Kaolin2FS

Just seen this entry, Pete… the 37 looks superb and great choice of running number

Pete,

 

Sound is definitely the way forward!  Very interested that you could get the speaker to fit so (relatively) easily without any butchering of the 37 chassis.  I've just found this thread which I'd missed previously - was this the one you were referring to?  

 

Regards,

 

Graham

Thanks all! Install was really simple, it's a sound chip run in consist with the 37 powering a 65mm diameter speaker mounted beneath the embankment. Full details will be in the Oct/Nov 15 edition of The 2mm Magazine.

 

Mark - yes, I'd seen Iain Robinson's website already, it's most impressive!

 

Graham

Well if that's not inspiration for all of us I don't know what is.  You seem to be missing a 37 or two though?

Graham

Very nice indeed!  Have you found you need to add a little more weight to the vans or are they heavy enough as they are?

 

Graham

Looks fab Graham.

 

Welcome back and hope all goes well with the forthcoming addition to the Kaolin family

Thanks Pete! Modelling time will be at a premium from now on I fear...

 

 

the inlaid track looks the business how does it run?

 

Thanks Nick, I've just added a link above - it runs a lot more smoothly than I thought it might, helped by the addition of an extra couple of PB wipers on each of the centre axles of the 37 - it's only got 4 axle pick up out of the box.

 

Looks great Graham. Those new Farish polybulks wagons are pretty smart.

 

Agreed Jez, thanks - I'd love a train of 11 in total, not that there's room for them on this layout, but maybe the next one... room for 11 on yours though?!

 

Graham C

Looking good Pete!  But why test with a 47 when an EE Type 3 would be more appropriate, surely? 

 

The lighting really sets the mood - there will always be enough ambient light at exhibitions to show up some of the detail on the harbour wall that would otherwise be in the dark.

 

On electrics - why not switch to DCC and have all tracks live all of the time?

 

Graham

Double slip - brave man! Looking forward to more on this.

Graham

Superb as ever - I completely agree with your comment about viewing behind-the-scenes!

Graham

Agree with Jez - although more subtle weathering effects often look best, in this case I particularly like the more weather-beaten of the two.

Graham

Oh yes... bury that track!  What did you use to do it?  DAS clay, household filler or other?

Graham

I like it!

 

 

This is coming along nicely mate! Looking forward to seeing more!

Thanks guys!  Always good for motivation to put up a quick pic or two.

 

 

Pete Matcham's got competition!

 

Regs

 

Ian

In my dreams!  If it ends up half as good as Pete's I'll be happy...

Very nice indeed, it all really blends in well - especially the shot of the beautifully weathered wagons on the quayside.

 

Hear hear for the large logo 37s!

Graham

Nice work Graham and I have a Farish 08 that I want to convert and this is the impetus I needed just have to get decoder from Ally Pally

Do it... The only thing I'd say is, next time I'll see if there's room for a small stay-alive as well as it is rather liable to come to a grinding halt with the tiniest of excuses! Sadly not able to make it to Ally Pally this year... Always a good show

That looks a lot of work to clean up now!!  I think I'd have run a bit of plasticard or something against the rails to clear some of the "concrete" before it set :-)

Ian, I did try that last time but due to 'shrinkage' I then needed to go back over with a second coat - this time I made it thicker which helped and I did use your method for the second 'pour' which worked well, thanks

Very brave, let us know how it goes, I tried this once and the cleanup meant I threw the track away

Some of us have done it and thrown the track away 3 times

As you say, its a test so good luck with it and let us have an update when the dust has cleared...

Well it appears to be working at present... see latest update!

Sorry I didn't get the chance to see this in the flesh Andy, the backscene does the rest of the layout justice. 

Graham

Certainly looks robust enough! Might be a good idea at this stage to cut some holes in the cross-members to make wiring runs easier before you start putting legs on, after which they'll be more difficult to handle. Graham

Curved corner makes a big difference - looking even better! Graham

Superb Rich - looking forward to both the magazine article and seeing more of those couplings! Graham

Thanks gents; Jez, I'm currently working on a batch of CDAs, I'll post some progress shortly; Pete, yes that's a good idea with the curves and I'll be starting the concrete just as soon as I'm happy with the crossover.  I'll use the standard mix of polyfilla as it seemed to work last time (although it needs a couple of 'pours' due to slight shrinkage prior to sanding smooth).  More to follow!

David - great suggestion thanks, I've just swapped them over and there's now a 1-2mm gap which is invisible from most angles except directly perpendicular to the unit. I also need to tone down the snowploughs on the 153 to make them less conspicuous!

Graham

Didn't you bring this to the Oxford Expo a couple of years back? Either way, looks amazing!

Graham

Great venue as well, interesting being on so many different levels, with good natural light!

That looks spot on Pete. IMO poor ballasting can often detract from an otherwise really good layout - as it's tedious, as you say, and hence often rushed - but no such worries here! Makes such an difference to the overall visual impact too.

Graham

Nice work Graham! Those brass detailing parts really make a difference to the underframe and overall appearance of the wagon. Will you be detailing the underframes on your rake of CDA's in a similar manner?

Best regards,

Jeremy

Thanks Jeremy, they do now but once they're black they'll probably just blend into the background! Will post some more photos on here once they're finished. There are also some tiny handles yet to be fitted to the side which will test my patience... They'll be painted white though, so will be worth the effort, I think... As for the CDAs, all 3 manufacturers have done a reasonable job of the underframe on these, mainly because they're very similar to the HAA (the HEA kit uses the Peco chassis to keep manufacturing costs down which is a compromise, hence the detailing kit included). So the only detail I intend to add to the CDAs will be to the hopper covers and end equipment. More on these before long!

 

Some very nice work you've done here. I, too, have some more to make to go with the 3 I have already made. I want to change those horrible buffers for something new and am waiting for Steven Harris fron the 2mm Scale Association to make the buffers he promised last year. Any further news on this we be on my blog - Marsh Lane Sidings.

 

Good luck and keep up the excellent work.

Thanks Robbo! I'm not a fan of the buffers either but was going to live with them - I'll keep an eye on your blog and see if you come up with a better solution!

 

Thanks for the mention!

Hope you find a new place soon, meantime, as others have said, keep up the great work.

By the way...it's amazing how small micro layouts can take over your life so probably good to keep with rolling stock until you are settled again...

Thanks Pete - moving at the end of this month so hopefully not an interruption for too long! And surely a little 2FS micro layout competition is a good thing...?

 

How did you add the top hat bearings to the plastic underframes.

Very carefully Rich, but that's probably the cause of the wobbles. I opened the axle cups out with a small (1mm I think) drill bit until I could just see the plastic on the outside of the axle boxes start to deform under the tip of the bit inside. I then used tweezers to press home the association top hat bearings, between which a 13.70mm association axle was fitted. No glue used. I tried to maintain exactly the same drill position for each axle cup, with the bit resting on the bottom of the axle box opposite.

 

Graham

Good plan Graham. Looking forward to seeing this one develop.

Best regards,

Jeremy

Watching with interest...

Look forward to seeing this one develop. Good luck!

Thanks guys, but might be a little while before this one materialises now...!

That last picture might just be proof of the fastest layout builds ever! In true Blue Peter style... "here's one I made earlier". I look forward to seeing progress on the proper version

Thanks Rich... Now, that's given me an idea...