Heacham

On 03/03/2024 at 22:09, 03060 said:

Well some progress made with the fish van yesterday but not until I had realised that I had made a bit of a mistake (also spotted by @Phil Mason) with the solebar overlay ethches which should have had the top couple of millimeters bent over at 90' which I had originally been aware of but had managed to either forget or convince myself not to do as there was no fold line in the etches, this can be seen in the first photo ... the solebars being much deeper than the buffer beams ... having filled the swear box I decided that I needed to remove them again, bend them and refit them which lost me an hour or so but looks better for it (see 2nd photo.)

 

 

I did manage to fit the small bracket details onto one side only, one of these took nearly as long as the solebar rectification as it just wouldn't take for some unknown reason.

 

There is also a flaw with kit that I am aware of and still need to address. 
 

This flaw is that the initial 5 sided etch (including floor) folds up to make a lovely square, open box BUT the etched side and end detail overlays have unfortunately been etched to the same size as face they are to fit onto when they should have been a tad bigger to give butt joints where they meet, as it is there is a roughly 0.5 mm recess on the outside of all 4 corners. The instructions did mention this area would need fettling with brass strip (so the designer was aware of the flaw) but  had I fully understood why this was then I think that I would have cut down (rather than folded up) the original 5 sided etch into separate pieces, filed them down a little before soldering back into a box shape that would then be slightly smaller than the overlay lengths and allow them to butt up to each other.

 

My options now are to try filling the recesses with either wire or strip and then file to shape, fill with a filler (not sure that this would work) or more drastically seperate all of the sides and floor using a piercing saw and do what I should maybe have done in the first place ! I'm still undecided about this but might as well try option 1 first and see how it looks ... who knows, it might even work !!

 

I was hoping to do this tonight but a late and tired return home from a visit to Newcastle has convinced me to get a good nights sleep and see if I can pinch a couple of hours in the morning before I prepare for a night's OT shift with a very quick turnaround back onto days for the rest of the week. I'm conscious that I don't have much useable time in which to finish this wagon before it is needed for display (Mar 16th) but I'll try.

 

Hopefully more positive news later in the week to report.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Ian 

If memory serves me right I think these were shot down from Jedenco 4mm kits so you are doing well even getting it together this far. They are notoriously difficult to build and are full of dimensional errors they were designed in the 70s and 80s before CAD  and I don't think they went through a test etch build up before being released . One of my friends had a Hopper waggon kit in 4 mm that the hopper was supposed to fold up but it was so far out the only option was to scratch build a new hopper. 

Good luck with the build.

Simon

Hi

Good idea for the bogie but will it have enough traction with only one axle being driven on the loco. do they do similar motors with double ended shafts. I'm  a great believer in jigs for things I often get completely sidetracked making jigs to help build stuff and never finish the original builds. this is a jig I built to experiment with building wagon chassis using society W irons.

Regards Simon

On 24/10/2023 at 10:20, J-Lewis said:

Not sure I’m convinced Phil.  I mean sure Hornby Tt track makes it easier for you to run your stock, but you could just as easily have run your Triang stock on any of the other existing track brands from Europe over the past couple of decades?

 

The 3mm is old, it’s outdated and now there is a super detailed, DCC compatible true scale alternative in the new TT120.  I don’t see how 3mm keeps going at this point.  It’s stuck in the past, and although you and I might love the charm of old Triang models I don’t think they can increase in interest outside their currently shrinking demographic.  We shall see.

How can a scale be old and outdated 1/120 is actually older than 3mm My father started to build in 1/10 of an inch to the foot scale in the 50s but then Triang came along with TT3 so he switched.  There is also S scale is that an obsolete scale too there are still modellers out their working in the scale with the certain knowledge a RTR model will not come out just as they finish a long scratch or kit build like has just happened to me in 7mm with the announcement of the Accurascale DS88.

As for Hornbys new enterprise it is early days yet while initial take seemed good there has been quite a bit bit put up for sale second hand quite quickly Gary buy up a lot of it to chop up into new different items. I think this may be due to modellers realising all they can model is an East Coast mainline it will take a few years for a decent range of stock to become available. I have only seen a few people actually go into building their own locos Gary being the most prolific but he has had the usual issues of finding suitable wheels to use and of course there are many 3D prints out there of varying quality to add to the range. The track has been a great help for TT3 modellers I think it is easier to get hold of and modify than the continental brands which as you say have been around for years.

On a selfish note I hope the 3mm society keeps going for at least another 10 years or so by that time I will probably be beyond caring about any models.

Simon

On 13/03/2023 at 14:12, BetweenTheTunnels said:

Well an hour or so working on the Gresley etches last night ended up being a total waste of time!  My own fault really, getting to grips with the new soldering iron (See my journey in 3mm thread) and trying to solder the door vents onto the main bodyside etch.  I ended up with too much solder on, then the vents wouldnt laminate with the main etch.

 

I concluded that lack of heat with was the problem, despite the new iron being an Antex 50W and set to 450 degrees - I think the default bit that came with the iron is only a 2.3mm bit, and am still waiting on a 6mm bit, the largest Antex do, arriving in the post.  I think that should help the issue, and suspect the brass is acting as a heat sink against the a glass craft board and the current bit isnt big enough to heat the brass sufficiently.  Ah well, another part of the learning curve!

 

Richie

Hi  

What solder are you using as a friend of mine uses a 50W Antex to build 7mm stuff he does also have a small blowtorch sold for doing things like creme brulee in the kitchen for stuff with a large area of brass. I use a Weller 50W TCP iron with a number 7 or 8 bit which being American is 700F and 800F or 370C and 430C to us in the rest of us who follow the International temperature system.  I use mainly use resin cored 60/40 electronics solder which has a melting point of about 190C mainly due to the fact I worked in the electronics industry and so did my dad so have a couple of old reels.  Many will say you shouldn't use cored solder but i've never had any problems I use 22 SWG although I also have some 18SWG and 24 SWG which disappears as soon as the iron gets anywhere near it. The thing to steer clear of like the plague is Lead Free solder as that has a higher melting point of about 230C and in my experience doesn't seem to flow so well. 

 Simon

15 hours ago, BetweenTheTunnels said:

Quick update, time constraints with work etc have taken their toll this past fortnight, but im hoping I may get some more progress with the coach tomorrow. Ahead of this, I've treated myself to a new temperature-controlled Antex 50w soldering iron. My previous one was a hand down from my dad, the bit was all over the place and I was struggling to find a make to get a replacement bit.

So hopefully the new one will see me for years to come. But a question to you kit-builders ... is there anything that you have to do with a new 'bit' before you use it, or is it just a dive in, pop some solder on and get on with the kit?

Tomorrow' task, is soldering the droplights and vents onto the Gresley coach sides.

Richie

Is it the new one that is mains but has a display and screwdriver adjustment in the handle?  I was wondering how these would be for modelling as the are about half the price of the full temp controlled station.  The bits are coated so never file them as that removes the coating just tin it and keep it clean with the damp sponge. 

Simon

I have found some pictures dad took. Quality isn't brilliant but they were taken with an old 127 format camera and developed in the kitchen nearly 60 years ago.

14 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

That's interesting. The siding by the South box on the MR mainline was where they transferred the Cinzano from tank wagons to Roses in the later 1960s. I hadn't thought of them using Abbey stn earlier. 

 

Paul

I may be wrong with the location then I just assumed as it was filled with the Abbey photos. I have since found that the Roses plant was in Grosvenor Road that is next to the MR station and there is a close called Lime Tree Place of it which could be where the plant was.

Simon

My Dad worked in St Albans in the 60s and took some pictures of the Abbey Station one of the things that amused us was that there was a tank wagon in the yard in Cinzano livery the only answer we could come up with that it came in bulk and was bottled at the Roses drinks bottling plant. I will try and find the pictures and scan them. 

Simon

There are a couple on building etched coaches articles on the 3mm society website in the How I section One by Tony Seal who was the winner most times of of the society award ford coaching stock at the AGM. Also if you look carefully on google you will find building coaches the comet way it used to be a free download from Comet or £1 from exhibitions for a printed one.  Issinglass did print some Gresleys and showed them on their exhibition stand but I don't think he ended up doing them for sale. Roofs are the main reason I have about 15 Bill Bedford kits lying in a box waiting for me to pluck up courage to start them.

Simon 

4 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

They happily pay that kind of money for O gauge diesels that are arguably less well-made/presented than the Gutzold TT-120 products illustrated.

 

I suppose it all depends on whether you expect model locomotives to be priced by the kilo, like potatoes.

 

That said, such prices will only be justified if quality significantly exceeds most of what we are currently offered in r-t-r OO.

 

John

I fully agree that the Gutzold products are worth the money but very few modellers I know would pay that for a TT loco.  As for the size issue I have often seen comments moaning about N gauge locos being as much or more than ordinary 00 ones and anybody that has modelled in 7mm for a while knows it cost a lot more than £600 to build a decent mainline diesel. 

Simon

3 hours ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Thanks!

The cows were sold by Prieser as H0 scale - maybe they’re suffering the close = large, far away = small illustrated by Father Dougal?

Being European they are probably based on Holsteins which are bigger than the old British Friesians  many of todays milking herds are now Friesian crossed with Holstein.

15 hours ago, andythenorth said:

Eh, such valve gear.  Such moving parts.  Such wheelbase.  Such Gützold:  https://www.guetzold.de/Modelle-TT

 Beautiful Locos but will enthusiasts in the UK pay between £400 and £700 pounds for a TT loco.

On 07/06/2022 at 19:09, bradfordbuffer said:

Don't think the 70+ demographic will be the only ones confused! May be a good time for a mag article to explain 3mm scale and what's on offer in light of recent 3mm press!

Defo time to drop the TT acronym push for 3mm scale with gauge after.....3mmscale! But that's going to get the triang tt modelers getting there tension locks twisted?

I would say 60+ only because I am 65 and started with Tri-ang TT-3 as a child.

On 24/04/2022 at 16:24, Silverfox17 said:

Slight difference as their photos of trains and track are Triang or Triang based with old Bec/Gem kits etc lol

 

 

The reason could be that TT3 Model Train Fans (418 members) many consists of Triang TT Collectors.  3mm and Triang TT (783 followers) does have a few post that aren't Triang based.  Tri-ang Railways TT Gauge (621 followers) is what it says on the tin but I see very few posts. Although there are members of these groups that I know are fine scale modellers they do not tend to post things as they are probably happy sharing their modelling on the 3mm i.o. group. I must admit my modelling has very little Tri-ang apart from the occasional cut and shut 16T mineral on a parkside chassis and a couple of Brush type 2s. I have not done any real modelling for the past 3 years due for various reasons but I do like seeing what others are up to especially your videos and your expertly modelled locos with their hitech etched chassis. 

Simon

On 02/10/2021 at 15:30, bradfordbuffer said:

Yep for my sins I wanted to go 14.2 .just wish thay came up with a snazzy name using point somthkng in mm seems very high brow!...chassis look good. Hell of a development for 3mm scale 

If we called it the actual gauge it would frighten even more off as in reality it is 14.125  but by using gauges means you don't actually have to measure anything to three decimal places. At one stage there were some standards published called P3.

Simon

19 minutes ago, Regularity said:

As the OP said, getting hold of books is a problem for him.

Missed the bit where the OP is in the USA I will try and send a copy of my dad's drawing of the loco I don't do copies of drawings or photos out of books as it could infringe copyrights.  In this country we are lucky that these days there are so many secondhand books around now it costs more on postage that it does to buy the book.  

There is a drawing by Alan Wells in Bob Essery's M&GN Loco book which I believe is the one from the M&GN circle list but it needs to be used in conjunction with photos as it is not done from original measurements and has some errors. Trevor made his own drawing. There is a drawing of the original Cornwall Minerals locos in  R H Clark's book on M&GN locos it also has a drawing of the Sharp Stewart tenders fitted to these locos and plenty of photos.

There is a drawing by Alan Wells in Bob Essery's M&GN Loco book but it needs to be used in conjunction with photos as it is not done from original measurements and has some errors Trevor made his own drawing. there is a drawing of the original cornwall minerals locos in  R H Clarks book on M&GN locos it also has a drawing of the Sharp Stewart tenders fitted to these locos and plenty of photos.