Warren Branch

[lmsforever]

We temps of 32 degrees all day in Aylesbury to blooming hot for me raining now hooray!

[longchap]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Bought the combined long and short handrail version they do. I'll let you know how I get on when it arrives.

 

In other news: Does anyone know what happened to all that hottest day of the year lark? 

Yesterday the skies were BR unfitted grey and this afternoon we went for a hurtle on the bike and came back frozen!

 

A little geography can make quiet a difference, as our courtyard was over 40 this afternoon, with a little respite in the shade at 37, then I had a trip to the tip in my van and notwithstanding, a/c, came back in a decidedly gooey state.

 

Thank goodness for the salvation of a long GnT. 

 

Be safe, no matter what happens!

 

 

[chuffinghell]

On 17/06/2022 at 13:55, longchap said:

 

I have the DC Concepts version. Essential handrail fettler!

 

The DC Concepts handrail jig arrived but the holes for the longest handrail were either too long or too short with no in between….

 

….So I’ve designed and printed my own specifically for the AA7

 

 

 

 

I suppose if I were to sell the wagon as a kit I could be nice enough to supply the jig too….if I decided to be nice of course 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by chuffinghell

[Rowsley17D]

That's very nifty, Chris and has produced excellent results. I was minded to get a jig to redo the handrails on my MR/LMS guards vans but am having second thoughts now. I'm only up the road from DCC Concepts so I might just call in and measure the handrail lengths that can be produced.

[Schooner]

a) that looks excellent!

 

b)

11 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

the wagon as a kit I could be nice enough to supply the jig too

 

As a relative newcomer (well, newly returned) to the hobby, this sort of thing makes a huge difference. I don't always have the experience or tools which sometimes seem to be taken for granted by kit manufacturers. Now, fair enough, it's not rocket science and one will always improve with practice etc...but...being supplied with the tools to do a good job (or at least info that the tool exists and where to find/how to make) speeds the learning process up significantly and gives me a better experience and resulting model, making me more likely to buy again.

 

Just my tuppence'th :)

Edited June 23, 2022 by Schooner
ps. Eileen's handrail jig seems to have a fair few supporters...just incase you ever want to compare and contrast!

[chuffinghell]

2 hours ago, Rowsley17D said:

That's very nifty, Chris and has produced excellent results. I was minded to get a jig to redo the handrails on my MR/LMS guards vans but am having second thoughts now. I'm only up the road from DCC Concepts so I might just call in and measure the handrail lengths that can be produced.

does this help?

 

 

 

[sb67]

That handrail jig looks very useful, one of the many positives about 3d printing.  I've always been put off replacing handrails on brake vans as it's difficult to get longer handrails dead straight. 

[simonmcp]

12 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

The DC Concepts handrail jig arrived but the holes for the longest handrail were either too long or too short with no in between….

 

….So I’ve designed and printed my own specifically for the AA7

 

 

 

 

I suppose if I were to sell the wagon as a kit I could be nice enough to supply the jig too….if I decided to be nice of course 

 

 

 

Amazing work as usual. Just thinking, would it not be just as quick to supply the ready formed handrails instead of the jig? ( I admit that I have never been able to make a completely straight handrail like you show here, others may be more adept than me).

Simon 

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, simonmcp said:

……would it not be just as quick to supply the ready formed handrails instead of the jig?

Where’s the fun in that? 🤣

[Rowsley17D]

Thanks, Chris. Now I need to measure the length of the handrails on my brake vans.

[chuffinghell]

I’ve done a re-print (still not perfect but better)

 

The first attempt sat too high, the buffer centres we’re out by 1mm but because the buffer beams flared outward it made it more visible

 

 

The second print is better after making a few changes to the drawing

 

 

There are still one or two things I need to change but I’m getting there slowly

[Rowsley17D]

The difference in buffer height is quite noticeable. 

[chuffinghell]

30 minutes ago, Rowsley17D said:

The difference in buffer height is quite noticeable. 

There is only a rail to centre difference of 0.6mm but because they sit angled upwards it has been exaggerated and is more like 1mm

 

I really annoy myself sometimes being so fussy

 

I’ll just keep doing it until it’s right because I’m stubborn. At least I’ve gone from design to production quicker than Hornby 🤣

[Rowsley17D]

It would have bugged you if you had tried to ignore the difference. May as well get it right if you can.

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, Rowsley17D said:

It would have bugged you if you had tried to ignore the difference.

You know me so well 

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

There is only a rail to centre difference of 0.6mm but because they sit angled upwards it has been exaggerated and is more like 1mm

 

I really annoy myself sometimes being so fussy

 

I’ll just keep doing it until it’s right because I’m stubborn. At least I’ve gone from design to production quicker than Hornby 🤣

 

I think Hornby wouldn't have bothered to be honest and that's what's makes all the difference between 'oh har hum' & superb. I'll leave you to figure out who I think is the superb one.

[MrWolf]

I can't speak for current models, but very often in the past, manufacturers have been more concerned about making room for gigantic couplings, using common underframes or wheels. The prototype measurements are abused to suit.

You've gone down the path of getting everything as correct as possible within the limitations of the information and equipment that you have. 

Given that you are but one man working in the corner of what was a dining room, you're putting the big boys with proper development shops to shame.

[Winslow Boy]

 

I think Chris has two advantages over the 'big boys'. He is a 'one man band' and as such he is responsible for everything and secondly he has an unswerving need to be as accurate as possible. That combination means that anything that he produces will be of extremely high quality. Whilst the rtr are able to provide a reasonable facsimile there will always be compromises made in order to accommodate there production technology and there costs.

[chuffinghell]

13 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

I think Chris has two advantages over the 'big boys'. He is a 'one man band' and as such he is responsible for everything and secondly he has an unswerving need to be as accurate as possible. That combination means that anything that he produces will be of extremely high quality. Whilst the rtr are able to provide a reasonable facsimile there will always be compromises made in order to accommodate there production technology and there costs.

I wouldn’t even go as far as describing myself as a ‘one man band’ because all the items I’m making are for myself and not for mass production, it’s only because some have shown an interest that I have considered offering them for sale (although I’m yet to come up with what would be considered a fair price)

 

thank you for the compliment regarding the “extremely high quality” it would be much higher if I had professional grade printer, I’m just doing the best I can with the printer I have

 

14 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I can't speak for current models, but very often in the past, manufacturers have been more concerned about making room for gigantic couplings, using common underframes or wheels. The prototype measurements are abused to suit.

You've gone down the path of getting everything as correct as possible within the limitations of the information and equipment that you have. 

Given that you are but one man working in the corner of what was a dining room, you're putting the big boys with proper development shops to shame.

I have had to make compromises due to not having all the information to hand and also to suit bits I have to hand but the ‘big boys’ don’t have that excuse

 

Although having watched the recent series about Hornby I was impressed that they now appear to make more effort to get things right……but I refuse to count rivets!

[chuffinghell]

Looking through ‘GWR GOODS WAGONS’ there is a AA7 drawing which shows the handrail thus

 

Obviously I’d get in trouble for posting  the diagram out of the book hence the crude drawing on the photo

 

It also has a later diagram AA7 with steel cladding and the handrails thus

 

 

Also the handrail may have been body colour?

 

If anyone has any information confirming this it would be appreciated

 

[MrWolf]

I'm sure that I read somewhere that the handrails were painted white during the first world war and remained so afterwards.

Likewise the handrails would be as the bottom picture by your time period. Can't provide a picture as it's in a book!

[Schooner]

"Handrails were originally painted bodywork grey, but a change to white was made during WWI."

[chuffinghell]

They do things different at Warren so the handrails will be orange and the roof will be sky blue 🤣

[MrWolf]

I think that you'll be getting a visit from the three ghosts of Great Western Christmas with that attitude...😀

[lezz01]

What? To make him buy a turkey? Make sure it's a GWR turkey.

Regards Lez.