Deliberately Old-Fashioned 0-Gauge, Chapter 2

[Hroth]

Once upon a time "Gay" was perfectly usable as an alternative word for "happy" or "cheerful", especially in a party or activity context.  For example, there was a hire boat company at Tewkesbury on the River Severn called "Gay Cruisers" as late as the mid-70s...

 

Its sad to see how vocabulary usage can contract.

 

[Nearholmer]

Words sometimes get “freed up” in the process of language change too though, losing connotations that they had. ‘Subtle’ is one, because way back it meant sly and devious; in the mid-C17th one of the nastiest insults was to accuse someone of being “a sutyl/subtil serpent”, with all the biblical baggage that went with that. Oh, and ‘baggage’, that’s acquired and then largely shed meanings over time too.

 

 

Edited January 5 by Nearholmer

[Welchester]

On the other hand, 'gay' had a (hetero)sexual connotation from Victorian times, and even in the 17th Century.

 

https://www.etymonline.com/word/gay

 

It appears in the novels of Compton Mackenzie with regard to prostitution.

[Hroth]

9 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Words sometimes get “freed up” in the process of language change too though, losing connotations that they had. ‘Subtle’ is one, because way back it meant sly and devious; in the mid-C17th one of the nastiest insults was to accuse someone of being “a sutyl/subtil serpent”, with all the biblical baggage that went with that. Oh, and ‘baggage’, that’s acquired and then largely shed meanings over time too.

 

 

 

And the meaning of "nice" has changed over the centuries too.

 

I suppose we should rejoice in having a fluid, responsive language, not fettered by an organisation governing correct usage.

 

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

I suppose we should rejoice in having a fluid, responsive language, not fettered by an organisation governing correct usage.

 

As long as everyone uses it in the same way that I do...

[Lacathedrale]

I do apologise for posting something tangently related, but there is a corpus of expertise here bar none!

 

I’m putting together a loop of gauge 1 track with some 3-D printed wagons - initially I am looking to buy a live steam loco and build a battery remote control one for myself. 
 

in due course, however, even if it’s not something that they enjoy long-term my kids are going to want to play with it - so I’m thinking of a clockwork loco of some kind. I’m quite happy to do a restoration and repair, but I figure this is probably got the most chance of surviving!!  Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Only things I can find on eBay are very expensive collectors items!
 

 

[Nearholmer]

Yep, genuine G1 clockwork locos are collectors items, I’m afraid. I can’t think of one that has been series-produced since the 1930s, so even the newest ones are quite old. Probably a Bassett Lowke 112 0-4-0T be your best bet, but you become a curator, rather than an owner in the usual sense, once you take on such old locos.

 

If you are entirely wedded to clockwork, then the cheapest option would probably be to fit extended axles to a postwar Hornby 0-4-0 mechanism, but I have to say that for kids the perfect option is to get Playmobil battery R/C trains, which run on either their own plastic track, or LGB track, and are fully LGB-compatible.

 

Not intending to tout for trade, but my off-spring have grown out of Playmobil, and I have an entire railway sitting here in very good condition, that I don’t quite know what to do with, including the exceedingly good diesel shunter with 2.4GHz R/C. So far, I can’t bear to part with it, because it has the memories of not only my two youngest, but Met H’s son and daughter tangled-up in it. Maybe it could go on to a third family with a railway enthusiast (ideally railway employee) dad.

[John R Smith]

Kevin is absolutely correct. There have been no clockwork Gauge One locos produced since circa 1940 if not earlier, and the youngest will now be heading for 90 years old. So such clocky locos as do survive are now a) very desirable collector's items, and b) not something that you would give your children to play with.

 

As I expect you know, Gauge One almost died completly after WW II because Bassett Lowke ceased mass production for that scale. If it was not for G1MRA (the G1 Association) and the Tenmille company it probably would gave vanished as a practical modeller's choice, other than for the live steam boys. I got involved back in the early '80s and it was a rocky time - but now you have track, rolling stock kits and locos too. Not cheap, but it is doable.

 

John

[Ben B]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

 

 

Not intending to tout for trade, but my off-spring have grown out of Playmobil, and I have an entire railway sitting here in very good condition, that I don’t quite know what to do with, including the exceedingly good diesel shunter with 2.4GHz R/C. So far, I can’t bear to part with it, because it has the memories of not only my two youngest, but Met H’s son and daughter tangled-up in it. Maybe it could go on to a third family with a railway enthusiast (ideally railway employee) dad.

 

Funnily enough, only this morning I took two bags of Faller playtrains and Newray Gauge One toy sets to the chaps at the Vintage Carriages Trust for them to re-sell, and the other week disposed of a lot of Bachmann Thomas G-gauge trains via the good offices of Elaines Trains.  It's a little harrowing when you realise you're the one playing trains, whilst the teenage offspring are the ones worrying about qualifications, work, and acting grown up.  Mindyou, my simulated kids ward at work is doing well for the sheer number of old clothes and cuddly toys that the youths have now decided they're too grown-up for at 12 and 14.

 

I'd echo the comments about Playmobil radio-controlled trains for the little-uns, it's fun, very hard-wearing and well constructed, lots of play value and if you nose-around online you can find good-quality second hand sets for reasonable money.

[Metropolitan H]

I can't add anything to the Clockwork comments, but the children are much better adapted to battery R/C etc these days.

 

Dare I whisper "Maerklin" Gauge one locos if you want standard gauge in 1/32 or "10mm" scale as a starter - I know most of their drool over models (such as SBB/CFF Be6/8 "Krokodil" are expensive - but there are / were more reasonably priced train set types under the "Marklin Maxi" heading.

 

If you are not too precious regarding scale, the Bachmann "G" scale "Thomas" and friends - including a Class 08 diesel shunter and a pretty good model of a GNR Stirling Single aren't excessively priced and can reliably be converted to battery R/C. Smallbrook Studio (see - https://www.smallbrookstudio.co.uk/store/G-16mm-scales-c59969051 ) do some useful bits if faces on locos offend.

 

Regards

Chris H

 

P.S. -

I and my family are happy to renounce any residuary interest in the Playmobil railway vehicles previously transferred to the custody of Nearholmer.

 

Our Grand-Childer-Beasts (eldest is 9.5 years) have Thomas, Percy, Toby and James with a few coaches and wagons to run on my outdoor 45mm line (more G scale than "gauge 1) - but they now prefer to try and establish title to my 16mm scale live steam models of Talyllyn, Dolgoch and the Roundhouse Peckett 0-4-2T "Karen" - especially the later, as with R/C they can drive it without danger of burning themselves. 

 

CH

[Donw]

A small NG industrial diesel could be small enough to fit in G1 clearances try IP engineering  https://www.ipenginnering.com/product-page/the-danny-loco-kit

 

Don

[Lacathedrale]

I'm 3D printing rolling stock with some metal parts (sprung buffers and hooks, and occasionally wheelsets but so far mostly 3D printed wheels on axles) - the meshing of commodity 3D printing, cheap import bearings/ground bar and affordable laser cutting services is DEFINITELY opening the door. I've got four wagons and a brake van done for about £15 each, which is a damn sight cheaper than injection molded 00! The G1-3D circle have also got a Sentinel, NSR Battery Electric, and a Class 08 all available to print in due course.

 

In terms of motive power though, while I've got a line on some live steam locos, I have also put an order in for Model Engineer's Laser LNER Y6/ GER G15 - at £140 plus whatever battery/RC system you want it's a complete no brainer and kid-friendly - but part of me was really hoping for some tinplate and clockwork fun.

 

I understand this is vanishingly unlikely now, unless I find a basket case!

 

Talking of toys, isn't the large-scale Harry Potter train effectively G3?

[John R Smith]

32 minutes ago, Lacathedrale said:

but part of me was really hoping for some tinplate and clockwork fun.

 

I understand this is vanishingly unlikely now, unless I find a basket case!

 

Sadly, this is true unless you get lucky at a local auction house. On eBay, a G1 B-L Peckett 0-4-0 tank sold for £600 on a Buy it Now recently, and it went very quickly. This for a loco which was at the cheap end of Bassett Lowke's Gauge One catalogue at the time.

 

[Ben B]

To be fair, if you can accept the crazy non-standard track gauge (because these toys are an absolute MARE to re-gauge to 45mm), you can get some good results with the Lionel/Hornby toys:

 

 

 

 

Project I've been working on- mostly for the Hornby Collectors Club mag, and a 'what-if' development of the Lionel range with repainted stock.  The plan is a layout, if a house move comes off (Majories Minories, in this scale).  I'll post more about it on here at some point soon.

 

Of course, if you're sticking with Playmobil and have access to a laser cutter, there's nothing to stop you having a bit of fun:

 

 

Home-designed and cut body on the standard Playmobil chassis...

 

 

I'm doing a matching Hudswell Clarke-ish diesel and carriages too at the moment :)

 

 

It was mainly for an interactive play activity with the Squirrel section at Scouts, but it looks rather good trundling around the garden too :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

 

Self explanatory, really.

 

The venue is very interesting if you ignore all the too modern things in it. Look out for the Starley Rover, the first production safety bicycle, which is near the entrance, and marvel at the leg-strength of Victorians.

 

 

Edited April 16 by Nearholmer

[Donw]

What was so special that the Victorians needed great leg strength.

 

Don

[Nearholmer]

It was heavy, only had a single gear, and had no freewheel capability, so the primary means of braking was by using the leg muscles. There was a “spoon brake”, which rubbed on the top of the front tyre, but that was notoriously dangerous to use. 

[F-UnitMad]

5 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

There was a “spoon brake”, which rubbed on the top of the front tyre, but that was notoriously dangerous to use

So it wasn't so much of a 'Safety Bicycle' after all..? I suppose compared to a Penny Farthing, though..... 

[Keith Addenbrooke]

1 hour ago, F-UnitMad said:

So it wasn't so much of a 'Safety Bicycle' after all..? I suppose compared to a Penny Farthing, though..... 

 

As I understand it, that distinction was the basis for the ‘safety’ designation - bringing the rider closer to the ground (so they could touch the floor), Penny Farthings also being known as ‘ordinary’ bicycles at the time.

 

No idea if Penny Farthings were ever carried on trains though?

 

Keith.

[Donw]

12 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

It was heavy, only had a single gear, and had no freewheel capability, so the primary means of braking was by using the leg muscles. There was a “spoon brake”, which rubbed on the top of the front tyre, but that was notoriously dangerous to use. 

 

Having for many years used a single gear fixed wheel bike I wouldn't say extra leg strength was needed the trick is to use your weight. Dont like the sound of the brake though.

 

Don