robertc Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 (edited) For those of you trapped in cold old Blighty a bit of sunshine for you. cheers Bob Edited February 14, 2023 by robertc 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 (edited) For Kim who asked for details on the construction ,here are some photos to go with what I told you. cheers Bob Edited February 14, 2023 by robertc 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatford Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Thanks for the advise Bob, and the pictures make it nice and easy to understand. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 (edited) No worries Kim, always happy to answer questions. If I didn't have friends who wanted to build my layout I might have built something similar to the method used by Steve in this video. Once again the important bit is to keep the wood well out of the weather. cheers Bob Edited January 16, 2018 by robertc 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dthead Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 (edited) Hi Robert, found your thread. and have browsed all 14 pages so far. Have been impressed with your work and all the loco projects. O scale is interesting, I do not limit myself to 4 scale gauges, even if HO Aussie is the main scale. Within a few year I hope On30 will be the 2nd option for me. And as per my avatar, if there was a 7mm 73 class I could build/ afford I might be hooked. John Reid is a fellow club member, i think his article has been in 7th heaven. And his 7mm loco albury layout is inspired, for me. But what you have done from scratch , modified, kit based etc is amazing - not a lot of people these days do the modelling. Regards, David Head Edited January 19, 2018 by dthead Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 Thanks David, glad you enjoyed the thread. A 73 would not be a hard model to make. It is mainly flat plate construction with some relief at the top edge of the bonnets. Blow up a HO plan to 2x and get some 40 thou for the body and 60 thou for the chassis. The bogies are of a very simple design. Slaters wheels, Roxey gearbox and cheap Mashima 1833 copy motor from China. :>) Pity I didn't go back to sort the nonsense out, Ted provided me with a range of sizes for the heralds, one of which is correct for the model. I chose the larger ones as they looked better from a distance out in the sun. cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dthead Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Robert, already have the datasheets 7mm plan. But for now I have to think about it, as you clearly show one can build with little cost, just time. Regards, David Head Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 By the way David, if you think mine are inexpensive have a look at some of John Fownes work with cardboard ( chassis and all). https://www.railwaymagazinemodelling.co.uk/in-the-june-2017-issue-modelling-on-a-budget-get-back-to-basics/ John has a reasonable size layout room where he can watch his trains run too. cheers Bob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 It had dropped back to about 25C outside after dinner so I spent a pleasant time running trains in the evening until dark. The powered 42 is running smoothly. Could do with a fraction more weight to haul trains up the access ramp. cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Last evening I found the operating arm on a point on the crossover broken in three. It had been coming for a while, but now I could no longer ignore it. I decided to take it up and rebuild it last night. A PC board sleeper, some 20 thou styrene to help keep the point rails down where they should be and a new over-centre spring make from some guitar string. The knob to go into the Peco point motor arm was made from some suitable brass rod soldered into the PC board sleeper. Installed it this morning, had to replace the insulating rail joiners as they had disintegrated over the 5 or so years outside. Should have given them a coat of paint to protect against the UV. However after 5 years use I am not unhappy. Back to train running this evening. cheers Bob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 Very impressive point repair there, well done Thanks, name?? The reason it broke was probably my fault by setting the microswitch a little too close keeping the plastic operating arm under constant tension for the normal road setting. cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi Mike, your RWweb name will separate you from all the other MIkes here. Just signing Mike at the bottom of your posts occasionally means I have a name to respond to. I am not happy responding to fake names. I do believe my point problem was an own goal. The tiebars are used to operate the microswitch for the frog. The fact that none of the others have the issue says I set the microswitch too close on that one. The main thing outdoors is to have all the rails of the point soldered back to the feed. So I have the closure rails hard wired to the adjacent stock rails and the point rails have a flexible wire soldered to each from the adjacent stock rail. If I was going to do it again, as I use DCC, I would probably install frog juicers instead of the microswitches next time, saves work installing them. :>) Peco track has a long history of lasting outdoors without any extra protection, however if you are worried you could do what a mate did with his OO track outdoors in Brisbane. He painted the track with black house paint every couple of years and then wiped it off the railheads. Mine is fine without any protection. Give the insulated joiners for the frog rails a coat of paint when they are installed might help, however I suspect all the others I have will continue to do their jobs until I have to remove them. O gauge need not be expensive, small incorrect details are irrelevant when running outdoors. Slowly building up the items needed for the day when you have the space can be a good idea. A short length of track or even a small plank layout can be used to see rolling stock run before putting back into storage in the interim. Finding a local club to run can help too. Joining the Gauge O Guild I found very good value. Given I don't model British and I live miles from any other O gauger I get great online camaraderie from the members and the magazine is inspirational. If you have a track layout in mind don't just concentrate on gathering rolling stock, start building the structures needed too. They can be an inexpensive way to enjoy the hobby. regards Bob Comerford . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 (edited) Started modifying some donated US buildings. Removed the obvious American signage, added corrugated iron roofs, new signs etc. Will add some typical awnings to the buildings and finish the signage. The big white signboard covers a missing piece in the front wall. Here they are so far. The polar bear cafe is now the butchers and another is now the local Greek cafe. The real estate agent could just as well be found here, so no change was needed. Not sure where they will end up, maybe on a transportable street scene for use outdoors. cheers Bob Edited February 14, 2023 by robertc 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) A bit further advanced. Given it dropped from 32C to 14C in two days and is drizzling rain I have had to suspend train running and do some modelling instead. cheers Bob Edited February 14, 2023 by robertc 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Budgie Posted February 4, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 4, 2018 The Times Roman typeface looks a bit out of place on those signs on the front of the buildings. Something a bit more like the lettering on the adverts on the side of the building would look better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) ATTENTION ALL INTENDING VISITORS !!! Train running at 7 Mile Mulga has been suspended for now. Stripping back and doing permanent fixes of a miriad of small issues. Stripping back to bare boards. Resumption of services will be announced in due course but might be some time. cheers Bob Edited February 14, 2023 by robertc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 The Times Roman typeface looks a bit out of place on those signs on the front of the buildings. Something a bit more like the lettering on the adverts on the side of the building would look better. Jane, my town has an up market signwriter. cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 What happens to wood when it gets wet v when it does not. cheers Bob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 (edited) The baseboards have been repaired at last. Many potential issues fixed in the process as well as the existing ones. Hopefully the modifications will mean the wood cross pieces last a little longer this time. Wood under joins now has a plastic barrier on top in addition to the paint and many now are not directly under joins but I have two cross pieces either side with a gap for the water to fall down between them. It very nearly became to be resurrected as a 16.5mm track layout not 32mm. I would get a lot more visitors wanting to see trains run if I was running my HO! :>) Track will not be re-installed exactly as before and the garage sidings are to become a small station with most stock to live in boxes or on shelves. So now to unsoldering many broken rail joiners and then track laying and rewiring. cheers Bob Edited February 15, 2023 by robertc 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 (edited) Not much skin left on the fingers after all the track cleaning :>) However the re-laying of track begins. Not as easy as the first time around; the track is no longer nice and flexible and requires a lot more working to get it where I want. cheers Bob Edited February 14, 2023 by robertc 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubar Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 BobC, you weren't kidding in your email when you said you had torn down the layout Outdoors is something I'll leave to you or maybe a larger scale like G-scale. BobD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 BobC, you weren't kidding in your email when you said you had torn down the layout Outdoors is something I'll leave to you or maybe a larger scale like G-scale. BobD Hi BobD, the repairs were necessary unfortunately. I tried Ignoring the issues but they would not go away :>) Many other niggling issues due to mistakes made such as the ballast getting under the sleepers have been attended to in the process. Hopefully 10 years before issues arise again this time. The larger scales running on Gauge one track are usually made for outdoor use and over here there are a lot more of them than the O Gauge ones. It was to be G1 at one time but I felt ( perhaps wrongly) the end result would be nothing more than a big version of a HO 8x4 layout. I would certainly advise going BPRC to anyone going outdoors despite my success with DCC. I really don't get enough visiting locos to justify keeping it for compatibility purposes. The former Lima range would be ideal for running in the great outdoors. My cardboard stock could easily be ruined if they were caught in a sudden shower. cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 Today the second loop and the crossover were finally laid. Plenty of sweat expended in the process, back to summer again today. Soon the fun of re-wiring begins. :<) cheers Bob 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 Something no doubt to gladden the hearts of my visitors for whom HO is the only scale worth considering is this idea. Wiring was advanced enough by yesterday evening to run my X200 all around without problems despite the number of re-used rail joiners.. cheers Bob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 The track in the garage was installed yesterday. Wired it up to work last night. There are plenty of soldered joints to attend to before it is finished but trains can now run all over the layout again. Last issue was how to switch the frog on the access ramp as having a HO track between the loop meant the microswitch could no longer be installed in the gap. A frog juicer was the easy solution, and having Gwydir Valley Models just a couple of blocks away meant I had one delivered to my door in quick time. Works like a charm. This is part of the indoor section to be sceniced. cheers Bob 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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