Chris Higgs

Apparently there is already a kit for the 1/163 Ironstone hoppers from Stephen Harris. Goodness knows how I missed it. Anyway, I won't be doing that one now, and shows the value of putting up this post.

I'd be happy to take the bodies (top part) and etch a footplate for them.

Even those seem to go for silly prices at times. I did see some guy was using Terrier chassis as tender drive units (clever trick) so wonder what he does with the bodies. Chris

I am starting work on some new wagon etched underframes, and am sharing my thoughts here, primarily to see if anyone else is or knows someone who is working on these, so as to avoid duplication. BR 1/179 Anhydrite hopper - for the NGS body, although I may also make an alternative etched hopper body available as an option. BR 1/163 et al Ironstone hopper - for the NGS Body. LMS/LNER/BR Pipe Wagon. Would cover all types of fitted and unfitted brakegear. THe LNER style brakegear requires a different style body (which I may do using 3D printing) but can also be used as the underframe for a Conflat B. LNER Tube wagon with 3D printed body 6-wheel Milk tankers. A bewildering variety of these from all of the big 4, which would use the tank of the Dapol model (but little else). Other suggestions also welcomed. Chris

Details for the new loco chassis can be found here. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/twomm/files/Etched%20chassis%20diagrams/ There is also stuff on the new bufferstops, NPCS underframes and GWR Lowmac https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/twomm/files/NPCS%20instructions/ https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/twomm/files/Pre-group%20bufferstops/

I feel some etching coming on.... A quick combination lever should be no bother for you, Nig.

Hi John, I may have a set of the castings done by Mike Bryant about the place. On holiday this week so it will be next before I can look. Chris

I might. It depends on what drawings are available (I tend not to like working with only vague material) or if the real thing still exists (does it?). Also I have a lot of items to fit on test etches so I am not always the quickest. I have a lot of LNWR loco books so will take a look at what is in them. 7'3" + 8'3" is the same wheelbase as a GWR Pannier so I can probably rustle something up once I have done the 2mm version of the same. Chris

If you want slots etc to work out, and assuming you don't want to or cannot adjust the artwork, then really it should be half the thickness of the 4mm etch. For example, PEC do 6 thou nickel silver which is half the 12 thou often used by 4mm models. Bill Bedford's etches are done on this basis But for robustness 10 thou would be better. If the kits don't have slots (old ones often don't) then that might not be an issue. It's always possible to get the artwork done, and get a test sheet in both thicknesses made. People could even choose which thickness they want to buy. Either way, N/S is far superior to the brass and not really that much more money for the small area 2mm models occupy. I would suggest you ask someone nicely to do a custom 2mm chassis to go with the body. Also saves you worrying about the extra cost of perhaps having a second thickness of etch to do from the 4mm model. Nigel Hunt did one for the 2mm LNWR tanks I had reduced from Brassmasters. I'll take an etch as well. Chris

A multiple number of months I fear. First the test etch has to go and come back. Then everything on it gets test built. That's 4 GWR loco chassis, 2 NPCS underframes in addition to the M7. Then the production etch gets done. Chris

I had etched some new frames on the last etch as a test and I took the opportunity to compare them to my Worsley M7 etch (another one I will never get around to building!). Looks like it should work fine. I have no idea what Allan Doherty had in mind when he etched the footplate, there will be a large chunk that needs cutting out to acoomodate the frames and the motor - but that would be the case anyway. Chris

Even then the gear would have to sit above the level of the running rails. Chris

Well you could fit 9mm wheels. Although that would negate a portion of the benefit.

On the older chassis I did not really think about alternative gear ratios. On the newer ones I got clever and often use a gear spacing that will allow the use of either M0.3 and M0.4 gears. On all of these gears you can substitute any gear combination where the sum of the teeth is the same, so for example 14:18 will have the same spacing as 15:17, 16:16 and so on. In this case by chance you can use 18:25 M0.3 in place of 14:18 M0.4. Which gives you 41:1. If you want to be more adventurous you could use 16:27 M0.3. - you would have to order the 27 tooth gear direct from the Association's supplier in Poland in this case. This would give you 50:1. You can also use the Ultrascale 13 tooth 64DP gear (which is the same size as the 14 tooth) together with an 18 tooth 64DP to give 41.5:1 https://www.ultrascale.com/eshop/products/view/CAT015/268 Chris

All cut up now and going to David Short on Monday. With a fair wind they *may* be available at Expo (if the Royal Mail oblige). M7 and Black 5 not included as the first is being redesigned, the second did not etch out as I would have wished. I have been asked to point out by the powers that be that none of the other upcoming chassis mentioned on here are yet approved for the Shop. I will be offering the 61XX, 28XX and Hall/Manor replacement chassis as well as the Farish BR CCT and Dapol SR BY underframes to the Association. If they wish, they will become Shop items, otherwise I will do them privately. All of the other GWR loco chassis are most definitely a private venture on a one-off limited edition basis.

Yes

30:1 wormset followed by 14:28 M0.3. For the secondary gears you can use anything with centres of around 6.4mm, so 14:18 M0.4, 16:26 M0.3 would also work. Chris

By the 94XX do you mean the Farish one? I do have some artwork somewhere for a 94XX chassis, but stopped working on it when I realised the Farish body is way overscale and from that era when they designed every body to fit the same GP tank chassis. Chris

These are sitting on my dining room table waiting to be cut up and sent to the shops. 70 sheets of etch in total and its quite a job. Hopefully my private team of elves (also known as the children) will get stuck in this weekend. Please don't pester the shops yet though. Chris

Yes. As discussed in post #421 above I have done the chassis to 2mm scale but with extended front frames as that seems to match the Dapol body the best. Chris

I will probably do both if there is a demand. The ones already done are 1:148 as they are chassis replacements for Dapol/Farish and are for the Association shop (except the 44XX). I am not sure which scale I will do the next batch in first, perhaps 1:152 so I can prove it's easy to rescale them, and I do have a number of committed orders for that scale. But to be clear, they are chassis only. Chris

Just a progress report. The artwork for Hall/Manor, 28XX, 61XX and 44XX are done and will go for test etch now. The M7 and underframes for Farish BR CCT and Dapol SR BY are on the same sheet. Making a start on the Saint, 42XX/72XX, 47XX, 43XX and 56XX.

Don't get over excited about my 44XX. Given I am doing it for myself and probably will sell a handful to other people, I won't be going through multiple repetitions to get the design 100% smooth. If it can be built, that will be good enough for me. I will only re-etch parts if they really are unuseable. I suggest you solder the brakes up separately onto the wire and then glue them to the chassis so the paintwork is untouched. Personally I don't like locos without brakes.

I do believe I was there, working on the stall of Cheltenham Model Centre whilst I was a student. It was a good day. Chris Higgs

I know it says "Any Question Answered", but surely that one will get a better airing in the prototype forums of RMweb?