons together to get some trains going. The Ew electric that I have the bits for may get a look in as well, but I still have to work out how all the bits are going to go together. Or maybe I'll just building a bush tram layout instead. Go to love those Japanese tram mechs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussellP Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Well, after a bit more work, the wagon was ready to go to the competition. I was just about to wrap it up, when it dawned on me that I had forgotten to add the handrails. I could not paint numbers in such a small scale, so went for the next best thing and added the squiggles. at a distance over 6-8 inches you eye just assumes that it can't read them and adds the rest in. So, how did it get on? I should point out that the judging system tallys 0-100% and so a gold is over 80%, Not that it came first (3rd I think) Still, not a bad effort against the larger scales. You did well with that wagon Rhys, proving as most of us males know, size doesnt really matter! The 'Ed's look great as well. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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