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What are people actually doing with T scale


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The T scale stand/layout always has a lot of viewers, but beyond that what is everyone doing in T. I've seen a few bits here and there mostly US work and well.. silence. The T gauge forum has a few active users at most worldwide, the yahoo groups are basically dead.

 

Does everyone just buy a set watch it go round a bit, think its cool and put it away or are there folks on here doing cool stuff ?

 

I've recently been experimenting with etching a few bits in T but I'm beginning to wonder if its actually worth the effort.

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  • RMweb Gold

I think the limited stock range and limited availability just mean it's slow to take off. U bought a set a couple of months back and have ideas and a few test pieces but not actually committed to building a layout yet. Still trying make the RhB idea viable using the chassis rather than just doing T rtr. I'm looking at making plastic masters for the loco bodies to sit over the rtr body that are cast in resin and either etch or resin mouldings for the stock.

Electra are now offering a range of UK overlays for modern stuff to go with the Deltic and fir modern units so it's starting to appeal to UK modellers rather than just the Japanese and US markets. I wonder how many will get the bug buying a HST or ICE when they are released?

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I'm sitting on the fence with it at the moment, I like the look of it, but haven't bought anything, I can't decide if it is worth it. The HST looks promising, that might just sway me if funds allow!

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  • RMweb Gold

Having released a few T Gauge overlays for UK prototypes onto the market, it's become apparent that the scale in rapidly increasing in popularity and there is a worldwide demand for UK stock in this scale. I think the majority of modellers in T also model in a larger scale and are attracted by the vastly improving quality available materials, the sheer scale that it is possible to model and the fact it's great fun!

 

The popularity of the ERG T Gauge overlays has really taken me by surprise, prompting me to do a lot more for this scale.

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In 4mm it is 9" gauge although alongside OO track it could be said to be 10 1/4". Certainly I would have thought that was a market that could be exploited if the things become more controllable. At York they seemed have two speeds - fast and stop which put me off buying a motorised chassis and few bits of track to see what could me made of it 4mm wise - a park railway GW Railcar or a 121 type bodies with seats for passengers spring to mind.

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For me it would have to be Proto T. I'll go and get the calculator out to see what the flange depth should be, and the flangeway gaps while I'm at it.

 

...and that, ladies and gents, is how we sort the men from the boys!

 

Pix

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Hi Alistair! Pardon me for missing the WFMRC meeting tonight, will be back next week :)

 

I have been looking at various options for 3D printing for T. Google sketchup is a handy tool for this, and more capable than it seems to be at first. I think I have also mastered converting the files to the .stl standard normally used for sterio lithography. Anyway,back to T... in the best traditions of Rolf Harris, can you guess what they are yet!

 

(some for 'Bo-Bo' chassis, some are of a more 'Co-Co' persuasion so the extra axle will need either to be imagined or suggested, the little class 139 is to sit on a single unpowered magnetic bogie, and be propelled by some devious mangetic means!)

 

post-1601-0-28505900-1303851113_thumb.jpg

 

post-1601-0-53257100-1303851149_thumb.jpg

 

post-1601-0-15937400-1303851185_thumb.jpg

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(some for 'Bo-Bo' chassis, some are of a more 'Co-Co' persuasion so the extra axle will need either to be imagined or suggested, the little class 139 is to sit on a single unpowered magnetic bogie, and be propelled by some devious mangetic means!)

 

Lovely looking bits of 3D design work. If you do print them I'd be interested in a 139 about 3 times T sized as well !

 

Given the axle spacing the CO-CO actually seem easier as you've got two wheels at a believable spacing and need to add one whereas the BO-BO stuff is way out.

 

I take it the devious magnetic means is under board magnets as used by some of the the German feldbahn models ?

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I take it the devious magnetic means is under board magnets as used by some of the the German feldbahn models ?

 

Absolutely! One of my things to do with T is investigate propelling ultra small vehicles by unseen means under the baseboard. I was even wondering about an unseen subterannean 9mm gauge railway draggng the magnets along to in turn drag the T people mover above.

 

PS.. yep, a slightly bigger one is also on the list for 'printing'! Maybe even much bigger ones...

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  • RMweb Gold

This is a reason for seeing if I can make the Scalescenes buildings in this scale.

If they turn out OK then it may appeal to UK modellers more.

The size is quite daunting at first but it's like everything you just get used to it.

What will be interesting is seeing what Eishindo have in store with the 3rd generation motor drive unit, they have also been experimenting with PWM controllers for slow speed running.

 

I have ordered a PWM controller which the guy I'm buying from is adjusting to give a maximum output of 4.5v, I have seen a guy running with a PWM controller that he made and slow speed control is excellent!

I will post back when I get it and have had a chance to test it out.

 

Electra are now offering a range of UK overlays for modern stuff to go with the Deltic and fir modern units so it's starting to appeal to UK modellers rather than just the Japanese and US markets. I wonder how many will get the bug buying a HST or ICE when they are released?

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been watching what Traction, the 3d printing boys and others are doing in T gauge on here. love the fact that you could do on a door what would need 36X12 ft in 4mm. I think I might get a few bits and have a play at some point.

post-2980-0-08539200-1305748201_thumb.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Oh, thats nice.

 

Some of the 3D printing thats being done is excellent.

It would be nice to have some more varied rolling stock, that wagon does look great though!

 

Cheers

 

Ian

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I'd say watching with interest.

The limited stock range makes planning a layout thats not a copy of those already out there difficult, ans the miniscule size makes scratchbuilding way beoynd the scope of my abilities.

 

We did joke at our club when we were discussing what to replace our 55ft club layout with, that we could do a scale Japan in T gauge :yahoo:

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I'd probably have a go, if the track were more reliable. From what I've seen of the standard turnouts & crossings they not only don't appear to be very reliable, they also look terrible.

 

I've actually wondered if you could build up decent looking, all metal rail, live frog turnout in T by etching the components...

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Guest jim s-w

I've been watching what Traction, the 3d printing boys and others are doing in T gauge on here. love the fact that you could do on a door what would need 36X12 ft in 4mm.

 

Ooh - My layout would fit on 4 doors! I cant believe that it would ever have any real wow factor though if I am honest.

 

Cheers

 

Jim

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