New On30 layout ..Citadel and Starlight

[bertiedog]

To go with my new On30 layout, a girder bridge, converted from the classic Airfix Dapol OO plastic kit...........the progress this Sunday. so far....

 

The Dapol kit is obviously too small to use as it stands, too narrow and too small in height, being 4mm. but the proportions are substantial and scale quite well as a light weight O scale Girder bridge.

 

The plastic deck is split, with the original ladder centre removed by sawing on a bandsaw,and the new wood beam deck glued to the old plastic, beam by beam at the new 160mm width clearance. The wood is oak strip.

 

The deck is lower on new side beams fitted under the Dapol girder structure, with decorative capping edges added to the outside.

 

The top of the girders are covered in oak wood strips as well, these will be drilled to take rivet heads made from domestic pins, as will the new side beams, along with "metal"capping plates over the joins.

 

The kit is put together with solvent, but the wooden parts are attached with superglue, and wood to wood joints made with PVA / superglue together. The wood will be coated with sanding sealer, an acrylic type to protect the plastic.

 

The decking is separate play wood planks glued to the oak beams, which will take the sleepers laid direct to the planking. Side walk ways will be added with planking surface.

 

Most of the wood is oak, ex parquet flooring blocks, with ply wood and bass wood, all cut from solid block and sheet on a bench band saw, the basic sanding done with a bench sander to remove saw blade marks.

 

New top bracing cross girders will have to be made in plasticard or brass as the OO sized ones are now far too short!! They will have to be raised to get the complete )n30 clearance over the rail top, as per the clearance diagram. I used 80mm instead of 38.1 x 2, handier figure!. This should clear all Bachmann On30 stock, but some larger scale DRG Locos might need a mm or two more to clear the cylinders.

 

The narrow gauge track will code code 70 flatbottom nickel silver, spiked and glued to wood sleepers, but for testing some Peco will be fitted. The final fitted track will have planked decking fitted flush with the rail top.

 

Stephen.

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Stephen,

An excellent re-use of old materiel, I'm sure that many a 'slim gauge' line superintendent would have approved!

Seriously, that looks really good,

Cheers,

John E.

[bertiedog]

Fast re-build of one side, I only noticed that one side is flipped upside down, from the photographs, easy to correct, but new wood strips are needed for the top beams.

Adding plywood gusset plates to the new wooden side beams etc as well today, brass hand rails walkways etc., and drilling for bolts and rivet heads. I have not got a quantity of scale bolt heas, only some lost wax ones, and not enough to warrant making a mould from, to cast some more in resin. I am fully aware Grant line and others do them, but the cost would be as much a the Dapol kit or many times more!

 

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

Does anybody in the UK do false nuts and bolts, mouldings like the Grant line or Kemtron, which are non functioning decorative bolt heads with a hex nut on them, 4mm scale size or 7mm scale size, in plastic etc.? I have only ever seen imported ones, but I wondered if there is a UK maker with these available at a reasonable price.

Stephen

[bertiedog]

Photos of the corrected bridge, both sides now match! I had simply put one side on upside down, the ends go on either way round in the Airfix design. I had sanded and finished the sides etc , before noticing in the shots that it did not match on either sides arrangement of the girders.

 

 

 

 

The spars at the top are temporary in place to hold the sides all square, till top girders or plates, are made and fitted.. They must clear 108mm over the rail height so will have to be raised up a bit, by about ¹/₂inch. over the girder sides height.

 

 

 

Stephen.

[Oldddudders]

A classic piece of make-do-and-mend modelling, Stephen! Looks the On30 part alright! In case you're interested, this site has some ideas for such structures, as well as selling a wide range of wooden kits. I've been very pleased with stuff I've bought from them.

 

http://www.blackbearcc.com/catalog_cur.pdf

[Kris]

I'm impressed with that bridge, the wood really works.

[bertiedog]

The wood is to alter it away from looking like Airfix too much!, as well as making it better proportioned for O scale. The wood will be painted finish, so will not be so obvious when finished.

 

 

All efforts to find scale nuts bolts and washers etc., have stalled on cost, I know of Grant line, scale fixtures and etched Military Model sources, but US stuff is not easy to find, or costly. Are there any UK makers?

 

The connecting top braces will have to be made up in design, as few real truss bridges have ones like the Airfix design, which is quite unusual on the real bridges.

 

It may boil down to straight rods through stanchion blocks on top of each reinforcing plate, high enough to get the 108mm clearance for On30

[bertiedog]

A classic piece of make-do-and-mend modelling, Stephen! Looks the On30 part alright! In case you're interested, this site has some ideas for such structures, as well as selling a wide range of wooden kits. I've been very pleased with stuff I've bought from them.

 

http://www.blackbear...catalog_cur.pdf

 

Yes I know the company well, the designs are very good, and I have used these for trestle bridge designs before.

[bertiedog]

The top bracing girders in place, to clearances for On30 NMRA clearances. The plain girder shapes will have capping added. The outside edges are angled the same as the Airfix ends, it keeps it in the same overall design. I am assuming that all of Bachmann's stock is under the NMRA limits on height and width. The width is 4mm wider than NMRA minimum, the height the same as recommended.

 

 

The whole wood decking has a very slight warp, it occurred as the wood glues dried out, this will be corrected when finally screwed down to the layout supports. All the wood is treated with lacquer sanding sealer, it has not affected the plastic parts too much. The warp can be treated by clamping and a weight to slowly pull it straight as well, but screwing down will finally flatten it out.

 

Handrails are needed, along with finer details, I think the bolts will be impractical on time and cost, so domestic pin heads will be used for the "rivets" and bolts heads. two tubes with be added as service pipes, along the inside of the beams, and wiring added for two LED lamps

[bertiedog]

220 extra wooden pieces added to the Airfix kit, with the track, planking and approach shelves screwed on to the ends. it's all sanded and sealed, I am still looking for bolt heads to add, before a paint job, and over all grey paint, with some traces of wood showing through, with rust weathering in appropriate places. The track base will be track rust and wood over the track bed, shaded into the grey colour .

The track is code 5 flatbottom, gued to Oak

 

A second one is being done for a friend to take standard gauge US track.

[bertiedog]

A little disappointed with Peco's On30 track, which is perfect for 7mm narrow gauge proportions, but not for US three foot narrow gauge., and the rail section is a code 100 , quite heavy even in O scale terms.

 

I had thoughts of making all the track from FB rail 75/80 with spikes, but the cost is high and the work is a lot, despite a small proposed layout..

 

If I used code 100 Peco On30, then I would have to buy in material for points etc, and I already have code 75/80 FB rail section in stock.

 

So to speed things along and get things running I am using the Peco code 83 fine scale HO track, with reduced sleepers (25% removed and all re-spaced, with the code 83 points , which are semi covered anyway, being in a yard.

 

The re-spaced track looks good, 3 foot should really be 21mm or so, but with he thinner sleepers and slightly wider spacing the 16.5 mm track looks realistic.

 

Peco's Code 83 points are really excellent, with all metal check rails, and no wheel drop with RP-25 wheels with a shallow taper, a very faint drop with tapered tyres, but so smooth you do not notice it at all.

 

I will be building some points myself from the code 75 FB, which seems to match the 83 without need to make a conversion rail.

 

A problem has arisen with the Bachmann On30 boxcars, they are featherweight, so much so, they rock and roll alarmingly. Bachmann make it worse with loose bogie mounts, giving no nominal rest position to hold the body upright.

 

Is this a common experience??....., it is easy to cure with new mounts and ballasting , but surely Bachmann should address this issue, the only bad point on an extremely detailed piece of rolling stock.

 

I bought a very cheap bogie gondola car by Atlas in HO to be converted to a Caboose, it weighs twice the bigger Bachmann, and runs to perfection, no rock, and dead smooth.

 

The small bogies in O scale terms should not show badly, the whole thing will be shortened and a wooden body fitted

 

more details of the layout coming.

 

Stephen

[bertiedog]

Right...the bridge is done, and the layout being planned, stock bought or built, and boards laid. The reason for the move to On30 was the availability of the really cheap "Hawthorn Village" 260 Mogul Bachmann Locos on Ebay, at £19.99, a fantastic bargain as long as repainted from the "collectors paintwork".

 

These portray Colorado and Southern narrow gauge locos quite accurately, so the C&S seems a reasonable prototype, but the line will be called the Citadel and Starlight, very handily the same initials , and similar logos!! This allows other stock not from the C&S to be used, and re- labels quite easily with new inkjet produced decals and signs.

A DRGS Railtruck has been obtained via Ebay,, undecorated, with DCC, along with a Combine Coach, Caboose, and some Boxcars.

 

The display part of the line will be about 11 foot long ,plus yards, and also act as the fiddle yard to the HO Stewartstown layout.. The main board is 8 feet long, with bridges leading onto and off it, with typical Colorado scenery, a mountain pass, with a few buildings and small businesses along side the line. A trestle bridge will be on the approach to the station area, around a corner to the main board.

A turntable is needed for the railtruck and other single ended items, and a Gallows 12 inch capacity one is under construction.

 

An Underground Ernie inspection car is being rebuilt as a diesel switcher, and one of the UE bogie chassis converted to a petrol railcar unit..

 

The track will all be based on the Peco HO Code 83 track, it looks fine as narrow gauge track with correct ballast and spacing etc., The code 100 Peco is too heavy in look for On30, it is much more suited to 7mm ¹/₄₃ narrow gauge. The points selection is also better, although for cost some will be home built , but to match Peco geometry, which is based on NMRA specification for wheels etc, giving very good running indeed.

 

The first job is fitting the main board, recovered from an old layout, 6mm MDF with a pine frame, to stand on legs on top of an old sideboard., plans and shots to come soon.

[bertiedog]

First rough plan, still to be worked up for the exact track and spaces available for buildings.The back drops are shown, they will have trees added to mask joins etc.

 

 

I had considered a roundhouse, but dropped the idea on space grounds. The main track is to hand, one point built and two Peco so far., trying to get main track laid to test stock and then do landscape in styrene and Polytex plaster. There are some rock faces to make masters for and vinyl moulds to cast them in plaster of paris.

[bertiedog]

The locos are breeding for the Layout, another Ebay Bargain , a second 260 C&S Mogul, again Hawthorne Village Wolf livery, so only £20, a real bargain for an On30 260 Bachmann Mogul. It will need a full repaint in black and red oxide of course.

 

 

 

Vehicles acquisition's are moving on, a car, van, truck, and a very nice 1/48th scale Lafrance Fire engine......have to build the fire house now!!

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/27699-o-scale-vehicles-for-on30-us-line/page__pid__289397?do=findComment&comment=289397

is the thread for the cars and trucks, now on here.

[Mike Bellamy]

a very nice 1/48th scale Lafrance Fire engine......have to build the fire house now!!

I know just what you want - but you might not like the price

 

Mount Albert Lumber have a different limited edition kit each year and 2009 was the year of the Fire House - and I know Paul at EDM still has one left. http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Mt_Albert/mtalbert09.htm Could that also be your fire engine in the picture?

 

Mike

[bertiedog]

Yes, I was fully aware of the Mount Albert kit, but way too expensive, mind you a nice design, and one similar my well be appearing soon, it would need a completely different footprint anyway, but the same style frontage and cupola.tower.

 

The Fire engine is a 1939 Lafrance as above.

Chinese die cast makers do several very detail 1/48 scale engines of different makers and vintages, very detailed indeed for the size.

[bertiedog]

Well the Wrecker Truck is dealt with, a very nice Lesney Ford Model A, very well made, good detailing, scaling at 1/43rd, and while Matchbox collectors are not looking on the way to the painting and weathering shop. I'll keep the yellow and the decals though, they are excellent, but can be weathered a bit.

Gathering figures next as well, not many makers now, the Hong Kong figures are too small even for 1/48th, and some 1/43rd are too big, needed a bit off modifying to get within sensible height and weight range for 1/48th O scale.

[Prometheus]

The Fire engine is a 1939 Lafrance as above.

 

Very stylish too Bertiedog, I'm tempted to look for one myself.

 

Below are some photos of an On30-adapted fire-engine, a Solido fire-bowser. Originally hard and shiny crimson and chrome, it has been modified and battered into a water-bowser, off upline somewhere to provide water for a portable steam engine.......

 

 

 

 

Tony

[bertiedog]

I have one of the Lesney Ford Model T tankers, Pratts livery, and I had thought about a water bowser, perhaps with a water bar at the back for sprinkling dusty roads, frankly they don't look much like a petrol tanker anyway, even for the 1920's

.

The layouts period is a bit nebulous ...1940's....late 1930's..maybe just after the war, plenty of older vehicles still around.

 

So far a 1939 tractor, Packard car, Model A wrecker, Model A Woody, Lafrance fire truck, Ford coupe, plus two smaller scale vehicles, which might do in the background.. All bought cheap on Ebay...but you have to be careful about scale with these diecast models the makers are pretty free and easy about exact size, Lledo in particular adjusted the size to fit the box!!

 

Stephen.

[Prometheus]

but you have to be careful about scale Stephen.

 

I'd noticed : the Solido looks bigger im the photographs than it actually is, but is still I think just a little over-scale....

 

I've picked up three 1930's Ford stake trucks on eBay : all await attention [particularly wooden stakes in place of the awful plastic mouldings].

 

Tony

[bertiedog]

Most die cast will be a touch large, they are nominally 1/43rd scale, (British O gauge), and ¹/₄ inch O scale is 1/48th , the difference barely matters. Oddly it shows more when a vehicle is 1/50th scale, just too small, and it shows more., especially against the 1/43rd vehicles.

Stephen.

[dana]

 

old paint scheme on ex c&s loco at knotts berry farm

found in a hot rod forum inn the memories section

[bertiedog]

Care of Ebay, at £19.99...ridiculous for a ¹/₄ inch scale On30 260 loco, (except for the livery!), the second of the C&S fleet., to be black livery with red oxide trim, cab top, tender top etc., and graphite smokebox. Have to be fitted with working front knuckle coupling, as dummy is fitted.

[bertiedog]

There is another variant from Bachmann without the air tank, in "Glenbrook" livery, said in one web reference to relate to a TV series? Quite nice colourful livery for pre-1900 period. I have not got this one.

 

Stephen.