Annie

This is my own litho overlayed ex-LSWR milk van that I put together sometime ago from a very down on its luck Hornby 4 wheeler.  Please excuse the terrible photo as my cellphone is very old and the camera side of it is not up to much.  Edward is one of my toy dollhouse people conversions I made for my 1/16th scale narrow gauge trains and he helps me out with things about the place.

I'm not sure who made the overlays I used, but they were on the HRCA spares list I had at the time.

Thanks for the picture Grahame   Yes that's something I really liked about the way the kits and parts are designed.  The capacity to be modded and customised is very much built in to the whole range.

LCUT's arches and retaining walls are something I want to be using for my layout so your experience is very much noted Ian.  Due to this illness I live with lengthy sessions of cutting things out with craft knives is out, but kits of pieces that can be assembled and painted are just the job.

Yes John, the business of having to try and print a 4mm Scalescenes kit at 175% is just plain too frustrating.  I like the look of 3DK's printable kits too, but the same thing applies with trying to print them out.  I like card as a material and provided it's properly sealed it's very durable.  I don't use plastics as with my dodgy immune system solvents and me just plain don't get on.  I like your engine shed and something like that is likely to end up on my shopping list.  Since my layout will be representing a small 'what-if' independent railway the question of prototypes and what a kit might be based on doesn't worry me so much as it might for someone who is looking for a railway company specific building.

The buildings look good Chris.  Yes with any kind of paper or card modelling it's a good idea to seal the material with some kind of spray on sealant coating before trying to do anything with it.

Ah so they are a card building kit.  Well that's fine by me as I've been a keen modeller in card for quite some time.  The website is certainly interesting as well as all the additional parts such as windows and doors which would be very useful too.  

I've been looking at the laser cut wooden building kits made by LCUT creative on ebay and there are some there that would very much fit in with my interest in light railways as well as fit in with the theme of the coarse scale 'O' gauge layout I want to build.  Being a woman of slender means I have to be careful with what money I spend so I was wondering if any forum members had experience of these kits by this maker and if they'd found them to be generally a good buy.  One thing that does stand out for me though is the very reasonable postage price which certainly makes for a refreshing change.  

An example of one of the kits I am interested in:  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O-gauge-7-mm-Small-goods-shed-LCC-B-70-08/152891577372?hash=item23990c541c:g:hA0AAOSwPcVV0N8M&fol=71462edb3f03e9221775debf6a1b4002982390a64558d932bf2c9d9c392d9e7a&pwid=lcut.creative

I do like those Hornby LNER coaches, the tinprinting is in very nice condition.  For some reason all the ones I've got are either faded or rusted so much that it's difficult to tell what they were.  They will live again with litho papers of my own devising carefully fitted to them so they aren't a total loss.  As for the very nice collection of Harry Potter figures you have in the photo I just happen to think they are a bit of fun and that's why we play with old tinplate trains afterall.  My layout baseboards are inhabited by Lego 'Friends' figures at the moment which are of course just the tiniest bit larger than 7mm scale, but I happen to like them.  As a former miniature wargamer who used to make their own figures I'm not above modding them a bit too.

Just to mention a bit about the smaller scales before returning to matters 'O' gauge; - I did work in British 'S' scale for a while after escaping the awful and drear wastelands of P4 modelling and found it to be a nice scale to work in especially for pre-grouping models which tend to be small and more difficult to model in 4mm scale.  I used RP25 wheels rather than the P4 wheel standards the 'S' Scale Society had adopted as the local availability of New Zealand made 'North Yard' wheels to this standard for 1/64th scale NZR models made this the better proposition.  As an 'Imperial' scale with an easily read ruler I liked 'S' scale, but eventually old fashioned 'O' gauge won out and I wouldn't consider going back to the smaller scales for any reason now.

A bit of fun........

'Tis indeed 5050    It would be far too big for my light railway pretentions.  The old Red Leeds bodyshell seemed to be available as a 4-4-0 as well as a 4-6-0 and the main difference in the bodyshells is that the 4-6-0 seems to have cab doors to hide the rear driving wheel from view.

Pictures courtesy of the Dutch HRCA

On thinking about it a four coupled engine would be better since my layout won't have sweeping curves and large radius points; - and since my bodyshell looks like it used to be a 4-4-0 I should really go with that.  On checking with the Leeds Stedman Trust it looks like most of the missing small pieces in the way of robbed fittings are available so I should be able to do a reasonable rebuild.

I know a lot of collectors frown on clockwork and will even convert lovely original clockwork locomotives to electric traction which I think is awful.  A few years ago now when I was helping out with the New Zealand Auckland HRCA layout the response from the watching public was quite positive when I ran my 'clockers' as that was the kind of tinplate trains they remembered best and had personal experience of.  

A book I've owned since I was a teenager is 'The Electric Control of Clockwork Railways' by Ernest F Carter and I must admit I've always wanted to give some of the ideas in it a try.  I would like to try the telephone dial governor adaptation too, but it seems old dial phones are now 'collectible' and people want silly money for them.

That's my feeling too Kevin.  They were passed on to me with an almost sniffy, 'Let's see you do something with those then,' by a 'serious' collector who regarded them as being beyond all hope.  I could never begin to afford a pristine LMC locomotive and this is most probably the only way I'm going to get close.  I have a choice of both 4 coupled and six coupled mechs and I think the 6 coupled one would suit the larger red LMC bodyshell best.  I'd like to paint and letter it for the LSWR too even though you'd need to have a serious eyesight problem to mistake it for an H16 class.

From the old and battered department I have this.

I'm sorting out all my 'O' gauge tinplate, litho and wooden rolling stock at the moment from where they've been stored in plastic crates and putting them away in a more civilised fashion in chests of drawers in my bedroom.  I was given a pair of very down on their luck LMC loco bodies sometime ago and this is possibly the worst one.  Some folk don't like these old LMC tank engines, but I'm a bit of a fan of large tank engines anyway and I'd like very much to return these LMC locos back to usefulness again.  The controversial bit is that I'll be using Lionel mechs because I've got them and being of very slender means I couldn't buy anything else even if I wanted to.

The other LMC tank engine bodyshell is one of these (I don't have a camera at the moment and my old cellphone's camera isn't very good).

It's in much better shape, though judging from the soldered in brass brackets and cutting about inside the bodyshell its had a few different mechs fitted to it in its time.  All fittings (tank fillers, dome, footsteps etc) have been robbed with some violence, but fortunately nothing that can't be repaired.  I did offer up a lovely Bassett Lowke 4 coupled clockwork mech I've got to see if it would fit, but no luck as there just isn't the space for it to fit properly   I haven't looked at the Lionel option yet and I think I've got a Hornby clockwork mech somewhere that needs a little TLC so I'm not out of options yet.

Thank you Kevin for posting the old standards tables (and the highly distracting Carette rolling stock picture).  It's timely as I'm slowly getting things together to finally build my much dreamed about 'Foxwater Light Railway' and things like track and wheel standards are very much on my mind at the moment.  I'm at the stage of gradually clearing loads of junk out of the designated railway area of my bedroom that somehow accumulated while I wasn't well.  Once the space is cleared I should have something like a 15ft X 8ft space in which to build my layout.  While I have some mostly clockwork Hornby , NZ made 'Lawrence Lines' and Lionel track with the deeper rail section I'm strongly considering using 0-27 track made by both Marx and Lionel which I've got a considerable amount of.  I'm a woman of slender means so what I already have wins out by miles over what might be available to buy in the shops.  I've got some older frogless Marx and Lionel points which are my first choice for my layout as the later ones are a bit plasticy, bulky and look to be problematic with their frogs.  The geometry of these points isn't very useful though as they are designed for making trainset ovals and not much in the way of anything else so I'm going to cut them down.  The tight radius shouldn't be a problem as I'm only going to be running smaller tank engines and 4 wheel coaches and wagons, but no doubt I'm going to be learning a lot about wheel standards since I have a variety of makes of wheels in use on my treasures ranging from 'modern' Hornby plastic right back into the early 1920's and possibly older.  

My parcel from the auction turned up today  :

 

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The items are most definitely used but have a wonderful patina to them. The tender and one coach end are missing couplings so replacements have been ordered. I do not want to restore the finish which to my eye is fabulously aged. So, the next question was whether the engine would run. Now in the description it clearly said Clockwork, but the model is most definitely fitted with an electric mechanism! 

 

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I'm aware that the No.2 specials were made as both clockwork and electric versions; and also that over the years many clockwork models have been converted to electric. However, the body of my model has no hole for a clockwork key and no obvious sign of this having been covered - but it has the plain (rather than the lightbulb) smokebox. So it would be great if any of you more knowledgeable collectors in this field could advise me of exactly what I have got!

 

Also, could you confirm that this mechanism will be a 20v one? I know the first Hornby electric trains used mains voltage, and that at some point they used 6v but as far as I can establish these were fitted with 20v mechanisms. Assuming this is the case, would the 12vDC out of a Duette be enough to at least turn the mechanism, and if not, what are your suggestions?

 

Thanks as always for help/advice!

 

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I love your Hornby compound.  Fancy nobody wanting it because I would be all over something like that like a rash if I had the money.

After not being well for a while I'm looking to get back to things with my 'O' gauge trains.  I'm thinking about a branchline layout, - LSWR of course, - and at this stage of things I'm still sorting through my collection and generally measuring up the trains dedicated corner of my bedroom to see how best to fit in baseboards.

They are seriously lovely David.  An excellent spot of clever work on the replacement coach roof too.  

Thanks for the welcome David  

Ooooooo a 1920's LMS 0-4-0 loco would be highly desirable, I've always liked the look of those  That sounds like the kind of car boot sale I would very much like to stumble across.

I wasn't into Hornby Dublo, But I did convert quite a few Dublo LMS coaches to 2 rail as a teenager because I thought they looked better than Triang's plastic coaches.  

You wouldnt happen to be the same Annie from Eurobricks, would you?

Whether or not, welcome!

My cover is blown! - fleeeeeeeee!  

Yes that's me.  I still own thousands of Lego bricks, though lately I've taken to large scale experiments with modding and motorising Postman Pat locos with Lego motorblocks and running them on Lego track.  That as they say is another story and perhaps one that isn't entirely suitable for mentioning on RMweb.

Hi Annie, most here call their trains coarse scale which they're probably not actually; they're toys. Intended to be toys and played with by little girls and boys. However, to please the pedants and others, coarse scale sounded more grown up, so coarse scale it is and you have fine examples of the genre; everything from the basics to the Hornby we are all familiar with and which constitutes the majority of our layouts. Which means that toy trains can and do appeal to much older girls and boys as well.

 

Brian.

I totally agree Brian.  For me 'coarse scale' covers everything from my tinplate 'clockers' to the more 'serious' vintage semi-scale wooden models and 'Litho' coaches I have a a great love for.  My wee green tank loco i posted pictures of above even has washout plugs on its boiler which pushes it into 'semi-scale territory despite the fact that it's made from the scrap parts of around 3 wounded old 'clockers'.

Trial fit of a WIP tank side printed tankside decal; - and i do have a Ramsbottom safety valve casting to be fitted to it somewhere.  Cab steps are on the workshop list too.

I thought 'Coarse scale' applied to to the wheel/track standards, which is appropriate. As regards the models themselves, scale is very loosely applied!  

Yes indeed!  I used to model in P4 until one day I realised i simply wasn't having fun anymore and took up with coarse scale 'O' instead.

 And thanks for the welcome everyone, - no doubt you'll be seeing more of me on this thread  

Hi everyone, I've just found this delightful thread.  I'm not sure if it's still a living thread or not, but I thought I'd show one or two of my 'toys'.  I live with a debilitating chronic illness so I've given up on silly finescale notions and railway models that are too small to see, let alone try to work on.  The LSWR is my particular interest, but not in any kind of picky rivet counter way.  Coarse scale 'O' gauge is all about fun afterall  

A wooden LSWR 'O' Gauge coach maker unknown.  All parts are made from cleanly machined hardwood so it's not a scratchbuild.. Please excuse the photo, my camera is on its last legs (somewhat like its owner).

My 12 volt DC powered 0-4-2 tank loco made from all manner of left over tinplate bits and white metal castings.  It's a nice runner and is very capable of hauling 20 4 wheel Hornby goods wagons when it sets its mind to it.

Wooden goods wagons made with Milbro castings and unknown wooden parts (The van might built on a wooden Leeds body intended for 'lithos').  I have wooden kit parts enough for three more open wagons as well as two blank 4 wheel goods van bodies and one for a bogie goods van.  I like the old 'O' Gauge coarse scale wooden models and printed paper 'litho' ones as well.

Old school scratchbuilt LSWR fruit van by your's truly.  Paper over a plywood bodyshell.  Still needs some detailing and transfers to complete.

Litho LSWR milk van.  Printed paper sides and ends on a beyond all hope Hornby 4 wheel coach.  The litho sheets were made by a chap in the HRCA whose name I've forgotten unfortunately.

I used to make litho sheets for old down on their luck Hornby coaches too.  I use to have sheets for the Midland and the LSWR, but they died in a hard drive failure some years ago.  I still have this S&DJtR sheet though which is free for anyone to use.

Hornby SR milk van.  (Edward is doing such a great job of showing off my 'toys' to you all)

Hornby SR open wagon.

That's all for the moment.  I can show you more of my coarse scale bits and bobs if there's any interest.