John_Hughes

Yes, another corker. I wish I had a fraction of the skills on display!

14 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

If it works full size it will work in a model - I couldn't count the number of people who have told me that you have to drive the middle axle and of course it's impossible to drive from a jackshaft. The main difference with full size is that the forces involved are much greater, run down locos could have very sloppy coupling rods.

Yes, of course; if it works full-size it will indeed work on the model - except that you can't scale down either tolerances or physics, and our usual model tolerances, using commercial products, are way, way over scale.

Sid Stubbs of blessed memory could do it, and many others have done it as well, so it's not impossible, and I never said it  was; but in my bodging experience, it can be tricky, and I like to keep things easy because I get more done that way.

17 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Overlapping rods on crankpins is perfectly acceptable practice, it was used on many full size locos - notably LNW 0-8-0s and some Hunslet diesels.

Agreed - but the tolerances on the prototype are probably quite a bit tighter than the inevitably sloppy fit of model coupling rods, where we have such factors as not-quite-identical crankpins, slight wheel wobble and so on to deal with. I suspect it's no accident that so many RTR 0-6-0 locos have the motor driving the centre axle.

Actually I'd guess that even on a CSB chassis, solid rods won't actually impede the springing too much. After all, we're only talking of fractions of a mm displacement, surely?

The GWR added a bay (on the other side of the level crossing to the south of the existing station) at Barmouth to relieve the summer pressure on platform space, and it was regularly used by the Dolgelley (incorrect GWR spelling, so apologies) shuttles. It was also the only passenger platform I know of with a loading gauge just beyond the platform!

22 hours ago, k22009 said:

 

John, yes I did use the etched buffers i found them ok, i soldered the front one with the frame extensions to the boiler assembly so that it was removable as Jol had done, it was only the resin boiler i ditched. I'm not a fan of the stuff although i can see it makes for a simple fix all detailed ready to plonk in place, but it's a cop out in my eyes and is an easy way to to take some engineering out of kits.  With some kits you might as well use a good rtr body as there's little difference.

I agree with you about the boiler. I have no absolute objections to the Milky Bar type - indeed, I used the one in the London Road Jinty with no trouble at all - but this one just didn't cut the mustard, so like you I replaced it.

Being inherently lazy I just knocked up a quick replacement design in Sketchup and let Shapeways do the rest, giving me more room for the motor and gearbox as well as for a little more weight, though those big side tanks do help.

19 hours ago, k22009 said:

 

John, i just weighted the pony truck as supplied in the kit on the top with some lead strip, used 2mm bearings filed almost smooth on the outer face and added a nylon washer between the frames and wheels. It swings enough for the curves on my layout which are around 3'-0 radius. I've not added any side control or springing.

The washers are presumably to stop the wheels shorting against the frame on curves? I tried that route myself but found that when the loco was reversing, the pony truck tended to drift to one side or the other, and it just didn't look right.

I suppose that's why the instructions suggest adding a spring to centre it, but the hornblocks seemed less of a faff, and the resulting chassis will even cope with the Peco small radius points on my shunting plank, which came as a pleasant surprise.

Did you use the fold-up buffer-beams as supplied? I ended up making new ones out of wood and using the etch just for the face.

15 hours ago, k22009 said:

At first stab mine too just clipped so i very slightly angled the brake hanger rods down so the coupling rods would then clear.

I think I just need to run a file along the top of the brake linkage; the contact between it and the coupling rods is minimal anyway, just a few thou; it certainly doesn't affect the running, which is excellent.

Can I ask how you handled the rear carrying axle? I ended up mounting it in Gibson's sprung hornblocks rather than as a pony truck, but John now makes a proper radial arrangement, and I had wondered about trying that. In the end it seemed too much trouble!

Very nice! On my own I can just hear the coupling rods barely touching the brake linkage when they're at the bottom, but I imagine you managed to avoid that trap!

On 25/07/2019 at 11:27, Hawk said:

 

Magazine outlets in railway stations usually have a far better selection of railway related magazines than airports. Probably no coincidence.

 

The newsagent at the railway station in my hometown (Trondheim, Norway) suddenly started to stock MRJ. I am planning a little exursion today to see if it have arrived. The only downside is that they charge more than  twice as much as in the UK.

Like most other things in Norway, sadly.

Subscription copy arrived 10 minutes ago, looks good!

Decals (not available from anyone else) ordered in the middle of last week, card charged instantly, no sign of the product yet. I suspect that it's shambolic rather than evil, though still not really the way things ought to be done. But then the proprietor seems to have his hands too full to get properly organised, and can't afford to bring in help.

I've said it before and I'll say it again ... Wow!

Well, if it's any use to you, this is what a panel's worth of sleepers for Hudson-style track looks like - just add rails and some sort of ballast to complete. I can get them 3D printed for you if you wish, but a single panel does cost a bit ;-)

It may be red now, but 'back in the day' it was green, as was No. 1 Talyllyn also.

Being stupid (and totally mentally locked into what I do to earn money) I actually saw Decauville and understood Hudson, probably because that's what I have the drawings for. Is that still any use? Sorry to be so off-topic!

There were reports in the local media yesterday (Sunday) that all Cambrian Lines services were cancelled following a complete failure of the signalling system; to add insult to injury, there were also warnings that there were insufficient buses available for bustitution.

What the blazes happened? And did it also - as I presume it did - involve the cancellation of WHR services as the Cae Pawb crossing signals couldn't be cleared?

On 21/06/2019 at 14:19, Robert John Davis said:

John, did this prove to be a feasible 3D printing project?

I've drawn them up - ages ago, right after your original query - but haven't done anything else. (I'm mostly a writer, and the latest book came out at the end of April, since when I've been busy with signings, promo events and the like. Good fun, but horribly time-consuming.)

I'll see what I can manage this weekend. Sorry!

On 22/06/2019 at 15:56, The White Rabbit said:

Sorry John. Access to the interior was something we hoped to arrange (we were originally in favour of doing this if possible, both for the passenger saloon and the engine room) but because of assorted regulations, disability access and suchlike, it's not something we're doing. The regulations are rather involved and we/the organisers would have had to hire a ramp in or quite possibly make a bespoke ramp (or even two - given the Warley crowds we initially thought about a one-way system to avoid crowding/congestion inside) specially for the event and this would have added significantly to the cost and space. 

 

I know it's not the same but we will have enlargements of various photos, including the interior, on display on the stand. 

 

Alternatively, sooner or later the autocar will go to other railways for passenger operations. I'm not aware of any hires definitely arranged right now but I'd put money on it visiting the GCR again in the not too distant future and we have connections with Llangollen so it may well visit there sometime. 

I understand the problems. Llangollen would be wonderful - and convenient for me - so I'll cross my fungers and hope!

I've no chance of making it to Embsay, but Warley, now, that looks possible.

Is there any chance of arranging it so that the punters can get into the saloon? I'd love to see the interior 'in the flesh' so to speak, and I'm sure i'm not the only one.

10 minutes ago, PhilH said:

 

It's not a link, it's a photo. Others seem to be able to see it, it's certainly showing up for me. It's even showing in your post quote saying it's not showing!

All I can see is a sad face icon.

I finally got round to making a set of those fire-iron hooks, having been putting it off for as long as I could. In the end - like most things that I've been a bit leery of - they turned out to be quite simple and only took about 20 minutes.

I've had one on the stocks for a while now, just adding stray bits and pieces as the mood takes me - though really it's just about ready for the paintshop with a couple of other locos to be done at the same time.

The 'milky bar' boiler went into the bits box pretty quickly, to be replaced by one I had 3D printed with enough room inside it for some serious weight - and more in those lovely big side tanks - and I made up new buffer beams as well. The sandbox linkage on the kit is a bit of a bodge but I decided I could live with it so otherwise it's pretty-much according to Hoyle, and an absolutely smashing runner.

Oh wow!

The FfR had about a thouand slate wagons, IIRC...

1 hour ago, Quarryscapes said:

Shapeways Steel is very hard, and has a very low definition finish with poor fine detail ability (below 1mm). I wouldn't recommend it for 4mm rods personally as reaming the bores will be a serious chore. The pic is of a 16mm scale con rod for my de Winton project in steel.

Lovely work - as per your usual, of course - but it makes the point very clearly.

But for the de Winton I'm sure it will be just perfect!

18 hours ago, Night Train said:

Sorry.

 

What a wonderful picture! The train seems to be running on what appear (judging by the overhead wires) to be streetcar tracks.