Ron Heggs

Quick sketch of the GN Junction Area - Red represents the junction trackwork Blue - Thick lines - viaduct walls Blue - Thin lines - road boundaries Black - bridge beams

They are effectively only decorative. The bridge deck is the plywood base for the trackwork carried on the brick viaduct at GN Junction. Will post a drawing to illustrate the area Ron

GN Junction Bridge Parapets - Update Both bridge beams now complete - await the spray booth for their grey primer coat - pictures tomorrow

GN Junction Bridge Parapets over Beaufort & Collier Streets - The bridge beam over Beaufort Street is 382.5mm long x 40mm high x 12mm wide Top drawing is railside, and the Lower Drawing is roadside The bridge beam over Collier Street is 142.0mm long x 15.5mm high x 5mm wide The beam supports the continuation of the bridgeworks under GN Junction, and over the junction between Beaufort & Collier Streets. The beam also supports a brick trackside wall Construction - Styrene sheet - 40 thou top & bottom flanges - 20 thou web and T sections Progress from last night West end detail Progress this evening Centre section detail ... railside T sections, and flange strengtheners to be added

Hi, Gareth Thanks for your much appreciated comments As you can see from the last link in my signature, I have started scratchbuilding a 3 car set of the original EMUs. It is another continuing build which is held pending time to produce the designs for the bogies and obtain an appropriate motor/gearbox. The answer to your question is YES - an operating MSJ&AR EMU will be running on the small section of line - most of which will be in the garden Ron

For FUD each item is charged at $3.49 per cm3 + $5 per item, which if all the single items are placed on a sprue, only a single $5 charge is levied. For the sprue #1 which has 58 small items the saving is $285, the cost of the additional sprue material is less than $7 It is definitely worth checking out the individual item material cost against the number of items required, and the on cost per item - sprued or otherwise Ron

The completed designs for the Signal Heads (courtesy of Pete Harvey) and Switch Motors, ready for uploading to Shapeways - Sprue #1 - View from Front Top - 2 & 3 aspect ground signals + covers View from Rear Top - 2 aspect platform starters View from Front U/S View from Rear U/S Sprue #2 - View from Front Top - 2 & 3 aspect ground signals + covers View from Rear Top - 2 & 3 aspect signals + covers View from Front U/S View from Rear U/S Switch motors x 60 These signals, etc. were existing from 1935 thro' 1958 at Manchester Central, prior to re-signalling, etc.

There are various sayings which come to mind - It never rains but it pours - When one bus arrives, three come at once 1. Still waiting for TNT to deliver the etching package to my daughter in the UK, after being returned by them from Spain back to the UK - coming up to 6 weeks in transit from Scotland - Have a new TC Soldering Station ready to go 2. Can't proceed with the viaduct arches/walls/etc. waiting on bulk delivery of ink for the printers 3. Trackwork builds stopped - waiting for C+L to re-stock 00-SF gauges What's left ? A. Finish the CAD designs for the 3D printed signal heads (care of Pete Harvey, PH-Designs) and switch motors B. A couple of bridge girder parapets (GN Junction) in styrene (definitely have the material) C. Complete the installation of the Train Shed roof (styrene and epoxy) Quickest and easiest is A, followed by B (night time job) and C (daytime job) Posting details of A very soon

John, C+L are out of stock of 00-SF gauges - re-stocking expected end of this month. Have made up some temporary gauges from machine screws and nuts with 1mm thick washers, just to check the sample build The sample turnout (curved, 1 in 11.5) in 00-SF has turned out a far more satisfactory build, and with no hiccups with various RTR stock Will suspend further trackwork construction until the appropriate gauges are to hand - don't want to tempt providence with my mock-up gauges, as there is a lot of complex trackwork to construct next Ron

Have you checked that the blade holder is set firmly in the blade carrier before you lock it in. I have had similar events in the past when having set the blade to 10, and placed it in the blade carrier that it didn't set to the bottom properly, so when it was locked in and started 'cutting' the blade didn't reach the plastic, and failed to cut Ron

Following on from much appreciated help from Pete Harvey - PH Designs, have been investigating the production of a number of items employing 3D printing Already run suitable CAD software to produce 2D & 3D designs which enable output of files in various formats, including those suitable for 3D printing Items which could be produced by 3D printing are signal heads, dummy switch motors, canopy columns & gussets, decorative brick & stone work, and the decorative viaduct pier heads, to name but a few Sample costings - even at the revised Shapeway pricing structure - are very attractive This approach with such detailing items would allow more time to progress the layout builds including the track, structures and electrics - The really important parts of the layout Will post designs and details, as they progress

Hi, John Have been off modelling for a few days due to work at the local charity shops and store ready for the forthcoming Xmas Bazaar next weekend - (Mr Shifter is my name) Thanks for the offer of a sample build. It is much appreciated. I have just that build underway (slowly, little at a time) at the moment to test how the gauging differences work out. Will obviously report back on this Cheers Ron

Tried a Hornby Mk1 carriage on the trackwork, and it derailed at every common crossing. Checked the BTB, which measured 14.25mm at each of the four axles. Re-gauged them to 14.4mm, and it ran through perfectly Looks as though every piece of rolling stock will need their BTB checking, and re-gauging as necessary

Where's that package ? - the package containing the viaduct etches is back in the UK, and delivery is promised by TNT to my daughter's work's address first thing Monday morning. My eldest daughter will then collect it and bring back to Spain in two weeks time Looks like December and January are going to be busy months Ron

Hi, Ozzy I should have been a bit more explicit in my explanation of the 'gapping' of the copper clad strips The underside of the strip is gapped by the removal a strip of the copper approx. 3mm wide. On the topside the copper is removed completely If a problem still exists the length of the soldered tie tabs could be cut back Cheers Ron

Hi, Martin When defining the template settings for the initial plain track the timbering was set for 8' 0" (32mm) Used the same template drawing to generate the turnouts and diamond. I didn't bother checking the timbering setting. I have since looked at the setting and it is 8' 6" (34mm). Cannot understand how it changed Not to worry, a steel straight edge and sharp knife will sort this latest trackwork section out, and I will re-check all future template drawing settings before making a start on new trackwork sections Cheers Ron

The etched turnout ties - started with a CAD sketch - Then produced the etch drawing - Small detail - blue & green are half-etch front and rear faces 180 x 180mm etched sheet - 128 individual L & R etched items - Half have been removed for assembly. The copper clad strips are 1mm x 14mm to which a pair of ties are soldered Close-up of rear face Close up of front face Typical tie folded and awaiting trimming Assembly of a pair of ties is by way of soldering to two copper strips. To obtain the correct gauge between the opposing ties a suitable wooden jig was used. To prevent any short circuit between the rails/ties a strip of the copper cladding on the underside was removed Actuation can be by drilling a hole through one of the copper strips to enable a vertical operating wire to be fitted, or soldering a suitable connector to the underside to allow actuation from the side. Other options could be devised for remote operation Cosmetic stretchers and operating rods can be added as required

Hi, Pete You are quite right. There appears to be excessive timber outside the rails Having cut all the sleepers at 32mm (8'-0") to match the gauge, rather than scale 8'-6", then had a senior moment or two, and the timbering was cut at scale. Need to shave 1mm off each end of the timbering Cheers Ron

Hi, John Yes. Designed to match the prototype whilst not dependant on visible stretcher bars keeping the rails at a fixed distance, and providing attachment point for actuators Will post pictures of the etches and the construction method Ron

Hi, Howard Have run a Fruit Van and a Black 5 through without any problem. The minimum gauge at these points is 16.25mm, and flange depth is not an issue. The etches are 5 thou thick and sit mainly within the rail webs Ron

The switch rail ties soldered to the rails - A little cleaning up is required, and the bent tie straightened

Have the mould & casting chemicals - will attempt to produce a few copies from a master * Put on the list of future builds * Ron

Had considered this as a basis for modelling the 1935 prototype - but easier to build it from scratch

A quick sketch of the dummy point motor - This will built in styrene - need about seventy five

Hi, John The stock rails have been cut, assembled and soldered - the angle of deviation is 7 deg. Looks better than a bend. The adjacent check rails are bent, and show it Cheers Ron