hayfield

This trailing crossover was on my bench overnight, and after a wet mornings golf and a lengthy drying out session in the clubhouse drinking large hot coffees modelling time this afternoon was restricted. Still I managed to get all the rails soldered up and tested with a wagon. Just need to cut the rails to isolate the V's and gap the sleepers, the plan was made by someone else (better than my work) and is on a slight curve. Large radius curves (cannot remember the size) which will allow big locos to run through at speed. Built to 00 gauge. Down memory lane, an old SMP 60" radius kit I have been asked to build. Not used the SMP plan, built to a B6 size. I have gapped the sleepers first and will fill them before fitting the rails, as it will be easier to sand flat without the rails in the way. Some time since I have used paxoline PCB rather than fiberglass which is much stronger.

Not listed much lately, one of the reasons is that I had a problem with a couple of programs including my camera link,another having new windows fitted to the house (had to tidy up the workroom and stop using for a few days)also sorting out the seedlings in the greenhouse and planting some of them out, but most of all the bench has been full of turnouts for the past 6 or 7 weeks. EM gauge junction which was built on a gentle curve just to add a couple of complications. Brooke Smith timbers and C&L chairs and rail. The turnouts are slightly different in size as the inside one is on a sharper radius. The build took longer than I thought, but mostly as other things got in the way (bank holidays and the above) but once a couple of problems were ironed out with the curved part of the crossover it was an enjoyable build. EM gauge B7 turnout built with C&L plastic sleepers and chairs. As you can see I build these on tracing paper and attach the sleepers to it with thin strips of double sided tape for transit. 3 different methods, top turnout EM B6 with Brook smith ply sleepers, middle the C&L EM B7 (plastic sleepers) and the trusted Copperclad turnout, this one is a P4 A5 which I built just to see if I could build one in P4 A close up photo of both wooden and plastic sleeper built turnouts. Which is better? close up I think the wooden sleepers look best, but then its easier getting a good finish with wood stains than painting plastic. However those with artistic tendencies can paint the plastic sleepers to look like wood. Then again from normal viewing distances can the average person tell the difference ? And from a distance well finished copperclad track looks superb. Anyway back to the trailing crossover which is on the bench

Never have guessed they were Hornby coaches spliced together, I have a BSL 70' Compo. Look nice and big against 60 footers. Just brought some K's Dean bogies as I have a few Ratio 4 wheelers that I want to splice together, too much other things on the work bench. John

Dean The shed looks great, how long before it gets filled up. At some point we will be moving (may be 5 years time)have been told that my next workshop will be in the garden. When I brought this house all I was interested in was how big was the loft, the next house will be where can I put a shed !!!

Russell I have built 300+ copperclad turnouts. I now take my time as I like squareing the ends of the copperclad with a file and other little bits, so time is not too much of an issue. So when building a plain turnout in ply and chairs the build time is not too different. Complex formations do take longer as each rail has to be bent to shape and crossings soldered together before glueing, where as in copperclad you can form the shape and set the gauge as you solder. Providing all the insulation slits on the sleepers have been filled, once the track has been ballasted and painted, from a distance the blobs of solder pass for chairs anyway. Having said all this I have learnt a couple of new techniques/processes whic can be transfered to copperclad building. Also whilst wooden sleepering looks best close up, to my mind the plain track also needs to be built in ply for visual apperance. At our club we (others) are hand building all the track in Exactoscale 7mm components. 2 jigs have been built for 60' and 45' pannels, the turnouts will have all the railbreaks in the correct positions. But then there are a few of us and only 7 turnouts.

Russell Nice bit of trackwork, I see that one turnout has been built using the ply and chair method. Are you going to build the rest this way?. Tonight I have been working on a curved junction using this method also in EM, the room now smells of Butanone. As for the isolation cuts in the sleepers, I have found that using Milliput is quite easy as it stays workable for a long time and is easily sanded 24 hours later. I will be looking out for more progress

Simon To my mind N gauge sleepers may look to small, even 00 RTR sleepers are actualy H0 gauge 3.5mm. So either true 4mm scale sleepers or S gauge may look better. With what I have seen narrow gauge track uses similar sleeper widths as standard gauge, so if you can get some wood or ply strip between 4 and 5mm wide you will get the impression of bulk that is needed to stand up to heavy locos and rolling stock. 9mm track gauges can be brought, but are easily from scrap metal sheet. You could use spikes to hold the rail in place. OK there might be a small bit of soldering and filing on the turnouts but not much. You could look at Peco code 82 flat bottom rail which would be easy to lay eithe with mormal sleepers or baulk road. Off stage just make copperclad track for ease/speed/cost.

Simon What scale are you building to ? Track work is a doddle to the work you have done on the buildings, you could think abour using 4mm ply sleeper strip or even copperclad strip (or both) all you need is a couple of gauges

What an original idea, with liking the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books, Films and of course railway modelling a super subject. Delight full models to go with it. You cannot have standard track, some form of rustic sleepers or baulk road. I will look out for the updates, thanks for shareing it with us

Simon I have been busy finishing off a couple of other kits and I am in the middle of building a scissors crossover for someone, so nothing done and will not be until my bench has cleared a little (2 other locos to finish). Also brought a London Road Models riveting tool for use on parts that may be needed. Motor fitting is the simple part as I will use a Comet or similar gear box which fits on the the axle. Just need to work out where I want the motor, then I can chose the gearbox.

The ends and tank hatch are whitemetal castings. I have seen some whitemetal castings which have been stripped have a milky apperance, perhapps they may not have been cleaned enough after being in the caustic soda mix ?

Thanks for the replies. I took the cylinders out last night, they are wooden so need to dry out fully first. Then I will paint them with sanding sealer and sand to get rid of the grain. The rest of it came out of the solution along with a K's brake van and single bolster and were washed down in soapy water. The k's wagons came out very clean, where as the Wills has a red residue on it (could it be the primer?). After a quick brush with a fiberglass pencil it looks a lot better (the photo makes it look 100 times worse than it is)I need to find that nylon brush that came with one of my mini drils to give it a quick buff up. The plastic wheels are in the bin, I will see how I can fit some brass pin point bearings into the axle holes then check what length axle is needed.

This wagon arrived with 3 others at the weekend, the paint job is very thick and it has plastic wheels that are not free running, so its ready for a rebuild. I mixed up my favorite paint stripper which is 1 pint of water (in an old Carte Dor 1 litre icecrean tub) with a heaped table spoon of caustic soda. I popped it in along with a K's single bolster and LMS guards van. I do not know what the metalic paint is but it started fizzing straight away. So the whole lot is now in the garage just in case there are any accidents. I looked in after half an hour and the tank wagon is now a brownish red. I will check on it later but it will stay in the mixture fot 24 hours, by which time hopefully the paint will have desolved off the wagons and the glue softened. I have a couple of photos in my GWR wagon book but with few photos of the pipework at both ends, and have seen a couple on the webb as well. All the photos I have seen in my books seem to have the grey livery, however I have seen a model in black?

Ozzy Sorry I miss read your reply, and miss quoted the wrong axle size. As I said its the older style axles that are larger.

The older ones which need bushing are 9/64ths

Richard, give Mark a call he is very helpfull and sorted me out with some axles for the older type of chassis. I have 3 or 4 re-wheeled Hornby chassis (done by others)and they seem to have had their chassis bushed to fit 1/8th standard Romford axles. I guess its easier and cheaper to use the correct size axles now they are available. I guess if someone has a lathe they could use 3mm rod and turn the ends down to 1/8th to fit Alan Gibson / Kean Maygib wheels

Look on the Markits website they do 2 different axle sizes for Hornby locos, also you will need to buy 1 plain axle and one knarled for the gear wheel

Frames, coupling rods, spacers and wheels arrived from Alan Gibson earlier in the week, I decided to use Romford/Markit wheels as I have them in my wheel box, I also have some Gibson plastic brake shoes. Ready for a start once I finish off a couple of locos which are on the workbench, I chose a ridgid chassis for ease also I could not understand the diagram for a 2-4-2 flexichassis in my Sharman book (taking it down the club tomorrow so someone can explain it to me)

Simon Thanks for the photos, they have told me more than the photos in my Russells GWR locos book. Could you please tell me what the items are each side of the loco footplate just behind the smoke box, they are not on the plans in my book but are on the photos. I can use your photos to assist me in placing things like boiler bands etc in the correct place. Thanks again a great help

Nick Thanks for the info, I emailed Alan Gibson workshop and got a couple of replies from Colin. I have decided to go for the rigid frames (cant quite get to grips with the compensation for a 2-4-2 chassis)and will order the parts I need tomorrow

Bertidog, that was quick. I have just had some Hamblings 24mm drivers arrive in the post, I have at least 1 if not more locos with these wheels and have some in my wheel box for future use. Is it worth drilling out the K's wheels to take standard 1/8th axle rods?

I got this loco body off Ebay last thursday and it arrived today, it was advertised as a whitemetal loco body, but I had my doubts. Also no mention of what loco it was Its a scratch built from nickle silver and just waiting to be finished, at the club we looked at the photo on my camera and one of the chaps thought it might be from one of the Welsh companies, however on checkinh its an original boiler verson. I have found in the spares box a smoke door box, tank filler caps and some tool boxes which may be a bit short, also I brought a brass whistle this afternoon. Alan Gibson does a set of milled frames, so having not either made or brought one of these before I will send an email asking what I need to buy. I have had a quick look at my flexi chassis book but at a slight loss at the 2-4-2 arrangement, I have only ever have made an 0-6-0 flexi chassis before. I have some photos of the loco in my Russells book and yes the fire box / boiler height differential is that much will have a look on the web for some rear shots

Stephen, I need to replace some and I was told last weekend that Markits may now do one that would fit in brass.

Jamie I have a couple that are part built and stopped at the solebar fitting, the one I finished is the SR brake van and I cheated by cutting off the 2 bits that are filded. Is the etched (thinner) part of the solebar wide enough so that when you fold in the 2 thicker outer bits, the solebar is still wide enough? Am I right in thinking you clamp the thicker part (top) in the vice level, then bend. turn around 180' then clamp the middle part of the solebar with a square metal spacer and fold the bottom part over ? Sorry for being thick

I should have said 3 variations (though there may be more) not varients. 3 different Smoke box wrappers, 2 Cab front spectacle plates, 4 saftey valves 2 smoke box doors etc. Sorry for the error Must give it a dust and finish the painting.