Wayne 37901 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Good evening, Could't find anywhere else to post this so apologies if it's in the wrong place. Has anyone go had a go at making safety ladders? Without a pic it's tricky but I'm describing the kind you sometimes see the side of buildings with the safety rings. I require one of these for a building on my steelworks based layout and was a bit miffed as to how to reproduce the safety rings without it looking wrong. Has anyone else built any of these? If so how did you go about it and do you have any pictures of your efforts. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I've used those available in styrene from US supplier, Walthers, they're also available from another US supplier, might be Tichy Trains. Two bits of it are in the background of this shot; I can get a closer view of them tomorrow if it's of any interest. They are known as caged ladders. I did have a half hearted effort making them from brass strip, rolling the hoops from thin brass strip and using long lengths of strip soldered to them for the vertical bars. Worked okay but as I'm generally using styrene for the buildings and walkways, it was easier to cement styrene ladders to them. Arthur Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne 37901 Posted September 2, 2013 Author Share Posted September 2, 2013 Hello Arthur, Well first of all I must say what a great job you've done on your layout, it's great to see another model based on a steelworks, do you have a thread for it? Ah, so Walthers make caged ladders. Do you know if there's a UK stockist by any chance? Yes I was thinking of sticking with styrene as well if I have to scratchbuild, as you say, it will make attaching them to the buildings much easier. Great job again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Arthur, that is stunning! I have used styrene safety cages (you might be thinking of Central Valley - I think this set includes cages: http://www.shop.cvmw.com/StepsLadders-1602.htm ) but the drawback with these is their fragility. I found an etched brass version: http://www.traincat2.com/d_idustladder.htm Just as an alternative. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Thanks Wayne. There's no layout thread as it's just a 3 foot module which I built for the RMWeb members day in Taunton earlier this year. It also acts as a photo backdrop for my steelworks rolling stock and I was able to test some building techniques for a much larger project. Just remembered that I've also used caged ladders from Plastruct which might be a bit easier to get hold of, just be aware that Plastruct do them in a variety of scales I've tended to buy a lot of this stuff direct from the US, often via eBay, though somewhere like Model Junction in Slough might supply them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Thanks John, yes, you're right, Central Valley was the other supplier. Though I've got a couple of packs in stock I've yet to use them. Thanks for that link with the etched brass ones, there are some situations where they might be very useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Close up of some of the caged ladders, on reflection, these are the Plastruct versions not the Walthers ones though I have used both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neal cooper Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 If you're modelling N gauge you can get an etch from Gold Medal, available through County Rolling Stocks Ntastic shop. They make up nicely and I recommend them both merely as a satisfied customer. Attached is a rough shot of a work in progress, (the ladder was straightened up after painting and fitting - honest!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted September 3, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 3, 2013 Good evening, Could't find anywhere else to post this so apologies if it's in the wrong place. Has anyone go had a go at making safety ladders? Without a pic it's tricky but I'm describing the kind you sometimes see the side of buildings with the safety rings. I require one of these for a building on my steelworks based layout and was a bit miffed as to how to reproduce the safety rings without it looking wrong. Has anyone else built any of these? If so how did you go about it and do you have any pictures of your efforts. Regards Hi Wayne I make mine from micro strip 10 to 15 thou thick and 20 to 30 thou wide. Step one. Tape one end of the micro strip on to a 10mm diameter dowel. Wrap the micro strip around the dowel in a tight spiral and tape the other end before it all pings off. Step two. Dunk micro strip and dowel into boiling water for a few seconds. Allow to cool. Step three. with a craft knife make one cut along the length of the spiral. You will have a set of "C" shaped hoops. Step four. Using a length of dowel to assemble the cage on mark where the hoops will go on the cage. Then mark where the longitudinal bars and the ladder will go. Tape on to the dowel the ladder. Slide the hoops along the dowel and cement them when in position to the ladder. Then cement each bar to the hoops. Allow to set, remove the tape and slide off the cage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Close up of some of the caged ladders, on reflection, these are the Plastruct versions not the Walthers ones though I have used both. image.jpg Nice, but I would not like to have to use the ladder up to the valve platform. OzzyO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Wayne, . I believe the Walthers product reference is:- 933-3515 . I bought mine in Canada several years ago, and whilst not as spindly as something soldered up out of brass (my fingers aren't spindly either) they fitted the bill. . I don't know where you'd get them in the UK - but try some of the 'international model railway / hobby shops' . Good luck . Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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