MikeOxon

This is just one from a splendid collection of photos at https://east-durham.co.uk/seaham-old-photographs/nggallery/old-photgraphs/railways

Thanks for the info. I've had a look and the section about stub points may simplify my BG modelling thoughts. A surprising number of BG models too. Mike

I'm not sure that there would be much to see with Barlow rail, as the fanged shape of the rails was buried deep in the ballast. It seems to have looked like a pair of rail tops sticking out of the ballast, with nothing else. Apart from its use in South Wales, it was used on lightly-used sidings in small yards. Some has been re-used as gate posts and the like - see this example near Oxford Station. Perhaps some might be found in a siding at Farthing?

I had thought of trying that and if you could find a suitable starting photo, it should work. Perhaps you could import one of your meshes into 'Fusion 360' and use its tools to modify it to suit different models. Mike

In some areas, broad gauge track was laid with rail called 'Barlow rail' bedded directly in the ballast and with no transoms at all. Needless to say, it did not keep to gauge very well and was soon removed! Curves and Points Bases are on my 'to-do' list.

25kv wires need a lot more clearance around them to prevent flash-overs (arcing) In my local area, Railtrack wanted to raise a road bridge at Steventon, to provide greater clearance for the overhead wires but it is a listed structure from Brunel days and permission was refused. it was decided that trains could 'coast' under the bridge, which remained in place. The irony is that serious cracks have now been found in the bridge, which may require its demolition anyway!!!

3D- Printed Track Base At the beginning of the year, my thoughts turned towards making some track for my Broad Gauge (BG) models. I have already built a short section of track using traditional methods but I decided to see if 3D printing could help. After some experimentation in the early days of the GWR, the design of prototype broad gauge track settled into the form shown below: Construction of Broad Gauge Track The longitudinal baulks were about 30 feet (~ 9 m) long and held at the correct separation by transoms placed at around 8 foot (~ 2.4 m) spacing. For modelling purposes, I created baulks of 120 mm length, with 4 transoms evenly spaced in each section, so that individual pieces can be butted together, while maintaining constant spacing of the transoms. Creating a 3D model in ‘Fusion 360’ was straightforward, by extruding from a plan-drawing to a depth equivalent to the prototypical 7” (~ 18 cm). I added some surface detail to represent the short packing pieces that were placed immediately below the rails themselves. Once extruded, the 3D model appeared as below: My 3-D Model of a section of BG Track Remembering my old ‘Tri-ang’ track, with its grey plastic base representing the ballast, I thought I would see if it would be possible to 3D-print the ballast. It proved to be far from simple but opened up a whole new aspect of printing with 'Fusion 360'! Creating Surface Texture in ‘Fusion 360’ I soon found that there appears to be no simple way of adding surface texture in ‘Fusion 360’ – it can be added as a visual effect for on-screen display but not in a way that can be 3D-printed. So, I started researching by means of Google, to see if there were any ‘work arounds’. I found several references to a ‘plug-in’ for 'Fusion 360' called ‘Image2Surface’. This adds a capability for 'Fusion 360' to create a textured surface from a 2D image. Downloading the appropriate software and then getting it to work was not straightforward but, fortunately, I found a 'YouTube' video, which explains the procedures very well – see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChdJ8nL7qQA Warning. The next few paragraphs are rather technical and largely an aide memoire for myself. All the information is in the video above. At first, I had to keep listening to short sections of the video and then trying one step at a time. For reference, I have made the following précis: The first step is to download a zip-file containing the software Fusion360Image2Surface-master.zip from the Autodesk Knowledge Network. Mine is the Windows 64-bit version but there is a version for Mac as well. On my Windows machine, the downloaded zip-file has to be extracted into the ‘Fusion 360 Addins’ folder, where the extracted folder must be re-named to ‘Image2Surface’. The Addins folder is typically located at C:\Users\’user name’\App Data\Roaming\Autodesk\Autodesk Fusion 360\API\Addins Within the running 'Fusion 360' application, open the ‘TOOLS’ menu and then open the ‘Addins’ drop-down box to select ’Image2Surface’. There is a check box to open this addin automatically whenever 'Fusion 360' starts. Once the addin is running, simply click on its icon and a new window opens in 'Fusion 360'. This allows you to open a standard JPEG image from your computer. There are various adjustments available, to make sure it has an appropriate amount of detail. Once the settings have been made, click on ‘Generate Surface’. The next process may take some time, depending on the complexity of your image, but eventually an image will appear on the main 'Fusion 360' screen. At this point, there are still several steps to be taken before you have a 3D-printable object. The surface created by the addin has now to be converted into a ‘body’, which involves several stages, as listed below: Open the ‘SOLID’ menu and then click on the ‘Create Form’ icon in the ‘CREATE’ section. A new series of icons will appear. Click below the ‘UTILITIES’ icon to open a drop-down menu. Click on ‘Convert’ in the drop-down menu. In the box that appears, select ‘Quad Mesh to T-spline’ in the ‘Convert Type’ selection box, then choose the ‘Select’ button and click on your design. Click ‘OK’ to create a new ‘body’. At this stage, there are various clever-looking options in the drop-down ‘MODIFY’ menu but I haven’t explored any of these yet. To complete the conversion, click the ‘FINISH FORM’ button. There may be another long wait, at the end of which you have a new body but it is still only a surface and is not yet printable. By now, if you still reading, you are probably feeling ready for a stiff drink but hold out just a little longer! To make a stand-alone solid object from a surface, create a profile plane below the surface object created by the plug in. In my example, the subject is rectangular, so I drew a rectangle on the X-Y plane below my object, as shown in the following illustrated steps: Stages in creating a 3D model of ballasted BG track in 'Fusion 360' Once I had a solid ‘body’ in 'Fusion 360', I could add this to my model of Broad Gauge track, shown above. It does indeed look quite like the old Tri-ang track! Of course, I realise that, in most cases, 3D printing is not a very sensible way to create ballast and traditional methods are more effective and probably easier to create. Potential Applications for Surface Modelling I believe that the real significance of having found this method of creating a 3D surface textures in ‘Fusion 360’ is that it opens up all sorts of new possibilities for model-making. Ideas that spring to mind immediately are surface finishes, such as stone or brickwork on buildings – these could easily be derived from photographs of real buildings. A search on the web for ‘greyscale depth map images’ shows plenty of examples, many of which could be applied as architectural features: Examples of Depth Map Images from Google Another possibility is to create 3D nameplates. I found that, by starting from a photo of ‘Rob Roy’ (an engine I have previously modelled), I could convert the actual name plate into a 3D printed model, as shown below: My 3D-printed nameplate on the printer bed. Unfortunately, the resolution of my basic FDM printer is insufficient to reduce this to 4 mm scale; the example shown is around 7 mm scale and the detail becomes blurred if I make it smaller. Nevertheless, even with a simple printer like mine, station name plates, shop signs, and the like should all be realisable in 4 mm scale. For fun, and in anticipation of a more cheerful year in 2022 , I copied an image of the frieze high above the entrance to the Paddington Station hotel! Paddington Hotel Entrance (created from Google Streetview) There are good detailed illustrations of the frieze on this website: http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptlondon/paddingtonstation.htm , including an engraving of the pediment, designed by John Thomas in 1854. According to the website: “John Thomas, a now little known but extremely good sculptor, shows his skill at composition in this work. There are 10 full sized figures in the pediment, of which two are seated on one side, one on the other, and three large animals, and yet a perfect balance between the two sides is maintained.” Of course, it was a very ambitious subject to attempt but I simply copied the engraving shown on the above website, increased the contrast a little, and read it into the ‘Image2Surface’ software. Since the original was not a ‘depth map’ image, I could not expect a highly accurate rendering. The depth of the relief depends on the brightness of the image, so some work to bring forward selected parts of the image, by making them lighter, and to recess others, by making them darker, could help to improve the result. I converted the image into a sold body, using ‘Fusion 360’ exactly as described above. I then transferred the file to my ‘Cura’ slicing software and prepared it for printing. This resulted in a rather large file and, at first, it seemed to give my printer ‘indigestion’, as it didn’t want to start on my first attempt. After a re-set, it started up, although it initially indicated a print time of 15 hours! Fortunately, this proved to be a dramatic over-estimate and the print actually took about 50 minutes, to produce the following result: My 3-D printed model of the Paddington Station Frieze It’s not exactly Hi-Fi, partly due to the limitations of the original image, which was not intended for this purpose, but it would make an interesting addition to a model building. I think there is plenty of food for thought here, to influence my modelling in 2022. Mike

The image I have of 'Prince Christian' No.1118 looks like this: According to RCTS Part 4, No.1118 was built in March 1875 with a domeless (S0) boiler. It received a forward dome (S2) in May 1884 and a rearward dome (S4) in October 1899. The class started with open splashers which were later filled in. No.1118 then had an oval plate above each driving axle box, a garter with coat of arms on one splasher and a garter with building details on the other. Smokebox wings disappeared in the nineties, together with side clack-boxes. With that dome and filled in splashers, yours cannot be earlier than 1884. Mike

This is where digital modelling has an advantage - no need to try and fit in a motor

Although some had wing plates, I don't think the smokebox itself was ever flared like that - unless it really is a 1975 (sic) version

Perhaps the plans got mixed up with one of Brunel's ships

One of the early GWR 'freaks' apparently did have some 'streamlining' although it doesn't seem to have lasted long (illustration from Sinclair, 'Development of the Locomotive Engine', 1907) :

It looks as though you have brought the concept of 'vernacular art' into railway modelling. Mike

I think I have managed to optimise most of the print settings, at last. The tender top is remarkably smooth and the rivets have come out cleanly. Small features are difficult because, if they are too small, the Cura slicing software simply ignores them. It's tricky to get them to appear without becoming 'clunky'.

Good to see you found a way around Brexit problems, Job. It's more difficult from here - my wife has a greenhouse collection of plants and sourced many of them from Dutch and German nurseries. Costs, including CITES certification etc. have become prohibitive. Your challenge models look splendid. I'm pleased you are finding new sources of inspiration. Mike

According to the book 'The Forest of Dean Branch- Vol.1' by Ian Pope and Paul Karau, quoting reminiscences of the yard foreman at Bullo, published in 1897: "As time began to be of value, trains were made up in the evening, and the coal ... was started on its way, via Swindon to Salisbury in which district at that time Forest coal was chiefly used" Mike

Many thanks, Snitzl. That helps me a lot. I look forward to seeing Funtown in action Mike

I agree that is where I need to go next. My problem is that my 'North Leigh' layout occupies my very limited space and I am loath to dismantle it. I don't actually run trains very much but, when I do, I find watching a 'roundy-roundy' is rather therapeutic (like watching goldfish in a bowl ) My thoughts are on a simple plank layout - basically, a diorama but I would like to introduce some movement. Mike

Another amazing model. I'd love to see a video clip to understand better how it all works. Perhaps some more explanation of the functioning of this as an ice-cream wagon would help my understanding. Mike

A New Year opens up all sorts of new possibilities! I spent much of last year discovering what I could do by means of 3D printing. In fact, it now seems as though almost any prototype is within my reach – at least in terms of static display models. I have given one of my recent model photos, the ‘early photograph’ look, as shown below: ‘Argus’ and ‘Rob Roy’ at Bullo Pill The only additional model I have printed since my last post was a 4-wheel tender for ‘Argus’, which had previously ‘shared’ a tender with my model of the Gooch Goods ‘Tantalus’. It was designed in my usual way, in two parts – chassis and body. 4-wheel tender for ‘Argus’ At Christmas, I converted my Railway Modeller subscription to the digital version, following a prompt from @Annie that this now includes access to all back issues from 1949 onwards. Reading through some of those old articles has been a revelation; I realise that modellers were creating superb models of unusual prototypes at a time when my own idea of model railways did not extend beyond a circle of track on the dining-room table. Considering the obstacles those early modellers had to overcome, in the absence of all those components from the trade that we now take for granted, their achievements were truly remarkable. I was interested to read about some of the pioneering work in modelling the GWR Broad Gauge, especially the remarkable achievements of the late Mike Sharman, who did so much to establish 19th-century models in 4 mm scale. His article in the December 1970 issue was a revelation to me, with its eclectic range of locomotives, including Cramptons on the standard gauge and the early ‘Vulcan’ on the broad gauge, all set within ‘period’ scenery. An especially remarkable component of this layout was the ‘machine shop’, with lathe and milling machine driven from overhead shafting, while various loco parts were scattered around the shop floor. There is a splendid video of his work at : From a slightly more recent period, the broad gauge ‘Dorchester Junction’ layout, described by R.W.B.White in the September 1994 issue, included a beautiful selection of broad gauge locomotives and stock – many of which have been the subjects of my own model-making attempts. Several of these can be seen and admired on the Scalefour Society website at https://www.scalefour.org/shows/S4um2012/dorchester.html In fact, I was surprised to see how many splendid broad gauge models have been produced in both 4 mm and 7 mm scales. They seem to have been a little more popular in the years before the millennium than they are nowadays, despite the fact that, in large part through the efforts of the Broad Gauge Society, there is now a wealth of information readily available, together with a range of kits covering not only locomotives and rolling stock but many line-side accessories as well. It looks as though I have a lot to do in 2022, if I’m to approach the standards that those pioneers achieved over 50 years ago. Happy New Year! Mike

The wheel has turned full circle and your plateway looks rather similar to modern Bi-block track - available in model form from Peco.

I hope you are not using lead-free solder - that wrecked my bits in no time and was useless for joining things as well.

trans-1,4-polyisoprene - I thought everybody knew that

The book I referred to earlier "The American Railway Its Construction, Development, Management, and Appliances" has some extraordinary illustrations. Since you like Cramptons, Annie, how about this: While the book is very pleased to highlight American inventiveness, it doesn't pay much attention to developments elsewhere!

A wonderfully colourful train - for me, the main driver for modelling early railways