hayfield Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Chris I am with you in that I much prefer to build something, than buy it. You are quite right that up to 10/15 years ago you build a whitemetal loco, add extra detail and have something much better and in a lot of cases different to a RTR product. Now you would struggle to build something as good and the plethora of what's available is amazing 7 mm is still in the backwaters as to what's available when measured to 4 mm, the quality of what's available is outstanding. But you have to build a 7 mm Parkside or Slaters wagon, where as their 4 mm cousins do fall together. Yes the Ixion Hudswell Clarke is a super detailed model, but there is room to customise it. As for other items many you could pick up off the shelf you have to scratch build. Turnouts are one example, in 4 mm scale Exactoscale make a whole range of special chairs for turnouts and crossings, these have to be scratch built in 7 mm Keep up the thread, I for one am enjoying it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Ixion's Hudswell Clarke is a great little model. It does seem to have become a "RTR kit." I've seen quite a few of them modified and customized. I'm tinkering away with mine at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isambarduk Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) "It does seem to have become a "RTR kit." Indeed! This was a phrase that my wife coined when she saw mine all in bits: I am not sure that it would be a good marketing tag line for everybody but it does have a certain appeal - what do you think, Chris? "I'm tinkering away with mine at the moment. " And I am sure that you'll be having great fun; how about some pictures? (But don't follow my hijack of Chris's thread here, let's go to your thread at: www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69095-idea-conversion-of-ixion-hudswell-clarke). David Edited April 25, 2014 by Isambarduk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnaby Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I like it David, I'm reminded when I used to build and fly my R/C aircraft that if I didn't land rubber side down it was referred too "as re-kitting" Regards 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 Wiring progresses and excitement is mounting among the residents at Cwm Bach as they might soon have a train service running. I have completed the wiring for the central board with the installation of the switch gear. The first shot shows the wiring arrangement for the DPDT switches that operate the Tortoise point motors. The leads to the motors had not been installed, but are soldered to the centre pair of terminals. Cutting, trimming, tinning and installing the short lengths of wire was only slightly less exciting than watching curling. The second shot shows the very simple control panel. The six switches on the left are for the points, the four on the right are SPST switches that will control the servo driven signals and gate. Cwm Bach is DCC powered so there are no track-feed section switches. Also on view is Hawkesbury, one of my Ixion Hudswell Clarke projects. So far, she has had extra lamp-irons and a replacement smoke-door dart fitted and has had a respray with Halfords satin black. There is still plenty to do. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 I assume the Hudswell Clarke is the Contractor's Loco for all this track laying? Anyway, looking good Chris. Will there be a banquet for 500 guests in the goods shed on opening day? The contractor for some reason seems to have a lot of Hudswell Clarkes at his disposal, though the number is diminishing fast. I fear the goods shed - Post #126, page 6 - will not be big enough for a large celebratory repast. However, I am thinking of concealing the pillar that juts into the layout with either a large Non-Conformist chapel or miners' institute, which might be able to accommodate the well-wishers. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 I'm still at work on the wiring of Cwm Bach. It's like climbing one of those mountatins with successive false summits and I'm continually tempted to break off and do other things. There is a Dragon Models kit of a Rhymney R Class 0-6-2T locomotive on the shelf crying out to be built, but I know that if I succomb to this temptation Cwm Bach's construction will be unacceptably delayed. Faced with this situation I decided to browse some albums this afternoon and re-discovered this photograph of Abergwnfi, the inspiration for Cwm Bach, by Trevor Owen. Two features stand out that I shall want to replicate vis the decrepit platform surface and the litter on the track. Suitably reinvigorated, I shall now return to sticking electrical wires into tortoises. , 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev_Lewis Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I shall now return to sticking electrical wires into tortoises. "Hello...... Is that the RSPCA?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 The tortoises have been electrified so the track and point wiring is completed on the main boards. The next two tasks are to work out the installation of the signals that will be driven by the new PECO servos and to assemble and fit some Lincs couplings so that I can install and test uncoupling magnets before ballasting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 I've had a pleasant couple of hours today tidying up the wiring on Cwm Bach and running one of the Hudswells up and down all of the track. Tomorrow I will attempt to film some running, though heavens knows how one gets the file from the camera to RMWeb. Meanwhile, I am compiling my list of procurements for the ALSRM show at Reading next Saturday, where I can usually be found hanging around the Dragon Models stand getting in Chris Basten's way. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Have a great show, out of interest has the next ixion loco been decided yet? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Shame that they didn't stake their claim to the LBSCR Terrier before Dapol did. I'm sure that they would have done a great job of it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Far too nice outside for modelling so we went to Highclere Castle today, the set for Downton Abbey and also Sir Watkin Basset's country pile in Fry and Laurie's Jeeves and Wooster. There was even some railway interest with a wheelbarrow and the ceremonial shovel used by the Earl of Carnarvon to turn the first sod on the southern part of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway. As we live only 25 minutes away we were back in time for me to mow the lawn before settling down to some recreation. I have been running most of locos over the Cwm Bach track, which is operating satisfactorily. However, my Lionheart 64XX 0-6-0PT was misbehaving. It is has factory-fitted DCC sound and when I switched it on it started making all sorts of sounds including what seemed to be a class 03 diesel starting up, a Class 40 idling, a 1st generation DMU, someone hammering nails into wood and a whole variety of steam sounds playing at the same time. I had to resort to the usual IT immediate action vis switch off and switch on, which seemed to cure the problem. However, it happened again later on. I think I will take it to Reading next Saturday so that Richard Webster can look at it. Has anyone out there experienced a similar problem? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Funny you should mention that, Petes 74 pannier on Leamington sometimes makes bird noises !!!! He does the same thing switches the sound off then back on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted May 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 6, 2014 Background noises on the recording? Good progress Chris. Wiring does take time even for an ex telephone engineer. It helps if you can get into a rhythm. Like you I will probably spend a bit of time at Reading on the Dragon Models stand usually asking Chris rude questions like 'when will he do the Albion class' I will say hallo if I get a chance. Don ps the Hudswell is just about right enough detail that you can leave it as it is but opportunities to add and modify for those who cannot leave something alone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 An unashamed plug here Chris but your going to need a powerful loco to push them minerals up that gradient !!!!!! ;-) 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Background noises on the recording? Good progress Chris. Wiring does take time even for an ex telephone engineer. It helps if you can get into a rhythm. Like you I will probably spend a bit of time at Reading on the Dragon Models stand usually asking Chris rude questions like 'when will he do the Albion class' I will say hallo if I get a chance. Don ps the Hudswell is just about right enough detail that you can leave it as it is but opportunities to add and modify for those who cannot leave something alone. Thanks Don. I hope to see you on Saturday at Reading. Chaz Harrison of Dock Green will be accompanying me to the show. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 image.jpg An unashamed plug here Chris but your going to need a powerful loco to push them minerals up that gradient !!!!!! ;-) Steve, My expression of interest has been lodged with David Sharp. I suspect my version will somehow escape the NCB paint shop and survive in a tired looking BR mixed traffic livery. I was running my Kerr Stuart Victory 0-6-0T up and down the bank on the Cwm Bach colliery branch yesterday. She is a big beasty when seen alongside the Hudswell Clarke. Chris 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 6, 2014 Steve, My expression of interest has been lodged with David Sharp. I suspect my version will somehow escape the NCB paint shop and survive in a tired looking BR mixed traffic livery. I was running my Kerr Stuart Victory 0-6-0T up and down the bank on the Cwm Bach colliery branch yesterday. She is a big beasty when seen alongside the Hudswell Clarke. Chris Examples were of course based in South Wales (so might well have been trialled on various branches ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Chris, any photos of the Kerr Stuart in action? Paul, Here is a link to my studio shots of the Kerr Stuart. I'll try to take some shots of it next to the Hudswell Clarke. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/76328-in-praise-of-industrials/ Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 81A Oldoak Posted May 6, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 6, 2014 As requested by Paul, here are some photos taken this evening showing my Kerr Stuart Victory, named Frances, on Cwm Bach. The first shot show shows Frances next to Elijah on what will be the colliery's motive power depot, which I suspect will be a thoroughly decrepit structure. The second shot shows Frances on the colliery branch with the crossover from the BR main-line in the foreground. The last two shots are now a rather familiar viewpoint showing Frances on the steeply graded bank that climbs away behind Cwm Bach signal box. Frances is fully compensated, powered by an RG7 and is fitted with DCC sound. She needs a crew and some more junk on the footplate, including the world famous Ixion bucket with working handle. I am also considering renaming her; Palmerston on the Ixion Fowler diesel set of etched nameplates appeals. Sorry about the blatant plugs. On, on. Chris 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 That'll rattle the signal box windows with the regulator fully open Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 She is a big old lump isn't she! I love the weathering on Elijah. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted May 7, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 7, 2014 No need to apologise about the plugs it seems more like encouragement to me. Those two are a real case of little and large. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 The Kerr Stuart is a beefy bit of kit and shows how dainty the Hudswell Clarke is. I can see why the green Hudswell Clarke has sold out first, she really is a beauty. Runs better than she looks as well, lovely little engine 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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