Ian R. Weeks

In my humble opinion the best guide to scratch building 4mm goods wagons in plasticard were a series of, five I think , articles in the much missed Model Railways illustrated. These were written by Simon de Souza and are from I think 1995. They are a great comprehensive guide. I think I have these on a memory stick and if you wish PM me and I will hunt for them and send you a copy.

    Regards Ian

Thank you so much gentlemen. Industrial steam and knowledge thereof is not one of my strengths . I would like to learn more about the locomotives of Hatfield colliery. Could you point me in the direction of your sources please. Looks like this could be a rabbit hole into which to fall in 2024!!!

    Regards Ian

Thank you very much Jeremy for such a comprehensive and swift reply

   Happy New Year Ian

I moved to Hatfield near Doncaster 40 years ago when it was still a thriving mining village .

    I was too late to have the pleasure of seeing the pit steam locomotives.

    I recently chanced on this photo of one of them .

     Could anyone give me details of the builder etc.

      Kind regards  Ian

Thank you Bill,this a a comparatively new medium to me . I have only had experience of my son printing some simple windows I drew.

   I still feel that if I persevere this is the way forward

 Found the page on western thunder it was a thread on construction of a LNWR Open dia 84 posted by a chap called Adam on 17/11/22.

    Kind regards Ian

Dear Roddy,

             Sorry for the delay in replying. The useful site was a single posting on Western Thunder which came up on a search for' Bill bedford  3d printed wagon. I have been playing a little more and have the bearing carriers ready . I thought I would attempt to assemble the buffers. To do this I measured the buffer shank as it appeared the buffer housing needed opening out as the shank would not enter the buffer housing. I thought I would not hold the housing in a vice as I feared I would crush it . I measured the shank at 0.63mm . I chose 3 steps of micro drill in pin vices and hand held the housing. I managed to drill suscessfully 1 of the 4 buffers. On the other 3 the printed spring broke. This may be due to my heavy handedness, I might have been better holding the housing in the microdrill vice and gently drilling at high speed. However they may be more easily drilled if supplied still on their printing sprue??

      They can be easily replaced with sprung buffers of the style supplied some years ago by Mr. Bedford but I still think there is mileage in the printed buffers if only I can master the technique. I will probably see if Mousa Models will sell me some others to practice on.

     Again I am still impressed with the kits and have actually supplied my offspring with Mousa's details when the asked for suggetions for Xmas pressies.

             If you have any success with the buffers please let me know.

                                                                      regards Ian

Thank you gentlemen. I have last night had a good look at both the kit and several internet sites. One was helpful in showing a copy of their instructions ( in a silmilar style to mine ) showing the wire/ bearing carrier differently and answering my query .

 That site also suggested using blue tack as a "soft glue" to locate the wire.

    Waisted bearings it shall be.

 As an aside every time I look at the kit I am amazed at the detail and fineness.

    If the buffers prove to be as  robust as I suspect then surely etched  kits are on the way out.

     Also  I can not wait to see someone take on the production of a highland coach in this medium, no more burnt fingertips!

   ..Thanks again Ian

A few weeks ago I ordered a couple of these 3d printed wagons . When they arrived I was quite frankly amazed at the detail and quality.I have some years ago assembled Bills earlier Highland resin mineral wagon with etched sprung underframe and this was what I was expecting. However this kit comes with printed bearing carriers, sprung buffers and couplings. All beautifully printed. However a dry run has highlighted some problems. I would greatly appreciate someone who has assembled such a wagon giving a blow by blow account on assembling the bearing carriers and spring wire. The "instructions"only detail how to assemble a a fixed ridged chassis and assume one is fully conversant with the new design. I am sure it is mainly my fault in that I am not seeing the wood for the trees. Specifically are waisted bearings used ? The spring wire is much finer than I remember and is it glued in place or merely held in situ by pressure. Like wise does the bearing carrier merely sit with the wire in it's fine grove . Any help would be appreciated

         Kind regards Ian

P.S. the printed sprung buffers look well thought out and I look forward to assembling them

Thank you very much Bill, I wiil keep an eye open on Scalefour stores. I think
 there will be many relieved modellers.

    Regards Ian

Thanks Roger  will look into these, regards Ian0

Dear All,

               As part of my planned winter, "complete left off / despaired of " projects  and following on from the helpful advice I had last week from " RMWebers" can anyone point me towards a source of either Bill Bedford coach W irons or equivalent. Since the demise of Eileen's and the "out of stock" at Wizard, I am at a loss as to where to source these or substitutes. I intend to try these along with Mark Tatlows floating centre axle on some old microscale 6 wheelers, which in truth , had the same relationship to the railhead as a "space hopper" has to the floor!!

     Thank you again Ian

Thank you very much for the heads up to Alan Gibson buffers.  Will also obtain Some of the exactoscale wheels to try, thanks once again,,

     Regards Ian

Thank you gentlemen for your quick and helpful replies.  The more I look at the wheel sets the more I marvel at the delicacy and detail ! As for the buffers , well I just have to hope that Wizard manage to restock. Thanks again Ian

Dear All,

               I have decided to self discipline and restart going through my stash of HR Lochgorm kits and unfinished scratch built efforts. Whilst going through the bits and pieces I came across these lovely wheelsets and should like to obtain more. From the project they are associated with they must have been purchased 30 years ago! Can anyone identify the make.

    Similarly the late much missed Andy Copp of Lochgorm kits recommended  Wizard models LNWC022 LNWR sprung buffers .Andrew of said emporium has let me know that the manufacturer has problems with the heads and he does not know of a restock date.

  They are beautiful and I hope return soon . Does anyone know of a substitute?

     Thanks for your help

        Regards Ian

Good morning all, managed some time to start on formers on Thursday night. Stout cardboard tube from inner of cheap tinfoil  proved ideal fit on ms bar I had . Turning up outer rings from wood ( on myford), good clean afterward!.reckon easy bit is coils. Had to stop as tripped down to Bristol to see grandkids, and get lecture on electrical safety from daughter in law! She is going over proposed capacitor circuit. If you get a moment sometime 03060 could you possibly post old circuit diagrams you found, I am getting quite intrigued by this subject, regards Ian

sorry" below"

Thanks Il Griffone, As I said at the beginning I am not ready for St Peter's waiting room so do prefer the ME  plan Very similar to Bob Wharrier version pictures. found a car solenoid on evil bay for about a tenner. Not yet ordered any more bits as have decided to run this by my daughter in law who is a RR aerospace electrical engineer..

 Bow her pay grade but might as well utilise 'in house expert".

   Regardd Ian

DOH !! Just realised I was being stupid, the relay can handle the high ampage better than relying on small push to make switch contacts, I think?

Thank you all gentlemen, you replies have been most helpful. I have assembled the 'bits and bobs ' to go down either the capacitor route or the car battery path. Your photos,Ian, and the ME article are at present my preferred route purely as it's simple and proven. The capacitor route has involved adapting some circuits on the internet and to be honest I am wary of my rusty knowledge.

    Either way the the main stumbling block now is the coil former. I cannot find any simple suitable bobbins commercially. The ME design uses tufnol sheet end pieces (easily sourced) and tufnol tube which I am finding is almost impossible to source in the small quantities needed.

   I suppose I could bore out a piece of non-descipt 40mm nylon(ish) bar I found in the workshop but would like to stick to the plan. Also I presume the use of the car solenoid is to ensure positive disconnection or am I missing something.

   This is provening an entertaining diversion, thank you again for your help       Ian

My tablet key board keeps auto correcting to rubbish when hit submit

Sorry about gobbeldey book in posting ,should read ,"it certainly looks a lot more within my capabilities"

Sorry for late reply, thanks for those pictures. I only this morning wascsentva copy of the ME article. It certainlyblookscaclotbmotrecwith in my capabilities to make  and interestilooks to have less lethal potential than the route I was going down. 

    Just have to source the tufnol/ srbp tube . A quick internet trawl tonight does not look promising .  Thanks for going to the trouble of sourcing the article your pictures are a great help, Ian

Thank you very much, I may indeed be taking you up in the near future if my attempts prove unsuccessful due to my atrophying electronics knowledge, Ian

Thank you very much, I think all the ones I seen have a lethal potential! Ian

Dear All,

                 At present I am on a short hillwalking break near Callendar. Whilst my wife stocked up on  essentials , I popped into the Callendar Toy museum  (always worth a visit) for some HD switches. This is part of a project to get a HD  layout I built before  the pandemic, up and running for grand children at Christmas. I have several locos that ideally could do with a remag. I have seen the lovely Ronald Dodds remagnitiser but cannot justify the cost . I have tried neo magnets but in truth I do like  wasting time ( as my dear wife says) in the workshop and would like to have a go at building one.

             I have seen several designs on the internet and could go down the capacitor road, but being in spitting distance of state pension I would be distinctly browned of if a careless touch sent me to St Peters waiting room before collecting it!

     I would prefer to go down the Dodds pathway but can find no plans for such. I have seen pictures on a 'Binns Rd' website of one made by a gentleman named Bob Wharrier, which would appear to be a similar style to the Dodds version, though less 'pretty'. As it works of a 12v battery I surmise that the 'gubbins ' box only contains a passing contact switch rather than just swiping the wires across the battery terminals.

     My dim and distant school boy physics /(after-school electronics club) knowledge is not now up to designing one and I wonder if anyone has plans or schematic of one or has built one.

       Thanks ,in anticipation, Ian