Boston Lodge

This is surely a conspiracy, this steady drip-feeding of quality versions of the Bury locos and even Harvey Combe but all in large scales.

What future do my own attempts at EM versions hold in the face of this onslaught?

Grrr!!

On 09/06/2019 at 13:14, Killian keane said:

Im working on the possibility of 3d printed stone sleepers and baulk road,  as such something cheap but with a rough texture is ideal,  WSF/WNVP presents itself as a possibility,  as always Im willing to send the files to anyone interested 

Ooh, interesting.

When I've got my modelling bench back I'm going to be investigating if I can make stone sleepers out of plastic jewellery cubes.

Not sure how to replicate the 2 spikes used by the L&B but I plan on soldering the track onto the head of a pin pushed through the string hole.

I can't believe no one has mentioned Aylesbury for the gravity operation.

Unfortunately (-ish) there is no record of it being used at the original station which one day I will recreate.

I know the water in the Channel wasn't what was planned but I thought the tide-out effect was superb.

I've created something similar myself, using Shapeways FUD pressed into Alan Gibson tyres.

The model the wheels are destined for still hasn't run in anger so I can't answer whether a 3D print can take the forces and stresses generated by a motor and con-rod. 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130587-gibson-5ft-wheel-rimstyres-has-the-design-changed/

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm not ashamed to say that I abandoned this idea.

It sounded like an easy way to turn brass and lead into copper but the results just never matched the dream.

I will be painting these bits once the model is ready for it.

The ideal solution (sorry!) would be to make the whole thing out of copper bar using a lathe.

Maybe one day.

The original engine shed at Aylesbury was apparently built to house 2 locomotives (quite why, it wasn't exactly a busy branch) and that is recorded as 100 ft long.

Since the branch was principally operated by Bury 040 and 220 locos, both quite short, maybe they can be used as a guide.

note: the shed was moved within 10 years of being built but i believe the length stayed the same.

No 1 tool is a gas soldering iron from B&Q.

Only owned it for 4 weeks and i love it.

Second favourite tool is the inside of a windscreen wiper, cut into 4 inch lengths, some straight, some bent at useful angles - used for stirring paint, applying pastes etc.

I've been wrestling with how and where to attach the frame and still be able to assemble the boiler etc.

Finally I've managed to get all the brass bits in almost exactly the correct place,

Weight-to-date = 80g

As with the every other part of this build I've made the riveted smokebox twice.

I have tried to harden the tip of the riveter and might have been successful, at l least I think it hasn't changed with use but I'm pleased with the results.

The second attempt showed that practice makes better, even if not perfect.

This is the main structural and weighty part of the build completed, everything else is cosmetic.

Note, the axles are too close together but the way the front suspension is made allows me to change this.

p.s weight-to-date = 74g

Any LSWR, SECR, SER, LCDR, or (even better) LBSCR stock is of great interest! I would also be very interested in NLR, Metropolitan and District stock, followed by LNWR, GWR (Including BG) and GER stock. Beyond that pretty well any pre-grouping coaching stock is of interest. I would suggest, however, that you ignore the LNWR and Midland to begin with as they are spoilt rotten when compared with the rest of us.

From a personal point of view I would say that pre-grouping railways running south of London are spoilt rotten, but would I know?

In terms of simple designs that would suit laser cutting in card I would like to request a London & Birmingham 2nd or 3rd class 4-wheeler, especially the ones without a roof.

Something very similar to the blue open coach at the NRM sat behind The Rocket.

Oh, 4mm scale please.

Errmmm, no !

I'll do some Googling and see if I can make this happen with my mini blow-torch.

For making the smokebox I'm going to need some rivets.

I've looked at the stick-on variety but decided to have a go at embossing my own into the brass sheet I'll be using.

As ever, Google provided some inspiration.

The rod is from B&Q, M4 at £1.15.

The sliding weights are a fishing weight and a stair-rod end, drilled out to fit over a short length of brass rod.

The short nose end was turned in a drill to a point and it attaches to the rest of the rod using a cut-down cupboard joiner from IKEA.

It works by lifting the weight a set distance,

I haven't chosen which brass thickness vs drop height yet but these are the results:

0.13mm

After at least 4 different attempts incorporating over 20 modifications I have finally made my firebox.

The change to EM became obvious after trying to build inside the OO width limits.

After that it was different ways of adding the dome and the front lip that overlaps the boiler.

As is my way, I've re-made the gearbox/motor mounting and finally the motor sits straight and level in the tube.

With this sorted attention turned to the front axle.

I first tried to use a pair of Gibson sprung-hornblocks, mounted on the frame, but found them too difficult to fit and adjust.

A second idea was to run the axle in a sleeve and pivot the sleeve, allowing some compensation.

I thought this was a new and unique idea until I saw the same idea mentioned in Guy William's Model Locomotive Construction book.

If it was good enough for him then it will be more than good enough for me.

It only took 3 attempts to get my version to work, with the axle at the correct height and at the right distance from the smokebox.

In between designing the wheels I did make a start on the drive train.

The boiler/firebox and back axle align almost perfectly to accommodate a Mashima 10-series motor and a HighLevel SlimLiner+ gearbox.

This combination was settled very early on but since then I’ve manufactured 3 different boiler mounting combinations to try to get everything fitted in the correct place.

Hi Killian.

The model is in 4mm.

Later posts will detail why I've had to choose EM against OO - essentially due to the available back-2-back distance required to clear the firebox.

One of the Aylesbury numbered locos will be built once I've mastered the Goods locos.

I also have dreams of a Stephenson's Patentee as a contractor's loco, but that will likely be a long, long time off, perhaps in a Galaxy far, far away.

This thread will record my attempts to model one of Edmund Bury’s original mainline locomotives.

A lot of thought has gone into this, not much action but a lot of thought.

Inspiration came from a simple search to find more info about my local station Tring.

During my searches I came across this amazing document: http://gerald-massey.org.uk/railway_local/

From this I bought my ‘bible’ – Locomotives of the LNWR – Southern Region, by Harry Jack.

This has a wealth of information including cutaway drawings of both original Bury locos, the 2-2-0 Passenger and the 0-4-0 Goods.

I chose the Goods version because I quickly realised that wheels were not going to be available commercially and anything I needed I would have to make myself.

Being an 0-4-0 all wheels would be the same so if I could make 1 I could make 4.

It took 12 months (I get easily distracted) but I finally designed and had the following wheels 3D printed in FUD by Shapeways.

The design is based on the dimensions of Alan Gibson’s 5ft rims, as used in their BoxPox Bulleid wheels.

The design needed to change slightly to accommodate the slightly different rims used in the more universal 20mm wheels.

This thread discusses the differences:-  http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130587-gibson-5ft-wheel-rimstyres-has-the-design-changed/

Thanks for the replies and ideas.

I'm tempted to have another bash, perhaps using a 9V battery this time and treat the lead and copper pipe separately. (nothing to lose)

Hello.

Has anyone ever successfully managed to copper plate a model at home?

I've been slowly assembling parts to make a model of one of Edmund Bury's 1836 0-4-0 Goods engines.

These were the earliest iteration of 'Old Copperknob' as seen at NRM.

If you know the prototype you will know that one principle feature is the polished copper firebox.

I've had a few goes at creating a 4mm version and my best attempt used a 15mm copper fitting for the cylinder bit and sheets of lead to form the dome.

This provides a substantial weight but needs colouring.

This website suggested that it could be done using electrolysis. http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/

Here's my attempt.

It started like this:

My new design of wheels have arrived.

They didn't fit as snugly into the 4860E rims (needing a gentle file whilst being rotated in a Dremel, so the size needs a subtle change) but the improvement in looks is significant.

Time to begin some modelling.

Hi Colin.

Thanks for the reply.

I was really just asking to understand why the 2 different style centres had different style rims.

The original Bulleid wheels I bought would have been nearly 30 years ago but none of this is a problem - i was just interested.

Because the 3D prints fitted so well (even without making any adjustments for shrinkage estimates) my plan is to buy some more of the 'thinner' wheels, push the centres out and order some more prints based on measuring the 'more delicate' design.

I can only apologise that I'll only be buying the odd wheel, here and there. I work far too slowly.

Richard

Hi.

I've been working towards scratch-building a Bury 0-4-0 Goods loco, from the 1830's. These engines had 5ft wheels with rather unique round cast iron spokes. Nothing exists commercially but 3D printing offers the opportunity to create my own.

I bought 3 pairs of Gibson Bulleid wheels perhaps 25 years ago for a resin bodied Q1, which still remains half-built. Pushing the inner BoxPox centres out was quite easy leaving me with a set of nice accurate rims. I've now designed and had made suitable inserts for my Bury (Shapeways - FUD). They fit like a dream.

But, I also have some other Gibson 5 footers, 16 spoke, ref 4860E.

When the inserts are pushed out of these my new inners don't fit, the tyre rims are a different design, the rims are thinner and the insert needs to be bigger.

Down, down - Status Quo or Going Underground by The Jam

That could be my old Dolomite in the picture.