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Will J

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  1. Will J
    A bit more progress in the world of the absurdly small! I have had a go at creating a purely cosmetic arrangement of plasticard bits to resemble a Great Western 0-4-2 to run as part of an 'Autotrain', propelled by a carriage. I have learned a fair bit from this project, hopefully the next one will be an improvement!
     

     

     
    Compared to an N gauge Dapol 'Terrier'.
     
    I have also been having a go at the 2-4-0 'Well Tank', could be a useful model for my T Gauge vaguely South Western theme...
     

     
    Also on the Cornish theme, (and maybe on the vague theme of making models of Dapol models!), the beginnings of a Silver Bullet experiment...
     

  2. Will J
    Introducing the Mark IV, or was it Mark III (er... anyway) version of my quest to make an N Gauge People Mover, or Class 139 to give it its full title! I have been very much inspired by Missy's Flying Banana model, I suppose I just need to decide on a shorter fruit with more green and grey bits for a nickname, answers on a postcard......
     

     
    It will be appearing, complete with side graphics that I must get and print... on Wyre Forest MRC's 'Kinlet Wharf' layout at the Leamington and Warwick show this weekend at Stoneleigh. The 'Wharf' is a four track N gauge slice of electrified WCML, set from the 90s to the present day, with a quiet branch line weaving in and out of the scene, a perfect habitat for this little device.
     
    This pic (below) shows progress since the last, rather mis-shapen version that appeared on the layout at the Blackburn show last year. It has been quite a learning curve, but hopefully you can see that progress is going steeply in the right sort of direction. (the pictures don't show it very well, but the new painted version is transparent, but with a dark, prototypical 'tint' which also helps to disguise the internal gubbins)
     

     
    The casting process is also improving to give better, more consistently transparent results, thanks to my resin casting accomplice, thanks Peter!
     

     
    My recent attempts at designing an etch have also benefited the detail parts, such as the distinctive red couplers and door surrounds.
     

    (etching of design done by Grainge and Hodder, Birmingham)
     
    AND FINALLY
     
    Developing a more and more cunning plan for a T Gauge Cornish branch line, these anonymous looking boxes (shaped from the basic clear, rectangular shells available from tgauge.co.uk) will soon be lavishly decorated to become a single car Sprinter (the big, boxy one) and bubble car (the slightly too curvy one!) to deal with passengers. Next, some china clay related micro-freight! Watch this space B)

  3. Will J
    A little while ago I mentioned I was drawing up a 3D model of Arley station (as preserved on the Severn Valley Railway) and the results have arrived from Shapeways, rendered in the relatively coarse 'White Strong and Flexible' material which was the same thing I used for the stone abutments on N Gauge Victoria Bridge...
     

     
    All scaled from the very useful drawings in Barrie Geens' very useful book 'The Severn Valley Railway at Arley'. Nice to see the drawing apparently rising up from the surface of the page!
     

     

     
    In the 3D model I left the door to the gents' loos slightly open.... for no other reason than 'because you can'.... other details like the post box on the other end came out crisply, able to accept little 2mm/ft letters....
     

     
    Next step... make a start on painting it, and create a station around the building. Some interesting challenges lie in store like the smart Hawksworth 12 wheeled sleeping car which provides volunteer accommodation in the yard.
     
    Back to mini Victoria Bridge, a wonderful weekend was spent (with the station building 'fresh' from the printers on show) in Arley waiting room itself in March for the unusually spring-like Spring Gala. I really enjoyed being a small part of an excellent event and it was great to meet such an appreciative crowd at Arley.
     

     
     
     
    I will have Victoria Bridge, and the beginnings of mini-Arley, on show at Wyre Forest MRC's 40th anniversary event in Stourport on Severn (a short hop from Kidderminster and Bewdley) on the 25th April. See: http://www.wyreforestmrc.com/exhibition.html
     
    Please come along and support the show if you are in the area. It is a small local event bringing layouts for all tastes, N gauge, OO modern image depot, 009 micro, big 009 layout, scenic 0-16.5, even bigger Canadian HO scale, drawn from our club members collections.
     
    We will have layouts on shelves and ironing boards, up to something more ambitious in scale: http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/great-canadian-model-railroad-in-england.html
  4. Will J
    One of these days I ought to scratchbuild a little N gauge UPS van... they have become inextricably linked with the ups and downs and twists and turns of figuring out this 3D printing business, heralding as they do, a delivery from Shapeways:
     
    http://www.shapeways.com/
     
    Here is the contents of today's package...
     

     
    A great leap forward in my ongoing mission to dress up a Kato N gauge tram chassis as a Class 139, as seen on the Stourbridge Town branch line. For more info, see:
     
    http://www.parrypeoplemovers.com/
    http://en.wikipedia...._Rail_Class_139
     
    While previous versions had been solid blocks of plastic, this one has window frames which, with some clever clips designed into the 'print', can be easily glazed with some transparent plastic sheet. The model has been printed in 'Frosted Ultra Detail', the finest of the materials available from Shapeways, and was based on a design developed in Google Sketchup. The tiny 'pillars', about 1mm in width, are remarkably strong and show little tendency to bend, the structure as a whole will be greatly strengthened when the flush windows are bonded into place.
     

     
     
    The model is a snug fit onto a lightly modified standard Kato chassis. As can be see here, the plastic sides of the chassis have been sanded away until the central metal weight between the wheels shows up. This is as narrow as the chassis can be modified to, any more and the cups for the pinpoints of the wheels would be destoyed.
     

     

     
    This is where the compromises start though. I was keen to keep the proportions of the frontal 'face' of the railcar correct, and the slight increase in width to fit around the chassis has been matched with an increase in height. (remarkably easily adjusted in Sketchup by 'stretching' the model in which ever direction you need). I was keen to see this version 'in the flesh' as it is so tricky to judge marginal 'out of scale-ness' on a computer screen, out of the context of other models.
     

     
    When I come to set up the next (definitive? who knows!) version of the model, I will take a little off the height leaving the width the same. This will make the front aspect look a little 'wide' but all in all, will give the model better proportions in a layout context. As the moment, it looks the right shape, just a little enlarged compared to the modest proportions of the real thing.
     
    For the time being, this one will do, as it will be running in isolation along a branch line at the back of a layout...
     
    (Kinlet Wharf, at the upcoming DEMU Showcase in Burton if you would like a closer look, do come and say hello )
     
    ...rather than coupled alongside anything else, so hopefully the slight overscaleness will not stick out too much.
     

     
    Wow, I have rambled on a bit here. It is interesting how subtle stretches and tweaks in different directions are needed to fit a 'cheap and cheerful' RTR chassis, I'm learning all the time. If nothing else, this model shows the potential of the process!
     

     
    Next episode, decoration, and test running on 'The Wharf'.
     
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  5. Will J
    A brief update, just a little experiment in printing sides, it does come out rather small
     
    (The looming mass of N gauge in the background is another of my weathered Dapol teaks, they do respond well to a dash of dark wash, it transforms them from an excellent plastic model to something that appears to have been carved intricately from a tiny tree!)
     

     
    Careful.. don't sneeze!

     
    If anybody is at the Leamington & Warwick show tomorrow, I will be pretending to know what I'm doing helping to operate Kinlet Wharf, do came and say hello!
  6. Will J
    Right, back to work on some modelling, after a bit of a break!
     
    Here is the latest project, again involving a little bit of CAD work to set the wheels in motion, the subject, the Class 139 Railcar,
     
    see www.parrypeoplemovers.com
     
    Which will be based on a readily available Kato N gauge chassis. The chassis is a good match for the real thing, the only difference being the slightly longer wheelbase, this however is a handy thing as it allows the motor to sit down low beneath the window line, between the two axles. If my plan comes together to cast it in clear resin, this will be a useful feature! (The wheels sit behind skirts anyway!)
     
    I guess it would be a perfect model for small branch line layouts, along the lines of a Stourbridge Town-ish single line terminus, which need not have a normal baseboard,maybe a nice wooden 30cm ruler
     
    Sneak preview:

     
     
    Update: a couple of images better showing the chassis fitting in place with the design, though the close up perspective makes the chassis look bigger and heavier than it would in reality... I have checked the Kato wheels and they run on 2mm Easitrac, without pointwork, very happily....
     


  7. Will J
    Hi all...
     
    the chassis has now been sanded down on either side to fit the scale width. I was worried that this sanding process would damage the cups for the pinpoints at either end of the axle, but this turned out to be no problem in the end.
     
    Chassis detail sanding in process..

     
    Sanded to the correct width (metal base just showing)

     
    Preparation for the next few 'layers' that make up the master mould..
    Hopefully the body will be a one piece moulding, but this may end up as moulded 'top' and 'sides'.. depending on how the experiments go!

     
    And a nice picture of the prototype, hovering on approach to Stourbridge Town's helipad...

  8. Will J
    Sorry... I accidentally turned this entry ( a couple of months old ) into a draft, and by un 'drafting' it, it appears today as if it is new. Sorry, didnt mean to clog up the list of today's new blogs!!
     
    Hi all,
     
    Since exhibiting Victoria Bridge in a moderately complete state for the first time, my mind has been pondering a sequel.
    I really enjoyed sharing the diorama with the crowds at Frank's excellent Cradley Heath show:
     
    For evidence, see among the pictures in: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66554-cradley-heath-mrc-ist-model-railway-exhibition/page-2
     
    A real selling point to visitors was the local nature of the scene. Pretty much everybody I spoke to had either trundled over or walked under the full size bridge in recent memory. So, for my next layout, I'm keeping it local, despite the ever present yearning to 'go Cornish' but lets face it, the ratio of Cornish branch lines on RMWeb compared to bits of miniature Worcestershire is a bit embarrasing and I need to fly the flag for my neck of the woods.*
     
    *That said, I still want to create a home for my Dapol 153's of various Cornish flavours....
     
    I want to do something consciously different, but sort of the same. The answer, these pictures paint the scene nicely:
    http://www.archive-images.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=35&img=18
    http://www.archive-images.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=35&img=17
     
    Which show Wyre Forest station in the early sixties. A quintisential branch line backwater with all the ingredients for a nice achievable model for someone without the spare time or space for something more expansive. I am still working out the exact plan of attack, but I am hoping to go for something 'a little more fine' than my current Code 80 track over Victoria Bridge, which could yet be anything up to and including 2mm FS.
     
    The general arrangment would be something along the lines of:

     
    Though I'm not sure which way around it would be presented and the exact arrangement of backscenes and the like. I am toying with the idea of a free standing diorama which could be viewed from either side. Victoria Bridge is dominated by the backscene and despite my fears, it works pretty well. I'm keen to shake this up a bit and do something different. An 'either side' viewable scene would save worrying about which side to favour as both appeal to me equally.
     
    As with the 'bridge' the real place is close to home and within cycling or walking distance. The railway itself is closed but as a consolation it has left a handy tarmaced track off the main roads along the trackbed which means you can get there in the same peace and relative isolation as my Gran would have enjoyed on board her railcar!
     
    For those vaguely familiar with the area from trips on the SVR, Wyre Forest station is the next stop on the Tenbury and Bewdley line not far after the long lost route leaves the SVR and crosses the Severn just North of Bewdley, which was once a junction with lines going off in four directions.
     
    I will keep Victoria Bridge as a perfect 'run what ya brung' layout which can suit just about anything that comes out of a Farish or Dapol box with minimal modellers licence. Wyre Forest will feature a more specialist, more minimal set of bespoke stock (especially if done in a finescale fashion) with the grubby patina of the era, and clever couplings of some sort for light shunting. I want to capture a historical moment in time as I have been inspired by the work of other folks here who despite often being too young to remember the era, have gone to extraordinary lengths to recreate it.
     
    So Wyre Forest will be the typical GWR Branch Line layout, the curving road snaking around the scene is straight from the big book of modelling cliches and it is all the better for it! Rather than a roundy-roundy with screeching hairpin bends at each ends, I reckon an end to end arrangement with short trains and cassettes will be more appropriate. I am going to deliberately ignore all I have read about ten-carriage excursions passing though on the way to Barry Island ( as a resort, rather than a scrapheap!) and limit myself to short branch line trains.
     
    I have picked up the excellent Wild Swan publications 'THE TENBURY AND BEWDLEY RAILWAY' which has a wealth of info, especially on trains which for the late 50s or early 60s might include:
     
    Lots of GWR Railcars, of the usual 'straight out of the box Farish variety' (often alternating between green and crimson and cream examples) and an occasional appearance by earlier streamlined types.
     
    An assortment of Panniers on freight, and occasional passenger trains. Tank engines working beyond to Ditton Priors would also have had distinctive spark arrestors.. a 3D printing opportunity?
     
    One example of a small BR Standard 2-6-2 tank with an Autocoach deputising for a failed railcar.
     
    Praries of varying types.
     
    Right at the end of the life of the line, some parts were used to store condemned wagons (in their thousands!).. which if nothing else allows for some heavy weathering!
     
    And also, in the later stages, occasional forays by brand new DMUs on test.
     
    And much more. There are suggestions of larger locos appearing in the 60s on ballast trains and picking up redundant wagons, such as 8Fs and Manors.
     
     
    All in all, lots of opportunity for interesting, short trains without getting too long, drawn out and expensive!
     
     
    As with the previous project, watch this space!
  9. Will J
    Evening all.. last time on the blog, devondynosaur118 asked:
     
    'Where did your toplights come from?' for the rake of GWR carriages on my Victoria Bridge diorama. I took the chance to get some close up shots posed on Wyre Forest MRC's Kinlet Town layout, also appearing in cruel close up, is the painted '813'...
     

     
    Which is printed in Shapeways Frosted Ultra Detail, though the sharpness of the print has been slightly compromised by my painting! I suspect there will be another print before I am totally happy with the results, one more evolution...
     
    (strange really, a year or two ago I'd have been amazed at the idea of printing a one off own design N gauge saddle tank, now it becomes normal, you start to apply the critical eye you might cast over a conventional RTR model... so there are always improvements to be made)
     
    For 'Mark III' I will thin down the handrails by at least half.. maybe hiding pilot holes alongside the printed handrail knobs, so if the finer rails fail to print, they can be relplaced with conventional wire/brass.
     
    One thing, I can't praise enough the modelmaster GWR decal sheet, though a sheet more tailored to smaller engines would I suppose be handy, quality wise, quite brilliant!
     

     
    The train:
     

    Ingredients, shortened Dapol Collet carriage, shortened Ultima 70' toplight windows, brass door handles and some educated three dimensional guesswork!
     

    Ingredients, similar! The carriage destination boards are simply printed versions of photos of the real thing, on the modern day SVR. A good vantage point is the cafe balcony in Highley's Engine House.
     

    Bog standard Farish buffet, ready for some subtle weathering.
     

    Again, pretty much Dapol 'out of the box'.. however, I was wondering why they looked quite unlike the examples on the Severn Valley. The answer was subtle, but it makes a huge 'graphic' difference to the proportions of the side. The Dapol carriages have a brown stripe between the top of the windows and the roof.. the preserved examples local to me dont. A simple modification, the models suddenly look just the part. I am pleased with what looks like genuine subtlety and realism breaking out in my weathering...
     

     
    After years of trying (and usually ruining...) to get the right effect, I seem to have mastered the streaky slightly weatherbeaten, 'lived in' look, rather than previous attempts which looked more like something out of 'Raise the Titanic'... I'm getting a handle on 'less is more'!!
     
    Again, a cruel enlargement, but a bit of thin grey paint around the cut out destination board really helps it blend in with the model, and look less 'cut and paste'.
     
    ----
     
    I'm off to sunny/rainy (delete later in the week as applicable) Cornwall tomorrow. No doubt I will return next week full of all manner of layout ideas.. and pasties!
  10. Will J
    You may recall in a previous episode I was pondering the best scale combination to use T gauge mechanisms and track to represent narrow gauge, balancing a 1:148 scale carriage on 3mm track.
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/351/entry-15589-n-gauge-narrow-gauge-0165-009-this-must-be-n3/
     
    It turned out a 1:148 model of a 2' gauge carriage was a bit large on what scales as 15-18" track. So a plan B has emerged, using Shapeways' 'Raw Brass' printing service, I have created a 1:220 scale quarry Hunslet, or at least the modern incarnation with cab as seen on many preserved lines. Stuck to the back (about to be Dremmeled off...) is a vaguely Corris-esque carriage with bench seats inside (honest).
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/351/entry-15589-n-gauge-narrow-gauge-0165-009-this-must-be-n3/
     

     

     
    The process (which took about 2 weeks) starts off with a 3D print in modern casting wax, then takes a pleasingly old school diversion through traditional lost wax casting to produce the finished product.
     
    At the same time, I also got a nice, heavy version of my N Gauge Class 139 body printed/cast in brass as well. The extra weight should aid pickup as well as provide a better final paint finish, hopefully...
     

     

     

  11. Will J
    It suddenly occured to me I hadn't posted very much for a while, been a bit busy out there in the 1:1 scale world, not least with my 1:1 scale railcar projects..
     
    I have achieved a small but significant milestone, a wholly kitbuilt carriage. As you may know, the Severn Valley Railway has a fine (unique?) rake of LMS designed carriages in everyday use, a must for Victoria Bridge in N. Among these are some BR-built 'porthole' carriages which are painted to match their earlier counterparts. So for starters, a 60' coridoor composite built from an Ultima kit of some vintage, finished off with etched porthole sides supplied by Mr. Pixels' excellent contemporary Ultima range.
     
    You will have seen better executed builds, not least within this Forum, but it fills an important gap in my fleet and pleases me greatly! Next up, some similar brake carriages concocted from similar bits.. Maybe Bachmann might, as a reward for my efforts, put their 4mm version though some sort of shrinking ray!
     
    Up close, approaching Arley:

     
    Making up a short LMS rake (the slightly increased length shown off to good effect):

     
    Inspired by Alex Duckworth's excellent finescale rendition..
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60050-two-new-models-now-both-finished/page-2
     
    I am nearing sort of completion with my not exactly finescale, in fact 'far from scale' but captures the look of the real thing version!

     
    I am still enjoying adding little bits of foliage when the mood takes me, this sort of modelling is best if allowed to evolve over a good length of time (my best excuse!)

     
    I have been enhancing my LNER set with more layers of muck and varnish, in equal measures. The trick with preserved stock is to achieve an appropriately lived-in look, clean, but still with soot and bird cr@p etc.. on the roof, and deeper tones along the side to bring out the excellent detail that pops out of a Dapol box!

     
    Re-done GNR 'repaint' (reprint?) adapted from photographs taken from the Engine House balcony at Highley. The window spacing of the Dapol LNER version is not quite right for the earlier GNR version, but it makes a handsome approximation:


     
    More roof weathering practice.. with an old Farish four wheeler. makes for a nice 'Victorian Diversion' from my 'modern image steam', I will have to make some more, maybe as a 3D print?



     
    You will see that the original hacked about wooden bridge is still in place. I have been having a puzzling adventure getting the design of the printed sides right and within the right tolerances for Shapeways to print (though I'm getting there), hopefully if it comes out as well as the T gauge prototype it will look just the part.
     

     
    PS.. More fun with the ludicrously small, painting my 1:450 scale 'bubble'... more practice needed I reckon!
     


  12. Will J
    What follows is an attempt to kitbash/scratch-bodge a carriage conversion within the duration of the Grand Prix on TV this afternoon. (Just to set the tone for peoples expectations of what appears below )
     
    I am looking forward to the new Farish Mark One carriages, and will doubtless want to buy a few of them. In the meantime, I am busying myself practising my skills on a drawer full of old Minitrix and Lima examples. They represent a minimal investment in terms of actual money, and whatever the outcome, I figure that they are worth their weight in gold as subjects to practise on (especially when it comes to painting and weathering!)
     
    THE PLAN
     
    My Victoria Bridge diorama will be all the more realistic for having some of the unique 'modern image steam' rolling stock seen running over it.
     
    Things like this Mark One full brake, adapted, with big picture windows, and making use of the double doors, into an innovative solution the needs of passengers in wheelchairs.

     
    The idea is to create a short rake of crimson and cream Mark One carriages, if nothing else, to practise decorating techniques, and to create a 'cheap and cheerful' rake for the layout, by raiding the spares drawer!
     
    Most RTR carriages of a certain vintage seem to approximate the cream colour to a deep, mustardy yellow. The prototype look I am after has a much lighter shade, as seen here not far from the real Victoria Bridge...

     
    My 'scrapheap challenge' answer, well the main vehicles in the rake will be improved Minitrix products, flush glazed and if I am to do it at all properly, re-bogied (I may well skip this last stage in order to get something running in the short term!)
     
    The wheelchair saloon is, as seen in the picture above, shorter in length due to its humble origins. This is an ideal excuse to recycle an old Lima full brake. All of the Lima BR carrages were built to an approximate 1/160 scale, and so are way too short (lengthwise), although oddly not too short in height. By quirk of fate, the full brake was made to the same length, so in the end works out as 'almost sort of to scale'.... Or near enough.
     
    So here is this afternoon's bodging. Far from beautiful, but a starting point in concocting a unique vehicle.

     
    --EDIT---
     
    Forgot to attach pic of the Lima end vs. the 'Trix one, with some sympathetic painting, they will match up reasonably well...

     
    PS.... who would have thought it, somehow the grossly coarse old Lima wheels scoot along reasonably happily on (point-less) 2MM FS track.. this is giving me ideas!
  13. Will J
    Beginning at the beginning, or at least sort of.
     
    The old RM Web contained a few of my hestitant steps to actually build anything. Layout wise, the usual trials and tribulations of moving house had reigned in my ambitions for the last year or so. In this blog, I will revisit some of the half started projects and hopefully see them through to fruition. (anybody remember 'Superpannier'.. watch this space!)
     
    But first, a layout, or rather, a diorama...
     
    Inspration: Taken last summer from the useful vantage point of a Dragon Rapide biplane, Victoria Bridge on the SVR.

     
    My good friend and long suffering ex colleague, TomE, on his blog, is attempting some sort of complex swing bridge contraption, as a small scenic layout aimed at the simple amusement of watching trains go by. This is going to be a project on a similar scale, with a scenic section the width of a chimney breast, on the wall of my office.
     
    Victoria Bridge in N gauge, works out at around 40cm long, in case you were wondering.
     
    Wary of taking on a bigger project that might never get finished, the plan is for the finished article to look something like:
     

     
    So, the next steps, laser cutting, carpentry, figuring out how to make trees, might be interesting!!
     
    Stay tuned (but bear with me if it takes ages!)
  14. Will J
    Blogging has been slow of late, due to glacially slow progress on model making, and a broken camera.
     
    Anyway, excuses out of the way
     
    The last bit of N gauge work I mentioned was the 'retro modern image' SVR wheelchair saloon, as part of a representative rake of SVR blood and custard Mark Ones. You may recall that this rake is composed of a motley selection of old Minitrix and Lima products from the parts bin, I see it as a good way to practise my own ham fisted brand of scratch-bodging...
     



     
    Note the wheelchair carriage which is based on an old Lima BG, with bits of other Lima carriages nailed to either end. The prototype is noticeably shorter than the average passenger carriage, so the classic Lima shortness is, oddly, advantageous!
     
    (I can take no credit for the background, again, Wyre Forest MRC's 'Kinlet Town' layout makes a more scenic scenario than my kitchen table!)
     
    Livery wise, the colour seems to have come out about right, just need to learn to paint in straight lines. (The Minitrix carriages started life as all over Maroon examples)
     
    LOCOMOTIVES
     
    The next project is to create the SVR's own 'Gordon'. Not strictly something from the imagination of the Rev. Awdry, but in terms of size, and colour, not far off:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMR_600_Gordon
     
    I have seen a scratchbuilt 'WD' 2-10-0 in the N gauge society journal, using a Fleischmann 'BR52' German outline chassis. This was done with home made superstructure. I intend to cheat a little, employing the rather lovely Foxhunter Models 2-8-0 kit. This comes with a bag full of superb brass castings and etchings, along with the pictured whitemetal body. In normal form it is designed to sit on a Farish 8F chassis, though I think I have seen it done here with a Kato one.
     
    I found a nice example of the Fleischmann 2-10-0, and to my suprise the, powered, eight wheel tender chassis is almost an exact match for the metal Foxhunter tender frames. A good start.
     
    The locomotive will be more of a challenge. At least with a paralell boiler the necessary extension will not be too difficult. These locomotives were basically modular, so jumping from a 2-8-0 to a 2-10-0 ought to be simple. Looking at some drawings, it probably isnt....
     


     
    But hey, it will be fun!
  15. Will J
    Well, it has been a long while since I last posted anything. Progress on my various projects has been slow of late for no real reason..so the usual vague apologies for my sporadic posts!
     
    Over Christmas and New Year, I am going to open some advent calendar style doors on some of the smaller amusements that make up my scattergun modelling activities, starting with something really christmas cracker proportioned:
     
    Return To The Tiny Tractor: see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/38664-t-gauge-class-37-on-short-19m-chassis/page__gopid__437716#entry437716
     
    Up until recently, TGauge.com and other suppliers have supplied powered chassis in '19m' and '21m' lengths. This has all changed with the introduction of an undecorated '16m' chassis, the same one that was developed for the smart little InterCity 125 power cars:
     
    http://www.tgauge.co...torised-chassis
     
    Here is the chassis in question, alongside my 3D printed Victoria Bridge:

     
    My previous attempt at a vaguely Class 37 shaped print was based on the 19m chassis. This resulted in a rather long looking model, more of a Class 40, as the motor superstructure had to be fitted in between the cabs rather than the 'bonnets'.
     
    With the shorter chassis, and a bit of hacksaw work with one of my test prints, we have something more properly proportioned:

     
    With my usual scientific accuracy, the proportions of the 'cut and shut' were based on observation of a) the little chassis and B) an old Farish N gauge 37 from my box of bits... which appears, if nothing else, to remind the viewer new to 'T' how unfeasibly small the mini version is:

     
    The next step is to re-design the CAD design based on this experiment, this time with separate bogie mouldings around the existing 'Bo-Bo' units, buffers that don't fall off in the printing process* and improved bonnet shape:

     

     
    More small stuff coming soon... Little is the next 'big' thing; those Hornby Sentinel industrial short wheelbase diesels are making me think of 4mm shunting planks!
  16. Will J
    Excitement, I had an email today letting my know that my latest couple of orders from Shapeways are now in production. Soon I hope to be able to show pics of the 'printed' N gauge Class 139 People Mover...
     
    ...and also, here is a teaser of my latest tiny T gauge project: (as seen first in the T gauge group B) )

     
    Note that the sides are smooth, as I figured that at this scale it would be wise to combine the wrap around livery, and grille details, into a single decal! The tiny Class 37 will be made from 'Frosted Ultra Detail', see http://www.shapeways.com/materials/frosted_detail
     
    I suspect that there is much more detail on these models than will actually show on the print, but it will be interesting to zoom into some photos and see what has come out in the final reckoning!
     
    The other interesting element of trying to get involved with an emerging new scale is the compromises it entails. These '37s are wrapped around an existing mechanism which pretty much dictates the dimensions....
     

     
    You suddenly feel for the designers of early N gauge models, Im thinking about the beautifully crisply moulded but grotesquely over scale Lima Deltics, the sort that we point and laugh at today with our finescale standards. Set with the challenge of adapting somebody elses mechanism to a UK prototype in the latest 'mini' scale, you end up pulling similar tricks. T gauge is supposed to be 1:450 scale, these Class 37s are more like 1:400.
     
    The answer, I guess, is that they are never going to be finescale renditions of a prototype, but more a representative object to trundle scenically around the rolling scenery of an epic layout!
     
    Anyhow, the proof of the pudding will be in the printing, as soon as the courier arrives with the goodies I shall let you all see what has emerged. The package should include:
     
    1x N gauge Class 139
    3x T gauge Class 37 locomotives
    1x T gauge 'bubble car' railcar
    1x T gauge Class 139*
     
    *The last of which was more of a joke order to make the order up to the minimum order quantity... It will be about the size of a solitary baked bean
     
    (and yes, the big challenge will be remembering where I put it!)
  17. Will J
    It has been a fair while since I posted progress on this particularly fiddly little project!
     
    Wooden prototypes are getting closer to capturing the shape of the real thing, next step is to perfect casting versions in clear resin, to fit around the four wheel Kato Pocket Line chassis.
     
    You might have seen this recently in Hornby magazine, who have kindly printed a short news story on the project. A nice touch was that the image in the corner of the news page was printed almost exactly to full size, compared to the model, so if anyone wants to see how big it as (or should that be how big it isn't ) I can recommend a copy of their latest issue.
     
    More progress as it happens, coming soon!
     

     

     

     

     

  18. Will J
    Big event today, and in its own small way, well worth the wait!
     
    First, a reminder of what I am trying to recreate, on a shelf, in N gauge:
     
    Victoria Bridge, just south of Arley on the Severn Valley Railway, half an hour by bike from my front door...

     
    The Corel Draw file has now succesfully found its way into a laser cutter, and produced two main components, the structure from thin ply, and the detail layer from thin card.

     
    The detail layer was then, carefully, stuck on using thinned PVA... Which seemed immediately to capture some of the character of the structure

     
    The final model will comprise of four of these main structural members, the connecting bits in between will be the next challenge
     
    And finally, bridging the yawning chasm of the kitchen sink, in the absence of a minature River Severn, some playing with the components.... that and some trains...
     
    First passenger train..

     
    Viewed from the path from Trimpley Reservoir..

     
    Freight viewed from the other side of the valley, with some impromptu foliage....

     
    Right, time to pack away, and finish the washing up!!

  19. Will J
    Hot on the heels of my people mover scooting around Kinlet Wharf, I have been working on some vehicles for the roads beneath the bridges.
     
    Naturally, I have to remind you that I am not responsible for the excellent scenics that these cars sit in, but I am enjoying adding some little, subtle, embellishments to it.
     

     
    The question of modern N gauge cars, in a 'local' 1:148 scale sense, is a tricky one. Until recently, I would have followed the usual habit of importing a pocket full of German made 1:160 scale Golfs, Beetles, Porsches and the ever present Capri...

     
    ...but under the microscope, the old faithful German Golf does look a bit undersized sat in our 1:148 cul de sac! This is an old one from the bits box, it might still be useful, but there are better alternatives.
     
    Over the last couple of years, imported Tomytec cars built to Japanese N (1:150) have appeared and saved the day for modern British scenes. They are superb models out of the box, the only criticism is that they are a little sparkly and tend to stick out like a metallic, mirror finish sore thumb in a layout setting.
     
    I have been experimenting with a light (and not so light, ooops) dusting of matt varnish to make them blend in a little. The odd thing is that you end up with something duller in finish than the real thing ought to be, but overall, to my eye, they sit more convincingly in the scene after this treatment.
     
    The pub car park also features a Taxi from OXFORD and a little red Fiat from an unknown manufacturer!
     

    (the regulars oddly oblivious to the excitement of the steam special speeding overhead!!)
     

     

     

     
    A heavy spray also has the unintentional (though now I intend to use it!) effect of frost on the body and windows of the car. I got a little carried away and masked off the path of the windscreen wipers... (I can only suggest that there was nothing good on the telly!)
     
    So, any layout I make with any number of cars in it will now be set in the winter's morning, an idea which appeals to me anyway.
     
    A few more motoring additions:
     
    The lock keeper's well used people carrier.

     
    Remarkable printing survived the matt spray.

     
    Heated rear screen? Not on this Moggie!

     
    Kinlet Canal Workshop recently found this on EBay... (Citroen DS model of unknown origin, harshly weathered by me)

  20. Will J
    As the winter nights draw in I am actually finding some time for modelling, albeit so far in a rather 'virtual' form. I have been experiementing with Google Sketchup as a cheap and cheerful (free) means of producing CAD models suitable (.stl files) for 3D printing at Shapeways.*
     
    www.shapeways.com
     
    (*usual disclaimer of satisfied customer with no other link to the business)
     
    The odd thing is that Sketchup seemed to be created Google Earth in mind, for creating pretty buildings to populate virtual worlds, but probably never to break free from the screen of a computer. In order to create these .stl (stereo-lithography) files, easily downloadable add-ons are required, and more than a little patience to ensure that the shapes you design adhere to a number of subtle rules..
     
    Today I sent off the following items for printing. Those who recall my sporadic blogging on my Victoria Bridge diorama will recoginise the following objects as useful in that scene... that is, for a 'modern image steam' version of the Severn Valley, set in the last ten years or so.
     
    First off, something you may have seen a 'preview' of a couple of weeks ago, my little '813':
     

     
    http://www.gwr813.org/ (The loco's homepage)
     
    (813 in a scene I might soon replicate thanks to Dapol!)
    http://www.sharpos-world.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?album=615&pos=-13090#top_display_media
     
    The model, to be printed in the finest quality 'Frosted Ultra Detail' plastic, is designed to fit snugly around an N gauge Dapol Terrier chassis with minimal modification. Folks with a keen eye for proportions will probably see that the saddle of the saddle tank is a little wider than it ought to be, in order to fit around the motor. It is, truth be told, more 'in the spirit of' than a finescale reproduction.
     
    Having experimented with the bare chassis running without the body, it is clear that weight is vital for achieve electrical pick-up, let alone for basic adhesion.. The body has been designed with lots of voids, in the saddle tank top and bunker, to be filled with that 'liquid gravity' that I nearly remembered to buy from the Warley show!!! (doh)
     

     

     

     
    Some of the details like lamps are a little experimental in nature, and may, or may not print out succesfully. If they appear, they appear, if not it is no great loss, they can be replaced with something 'off the shelf'... I have done old fashioned 'moulded' handrails around the front of the tank, something I am hopeless at with actual wire, but have left pilot holes in the sides of the tank for proper handrails to be fitted.
     
     
    The next project takes as its starting point the excellent Ultima Models Hawksworth GWR inspection saloon kit.
     
    http://www.ultima-mo...cs?Item=UME1220
     
    These are also a frequent sight on the modern SVR, with two examples in service, which added to trains as and when charters require them. The kit is really excellent, but I fear my skills in bending and soldering brass are far from sharp, so I have designed a plastic 'core' to which the kits etched sides and various detail parts can be attached. The whole thing will sit on the shortened chassis of an old Farish Class 101 DMU centre car.
     
    As you can see, I have got a little carried away with interior details, I will also add a party of people before the whole thing is fixed together.
     

     

     

     
    Again, pilot holes have been left in the roof for ventilators, which will help to ensure that I glue them in nice and straight, the protruding, er, protrusions are supports for piping that runs along the roof.
     
    This model will be printed in the cheaper 'white, strong and flexible' material as with the final finish being etched sides, the fine resolution of printed detail is less important.
     
    A further experiment in the use of 'WSF' is for creating masonry, to suit a particular structure. This is a time consuming process, but hopefully the end product will be like embossed plasticard magically produced to match a particular structure. These are bridge abutments for Victoria Bridge.
     
    I had tried to fashion them, in the diorama, from DAS Clay, but the results were clumsy to say the least.. hopefully the appliance of technology will sort it out and get the scene finished off. There is scope yet for traditional techniques, I look forward to painting, dry brushing and variously weathering the finished product, as well as somehow giving them a sandy, sandstone-ish texture..
     
    but that is a story for another day.
     

     

     

     
    I will update as soon as the UPS van arrives..
     
    ..congratulations if you have read this far, quite a long post!!
     

  21. Will J
    While progress continues indoors on various laser cut bits (update coming soon, promise!) I have fallen prey to a bout of impulse buying.
     
    The result: two little battery powered locomotives which I couldnt help but buy. Today (Sunday) saw the first glimpse of spring in the garden, and in between shed reorganising and vital horticultural bits and pieces, the 'fleet' were introduced to the garden.
     
    So far, my foray into the great outdoors (as an occasional distraction from fiddly 2mm model making!) consists of:
     
    1 Mamod 'train set' with a loco, trucks and bags full of flammable stuff, to make it go.. fast
     
    1 pack of proper streamline SM32 flexible track.
     
    2 battery powered critters (pictured).. any ideas as to their origins, I have no idea!
     

     

     

     

     
    As for ideas, need to work on a few, and do some Brunellian surveying around the garden!
  22. Will J
    Sometimes you benefit from reflecting on where a project started. OK, I'll come clean, I was mildly pleased with the reflections I was getting from the shiny surface of my miniature River Severn, and decided to shoe horn 'reflectiveness' into the post, so lets stick with it...
     

     
    The two canoeists mark a significant point in the diorama build... the river has been built up over many months, years even, but with the two intrepid navigators firmly stuck in place, I can't pour any more layers of paint, varnish, resin, 'realistic water' or 'unspecific goo'... or they will be submerged! They also do a good job of suggesting the scale of the whole scene.
     
    Did I mention months building into years.. looking back at the genesis of the project, it turns out the beginings were almost four years ago:
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/351/entry-1306-bridge-over-the-river-severn/
     
    Which talks about the plan for the model, something achieveable that while modest in size, scored points in terms of likeliness of success. I'm happy that I have concentrated the intervening time on a small project, rather than spreading my occasional bursts of modelling activity on something more complex.
     
    Serious construction work was another year or more down the line:
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/351/entry-5503-the-trees-in-the-model-are-small-the-real-ones-are-far-away/
     
    So what you see today is the result of a three year burst of practical model making.
     

    Arley bound.
     

    The pictures don't quite do the river justice as the Woodland Scenics realistic water is still a little cloudy. There must be 20 or more layers of assorted stuff building up the depth, and I'm sure the lower half of which are well obscured.
     
    I enjoy modelling over a small area, but evolving the scene with seemingly endless layers of material. I suppose this mirrors nature, which you can't easily represent with a layer or two of carefully selected products and a light drizzle of PVA...
     
    ...well you can, I have seen it done on RMWeb! Some clever folks round here.....
     

    These two are now permanently posed wondering if the train rumbling over their heads is something interesting. I guess it pretty much always is, poor guys, terrible timing... I plan to populate the banks of the river with a few more people, suggesting a sunny autumn day, maybe a gala weekend.
     
    I think I have found a way to represent the aeroplane that started the whole idea off, the graceful de Havilland Dragon Rapide, from which I got the inspiration for the scene (see that first post linked above)..
     

     
    A little Dragon Rapide tie pin. The trick will be to attach it to the sky in the background without casting bizarre shadows across the wide blue yonder!
     
    ---------
    I have had news from my friends at Classic Air Force, Newquay (I volunteer there occasionally when I can make it down the M5!) that the Dragon Rapide is back at Halfpenny Green Airport (Wolverhampton) this Sunday afternoon. Understandably the practicalities of the flight and weather conditions can have a bearing on where the aircraft goes (so it is impossible to promise a route), but the pilots know the route of the Severn Valley Railway and the location of Victoria Bridge, so could I'm sure be encouraged to go and see / chase the trains. The event was postponed from a week or two ago, and now co-incides with the SVR gala, which increases the frequency of the trains to gently pursue....
     

     
    I might be there myself, but unfortunately it will only be a brief flying visit in the afternoon.
  23. Will J
    Hi all,
     
    just a quick, mainly pictorial, post this time with the latest bodyshell (Mark 12??) for the N Gauge Class 139. I'm moderately happy with the finish this time, it will be improved immeasurably with the flush side glazing to be installed between now and the weekend when the mini-people mover will be operating on Kinlet Wharf's branch line at the Stafford Show.
     
    Do come and say hello, I'll be there pretending to know what I'm doing (randomly jabbing at buttons)
     
    Chassis: Kato Tram Body: Google Sketchup / Shapeways Frosted Ultra Detail 3D Print Paint: In a hurry......

     
     
    Seen here on Wyre Forest MRC's Kinlet Town *bits of which look oddly like the real Parry HQ....
     

     

     

     

     
    The close ups are typically cruel... though I'm pleased with the little 'n' in the blue roundel! (Fineline pen).
     

     

     
    Looking forward to the weekend... some hotel room modelling between now and then should see this little railcar finished (ish). See you all in Stafford.
  24. Will J
    Hi All,
     
    the usual apology for the recent 'radio silence' on the blog. I have much to report on from recent weeks, including progress on the N Victoria Bridge and my ramblings in T gauge.
     
    But let's revisit the N gauge Class 139 Parry People Movers hybrid railcar. When we last saw it, some success had been had in creating resin cast transparent bodies for the Kato chassis, and the model had been enjoying itself roaming Wyre Forest MRC's Kinlet Wharf layout at the Blackburn and Stoneleigh shows. I was never entirely satisfied with the MDF/card master that the castings were taken from, though in the end it had turned out pretty good, from a respectable viewing distance
     
    But it could always be better. Just recently I have been teaching myself 'Google Sketchup' and after a modest amount of frustration and swearing (if I ever actally consulted instructions things would be easier!) fathomed out its secrets and discovered it to be a clever and adaptable program. The result of which is the design below, which has been sent, tonight, to SHAPEWAYS to be printed in their latest 'Frosted Ultra Detail' material. I await the package in the post with interest, and will keep you all posted.
    (goes away to wonder what sort of 3D printed superstructure could go on a Dapol terrier N gauge chassis!)
     
     

  25. Will J
    With snow falling outside the modelling indoors continues in whichever corners of the house are nearest to a radiator.
     
    In my last post, http://www.rmweb.co....re-forestation/ the one thing in the bridge diorama that is looking a bit shabby, and letting the side down is the bridge itself (herself?). This is soon to change, the twisted concoction of MDF, cardboard and cocktail sticks is to get a new face, printed from a Google sketchup design, with all the nuts, bolts and embossed lettering that appear on the real thing.
     
    Work has begun:
     

     
     
    With all of this layout progress, I have been spurred on to reawaken a project not seen since a previous incarnation of RMWeb, the 15XX pannier project, with Dapol Ivatt 2-6-2 chassis and butchered Farish bodyshell ingredients. The real thing (1501) is being put back together at Bridgnorth and hopefully will be seen over the real Victoria Bridge soon, better get the model ready in its honour!
     
    Some brass embellishments ('N Brass' GWR mixed traffic bits)
     

     

     
    And on track, this picture shows quite effectively the degree of 'stuck-up-ness' possible with the static grass balloon method mentioned last time.
     

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