Robert Shrives

John, PM sent with details but yes it would. 

Robert 

Little update on the pallet wagons, got some 33 link to the inch blacked chain from Cambrian models - £10 for a metre  and over last few days plucked up courage.  I drilled and fitted some 0.3 hadrail wire to locate end links of chain.

Due cost of chain I did not double wrap on drive pulley on wagon end, but then chain while tiny too big to double wrap  but does look the part.

The other picture shows end of wagon with one operating chain fitted.  I think this is too short and am looking for pic of that end of wagon - I would think the pull chain was retained by a clip or similar.   Lots still to do but getting there.

Have to say doing three is enough !

Robert  

Looked to go for a reasonable price in the end but hopefully CMAC will get resin ones / better 3D print ones along shortly. These had a few bits missing and a few bits not required.  Given the range then hopefully the filler between 80 class and the 3000/ 4000 models will come as well in time.  Hopefully some sales before IRM cough up the goods !

Robert  

Certainly a fun morning - should have been longer but work in the way !   Wellpark best in show seeing trophy- well deserved - well observed modelling at its best. All the layouts were brilliant a real pic of the crop. But size does not matter as Steve Falmer with 39" of N layout was perfect.

It was good to meet up and chat as so many have said and yes location looks to be very good and in keeping with grand public buildings of old theme of DEMU venues.  

Spent at several traders for kits and some containers from C rail.

Also thanks to all involved  in making it happen before and on the day - you should all sleep well tonight .

Robert  

I add my thanks and it was great to be third through the door this morning,cake spend nearly matched book shop purchase - captive audience by bus inspired work.  

Slightly biased but 3mm layouts among the best in the show, all the others gave good supporting roles !!  However the shown inspired presentation of York was amazing - some 83 arches created from etches a real labour of love.

In reality all the layouts were labours of love and amazing works. As I said to one 3mm soc luminary - time to take up knitting!

Big thanks to Simon and Jerry for hanging it all together and hope you sleep well tonight!

Robert      

Hi When storing the auto ballasters esp in foam trays wrap each in acid free tissue paper and you should be ok - guess how I know. I have 10 kit auto ballasters and had to repair a few.  A great kit and yours is a good build.  I ended up using the fixed knuckle copuler from the Dapol bits bags and with a med and short on opposite end got them to run really well on the Warley club Broadwater and Templedean layouts, both have 12" rad curves.

Given how many workings are top and tailed I must try with a dummy loco on the back!

A quick question what colour did you use on the insides?      

Just a pic of current developments, goods shed now off track and two oil tanks have landed, engine shed now single track  and the lazer signal boxes placed  on platform is a tiny  shelter as suits the minor platform.

current location of the ex HR engine shed as if a track came off siding. If Oil tanks can be based and not over power station then this is where shed will go.

It is a 2mm shoot down of the 4mm version from Andy at Pop up designs.  Even the window frames were cut out of 0.8mm ply and the widow bars are thick hair sort of size which is pretty amazing.

Robert    

A case of never saying never - this ensures retention of the route with no overbuilding as has crippled many plans in UK.  Depending on land use changes, political will and economic demands  it might have a future as a light rail project with parts of a shared way.  Or become a bridal way for horse drawn traffic when it all goes "txxs up." 

Robert 

New HR book on buildings by Neil T sinclair , £27.50 worth every penny  just out from Strathwood. 

Robert

5 hours ago, Nile said:

We don't actually have anything yet available to buy.

 True but if frothometers are checked by Peco/ Heljan/ Gauge master then hopefully they think they will see a return on investment - if not world takeover stuff more arms in the armoury.  With luck and a following wind should do ok but current real world squeeze on lesiure cash it might not have been the best timing.

Robert  

29 minutes ago, Vanguard 5374 said:

 

We already have Peco, Heljan and Gaugemaster offering commercial support for the scale, so it's already got more support than the Triang TT3 system.

History tells us through old copies of the Railway modeller that several kits manufacturers making use of Triang chassis - robust and available to make scale or near scale models GEM, BEC and Kitmaster along with Peco and  Biltezzi and Superquick for buildings and matchbox for road vehicles. Not to hand as my 3mm documents are in Wales but  I would think a dozen firms offered rolling stock in some form and another provided TT badged scenic items but modelers of the day were adept at seeing offerings in 4mm and freescale models that could be made to fit. Along with the universal scale items such as flock and electricals were available in many shops.

Later day TT3 trader have included Parkside- now Peco, 3SMR, Bryn Kits, Finney and Smith   and the excellent 3mm soc originated castings  and mouldings.  Andrew Shillito and Lenny at Lincoln loco have kept the current scene provided with Wagons and locos. The indefatigable Worsley works has over 100 3mm brass kits/scratch aids and Allen even runs modelling weekends to encourage a bit more do and a bit less opening !!  

And I bet I have missed other luminaries who have kept the "light" - apologies but plenty of support for the modelers scale.  

Robert        

35 minutes ago, luke_stevens said:

 

I would think modern TT120 stockwould be ok on the straight track but the flangeways will be too big on the old point work. Running straight through a point may be ok, though the wheels might drop into the flangeways, but trying to take a diverging track is likely to be "problematic".

 

Luke

 well my piko  tarus chassis based class 24,25 and the 3mm soc based class 47 which is based on a 1:120 tt perform faultlessly on the Triang  B type track and does some BB wagons I have- but they are 30 years old. So Hopefully "problemmatic" will not be so !!

Robert  

Plenty of triang track to be had on ebay so should be able to resurrect. I am minded to do a bit more on my triang TT lockdown layout but as it has no scenery then use the new peco 1:120 buildings and use new 1:120 if it will run on triang track - sort of turning the clock back to when Triang first looked at UK outline and before growing bodies to fit the motor design they could successfully make at Margate.  

Fun to see what the 3D print market can make - a modern version of the support GEM and the like did for TT back in the day with only one headline name flying the flag.       

Left side of shelving two boxes getting there with steps and window frames fitted - these cut out of backing so flush fit possible. 

Other bits show works on other (many) projects I have now refitted loose bit on point carrier wagon.  

Andy and Pop up helpfully tested a N version of the OO Rogart  cabin

And partly built

I have futhered the build a bit and show on next post.

A brilliant design, in a few days you have done more in 10.5 than I have in too many years...   I really look forward to this progressing. 

Robert 

In the early 90s  There was a Barnt Green to Worcester Schools service formed of a 121 single car unit. On one occasion due to a driver oversight came down the bank with all vaccuum  and sailed through Bromsgrove to the great amusement of kids on board and greater for the Bromsgrove group - no school that day. Driver story lead to unit being sandwiched between two 3 cars for return to TS for attention. 

The service was later expanded to feed Bromsgrove inro the cross city service  and eventually led into he new station and OLE down the bank as a cheapo(ish) extension. 

robert       

Hi , correct no dummy 33.  Check out DCC supplies Dapol N spares you might find bits required to do the conversion.

Robert  

In similar vein to last pic this is an 80class DTS in primer will go maroon later, hopefully ensuring a powered vehicle announcement from  IRM in short order.. 

Hurst overlay for NIR buffet 547 added a 10thou door overlay to restore flush side, with roof on the rain strip just protudes over the overlays .

Vehicle in NIR maroon from precision paints, needs to harden for a week or so and then masking for Caribbean Blue - 1970s paint name but no RAL I can locate, I guess eat your heart out Farrow and Ball, "silly" paint names nothing new ...

Roof has had vents added and primed  need to go dark roof grey as does the dome ends on the coach  Having cut bodysides for flush glazing it will differ from 4 more in original Enterprise livery and a dtso just on bench - lima based to match rake, all this to ensure IRM produce 101s and coaches to match next week !     

Hi nearly, the baseplate that holds the buffers and tank mouldings differ to suit the prototype but the mechanics same, lighting bits differ to suit prototype.

If you remove bogies and swap base plates and resolder light rigs you could do a change, but the question is why ?

Robert  

As a less than humorous aside I wonder who the private railways adversely affected by this disinformation should contact -well perhaps their favourite pro bono QC friend should contact for compo after loss of revenue. I would have thought going to the top would be a good place to start  somebody like Sir Peter Hendy would seem to tick a few boxes.

  https://www.google.com/url?esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=U&url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hendy&ved=2ahUKEwj0sdeowL_4AhUYt4QIHYqCBV0QFnoECAMQAg&usg=AOvVaw1xLFbWvi0fwV6-JV_R5l9l.

Robert 

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

It's occurred to me that the "blue" map is remarkably close to the map of the BR network, had the Serpell report's recommendations  been implemented.

Yes Serpell report has been dusted off ready for the rural rail review for leveling up to ground zero... With the idealised loss of 2500 track workers if main lines are to be kept safe - even with advanced MARPLAN techniques then closing rural passenger only lines in England will be a possible get of jail card with moving remaining staff to keep mainlines open without crippling speed restrictions,  Wales  and Scotland have differing funding machines so unless pressure from the Department of fuffy thinking is applied Kyle and Cambrian might survive. Could well be good night to rural Norfolk, Lincolnshire , Devon, Cornwall and Parts of Middle England..

Robert    

Do I count, living in Brum I have traveled to the Ditch so see the roundabouts and carpark featured ! Exciting times,

I do find a tour of Brum on the 11 bus well worth it.. 

Robert 

You have to consider 236 and final 208 in the view of the original sleeper services and not the tiny remains on offer today. 

Sleepers once traveled to Brockenhurst or even Stranraer on a much larger spider web of a network .However along with motor rail services sleepers did not fit well into the modern time interval "unit operation" style of the railway  and certainly not "efficient- sweat the assets railway" with sleepers by the very nature a one way every 12 hours operation. Coinciding with a longer daytime table of departures and network accelerations on intercity route plus the completion of the major paralleling motorway network  the sleeper and complimentary motor rail network squeezed out of existence, to say little of the actions of cost control!   This just as the MK3 sleepers came on stream - I guess it was too late to turn the tap off with a BREL contract and perhaps its impending sell off and the MK1 sleepers were discredited and being withdrawn, so we ended up with 208 orphans! At least preservation lines and a few others ended up with newish tidy accommodation.

As an aside a friend at BREL did say the Mk3 sleeper testing programme was very tiring but the accommodation made up for it !    

Robert