Jump to content
 

For the dedicated GWR modeller - broad gauge!


Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium

The BGS is well worth joining, partly because you can find the bits you want, partly because of their journal, excellent for info., and also I’ve found they’re the nicest bunch of folks you would ever wish to meet. My own efforts are on a back burner for now, as I’m trying to do too much, but here’s a taster of a 7mm scale train I’m working on.post-26540-0-07858200-1512404886_thumb.jpeg

The loco is scratch built for a Hawthorn 240ST, with Slaters wheels and axles, the bonnet wagon is a Victoria Models brass kit, the lowside started off as a Parkside Dundas NBR wagon, and the brakevan is a Peco standard guage kit which has been got at.

I like minimum space layouts, rather than sprawly ones, and I hope some day to get this lot with other trains I’m making on to such a line. One thing worth flagging up in this connection is that because of their nature bg points are much longer, and so design a layout with as few points as possible if you’re tight for room.

One last thought, why is this thread in the “help and questions” section, rather than the “garden of delights” category?

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

The BGS is well worth joining, .........and also I’ve found they’re the nicest bunch of folks you would ever wish to meet.

They were even nice enough to put up with me being on the Committee for quite a few years :jester:

 

One thing worth flagging up in this connection is that because of their nature bg points are much longer, and so design a layout with as few points as possible if you’re tight for room.

These weren't very long, but worked nicely. Designed by the draw a few guessed lines and add the rails by trial and error method :).

post-7091-0-80085300-1512406761.jpg

Edited by BG John
  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

It seems to me 3d printed broad gauge track bases (transoms and baulks) would make a nice little earner for anybody an shapeways, purely for conveniences sake

I was thinking of trying it on my printer, when I get it built. I wonder if including printed rails would work, or if they'd wear too quickly. An advantage of printing it yourself is being able to build it to fit your layout, rather than designing the layout to suit what's available.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The website hasn't been updated since 2012?

This is simply untrue.

A new webmaster of about 5 years standing has totally transformed the BGS website. It now includes photos and lots of information on a huge range of modelling kits and parts in both 4 and 7mm scales, and much else besides. It is updated regularly.

I have informed him of this thread and I suspect he will appear here shortly to amplify this statement.

Over that period BGS published an iconic book on the SDR Atmospheric Railway, is working on three other publications currently, two of which will be important historic archive books and one likely to be published only electronically as it is so niche interest.

For a small special interest Society the BGS is alive and flourishing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I remember seeing Mike Sharman's Broad Guage layout at White Ladies Road (WLR), Bristol, and I still have running a few sets of his wheels.
When the Bristol Show first moved from WLR to the Waterfront, there was a BG layout there that had the track level at least 5' 6" off the ground - Lucky the owner wasn't pedantic and made it 7'.

Edited by Penlan
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Both 4mm and 7mm sales are available to non-members.  A few items are discounted to members. Committee have approved price increases to non-members but not yet implemented.

Prices obtained by identifying your shopping from the website and emailing the appropriate sales bod who will produce an invoice.

 

I'm not a member but have bought and used their transfers - which happen to work for 00 too!

Edited by Compound2632
Link to post
Share on other sites

...I wonder if including printed rails would work, or if they'd wear too quickly....

 Needs some spec checking of the polymer to assess whether it is a goer. Intuitively, free rolling smooth tyres on plain straight track should not cause much wear. Curved track, there has to be more wear. Possibly make all unpowered vehicles with a loose wheel on the axle to limit this effect if necessary? The location which would need particular thought is pointwork where there are scrubbing actions, metal components for the moving parts and crossings perhaps?

 

Interesting idea altogether which will become of broader application as on board power and wireless control develops.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 Needs some spec checking of the polymer to assess whether it is a goer. Intuitively, free rolling smooth tyres on plain straight track should not cause much wear. Curved track, there has to be more wear. Possibly make all unpowered vehicles with a loose wheel on the axle to limit this effect if necessary? The location which would need particular thought is pointwork where there are scrubbing actions, metal components for the moving parts and crossings perhaps?

 

Interesting idea altogether which will become of broader application as on board power and wireless control develops.

It also depends on how often you play trains operate the layout! The best way is to try it. The materials are cheap, and the human time involved in production shouldn't be too long. There seem to be people out there in the big wide world who have their 3D printers running 24/7. Printing all the track for a layout could be very slow, but would only need human intervention whenever the print bed is full. I wasn't intending to use RC for my BG layouts, but it's getting more tempting. I've got other projects on the go where I could print some track though.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Sorry to sound thick, but why? Surely metal rails are preferable to a plastic type mix. Wear, conductivity, running quality. The track components are available, and building track is straightforward. Then the extent needed for print outs means that you’d need to do a patchwork quilt approach. I feel 3d printing is much better used for creating loco and rolling stock superstructures, although there as things stand the surface finish is a problem. Then you look after detailing and fitting a chassis, and you’ve pushed the job on much quicker, as doing the superstructures is the process that takes the most time in producing a complete model scene.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Why not? Building baulk road isn't as straightforward as cross sleepers, especially around pointwork. I've done some fairly major changes to Small, Broad and Totally Pointless, that I haven't quite finished as I ran out of rail. I have serious doubts that it will run reliably, as it's a bit of a bodged job, altering what was already there. I think there's a good chance the whole section may have to be cut out and rebuilt. I was thinking that if I did that, I might try cutting the baulks on my Silhouette Portrait, but now I've got some new toys, neither of which are working yet, I'd seriously consider trying to 3D print everything but the rail, or CNC milling it if the 3D prints are no good. I'd need to add metal rail, as the layout is DC, and I think that 4mm scale bridge rail would be too small to print, but I don't see any reason why printed rail might not be viable in future. I like building track the old fashioned way, but I also want to explore all the possible uses for 3D printing to see what works now, and what may work in the foreseeable future. I've wasted years of my life not doing any modelling, and for various reasons I'm struggling with it now. If I can get a machine that can run 24/7 to do some of the work for me, I might finally get somewhere!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

This is simply untrue.

A new webmaster of about 5 years standing has totally transformed the BGS website. It now includes photos and lots of information on a huge range of modelling kits and parts in both 4 and 7mm scales, and much else besides. It is updated regularly.

I have informed him of this thread and I suspect he will appear here shortly to amplify this statement.

Over that period BGS published an iconic book on the SDR Atmospheric Railway, is working on three other publications currently, two of which will be important historic archive books and one likely to be published only electronically as it is so niche interest.

For a small special interest Society the BGS is alive and flourishing.

I was talking about the ScaleFour website.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was talking about the ScaleFour website.

 

Which appears to be an equally inaccurate statement.  As the Scalefour Society website was updated yesterday, to the best of my knowledge.  And a significant number of times between 2012 and now. 

 

Or have you confused yourself because you've looked at a gallery page in the Retrospective of Scaleforum 2012?

 

Cheers

Paul Willis

Scalefour Society Deputy Chairman

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

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...