Marshall5 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Glad to see that my spare bits were of use and enjoying seeing your progress. BTW who supplied the plastic seat strip? It looks a lot better than the wooden strip I'm using. Cheers, Ray. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted December 21, 2019 Author Share Posted December 21, 2019 17 hours ago, Marshall5 said: Glad to see that my spare bits were of use and enjoying seeing your progress. BTW who supplied the plastic seat strip? It looks a lot better than the wooden strip I'm using. Cheers, Ray. Hi Ray, The etches certainly are of great help. Many thanks again. The seats are Slater's. Each pack does 3 compartments: I may use plant-on arm rests for the first-class compartments in the composite coach already built, either JPL Models whitemetal or Slater's plastic arm rests as shown. The driving brake end is all third class so no arm rests are needed in the current build. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted December 22, 2019 Author Share Posted December 22, 2019 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach The brass end was a couple of mm narrower than the Kirk plastic end (maybe I could have narrowed the whole coach a bit if I'd known in advance) so I needed to fill in the front corners. I didn't use filler as it may have chipped, so I superglued on strips of plasticard the same thickness as the brass: ... then cut it back to match the profile of the sides: Work on the underframe has also begun. Kirk plastic in black, additional trussing from plastic angle in white: I'm using The Model Railway Journal no. 49 as a reference for the brake-end underframe detail, which has more in the way of brake linkages than the plain composite. This allows the driver to wind the brakes on manually, using the handwheel in the driving compartment. Edited December 22, 2019 by Fastdax Typos 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted December 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 22, 2019 On 20/12/2019 at 16:58, Marshall5 said: It looks a lot better than the wooden strip I'm using. Aha! I've been after that wooden strip for a project - can you remind me who does it please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall5 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 20 hours ago, Hal Nail said: Aha! I've been after that wooden strip for a project - can you remind me who does it please? I got it from a trader at Leigh show but I can't recollect who it was. It wasn't one of the 'usual' suppliers but a lady selling general modelling supplies and it was in ready cut, compartment sized, lengths. Sidelines used to do the wooden strip but now Malcolm only appears to do it in plastic. If you are stuck I can let you have mine as I'd prefer plastic but I'm away at present. Cheers, Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted December 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 23, 2019 7 minutes ago, Marshall5 said: Sidelines used to do the wooden strip but now Malcolm only appears to do it in plastic. Thanks for info and the offer but I'm not doing compartments and need longer lengths. Their plastic stuff at £1 for 6 inches will do what I want! Was rather put off by 18 quid per pack from Tower. Apologies Duncan for the hijack. Loving what you are doing with the Kirk kits. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 On 23/12/2019 at 20:59, Hal Nail said: Apologies Duncan for the hijack. Loving what you are doing with the Kirk kits. No problem Hal and thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 Ian Kirk Coach I started to represent the brake gear with a mixture of Kirk vacuum cylinders and 'V' hangers, and scratch-built linkages: Here's the majority of the brake linkages and extra trussing, with provision for a rod to the driver's hand brake in the rectangular 'cage' at the near end and a CRT dynamo at the back: 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 2, 2020 Author Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach I decided I didn't really like the vacuum brake and regulator hoses I made up (I'll use them at the other end of the coach perhaps) so I populated the "face" with CRT hoses and electrical jumpers. I also started the lighting fittings. Here you can see the 150mAh LiPo battery (lower right), charge/discharge board with micro-USB connector (lower left) and the Traintech motion-sensing circuit with a white test LED plugged in for now: All of this lives in the guard's compartment and will be disguised with luggage. The USB connector is accessible through a hole cut in the floor (which is just about visible in previous posts , in front of the vacuum cylinder), which makes it a nice. invisible set-up from the side and with no electrical connections between the body and the roof. I should improve the matching composite coach to suit! Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 I like the concept, and it’s neatly installed. I guess the lights stay on for a while once jogged? I took a cheaper approach, used “American” pickups from the bogies, (which avoids friction), with a small electrolytic capacitor & diode, and resistors to tame the led light levels. These are flicker free, and stay on whenever the DCC is live. The downside is that the coach lights would be on in a carriage siding, but I think I can live with that (or switch the supply to the carriage sidings!). It’s described in my PD thread, can post a link if anyone is interested. atb Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 3 hours ago, Simond said: I like the concept, and it’s neatly installed. I guess the lights stay on for a while once jogged? I took a cheaper approach, used “American” pickups from the bogies, (which avoids friction), with a small electrolytic capacitor & diode, and resistors to tame the led light levels. These are flicker free, and stay on whenever the DCC is live. The downside is that the coach lights would be on in a carriage siding, but I think I can live with that (or switch the supply to the carriage sidings!). It’s described in my PD thread, can post a link if anyone is interested. Thanks Simon. Yes, the lights stay on for a couple of minutes once triggered. When they run back and forth under computer control on the high level of Offerston Quay, they stay on for as long as the movements continue. Rattling over my badly-laid track provides enough jolt to keep the lights alive. I originally used this method to avoid having to put pickups on the bogies and run wires (via micro plugs) back into the body. So saying, I'm now considering installing a function-only DCC decoder in this driving brake end, to power a red/white tail/head lamp, so I may have to add pickups as well. A link would be appreciated, thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Herewith, hopefully, you’ll need to read on a little shout if any questions! atb Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach - Improved lighting Setup In my previously-built composite coach, the battery and dis/charge circuit were under the floor, connected to the LEDs with a tiny 2-pin plug and socket. This proved non-ideal as the flexing of the wires as a USB cable was plugged in eventually broke a couple of wires. So I removed the battery and circuit and put them in the end compartment below the TrainTech LED driver. This meant carving away part of the seat attached to the false coach end, in order to get the USB socket pointing downwards through the floor: Of course it needs tidying up, but the point is proven that the lighting is now a self-contained unit in the removable roof. I plan to disguise the electronics with some judiciously-positioned passengers and luggage. The USB cable now plugs in discreetly under the floor. And, yes, I checked that it still fits with the bogie mounted! Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeT Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Well worth all the effort Duncan, you are doing a cracking job, looks really good... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share Posted January 9, 2020 3 hours ago, georgeT said: Well worth all the effort Duncan, you are doing a cracking job, looks really good... Thanks George! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share Posted January 9, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach The roof of the driving brake end is now a self-contained lighting unit in the same way as the composite described above. The gubbins fits in the guard's compartment and is much less obvious though. Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 5 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 10, 2020 Author Share Posted January 10, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach Trying to get the coach ends finished now. I added CRT steam-heat hoses but 'pinned' them to the buffer beam with 0.5mm brass wire drilled and soldered to the hose mounting plate as there's very little surface area for glue otherwise: Here's the finished 'face' of the driving brake end, with steam heat pipes, marker lamps added to the top corners of the sides and the vacuum regulator pipe under the running board: Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted January 10, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 10, 2020 Very nice. I need some jumper cables for my B sets so that's a useful tip. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach Here's the non-driving end in cruel close-up with all items in place, ready for primer: The driving brake thirds don't seem to have carried emergency brake cord equipment. Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 12, 2020 Author Share Posted January 12, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach A coat of Halfords grey primer brings the coach body together: <Sorry - photo has been lost to the mists of time> Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted January 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 12, 2020 That's staggeringly good - you'd never guess that side was built from sections! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach - Bogies On the previous coach, there was a spacing washer between each bogie mount and the corresponding bogie stretcher. This made the coach body wobble from side to side a bit as it only had two small areas of contact with the the bogie tops. So I replaced the washers with nickel-silver wire of the same thickness, soldered to the brass bogie stretcher, with one wire running front/back and the other side-to-side. The side-to-side wire stops lateral body roll and the front/back wire allows the other bogie to roll as the track undulates. It's a primitive 3-point compensation system: Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach The driving brake end has had a coat of maroon/crimson/burgundy. It doesn't match the maroon Ellis Clark suburban Mk.1s that I got at Warley but could be toned down with a dirty wash to about the same shade. <Sorry - photo has been lost to the mists of time> The masking tape I used pulled a bit of primer off the brass end, which is a bit annoying, but I'll patch-prime that before I spray the ends and underframe black. Meanwhile I've been pressing on with the bogies. Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach - Bogies I finished detailing the bogies, with cosmetic side-frames, step boards, brake shoes and stretchers. Both had nickel-silver wires soldered on the top bearing plate - one side-to-side and one front-to-back as I did to the composite coach. This time, I used the Kirk side-frames instead of the Wayoh resin ones as they are pretty similar in appearance, but the Kirk frames are much easier to file flat and drill for the top-hat bearings without them shattering into bits. The 'leading' bogie - the one at the driving compartment end - carries guard irons and sand pipes. The guard irons came from the same etch that provided the coach end. I also added some angle ironwork that is obvious on photos of the prototype. The leading bogie has two full-length step boards and the trailing one has a single short board on the left side, made from brass angle. Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastdax Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 (edited) Ian Kirk Coach The coach has had a spray of satin black on its ends and underframe. When the maroon was completely dry after a week, I polished it up with T-Cut to get the paint-on-metal look that I want. I also cleaned some lead sheet and cut it into 9mm strips: ... which I started adding to the underframe recesses of both the composite and the driving brake coach to add weight. This is the composite coach having the lead strips epoxied in place: Edited December 27, 2023 by Fastdax Reinstating photos. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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