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We’re too busy building layouts and modifying dodgy S scale RTR ... (Grin!)

Just wanted to jump in and thank everyone for their answers here. I have a 7mm Dean Single equipped with a LokSound V4 and it had a ridiculous chuff rate. Following your suggestions here, I'm now very happy with its chuffing. Cheers, all! - Trevor

Hi Bill: I would get in touch with Bernard Hellen at Miniprints in Canada. He's doing amazing animal figures in multiple scales. He's also happy to work with you to design what you need if he doesn't already have it in his catalogue. Miniprints Web Site I note he has ducks (under the "sky" tab), and offers them in O scale - 1:48. You could either use them as slightly smaller ducks (not all ducks are the same size) or you could ask him about bumping up his file size by 1.16% before he prints them. While you're there, have a look around at his other animals, too... - Trevor

Thanks for sharing the photos - including the look belowdecks. I've just started building one of these - my first UK-outline passenger car - and the safety loops had me completely stymied. The addition of strips of plastic to support them is brilliant and got me over the hurdle.

What a great series of posts - thanks for sharing, Doc! - Trevor

An update: I wrangled a friend with a laser cutter into designing some subframes for me. I've installed them on two of my three pieces of passenger equipment and have been doing tests. They're working really, really well. I've written about them on my blog. Here's the post showing the subframes... http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=3837 ... and here's a post describing my first tests... http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=3851 Enjoy if you visit! - Trevor

Hello everyone: I have a problem that I think the UK members of of this group can help me solve... On my S scale layout, I run some passenger coaches with three-axle bogies (or, as we'd say in North America, six-wheel trucks). They do not track well and I blame two things: 1 - The plastic side-frames have no bearings, so the axles ride in holes drilled in the plastic. 2 - The bogies are completely rigid - no compensation or springing. I'd like to address the problem by building a subframe for each bogie, incorporating rigid beam compensation - then add the plastic side frames to the outside as cosmetic enhancements. I've read the Flexi-Chas book and understand the concept but don't want to reinvent the wheel if somebody out there already offers a suitable kit for such. Knowing there are many cottage industry style manufacturers in the UK, does anybody know of someone who does such kits - in, say, photo etch - to custom dimensions? I would mail the person a set of wheels and sideframes so they could take their own measurements. Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to provide... Cheers! - Trevor

Hi Pete: Thanks for the head's up - I'll have a look. Cheers! - Trevor

I should add that I have yet to build my own module for the S Scale Workshop exhibition layout. I've been too busy working on my home layout. I should also add that I help maintain the S Scale Workshop blog. There are links on the blog to two articles about the Workshop that have appeared in the North American hobby press (shared with permission). Here are the links: Canadian Railway Modeller - May/June 2008 Railroad Model Craftsman - May 2008 A lot has been done on the S Scale Workshop's layout since those articles were published more than five years ago. But they'll give everybody an idea of what the S Scale Workshop is about. Cheers! - Trevor

Thanks for the warm welcome, Phil - and I'm glad you're enjoying my blog. As I mentioned in my introduction, I'm relatively new to the scale. I was introduced to it by friends in Southern Ontario who are S scalers. Several of them have home layouts, but I got to know them because they adapted the US Free-mo HO modular system (itself adapted from Fremo from Germany, if I have my facts right). The group - known as the S Scale Workshop - created standards that worked for what they wanted to do in 1:64, and built modules to display at local shows, around the theme of Canadian National Railway branch line operations in the 1950s. Modules are a mix of scenes based on real locations, and freelanced efforts. A friend of mine, Chris Abbott, is a member and several years ago he needed space to build his module. I had space in my layout room, so we built his contribution there. It was my first exposure to scale S - and because I had a hand in the module the group decided to welcome me as a member. At that point, I thought, "Well, even before I build a module of my own I should really get something to run on the Workshop's layout". So I spoke with Workshop member Simon Parent, who designed kits for CNR steam engines. These are the "etched and cast" style that will be familiar to many UK modellers. Simon also builds up the kits for sale as RTR models, and the next time he did a batch of CNR 4-6-0s I had him build two for me. My main interests in the hobby lay elsewhere at the time, and I knew I would never build the kits. Fast forward a bit, and about three years ago I realized that I had not touched my layout in many months. I was unhappy with a number of aspects - many related to my attempts to model in O scale in my layout room. I started looking at other options. About a year went past as I tried to make O scale work. Then one day I hauled out the S scale CNR 4-6-0s and ran them on a piece of flextrack - and I realized they were the nicest, smoothest, quietest running locomotives I owned. I started looking for prototype inspiration, found Port Rowan, drew two layout plans and realized I had a good thing. A quick check of available equipment - could I get essential things like passenger cars - and I was off and running. Layout construction started in October of 2011. There's much more on my blog (as you know, Phil - but other readers may not). Here's the link: http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s For anybody new to the blog, I have created a "First Time Here?" page. It's a pretty good place to start. Enjoy if you visit! - Trevor

Hi Tom: Thanks for the welcome. Most of my posts go to my blog - there's a page on the blog about how to follow it. But I'll try to post things here that might be of interest to the international community. I miss the podcast too somedays. But it was taking a lot of time away from my modelling. I've been getting a lot more done since we turned off the mics in April. Maybe someday... Cheers! - Trevor

Hello everyone: I'm new to RMweb, and to this forum. I'm in Canada and a life-long model railway enthusiast but relatively new to S scale. I chose S because southern Ontario has a number of very talented modellers working in 1:64, and they inspired me. About two years ago, I started building my first S scale layout - based on a small branch line of the Canadian National Railway in southern Ontario. It's still very much a work in progress. I have an extensive blog documenting my model railway. Enjoy if you visit. I've always been interested in the modelling scene outside of North America and often find interesting sources of information or product as a result. It's nice to find some S scale enthusiasts here and I hope to glean ideas I can use in my own endeavours. Cheers! - Trevor --- Phil: Nice job setting up this forum. I would add one more North American resource: The S Scale Special Interest Group. Unlike the NASG, which has a broad mandate to cater to scale and American Flyer/HiRail modellers, the S Scale SIG focuses on promoting scale modeling in 1:64.