Focalplane

Hi Paul,

 

Am sure you will enjoy it and as you say, end up buying more than you currently have on your list!

 

Was going myself (have been the last three years), but the two friends I normally car-share with have both cried off this time, leaving me questioning the cost (diesel) without the support of their wallets.

 

Not so many layouts I'm desparate to see this time, but did want to visit a few traders stands and there were a couple of demonstations I was interested in.  There is still time though and I have not ruled out going just yet, but may have to give it a miss this time round.

 

Steve N

Steve, I hope you can make it.  I am not sure which day I am going, probably Sunday.  Saw some really good diesel prices in Leamington yesterday (supermarkets matching prices).

Enjoy it. Surely the best show of the Year.

Thank you, Ken.  I really enjoyed Leamington earlier this year but I do see this as the definitive MR show in the UK.  I have been to similar sized shows in the States (with all their Lionel displays!) and have always found the unexpected among the second hand book stalls.  Paul

Thanks, Adam for the information above. As you will see from my additional comment about Old Oak Common, the various photos there even during just the diesel era show several different paint schemes. During the 1950s there may have been very little paint, though white was used to highlight safety zones, a practice that was, I believe, started during the blackout of WWII.

If you Google "Old Oak Common Turntable Photo" then there will appear numerous recent (i.e. post-Beeching) photos of the Cowans electric turntable that recently left Old Oak Common for Swanage.  They provide the answer to my question above.  A simple (even rather flimsy looking) steel frame extends across the center of the bridge with electric cables strung from two pylons each side of the well:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8020/7460991028_2b160693b2_z.jpg

I think Legge Lane should have this.

Note the operator's cabin.  I imagine this is a recent addition after steam was discontinued but I have no photographic evidence to hand to say if this is true.  But basically it is fair to say that such "amenities" were very rare on British Railways.

EDIT - Here is a high resolution shot from Flickr:

https://flic.kr/p/akfJ3f

Alan, I admire your tenacity and bravery to tackle such a small item to be soldered. I agree with the use of jigs to hold pieces together while soldering or gluing. I was recently using and old cork sanding block for that purpose though what I really wanted was some polystyrene packing material.

Also, I am not sure if you did this or not, but soldering longer pieces of wire which are then trimmed off may help. In my case my fingers definitely need that kind of assistance!

Looking at the Hurlford area on Railmap Online, it seems there are more miles of abandoned track in the area than one would have thought possible. In Warwickshire we are blessed with the wonderful site warwickshirerailways.com which forms the backbone for my research. Such a shame this resource is not available for other counties.

A good initiation! I built several Keyser and Wills white metal kits back in the late 1960s and they are still around somewhere! By now you have achieved the honor of being "Fettler First Class".

How are your finger tips?

Thank you for your comments and likes. I should add that the idea of a Dukedog on the fictitious branch upgrade is not related to the Bachmann model being available. I remember the last of the Bulldogs in Oswestry shed with much affection and have also had the privilege to "fire and drive" City of Truro, so an outside frame lightweight 4-4-0 is a good choice for me.

I have since recoded the chip to 6235, 128 speed steps and so on.  The change to 128 speed steps is phenomenal - it really makes a difference with those large drivers.  On speed setting 1/128 the loco crawls beautifully - strange how as we get older the slower we can make our locos run the happier we are.

Yes, very satisfying, particularly when it is inferred that only DCC compatible locos can be fitted with decoders!

I agree that Kadees are very effective and have added them to all my North American models, mostly No.5s but the Kadee range caters to all sorts of anomalies as well.  But I have decided to take them off my British stock and go with three link/screw couplers as they really do look genuine even if they are a fiddle to work with.  Some stock (from any of the major brands) can be a real pain to convert to 3 link, and most RTR locos don't have the space for the springing behind the buffer bar.

The NEM pocket concept actually makes Kadees easier to install this side of the pond.  All you have to do is work out the length of the unit versus your track radii.  I have no idea how to do this!

When the wire is flattened the material undergoes work hardening, and thus becomes brittle. It can we annealed by heating it to cherry red, and then allowed to cool naturally.

 

This will restore the material to the similar properties as it had before the flattering.

 

Julie

Yes, a good comment!  Having a gas stove helps!

Paul

Update Monday 20th October

Over the weekend I tackled the rear screw link coupling upgrade. Not the easiest to do so I compromised by gluing the hook in place. With sprung buffers this should be a workable solution. Along the way I had a good look inside the tender and decided that I won't be adding a speaker there.

The plastic coal issue remains a bit of a problem. I wish the structure of the coal 'bin' had been incorporated into the design, even complete with a representative coal pusher mechanism, but it hasn't and there is very little room for a veneer of real coal on top.

And, just to really smarten things up I have ordered stainless steel nameplates from Fox. In this respect, some research I conducted a year or so ago when choosing the un-streamlined DJH Kit has come in useful. The maroon gold time span preceded the placement of the coat of arms which the loco carried throughout its BR days and into the Museum of Science and Industry. So no coat of arms!

Yes, that seems to be the alternative, thanks for suggesting the flattened wire approach.

Well, the wording in the newsletter did suggest "very soon". At least that is how I read it. With so many announcements that don't go anywhere I may have been a little cautious. And the photos on their website are of incomplete models, focusing on the frame and motion.

Thank you - yes, I also had a struggle with the center axle bushes! When you do wire up and test the loco, I'd be interested to compare notes on starting voltages and so on. Mine won't start running until around 6 volts on DC, much higher than for my other kitbuilt locos, and while the running is smooth and free of tight spots at slow speeds, it stalls as soon as it encounters any additional load such as on a curve or when required to pull anything! I've removed the gearbox again and all seems fine, so I'm wondering if I managed to damage the motor in some way when removing the rear spindle, perhaps by over-heating. In any case, your model looks to be progressing very nicely and a lined Dean Goods should look a treat.

How did you cut off the rear spindle?  Comet do make a statement about this.  I hope the motor was not fried or the journals spoiled.

The struggle was in filing down the center axle bushes. I have yet to test the motor/gearbox but in past builds the gearbox could be stiff because it's not quite square. I can tun the shaft with my fingers so mine shouldn't be too tight. Remember a little light oil goes a long way.

Try some t-cut on a cotton bud then wash off with detergent

I have seen some "blistering" threads on removing painted details from plastic bodies.  My experience in the US has been that isopropyl alcohol is the most used and recommended.  I don't think I have seen t-cut mentioned before, is this the product that people use to revive the paint on older cars?

Good luck with your venture.  Reading your description of your plans there is a major plus to modeling the area - Ex-Crewe Works steam locos were often run in on the Whitchurch line which ran down to Shrewsbury.  It is entirely possible that many runs were circular, returning via Wellington and Stafford.  See Rail Map Online, a very useful website.  This means that even Semis (that is, Princes Coronations, Duchesses) could venture on to your layout and they would be in ex-works condition as well.

Excellent, it really does say a lot for 7mm modeling and, of course, your skill.

Thanks, Captain!  I forgot to say that I am not springing this chassis and it certainly speeds up the process.  Even so, I hasten to add that speed should never be the aim when building a soldered kit.  Tony Wright emphasizes the "tack first, then if all is well, solder the entire part(s)".  This is very good advice.

As an aside, my first white metal kits were from Keysers and Wills back in the late 1960s - I built a 4F and a 60XX King among other things.  Some of the fettling was done in a tent(!) in what was then called Westmorland to while away the summer evenings when doing geological fieldwork.  The modern kits certainly have better chassis and motors, while some things never change - Romford wheels, for example!

Forgot to mention - categories also help organise individual project posts in a blog!

Just added categories! Thanks, Alan, for the tip.

Hi Steve

I am sure I have four brass handrail knobs so this is probably a given. Those plastic handrails do let the model down as is. Trouble is, the box of bits is about 1,000 kms south of Shipston! I will find out next week.

As an update the loco's chassis has been started. Pictures to follow.

Thanks for the comments and encouragement! For the time being I think I will keep everything pertaining to the Shipston Branch on this blog. As Alan says, tagging can be a great help in sifting through relevant posts for any one topic.

I had overlooked the possibility of there being actual evidence of the two Terriers being at 21D Stratford shed. Here it is, from, as usual, the Warwickshire Railways site.

http://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/smjsa73.htm