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A Pennsylvanian Shortline


bertiedog

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Looks like Woodland Scenics do what you want http://www.ehobbies.com/wood203.html

This page might be useful http://www.rustystum...ducts.asp?id=32

Right down the bottom of this page http://www.bethlehem...k/ho_scale.html

and Dave at Ten Commandments might have them - also see Harburn Hobbies catalogue

But it may be easiest to make a sausage of Fimo or Milliput, cut short (about 1 cm) lengths and flatten them slightly

 

They will be done in modelling clay, pressed into Vinamould moulds for barrels etc., and sausages cut up for the sacks. The Vinamoulds can also do resin casts. There will be a large need for items for the yard around the workshop, where the boiler and engine can stand under a cover on the side of Manns, oil drums, barrels and sacks next door.

 

Stephen.

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this does get better..... many years ago, I recall seeing some examples of thinwall resin casting using Aluminite...I believe it was Nigel Lawton's idea.....the examples shown were 45 gallon oil barrels...open.

 

I also believe Cliff Grandt specialised in thinwall casting techniques...but those open barrels really struck me as good.

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No open barrels unless forced to!!( they can be made in the lathe from aluminium scrap bar!), thinwall with resin needs vacuum moulds, which can be simple syringe pumps, pouring simply does not work at .7 / .5mm or less.

The barrels, I have some brass masters made for an NMRA competition entry, and have assorted barrels in brass to work from.

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A big session on the band saw for the wood for Mr Manns, and also the wood for the roof of the engine shed, the building may be converted to feed and general merchants rather than scrap. the design is simple, but it needs an example to work from for the basic ideas.

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Detailing shot of side, back may be left more plain, I will be moving steps to the side, as the back is on the board edge.

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All shots copyright Carl Cornish of Cedar Hill Designs, used with permission

They show the O scale version Kit and built model from Cedar Hill,(no commercial connection).

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Stephen - have just received MTI#88 and it appears that Preiser are releasing some useful new items for 2010. One has workers with sacks (potato harvest) PR13008 .

http://www.reynaulds...w/dept_332.aspx

 

and kitchen equipment (Diner?) and workshop equipment

 

http://www.reynaulds...w/dept_335.aspx

 

There is also a Zundap motorcycle with male and female riders and sidecar

http://www.rocousa.c...010newitems.htm

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Unit Models (http://www.unitmodels.com/) do some very nice resin castings of open oil barrels - very reasonably priced too!

They can easily be distorted to represent dented barrels by dunking in hot water for a few seconds and then with a little bit of gentle persuasion....

 

No connection other than a very satisfied customer.

 

 

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Concerning the barrels, I've been doing some shooting once again this spring. As a result I've been brainstorming how I might be able to use a bunch of spare 'cylindrical objects' on the layout? There's literally pounds upon pounds of brass that can be picked up on any given trip to the range.

 

Shorty .22s appear to be about 'barrel sized' and they're brass so easily shaped.

 

Left to right... (unspent) .22 short, .40 S&W, .50AE

 

I've had ideas of pylons, propane tanks, steel barrels, transformers or even using like 300 WinMag or 7mm Magnum (empties) as 'missiles,' maybe being transported? I dunno, just an idea.

 

cylinders.01.jpg

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Very few gun clubs now with UK gun and hand gun restrictions, I do know the background, father was small bore champion! Ammo is no longer so freely available, and the only supply of cases would be from a gun club, and many sell as scrap. Far easier to machine on lathe from aluminium scrap bar, with a single action form tool.

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Oh my, I didn't even think what the supply might be like over there... Interesting contrast you point out, scrap readily available here isn't so much over there. I was reading a thread prior talking about isopropyl and was surprised to find it was apparently difficult to get in the UK?

 

I did find a use for the larger bores though while goofing with them on the layout the past few minutes. They cut, when chucked in my cordless drill, perfectly round pieces from foam board... Perhaps instead of running multiples through a lathe, you could make a tool that would quickly 'core out' a bunch of foam-barrels? Of course these wouldn't be opened barrels.

 

At any rate, as always, I look forward to seeing what you're up to next.

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The US narrow gauge magazine The Gazette had a story about a pioneering On3 modeler who was shipped to Europe during World War II. He also noticed the remarkable availability of brass, and he'd either brought a file with him in anticipation, or somehow scrounged one. During his off hours, he used the scrap brass to file up drivers and domes for a D&RGW C16, and he was apparently quite far along in his project until he was taken prisoner by the Germans and had to leave it all behind!

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From a skip, outside in the road, a Varney 1950's Caboose body.......I do not know, or am I aware of any other Model Railroading modellers locally. Body only, I did look for the rest or other railway items! It is a vintage one, not LifeLike remade or a modern one, clearly marked Varney.

 

Badly hand painted, I will try brake fluid to remove the brushed finish as the plastic appears 100% and make a new floor and fit some bogies, it obviously pays to do some skip diving!

 

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Stephen

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was it one of your avid readers dropping bits off in passing?

 

I probably shouldn't mention this, but in the course of my work, I have been known to come across discarded spent cartridges of the military kind...these were 'blank' cases, brass, IRO 7.62mm....

 

I may try and turn [on a drill] up some buffer heads for an O gauge loco I have on the boil...probably a bit large of diameter for oil drums....might make N gauge loco boilers?

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A long time ago I came across the Lifelike version of this caboose in a toyshop in Buxton. It was in BR Blue with Triang tension lock couplings, looked to have left the factory like that. There was also a Thrall boxcar with tension locks. Somewhere I have the caboose but I cannot clap eyes on it.

 

Maine Central didn't exactly get their's out of a skip, they came second-hand in the early 60s from the Western Maryland.

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A solution for the small Plymouth Diesel for the line, a modified Knightwing Diesel, Americanised with new ends and adjustments to the details, the panels and cab are basically the same, bar the door on to the footplate. Being 00 scale it can be narrowed a fraction as well. The kit only came to my notice by accident as I thought they only did the Sentinel.

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  • 1 month later...

Buildings are underway for the layout, and the first track laid for the Stewartstown station area to alow measuring up for the main station structures. The Engine shed is complete bar painting and staining the wood.

 

Work on the engines is about half done, the Lindsay 1940's brass switcher is complete and tested, and the 280 Brass Betsy is part built, and test run. The boxcab may be used on the layout, and I am still working on etchings for the railcar.

 

The track is being built in situ, mainly spiked, with some buried track part overgrown, with wool grass to allow running, just!! I have stared on the high trestle bridge, hundreds of parts to cut out and into strips on the band saw.

 

So it's parts production for the summer and autumn building, on into the winter evenings. Trees to be made, there are several big trees around the station to do, they have to look right being right at the front on display. Most of the grass is flock or wool, applied with puffer, works more controllably than electrostatic application, the blast from the puffer sets the wool upright enough. It is slower, but enables more variation, and control as you work.

 

Stephen.

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Stephen - have just received MTI#88 and it appears that Preiser are releasing some useful new items for 2010. One has workers with sacks (potato harvest) PR13008 .

http://www.reynaulds...w/dept_332.aspx

 

and kitchen equipment (Diner?) and workshop equipment

 

http://www.reynaulds...w/dept_335.aspx

 

There is also a Zundap motorcycle with male and female riders and sidecar

http://www.rocousa.c...010newitems.htm

 

Thanks for the links, the potato Harvesters looks interesting as most of the Stewartstown line was farm produce, and the figures are pretty well dedicated to the tasks. I not been able to find a UK stockist so far, may order from Germany.

 

Stephen.

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  • 1 month later...

An interesting kit, with drawings, for a small tractor based US shunter, Logging or Indutrial use. A cast kit, I assume the wheels are white metal as well, would need a small 2mm style drive to rear axle, coupling rods give two axle drive, I wonder how much of the kit could used, or whether it needs scratchbuilding in view of needing proper wheels and fitting the motor and transmission.

Anybody had experience of this kit, sold on Ebay by Wiseman from the States? They do one in O scale as well.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

Stephen.

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I wonder if one of those miniature gearbox/motor combinations could be used as per the road vehicles thread? I tink that the gear ratio on a spud would be way to high, and there is no real room to add weight. Te other alternative would be a permanently couple wagon with the power inside. Also it may be worth considering an NWSL power unit - I think the Hollywood Foundry ones would again be to big

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The motor gearboxes would be perfect in the O scale version, but in HO it would occupy the entire middle section!! It would really need one of the Nigel Lawton Micro Coreless motors with an ordinary worm gearbox, to fit in HO.

 

The "loco chassis" appears to be the Tractor's gearbox, as per a lot of tractor based conversions, so the motor space is really only the crankcase and bottom of the engine, it would be nice to leave daylight around the engine unit.

 

No major problem with lack of weight, it must be equivalent to several N gauge locos, the tank could be solid, and a metal figure would help with ballast. The rear axle could be rigid, with the front pivoting to improve traction and pickup.

Wiseman have kindly provided the drawings in the listing!! Ordinary plain disc wheels will do, with added crankpins. I think I'll look out the components needed, as it would make an interesting addition for shunting, as it could only handle one car at a time!

 

The gearhead motor gearboxes are excellent, but higher ratios, 40:1 to 150:1, designed originally for focus systems in auto-focus Video lenses, now out done by linear stepper motors for the same uses. The gearboxes are to Portescap type standards, the motors are plainer 3 or 5 pole types, but can be exchanged for coreless types. There are several suppliers on Ebay, and the net.

 

Stephen

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A plan drawn up from the details and Cyclopedia drawings that they used, (out of copyright). It looks practical to use an old Minitrix drive to power it, it is not so much the small size but the open nature of the construction that's the limitation as to what can be fitted in the available structure..

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