Jump to content
 

Gareth's Workbench: P4 and 2mmFS projects


Recommended Posts

  • 2 months later...

Well, I bought a Hymek. I'm a bit surprised by this, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. It's blue and pre-TOPS, so that fits the few BR wagons I've accumulated. It came pre-weathered from eBay and the person who did the weathering did a very good job. I bought a PenBits sprung bogie kit for it and over the past week I've been putting it together. It went together very well and now that it's almost done it was definitely worth it. It runs much more smoothly than the Class 25 I have. I still need to add the brake shoes, and weather the wheels and buffer beam details, but it's almost done. I think the Class 25 will get sprung bogies too at some point.

 

OZzIeuK.jpg

8bQ91HC.jpg

h1cRRNA.jpg

  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've dug out both my lathe and my 2mm M7 and I'm having a go at boiler fittings. I've made three chimneys, number two is the best but it still looks weird. I'll need to make at least one more. The first dome, however, came out really well. It needs to be soldered in place and then have the bottom edge formed, but one step at a time.

 

o01jX1E.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I haven't posted much recently but I have been busy. However, I have been seriously distracted by the Boston & Maine in N scale. Maybe distracted isn't the right word, I've been modelling the B&M for 20 years now. All of these models fit a 1968-1972 era. Everything was pretty run down, dirty, and not really maintained. They went bankrupt in 1970 and spent the next decade slowly recovering. I find it a very interesting era to model. There three major paint schemes, with a fourth just being introduced, leading to some very interesting weathering projects/problems. The B&M was also an early adopter of both piggyback (later TOFC) services as well as run-through locomotive pooling which adds a nice variety to the trains.

 

So here's what I've been doing:

Two Kato F7s. One, 4265, in the original Maroon and Gold Minuteman scheme. As the paint wore on these the numbers became hard to read and they were often repainted in white, I still need to add those to the carbody. The other one, 4268, is in the new Blue Dip scheme. This is very much the austerity scheme and would last until the Guilford merger in 1983. All that's left to do here is to paint the handrails white and refit the glass. I'm still amazed that someone thought this shade of blue was a good colour for a locomotive.

 

1r1oeqn.jpg

GBJUFiC.jpg

fJM9AKL.jpg

 

Next up is a pair of RDCs. Again Kato models, but these were easy repaints. Just paint the ends white and add the decals.

4zwQmJG.jpg

 

Finally some freight cars. I've been fitting Mirco-Trains new True-Scale Couplers to as many things as possible recently. They greatly improve the appearance of the models, but it does involve a bit of hacking things up. The Maine Central gondola is a kit, everything else is RTR. I need to weather more things...

VMeadF9.jpg

1wflOZJ.jpg

hWNttlv.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

So is there a layout emerging on which all these B&M contrivances will be able to play?

Duncan

I don’t have space at the moment for a mainline layout and I’m not sure how interested I am in a branch line layout. There were some interesting and picturesque branch lines, but most of them were closing or cut back by the early ‘70s. Something will get built eventually, but not imminently.

Link to post
Share on other sites

But it’s n gauge - you can get a mainline system in a match box, can’t you?

D

But I want 4 to 6 locomotives and 80-100 cars like this:

d7Dy3s7.jpg

XR2GAca.jpg

5TaCvYK.jpg

 

Or this:

MUIp4U5.jpg

mMBHUJ2.jpg

 

I don't want to restrict myself to just this:

ojvsYYG.jpg

 

All pictures taken by my grandfather, David Ashenden, between 1968 ans 1971.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Mind you it explains why American outline layouts seem to be indulging their builder’s inner megalomania!

Another thing to remember is just how long American freight cars are. There are a lot of 40' or 50' boxcars around in my era, but there are also 89' flatcars. Here's a comparison with 3 of my P4 wagons.

IpegstF.jpg

7SdPOBP.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Wow has it really been five months? Eek! 

Here’s a round up of what I’ve been doing. I was asked to build a broad gauge GWR Buffalo for Duncan’s cameo layout. Fairly simple in principle, start with the Gibson kit, make a new footplate and valance, add some long axles, then finish the kit. But I complicated things a bit by adding working inside motion. Everything was going along until late November when the table was needed for company, so everything got cleaned up and but in its box, where it still is. Must get back to it soon.

 

Here are some pictures. First is the new footplate with the valances and splashers.

KZdvHBw.jpg

 

Then on top of the chassis. I used the P4 spacers for the chassis to give as much room as possible for the inside motion.

lfWpx2Z.jpg

 

I used a Martin Finney/Brassmasters inside motion kit intended for a Dean Goods. The dimensions were very similar and it’s the right age and railway, so it’s close enough. I silver soldered the cranks to the axle, it was pretty straight forward once I had everything ready. Fitting the motion bracket was by far the hardest part. It needs to be far enough away from the middle axle that the pistons can go all the way forward, but not so far away that they fall out of the crossslides at the opposite end of the rotation. It also needs to be above the front axle ( while still allowing the front axle to be at the right height), and clear of the footplate. Oh, and square to the frames. I think I fitted it about ten times before I was satisfied. The angle is a little steep, but everything else was worse.

 

The axle after soldering but before cleanup. I need to take a picture of the chassis with the motion bracket in its final position.

GGHrryJ.jpg

 

I decided that the only part of bodywork that would actually be soldered to the footplate will be th cab. Everything else will be held by screws to help paint-ability and access for maintenance etc. I tried to use the kit’s cab, but in cuttting the sides to fit the wheel arches I made a bit of a hash of it and had to start over from brass sheet. Turned out ok in the end though. I’ve attached to pegs to the front of the cab, these locate the bottom corners of the tank in both vertical and horizontal directions. 

 

svmLYU4.jpg

 

Here is the boiler/saddle tank set in place. It hasn’t been fixed together, just posed for the photo. I’ve also assumbled the bunker, but not thought to photograph it either.

 

1KN1Q0e.jpg

 

I’ve tried about five different gearboxes in this engine, some clearly didn’t work and others only stopped working after various components were added. For a long time I planned to mount the motor vertically in the firebox. The motor fit height wise, and it would be fine in a pannier tank, but the curve of the saddle tank got in the way. Finally I settled on a High Level gearbox and ridiculously large Mishima motor that I “borrowed” from a kit in my stash. There will just be space for the decoder mounted vertically behind the gearbox and the speaker in the smokebox. Oh, there’s the previously unphotographed bunker. I knew it existed.

 

X5ne9SN.jpg

  • Like 3
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

GAfter packing up the Buffalo for Thanksgiving, I went back to the B&M. First I installed an ESU Loksound decoder in the GP18 I had finished over the summer. This is the “Loksound Select Direct Micro” designed specifically for N scale diesels. I used a 8x12mm speaker in a custom built enclosure, mounted in the very back, and with two tiny LED for the headlights. It sounds really good and was pretty easy to do. I’ll be doing this to the rest of my engines at some point.

 

MLEsouA.jpg

5wi3uo8.jpg

 

Last January I started building a mill complex diorma thingy. It’s 24”x10”. I handaid the small amount of track, a through line and a siding/spur. It’s mostly wooden ties, with a few PCB ones to hold things in place and code 40 rail. The buildings are two kits and have mostly been built as intended, aside from the two walls where they meet. 

 

wPC2ad9.jpg

 

RS125Ue.jpg

 

dIBzK2Y.jpg

LACaiUu.jpg

xc6znWJ.jpg

WtPpdlN.jpg

 

It took me a while to figure out what to do with that chimney. Sometimes chimneys at free standing, but often they aren’t, so I needed some sort of boilerhouse. I tried to make one out of brick sheet, but I can’t make brick arches and I really like brick arches. So I bought a 3D printer. I had been seeing a bunch of people having success with very fine detail from the Anycubic Photon printer, so that’s what I bought. It was definitely a good decision. I dusted off my CAD skills, and made some walls. After a few tweaks, I had a structure I was happy with. I tried to make something that showed some history, so there are windows on one wall, but they’ve been filled in with concrete blocks on the other side. The paint still needs some work, but that goes for the whole building.

VI6knNi.jpg

9m7frYR.jpg

 

The other thing I’ve printed for this building is the top of bell tower. I modelled this after a one of the mill buildings in Lowell MA. 

Prototype:

megLA4D.jpg

 

Model:

6nhE0TV.jpg

WijcFBU.jpg

  • Like 1
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 03/02/2019 at 18:08, garethashenden said:

Wow has it really been five months? Eek! 

Here’s a round up of what I’ve been doing. I was asked to build a broad gauge GWR Buffalo for Duncan’s cameo layout. Fairly simple in principle, start with the Gibson kit, make a new footplate and valance, add some long axles, then finish the kit. But I complicated things a bit by adding working inside motion. Everything was going along until late November when the table was needed for company, so everything got cleaned up and but in its box, where it still is. Must get back to it soon.

 

Here are some pictures. First is the new footplate with the valances and splashers.

KZdvHBw.jpg

 

Then on top of the chassis. I used the P4 spacers for the chassis to give as much room as possible for the inside motion.

lfWpx2Z.jpg

 

I used a Martin Finney/Brassmasters inside motion kit intended for a Dean Goods. The dimensions were very similar and it’s the right age and railway, so it’s close enough. I silver soldered the cranks to the axle, it was pretty straight forward once I had everything ready. Fitting the motion bracket was by far the hardest part. It needs to be far enough away from the middle axle that the pistons can go all the way forward, but not so far away that they fall out of the crossslides at the opposite end of the rotation. It also needs to be above the front axle ( while still allowing the front axle to be at the right height), and clear of the footplate. Oh, and square to the frames. I think I fitted it about ten times before I was satisfied. The angle is a little steep, but everything else was worse.

 

The axle after soldering but before cleanup. I need to take a picture of the chassis with the motion bracket in its final position.

GGHrryJ.jpg

 

I decided that the only part of bodywork that would actually be soldered to the footplate will be th cab. Everything else will be held by screws to help paint-ability and access for maintenance etc. I tried to use the kit’s cab, but in cuttting the sides to fit the wheel arches I made a bit of a hash of it and had to start over from brass sheet. Turned out ok in the end though. I’ve attached to pegs to the front of the cab, these locate the bottom corners of the tank in both vertical and horizontal directions. 

 

svmLYU4.jpg

 

Here is the boiler/saddle tank set in place. It hasn’t been fixed together, just posed for the photo. I’ve also assumbled the bunker, but not thought to photograph it either.

 

1KN1Q0e.jpg

 

I’ve tried about five different gearboxes in this engine, some clearly didn’t work and others only stopped working after various components were added. For a long time I planned to mount the motor vertically in the firebox. The motor fit height wise, and it would be fine in a pannier tank, but the curve of the saddle tank got in the way. Finally I settled on a High Level gearbox and ridiculously large Mishima motor that I “borrowed” from a kit in my stash. There will just be space for the decoder mounted vertically behind the gearbox and the speaker in the smokebox. Oh, there’s the previously unphotographed bunker. I knew it existed.

 

X5ne9SN.jpg

The Buffalo is looking very good and I’m sorry the motor fitting has been vexing.  

 

I like the peg idea for mating cab to boiler - much better than tapped tube and bolts I’m using for the SG Buffalo.

 

D

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Back to the North London! I’ve had trouble making the short section of exposed boiler on the Goods Tank, it’s either the right length or the right diameter, and never round enough, so I thought I’d try printing it. The design is quite straight forward and it’s far more repeatable than my attempts to roll metal. The only thing I’m not satisfied with is the chimney. The flare to the sides of the smokebox isn’t big enough and it’s not as well defined as I’d like. I’ll try to fix it, but I may end up using the cast kit chimney.
oJDzQBl.jpg

  • Like 3
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Recently I've been working on a few more Edwardian wagons. I received a couple of decorated PO wagons from POWsides, they're both RCH 1907 designs, which are slightly too modern for my 1903 layout, but they'll be ok. The one I've built so far is lettered for F. Warren. The only pictures I've found of their wagons bear the same number as the kit, but the kit has two more planks. The caption lists similar dimensions to those of the kit, so I'm going to let it go. The prototype had a lifting plank over the door and I'll need to add this. I found the Slaters brake gear somewhat lacking so it's been replaced with Bill Bedford etched brakes, everything else is as the kit was intended.  

aC05T8z.jpg

9GYEcYP.jpg

 

I've also been working on another Bill Bedford LNWR D32 van. These kits go together amazingly quickly, I think it was ready for paint in about an hour. I've decided to paint this one in the somewhat rare two tone livery. As with most grey wagons I started with a coat of mid grey primer. The outside frames were then picked out in Precision's GWR grey, which seems to have a greenish tinge that I'm not too fond of, it may get repainted in something else. The exact details of how this livery was applied are a bit fuzzy. I haven't found any pictures that show the bottom of the ends of any vans in this livery, except for a brake van, and who knows if they were painted differently. The solebars are another area of uncertainty, I've gone with dark grey there as well. The axleguards and axleboxes need to be painted black, plus diamond and number transfers. 

IOUsY9R.jpg

3dkWcmq.jpg

 

The third wagon I've been working on is a North London 4 plank open. I'm a little unsure of the authenticity of this wagon, NLR wagons are particularly difficult to find photos of. Part of the problem is that after the LNWR took over the NLR in 1909 a number of LWNR style wagons appeared in NLR livery. The wagons that I know were built by the NLR have rounded ends on the buffer beams, whereas the LNWR standard is to have a notch on the bottom corners. So here's the problem. This wagons was built from a drawing I acquired from HMRS. It seems to be a model drawing, rather than a original company drawing, as 7mm:1ft is given as the scale. There is a date of 1888, but the wagon is shown with notched corners and LNWR style pushrod brakes. I built this, as depicted, from a Ratio LNWR 4 plank wagon kit, although I replaced the axleguards with some of Bill Bedford's etched ones, London Road axleboxes, and MJT? springs. It has been lettered with HMRS transfers. If anyone has any information on NLR wagons I'd love to have it.

4pMHALW.jpg

gEW1xbz.jpg

  • Like 7
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
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...