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Sheepcroft EM - 3 link waffling


lapford34102
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Thank you for the comments Gents and hopefully get a chance to chat at Derby but be warned you might get given a controller while I go off for a lie down in a darkened room.......

 

Mike, if you're back online in Costa del Wibdenshaw, I was rather surprised at the amount of inner sideframe I had to hack and file off.

A little concerned that with the half axles pulled out they might be inclined to go out of gauge but time will tell.

 

Wayne, I'm happy with the look of the EM track despite my less than precise construction but will be interested in what effect PECO's "scale" track has on the hobby. Still dithering over EMGS partly because the nearest group is an hours drive away though that's not exactly a sound reason not to. What I could really do with at the moment is someone to help me get to grips with Templot.

Been vainly trying to sort out a 3 way and how to do multiple points and not finding the tutorials much help.

 

Thanks Rob. The front edge greenery is something of a stopgap and I intend to replace before Derby.

 

Stu

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Mike, if you're back online in Costa del Wibdenshaw, I was rather surprised at the amount of inner sideframe I had to hack and file off.

A little concerned that with the half axles pulled out they might be inclined to go out of gauge but time will tell.

 

 

Must admit that the first one has got a slight wobble somewhere, the one which only had the wheels pulled out, the completely dismantled and lathe turned one is ok, somehow!

 

Mike.

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  • 9 months later...

Hi,

Luke, thank you and many thanks for that link, totally unaware of it. Very nice to  get an honourable mention.

I hadn't commented on the show as the weekend was bookended by helping No1 daughter and family move house and it took a bit of time to get over that. Always a very good show with almost too much to see but we had an excellent weekend though having Canada Street, amongst other excellent layouts, in the same block was something of a distraction.Not a totally glitch free weekend but a few more lessons learned and advice sought from the more knowledgable. Did have a track power issue when setting up Fri which seems to have been down to the low temps, a fix in hand for it's next outing to Biggleswade next weekend.

My help for the weekend, Tim, went all Andy York on me Sat afternoon taking all manner of artistically inclined photos. Here's a couple.

 

Sheepcroft-39.JPG.236ba7c764267e6fa39291146e3c3bfd.JPG

 

Sheepcroft-40.JPG.f3c8d29514a5a1e2d78d88fa4fe6e03e.JPG

 

 

 

Edited by lapford34102
Restoring photos
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Hi,

Luke, thank you and many thanks for that link, totally unaware of it. Very nice to  get an honourable mention.

I hadn't commented on the show as the weekend was bookended by helping No1 daughter and family move house and it took a bit of time to get over that. Always a very good show with almost too much to see but we had an excellent weekend though having Canada Street, amongst other excellent layouts, in the same block was something of a distraction.Not a totally glitch free weekend but a few more lessons learned and advice sought from the more knowledgable. Did have a track power issue when setting up Fri which seems to have been down to the low temps, a fix in hand for it's next outing to Biggleswade next weekend.

My help for the weekend, Tim, went all Andy York on me Sat afternoon taking all manner of artistically inclined photos. Here's a couple.

 

 

The photos are great. It's nice to see something simply done well. I have't seen Sheepcroft in person yet but hope to do so.

 

Yours

 

Luke

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Hi,

Thank you Luke and to everyone who've taken the trouble to hit the "like" button.

Sheepcroft will be at DEMU Showcase in June, Shenfield in Sept and Folkestone in Oct, Also Loughborough Sept 18.

The track power issue is now hopefully sorted with some replacement feeds. One possible issue that I hadn't even realised was an issue concerns stock wheels. The kit built stuff uses Romfords which are fine. The RTR wagons use their own wheels pulled out - cheapskate I know - but it appears whilst Bachmann are fine Hornby wheelsets are bouncing on the chairs of the C+L track, only just but it's there. May be nothing but there's been some frantic wheel swapping.

Won't be ready for the weekend but there's a  couple of  ex Drewry Lane locos in the form  Heljan Mk 1  Cromptons on the workbench for Showcase. Will post a pic when done.

Cheers

Stu

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  • 2 months later...

Hi,

Well Sheepcroft is due to appear in June's ModelRail just in time for it's appearance at DEMU's Showcase in June. The layout is due for a bit of a clean along with evicting the wildlife that has probably moved in.

However in the meantime been adding to the roster though Lord knows it's big enough already for a 5ft layout.

First up a couple of MK1 Heljan 33's. The green one was an attempt to backdate the exhaust so to give it a new lease of life has had a repaint to full yellow ends and renumbered to D6560 which was one of the few to get FYP without the exhaust mod. Converted to EM with Romford coach wheels. Cheap and easy though it's a bit of pain removing the chemical blacking from the treads and wheel backs.
6539 in Rail Blue was re-wheeled using Branchline wheels. Frankly not impressed. The wheels are NS with one side insulated and firmly on the axle, the other wheel is axle to wheel interference fit and as solid as a politicians promise. All axles were to some degree or other alike and I've ended up aralditing in place.
Finally an 08 done with the Gibson conversion. Found it relatively straightforward for a first try at this sort of thing. Running is fine though it appears to picked up some camel DNA along the way. Suspect it's a conversion that's easy to do but difficult to do well. Anyhow it's adds another dimension.
Some phone camera pics

Cheers
Stu

1540626314_EMLocos-1.jpg.5af289667be84114cfe400f37fd3767d.jpg

 

1187896465_EMLocos-3.jpg.8657adf43c009d3e6d4e8cf5596947a9.jpg

 

1958917441_EMlocos-4.jpg.ea6d3437b7d41dfc6aa2cb08a3674523.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by lapford34102
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I too found it too much like hard work converting the shunter, so, despite the oft repeated fiscal and calenderical!! issues with Ultrascale, I got a stock in a couple of years back. With a modified baseplate having better pick up capability, it's a straightforward job which results in a transformed loco.

Now I just need to try and get a signed copy of Model Rail transported over here!

Keep up the good work.

 

Mike.

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Hi,

This was a Hornby 08, not sure if you were referring to the Bachy one.Once the pickups were tweaked all wheels were picking up consistently.

 

 

Now I just need to try and get a signed copy of Model Rail transported over here

I'll see about getting a copy smuggled in, now who do you want me to get it signed by ??  :)

 

Stu

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Hi,

This was a Hornby 08, not sure if you were referring to the Bachy one.Once the pickups were tweaked all wheels were picking up consistently.

 

I'll see about getting a copy smuggled in, now who do you want me to get it signed by ??  :)

 

Stu

 

Yes, the Hornby 08, pick-ups as strong as gossamer wings, you must have had a good one, none of mine have survived my brutal attack when re-wheeling them, but I suppose that answers the question, you being a more gentle type of chap!

Get it signed by somebody famous, DOMH maybe?!!!

 

Mike.

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Are the crayons for Dave to weather his stock? Oh wait, he borrows his stock from other people! *Silly me!*

 

 

I always like your weathering Stu, they look great.  Glad you got the 08 converted, I didn't fancy it after looking at the kit and anyway, an 08 wouldn't really suit my layout. 

 

I was reminded of you the other day actually - I've just started a thread on my layout Sheppey Steel.  I'm just about to write about the gantry crane (You might get a mention).  Just mind your eyes if you take a look!

 

Hopefully see you around at a show or two.

 

Cheers, Andy.

Edited by theplasticbrummy
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  • 3 weeks later...

You can see this layout - and many others - at the 2017 Mid Essex MRC Exhibition, Shenfield High School, Essex on Saturday 16 September 2017. Details can be found in the Exhibition Diary.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Stu,

 

Nice to meet you yesterday while chatting with Dave. I like what you've done with Sheepcroft, it has a nice simple track plan but still allows for varied operation which I'm looking for now that I'm planning my next small adventure.

 

Look forward to seeing more.

 

Cheers

Wayne

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Hi,

Chris many thanks for putting those photos up.

Wayne, always good to chat.

An excellent weekend at Showcase and thanks to Tim and Paul for helping operate. The antics with the 3 links seemed to keep people entertained and it was good to talk to people, many of whom seemed to be on here.

The 08 performed impeccably all weekend, rather to my surprise, but did finally throw a crank about 15 mins before the end Sunday. 

Anyhow we have the technology, I hope..., and I think I'm going to treat it to a sound chip.

Hopefully see some of you at Shenfield in Sept.

Cheers

Stu

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I was hoping to get to Burton to see this little gem but with work and family stuff I had to miss out unfortunately I also missed the last issue of model rail as I've had a hectic month at work.

But this layout just appeals to me as the size and the level of detail is absolutely amazing I'll have to reread this thread and keep an eye for further developments.

 

 

Cheers

 

Colin

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  • 3 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

 

enjoyed watching it and came away with a few ideas

Thanks Steve, hopefully the ideas are on how to do it better :-)

 

Tim and I had a good day. Layout did pretty well though we lost a point blade around 4.00pm but got it repaired. Had a few other glitches late in the day and there does seem to be a pattern though quite what I'm not sure. Temp related possibly.

 

Folkestone next in a couple of weeks.

 

Cheers

Stu

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  • 1 year later...

Many thanks to Stu and Tim for letting me 'hijack' the layout at Canterbury yesterday. Thoroughly enjoyed getting to grips with three link couplings and it really is a fine layout.

 

post-24-0-46573600-1548093651_thumb.jpg

 

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post-24-0-16628800-1548093712_thumb.jpg

 

post-24-0-06039400-1548093730_thumb.jpg

 

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