steveNCB7754 Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Steve Thanks for your input but as far as I know the mechnical stokers were dropped in favour of having two fireman asit was more efficient than the mechanical option - that's what I was told. Paul, Well, you learn something every day - rather them than me though. Do you know if they actually remove the equipment, or just stop using it? The firebox still had a conventional firedoor of course, despite the mechanical stoker fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted November 11, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) Hello Phil Many thanks for that link - no I didn't know that site. I have now successfully signed up to join. The only problem with the EXCELLENT photos on that site is that they have been taken/posted to be artistic .... whilst I have enjoyed looking at them I have not found any what I would call technical photos eg close up photos of loco details that would help someone building or modifying a loco ... so my search goes on Thanks agin for an interesting and useful link .... some photos bring back great memories ! Did you go into the contributors' albums? I haven't been very far into them but 'Tarboat' has over 700 photos in his Chinese Railways album and there are more including some nice infrastructure examples in his 'China' album. The quality is generally very good and you can enlarge photos - if you go to 'Actions' over on the right you can 'view all sizes'. Tarboat's generally only go up to 1024 px, but others may enlarge further. Try this one - it has some nice details - but may be not the ones you need! http://www.ipernity.com/doc/302581/21130199/in/album/358661 Later - I hadn't realized that Tarboat is virtually the only contributor - with nine from Loose Grip. Has it occurred to you that if you can't see the inside of a fairly empty tender no-one else can? So use your best judgement and no-one can argue with you. Perhaps a snug fitting liner, finishing where the coal does, could allow you to take out your coal, if & when someone does come up with the photo you need. Edited November 11, 2016 by phil_sutters Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 With the pressure off things have slowed a bit, but progress still being made ... 22 Kadee magnets installed in the fiddle yard today for ease of loco changing and direction changing 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted November 24, 2016 Author Share Posted November 24, 2016 (edited) Another thing I've been doing is 'improving' RTR coal loads in my coal cars. Three different grades of coal in three different trains Have 'improved' about 70+ coal loads .... will be helping Al with his brilliant WW2 DR 'N' gauge layout 'Remagen' at the Warley show this weekend and will take some Chinese HO to run on the MRC test track if I get the chance. If you visit Warley exhibition (NEC) come and say 'hello' ............... Edited November 24, 2016 by TEAMYAKIMA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davep101 Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 Hiya have you any of the Fen ND2s in your collection? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 6, 2016 Author Share Posted December 6, 2016 (edited) Hiya have you any of the ###### Fen ND2s in your collection? The simple answer is 'no' .............. I used to have one but sold it. The prototype ND2s were pretty early - approx 300 locos in the 1970s/80s and by 2004/5 they were pretty rare as far as I know. They were also very limited in geographical spread (Guangzhou and Shanghai) and pretty atypical of China Rail and as a result I've never seen one. I am trying, as far as possible, to represent what I've seen in the flesh. Edited December 6, 2016 by TEAMYAKIMA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davep101 Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 Ahh right, I was in the CFR museum in Bucharest a couple of week back and saw that some big Sulzers were exported- I have picked up a toy one to see if I can convert it into something more Romanian or Polish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) One important reason that I pulled out of the 2017 CMRA exhibition is that I realised that I could improve on what I had already achieved and yet with an exhibition pending I would not have time to go back and upgrade things I had already 'signed off'. So here is an example.............. I had studied photos of prototype Chinese shops and realised that my existing efforts were not good enough. 1. Real Chinese shop signs varied in depth quite a bit whearas I had adapted mine to all fit the baconies of the flats - mine were too unifiorm 2. I had kept the 'dividers' between balconies whereas I think it looks better removing the 'dividers' and allowing the signs to expand accordingly 3. I think my choice of signs and their positioning relative to each other was poor - by that I mean that there would be areas of predominately bluse signs and areas of predominately red signs amnd I needed to move them around to make things more random. These two photos show a simple before and after illustrating point # 2 With the dividers at each end the sign is restricted With the dividers removed the sign can expand Edited December 25, 2016 by TEAMYAKIMA 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al. Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 About time you gave us an update, Paul. I've been wondering what you've been doing since the pressure came off. The new signs look good. A lot clearer then the old ones. Have you sorted out the find for yard boards yet? As I'm looking forward to see these mic boards develop. Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) About time you gave us an update, Paul. I've been wondering what you've been doing since the pressure came off. I've also been doing other odd bits and pieces - all time consuming! Like repairing the photographer who appears and disappears at the window to photograph the steam trains. I made him originally ages ago but after the building got handled roughly he fell off his 'platform' - if I had fixed the building on the layout permanently it would have beeen VERY difficult to repair him. So have taken the opportunity to make sure he doesn't fall off again! Thanks to hot glue he won't fall off again! Edited December 25, 2016 by TEAMYAKIMA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 This re-working of the signs is VERY time consuming - and interesting at the same time. These are before and after - both sets of signs are printed from exactly the same digital images, on the same quality/make of paper, just different printers. Before, with the balcony extensions in place ... After with the bacony extensions cut/filed back ... 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 (edited) About time you gave us an update, Paul. I've been wondering what you've been doing since the pressure came off. Al. Well Al, the truth is that there has been a lot of modelling effort going on .... with not much to show for it. Firstly I spent 30 mins this morning 'improving/replacing' the blue sign after I spent 60 mins yesterday 'improving/replacing' the original version - I hope you can tell the difference! One problem I had when starting these signs was choosing a pleasing range of colours. By that I mean getting a nice blend , a nice variety. Originally I found that I had too many blue signs together or too many red ones. Today ( 6 hours ) I have upgraded/improved a second block ... Frightening .. absolutely frightening the time this is taking ...... 4 more blocks to do and then there are more interiors to do! Edited December 28, 2016 by TEAMYAKIMA 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 Well Al, the truth is that there has been a lot of modelling effort going on .... with not much to show for it. Yesterday was another day of lots of effort but little progress.... First I had three diesels with body damage ..... all broken/missing roof horns ..... as they come these Bachmann locos are very fragile in this area. By litterally canabalising another loco (not wanted on the layout) I managed to repair the three diesels. This DF4DK had 2 broken air horns ....... one repaired and one taken from a showcase DF4B.... Then I spent the rest of the day upgrading 23 Bachmann coal cars to Kadee couplings ( short # 143) . I had hoped this would result in closer coupling but although the coupler head is smaller the shank is slightly longer which results in the same distance between cars However the Kadees are metal and this now removes the risk of couplers breaking with my long, heavy trains. But this has revealed other problems...... these trucks are held in place by a pin (not a screw) .... in the early days (before I learned better) I removed the trucks when weathering these cars but pulling the trucks off usually damages the pin and so when I've put the trucks back eventually the trucks fall off. This means I have to drill out the body and refit the truck with a metal bolt - all time consuming! And so another day goes by ! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) Good progress today working on the tenements including adding a small porch over the entrances And adding more signage ... this DVD/TV shop is in Fuxin .... pity there is a shaddow going across from an overhead wire Edited January 2, 2017 by TEAMYAKIMA 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted January 2, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2017 If your looking for a nice colourful shop front then here is one I took in XiAn in 2013... Kev. (Very nice work by the way ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) Over the holidays ( back to work today!! ) I have been returning to work on the tenements which I gave up working on nearly a year ago. I nearly forgot about this 'issue' - the building components I have used for the ground floor wall units are designed (by Piko) to actually have a balcony. So there is a slot into which the balcony side member fits. This leaves a nasty slot/hle on the model .... So I found some balcony sides in my spares box and cut off the lug I then filed these lugs to fit flush. I then weathered the joints, fitted the porch over the doorway and fitted a sign to the cafe.... Edited January 2, 2017 by TEAMYAKIMA 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 If your looking for a nice colourful shop front then here is one I took in XiAn in 2013... IMG-20130710-01696a.jpg Kev. (Very nice work by the way ) Hello Kev Thanks for this suggestion ..... it's too posh for the old tenements I'm working on this week, but I do have some posh shops to be worked on later and so I'll look into this ....... But I think the issue will be that the sign has a raised logo and writing and it was taken quite 'side on' so it may look a little odd once it's been 'worked on'. I am always looking for shops to copy ..... the next batch of shops are more upmarket as the are closer to the tourist hotel ... so a jewellers or a posh clothes shop ... or a handbag shop are more the thing I'll be looking for next. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) For those of you who haven't read the whole thread recently, here is another reason why things take so long...... I have used dozens of Bachmann air conditioning units on the tenements ....... and I have filed them to try to make them look 'different' .... Edited January 2, 2017 by TEAMYAKIMA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 2, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2017 Then I spent the rest of the day upgrading 23 Bachmann coal cars to Kadee couplings ( short # 143) . I had hoped this would result in closer coupling but although the coupler head is smaller the shank is slightly longer which results in the same distance between cars However the Kadees are metal and this now removes the risk of couplers breaking with my long, heavy trains. DSC_0107.JPG The main disadvantage with the plastic couplings I found were the plastic springs which bend if left compressed in a storage box or even on the layout. Kadees are just better all round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I feel a need to visit the boob house....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted January 2, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2017 I feel a need to visit the boob house....... Unless you like fruit juice, you may be disappointed. Kev. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted January 2, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2017 I feel a need to visit the boob house....... Can you try them out before you buy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted January 2, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) Can you try them out before you buy? Are you referring to ######? Kev. Edit - I wrote m.e.l.o.n.s. Edited January 2, 2017 by SHMD 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jongudmund Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I presumed it was a milk bar... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Meanwhile back on topic ............ OMG! Have just ordered another 50 Bachmann air conditioners - all of which need to be filed down from OO to HO !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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