railwayrod Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Not a lot of progress to report this week but I have started work on the Slater's sprung axle boxes but still have to work out how I will fit them to the brake van. Howard has commenced work on another telegraph pole and but has a long way to go before he will be satisfied with it. Today I have taken delivery of two more Lens DB wagons and time permitting I will post a couple of photos on my next post. All for now. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 As promised on my last post here are some pictures of my latest German stock. First the two together. Next the milk van. And finally the Gms54 van, Both vans have opening doors, sprung buffer, and are beautifully finished, Lenz have made a superb job of these. Seems a shame to think about weathering them! During a recent meeting at the Exeter G0G (EXG0G) we were able to inspect pre production samples of Heljan's forth coming 43XX 2-6-0 and their Prairie tank. Both these engines look really great and ran well around our test track. GW fans are in for a treat with these - almost makes me think of going Western!!! Only joking. Wish they would consider a ex LMS loco. All for now Rod 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 (edited) Hi Rod, Interesting news about the 45xx, was there any indication as to a release date by any chance ? Edited June 25, 2017 by bgman Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Hi Grahame. Heljan's Prairie is not a 45XX but the larger one - a 51XX I think. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Not a great deal of modelling done this week so far although Howard has made some progress on the next telephone poles and I have been assembling the etched W irons for the brake van. However Maggie and I have just returned hom after a fantastic day at HMS Dartmouth, Britannia Royal Naval College.We had a very good guide around the college and the tour lasted about 2½ hours including being picked up and returned to the bandstand in Dartmouth, For your interest here are a few photos of our visit. This is the impressive frontage of the College Outside stands Britannia. Once inside we were taken to the chapel which is most impressive. Note the stained glass windows above the statues and the model of HMS Britannia suspended from the roof. We then went along this corridor which is no less than a furlong in length - I believe the longest enclosed corridor in Britain and perhaps the world. Rumour has it that Prince Charles holds the record for traversing the corridor but he did it on a motor bike! Towards the end of our tour we visited the dining room -another impressive place. The College is steeped in history and tradition and is well worth a visit if you are down this end of the world. We had a memorable day which we will not forget. The whole visit made me wish I was 21 again and a trainee at the place. As I said not much modelling done but I hope you will forgive my indulgence in sharing this with you. Rod 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted June 30, 2017 Author Share Posted June 30, 2017 We had a session in Rod's shed yesterday and I did a bit more work on the telegraph poles with a second one now planted. I decided to reposition the first one to better line up with where the rest will go. Rod, meanwhile, was applying Hobbyblack to the 'W' irons of his brakevan. I also took a couple of shots of the layout with my phone showing several of the signals. 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 I love that first photo Paul R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 We had a session in Rod's shed yesterday and I did a bit more work on the telegraph poles with a second one now planted. I decided to reposition the first one to better line up with where the rest will go. Rod, meanwhile, was applying Hobbyblack to the 'W' irons of his brakevan. I also took a couple of shots of the layout with my phone showing several of the signals. Ramchester 29-6-2017 1.jpg IMG_20170629_163532_486.jpg Those signals make such a difference to the scene - I might have said this before - semaphore signals on a steam era layout really do make it look like a railway. Of course that lovely four doll-bracket would get rather grubby where it overhangs the track..... Chaz 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Could not agree more Chaz and it will be weathered in due course when we get round to it. Today Howard and I visited the Exeter MRC's exhibition held at the Matford Centre in Exeter. This is a great venue with plenty of space and this year I thought the show was very good indeed. There were layouts in all the popular gauges with 3 being in 0 gauge plus the EXG0G stand where there were several models on display. One of our members had converted a Terrier to radio control and ran the loco up and down a wooden table with no track much to the surprise of many visitors. A really good day out to a show that has everything including excellent catering facilities. Just to bring you up to date with the brake van here is a picture of the almost assembled W irons which I blackened with my last bit of hobby black. Now I will have to purchase the real stuff - gun blue - for future tasks of this nature. I still have to fit the small springs but I will wait until I have decided how I am to fit the W irons to the van. All for now. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 This is the stuff! Fast, effective (a good black even on solder!) and permanent (does not flake or rub off) BUT it is very toxic and needs treating with respect. HTH Chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 P1070108-1.jpg This is the stuff! Fast, effective (a good black even on solder!) and permanent (does not flake or rub off) BUT it is very toxic and needs treating with respect. HTH Chaz And for ease of use Rod and Chaz one can buy this in pen form too.....and a touch in paint pen too....perhaps not as economical as a bottle but easier to use and store for some of us. ATVB CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 It has been a few days since I last posted as "work" has got in the way, yes even retired people have to do something e.g. jobs around the house etc. Still Howard and I did have another session this afternoon. He has been so busy kit bashing Peco's telegraph poles while I have just plodded along with the BR brake van which I am glad to say is making a bit of progress at last. Here are some pictures of Howards poles starting with the one he built first and has since resited in order to put it more in line with the proposed route around the curve at the end of the layout. The next one he built is now in situ near the coal office. And finally for today the pole near the tunnel mouth. In all he has built six poles but as yet I have not photographed them but watch this space. A great deal of research went into these poles and the keen observer will notice subtle differences between them - telegraph poles are not all the same are they!! Rod 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Nice work guys! Are you tempted to use the EZ wiring type system to wire them, or leave them as is? ATVB CME 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 I think that putting wires on the poles is asking for trouble as they will get in the way when track cleaning. In any case the wires would have to be very thin or they would look unrealistic. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 (edited) I tend to agree Rod, but EZ line (iirc its name correctly) is flexible and looks scale in 7mm........ Ramchester with the signals and TPs is almost transformed it was an excellent model before and now its superb...surprising (Im surprised) how these items are so 'railway like' and just how transformative they are. I was merely interested to hear yours and Howard's thoughts on TP wires. Kindest regards, CME. Edited July 11, 2017 by CME and Bottlewasher Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Boucher Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 I think that putting wires on the poles is asking for trouble as they will get in the way when track cleaning. In any case the wires would have to be very thin or they would look unrealistic. Rod I tend to agree Rod, but EZ line (iirc its name correctly) is flexible and looks scale in 7mm........ Ramchester with the signals and TPs is almost transformed it was an excellent model before and now its superb...surprising (Im surprised) how these items are so 'railway like' and just how transformative they are. I was merely interested to hear yours and Howard's thoughts on TP wires. Kindest regards, CME. Hi Rod, A friend uses EZ line (yes, CME, you have the name right) on his NTrak module. It looks fantastic, and it can handle the abuse that a portable NTrak module takes. its available as thin as .010" diameter. great stuff. He got his from Berkshire Valley, and I think its available via amazon. Its also not too expensive, about $10 for 100 feet, you could do most of Ramchester for less than that Parkside brake van you're working on. And, IMHO, With the rest of the detail you're putting on Ramchester, I think the lack of wires would look really obvious, their absence would be noticable. I think you should look into trying it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 Hello Mike. Thank you for your kind comments on Ramchester which are much appreciated by Howard and me. I will give some thought to you suggestion and decide in due course. It may be too fiddly for me to do and with my sight problem I have doubts that I will be able to see them. However just because I cant see them does not mean that others wont? Regards Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 If it's only a tenner, it has to be worth a try - from what I've seen, it is very convincing. Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Hi Rod, Howard, fellas, Rule One applies, as it's your railway, we haven't bothered in the garden on the H&BLR and neither has my buddy Phill Dyson on his garden railway, yet indoors, such is viable with EZL. However I fully empathise with your predicament and your challenges and it is, after all, your railway. My questions and thoughts were because the layout has now - with signals and TPs - taken on a whole new level of realism and it was fantastic before. Kindest regards, CME. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Not made up my mind on this question of wires. I have seen them done badly before and it spoils the effect. On the other hand I have looked at N Gauge OHLE layouts that leave the wires off (for very practical reasons) and claim you won't notice which is nonsense even in N. I guess you can't really compare the two but one of the things that has always worried me is that EZ line won't behave like the real thing as it has little weight. Real wires all sag in the same way -stretching the line so they are taut also looks wrong. Would like to see somebody else's pix before committing on Black Notley -if I ever get to that stage that is! Paul R 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Not made up my mind on this question of wires. I have seen them done badly before and it spoils the effect. On the other hand I have looked at N Gauge OHLE layouts that leave the wires off (for very practical reasons) and claim you won't notice which is nonsense even in N. I guess you can't really compare the two but one of the things that has always worried me is that EZ line won't behave like the real thing as it has little weight. Real wires all sag in the same way -stretching the line so they are taut also looks wrong. Would like to see somebody else's pix before committing on Black Notley -if I ever get to that stage that is! Paul R I would echo that comment - I too would like to see a photo or two of some wires in place. Nothing would make the case better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Telegraph wires in 4mm scale on Calcott Burtle by Chris Nevard. Winter tension against summer foliage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Telegraph wires in 4mm scale on Calcott Burtle by Chris Nevard. Winter tension against summer foliage. Hi Chris, A perfect example. ATVB CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Well now you are really making me think especially after seeing the 4mm layout which Chris highlighted. Perhaps I will get some and have a look at the position in order to decide which way to go. I take the point echoed above about the wires being almost weightless and clearly I will have to experiment before going ahead. Can anyone tell me if there is a UK importer of the stuff please. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 (edited) Hi Rod, Modelling Tools do it (I think) and Im sure Ive seen UK suppliers on Ebay, I think that fellows in the shipbuilding fraternity use it?? Kindest in haste, CME Edited July 16, 2017 by CME and Bottlewasher Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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