bluestag

Got some primer on it.  Top coat tomorrow.    Then mask the smokebox, and spray with gloss clear coat.   Then, over the next year, lining.

On 24/05/2024 at 08:08, sir douglas said:

ive never built any but ive heard plenty that some ACE kits are unbuildably bad

I hope that is not the case for the Caledonian Dunalistair that I just bought.   It is a handsome loco, but I am way unfamiliar with the railway, being a LNWR man for decades.

If you all are interested, the tender is complete.

9 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

Interesting. The 4mm 1800g and 2000g tenders I have built have a lower scoop cover (etched) which is why I thought the casting looked to high.

 

When I designed a 4mm 2500g tender I had access to a GA which showed the scoop cover/filler as 12" high. 

Interesting indeed.   I have only the GA in Talbot as a solid reference, but I'd say most photos that are of a useful angle seem to bear me out.

My, you all seem to like this loco.   I have essentially finished the tender.   It just needs a lamp socket on the coal rails top center rear.   It got a scrub today as well.

On 28/05/2024 at 13:32, Jol Wilkinson said:

Nice work but the cast tender water scoop cover looks too tall. On the 2500g version it was 12" high, so I expect the same for the 1800/2000g tenders.

Jol,   I think you are wrong.  I consulted Talbot, the appendix on tenders has a GA of an 1800 gal tender, in 7mm, and the filler scales 18" tall.  Making the casting right enough.

6 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

Nice work but the cast tender water scoop cover looks too tall. On the 2500g version it was 12" high, so I expect the same for the 1800/2000g tenders.

Huh.    You COULD be right.   This kit is a Modeler's World.   The line was bought by Mercian, which closed when the proprietor died.    It is now in hands that are in no hurry to reintroduce the line.    The other major supplier of LNWR in 7mm is Gladiator, which sells, wait for it, some Modeller's World kits.   Plus he has several newer offerings.   The tenders from Mercian and Modeller's World are radically different designs from the Gladiator kits, which are much better.    But.   Many of the castings are the same.    I would swear it.   The filler on another 1800 gal tender is identical to this one, and both are about 10.5, or 18".   Strange.  I don't propose to do much about it at this point.   Possibly I'll trim the next ones I build.  I'll check Talbot.

On 12/07/2022 at 10:18, jazz said:

It's been a bit of a slow build and rather difficult. Although to look at it one would wonder why.  Even I cannot figure that out.

 

There are still a couple of thigs to sort out, e.g. wiring it up to the pickups and motor. And a couple of things to add to the cab interior.

 

That's long been a favorite prototype, although what business it would have down my little branch I don't know.   I'll get one when I finish the six or eight part built but runnning locos that I have, and build the six I have not started.   Years of work to do yet.  I don't build as fast as you do, but I'm nearly retired and expect the pace to pick up.

Just for grins, I'm nearly finished.

SUCCESS!!!

The trick was MANY light cuts.    Using my Olfa compass cutter.    I have the left side wheels cut and glued, and will let the epoxy cure overnight before I move to the right.

Thanks!

Has anyone a 7mm LNWR Precedent 2-4-0 that is surplus to their needs?   I am looking for complete and unstarted.   I'll pay a reasonable price.

Well, the kit did not come with balance weights that I saw.  I have tried an Olfa cutter and 5thou black plasticard.    I tried to cut them out with the cutter, and all it did was dig in.    Perhaps I need to just mark them and cut them out with other tools.

I've made good headway on my LNWR Precedent.   I'm running out of things to do.    One item that troubles me is the counter weights for the wheels.   Anyone got a good method of making them?

I just bought one, and can use some help.

Why, as a LNWR man, I bought a Dunalsitair, one might ask.   I fancy the Prussian Blue livery, I suppose.   I wonder, if there is anyone reading this who has built this kit, and can coach me?

Oh!   That's a dinky motor!   I had not appreciated how small in the first photo.

Is the boiler resin, or 3D printed plastic?

13 hours ago, brossard said:

 

When powered by DC, Tortoises are on all the time with the motor stalled out.  My layout from years ago had DCC but DC Tortoises and ISTR they were pretty noisy.  Using DCC, as I said, they are only on when switching so mostly silent.

 

 

Oh, I did not know the tortoises did not draw power at the limits, while driven by dcc.   The decoders don't draw ANY power?  My tortoises are driven by half wave DC, this being the mode with the least wire, as far as I can see.   They make a faint noise when moving, but are silent when stopped.    Perhaps it is a factor of my layout construction: L girders and a thick baseboard top of 3/4" ply with 1/2" fiber board on top?  It might be hard to excite the mass to make noise.

Anyway, the OP wanted to run a plank with a 3 amp controller, and I say that will be ample if it is only running trains.   Apparently some turnouts on the buss won't overload it.   I also prefer as analog a control system as I can rig.   My brain seems to understand analog without difficulty, but I find digital confounding at times.    Luckily one of my chums in the operating group is a wiz at it, and he tunes my locos for me.

59 minutes ago, brossard said:

 

In my post above I agreed that 3A controller would be fine.

 

However, I don't think one should worry very much about powered turnouts.  I have only a handful on my layout.  They are actuated with Tortoise motors and Wabbit stationary decoders.  These decoders only take power when activated and run for just 3 seconds.  The rest of the time they are idle, taking no power.

 

John

OK, I'd expect on a plank layout to see no more than five turnouts.   The tortoises draw power all the time.  But not much.

I like having a lever frame with a signal man and loco drivers.   The loco drivers will only throw a few turnouts, on a ground frame, that are too far from the signal box to drive mechanically.   (This is 1900).   And the loco drivers do not have access to the turnouts thru their throttle.   This is just me being finicky.   I like the prototypical division of labor and responsibilities.  

3 hours ago, Schooner said:

Thanks all, much appreciated :)

 

It is overkill (and yes @bluestag, probably over spend!) but I think it's probably the best balance of compromises for me. I also appreciate the element of future proofing, as the distant future may hold 'proper' layouts either in a room c.16'x14', or the 40+x of loft space...

 

Thanks again

My point was that the 3 amp unit is more than sufficient for your current needs.   The future can be handled by adding a booster.   As I say, I have five or six decoder fitted locos on the track, with two or three running, on my 3 amp center unit.   I don't expect to ever need more.   Especially as I don't power turnouts with it.   I'd suggest you buy the one you described.

On 14/03/2024 at 15:31, Schooner said:

 

I have my eyes on a DCC controller for a tiny (c.5'x2') 7mm Inglenook* which puts out:

"3.0 Amps of Power to run multiple trains.

Booster outputs 13V DC for safe operation in N and HO scales."

 

My 7mm double track branch, 17' along one wall, 22' along the other, with room to run three locos readily, runs on a Digitrax Zephyr, which is limited to three amps and puts out about 14v.   During operating sessions my chums bring all sort of locos to run.   We have never tripped the circuit breaker on the unit with too many locos.   Of course, I have no digital accessories.   The points are driven by tortoises, which are switched in an analog fashion, and the power comes from an old toy train transformer.

I think three amp should be ample for whatever you are going to run on a 5' x 2' plank.   Don't over spend.

I hear that George Watt has retired, and sold off his business.    Any word?   I hope that it returns soon, for the good of the hobby.    I expect the price to jump substantially, brace your self.

To refresh this conversation.    I found a tin of Cherry Paints plum that I squirreled away years ago.   Decades, actually.  It is a very dark purple.   I had thought that Mr. Color Hull Red was a good match, but not close.    I have also purchased a finished coach, and the paint is a bit browner than dark purple.   It certainly has a hint of purple.

In the Mr. Color range there is a "Russian Aircraft Blue" which is about as dark a blue as the Cherry plum is purple.   A bit of pure red brings it purple, to the point I am nearly matched to the Cherry Paints.

Pity is it is satin.   I'll need to top coat it with gloss.

Got the primer, grey self etch from a spray bomb, covered with red oxide, also a spray bomb.   I am surprised by how well the paint laid down, not at all grainy or orange peely.

It is raining just now, so a few days for the primer to cure, and I'll attempt the plum.

On 15/02/2024 at 09:33, Hibelroad said:

I’ve used Iwata airbrushes for the last 20 years and never had any problem spraying any modellers paint type. Coupled to a decent compressor l would recommend Iwata to the OP. 

Yes, I don't think it has anything to do with my airbrush.  I just can't get the dilution right.   Either it is too far away or too dry, as I get a grainy surface.