The Bigbee Line

I do cardboard wagons….

7 minutes ago, Metropolitan said:

Were these locos used for passengers or freight? It's a job to find out much about them? I can't seem to find any film of them on YouTube although I may be using the wrong search criteria. Could some one point me to some film of these locos in action? What did they actually sound like?

John

There are pictures of them on Boat Trains between Newhaven and Victoria, plus they worked freight between Chichester and Norwood.  I have a Southern Way magazine on them, need to did it out.

1 minute ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

The bogies are a surprisingly long wheelbase and yes the sideplay is necessary to allow for model curves.

Graham, I agree the bogies are a long wheelbase, which is catered for by sideplay on the centre wheelset.  Sideplay on the outer wheelsets as well allow that loco to swing out of line.  I will let you know how I get on with some restrictions of the sideplay.  

Good afternoon,

Not posted on here for a while.  I've succumbed to a 4mm model, the first for a long time.  As a Brighton Boy it was a classic.  Vague memories of them in the 'middle road' at Brighton and a very few sights of them passing on the line between Brighton and Lewes.

So 20002 in green has arrived today.  It looks quite smart.  The buffers are slightly odd as the plunger behind the buffer face is a bit skinny, not the classic 'Heavy Duty' look.  I was thinking of swapping for a set of Hornby spares from stock, or simpler, wrap that part in a strip of black electrical tape, until the desired diameter is obtained. 

I looked underneath and noted that all the wheelsets have a vast amount of side play.  Not sure why this is...  I understand the need to get around the toytown curves, but is this much side play necessary.  I think some 'guides' from black styrene could be knocked up to give some restraint, keeping the outer wheelsets in each bogie with minimal side play, and a touch more on the middle wheelset.  I would be interested in what other users think?  By the way I will use a Kadee as the coupler.

Just need to look through my OO remnants to scratch together a couple of trains for it to pull.....

All in all though, a fine looking loco.

On 22/10/2023 at 13:26, Michael Edge said:

They are swinging arms for one axle, beams if they are connecting two. Most modern railway rolling stock is suspended this way but with springs and dampers rather than compensation - not many hornblocks around these days. In this case the knife edge is done simply by trial and error until the frame rides level, if I had designed it as a kit the height and position would have been set with the etches.

Reading this thread and looking at the images of the 'swinging arms' was a bit of a eureka moment for me.  It completely eliminates the hornblocks.  The biggest shock is that I have been looking at such arrangements for years, at work,  As they say I couldn't see the wood for the trees.......

Not posted for a while….

Here’s something I did earlier.  Took two Darstead coaches and swapped a side from each to give one side of the train maroon and the other blood & custard…

On 07/07/2022 at 12:41, pwr said:

Decided to succumb to a Dapol VEA. I wasn't going to bother but felt it was an iconic van for Speedlink services so bought one! Here it is eing shunted by a 56.

 

 

 

 

 

These are fitted with screw couplings but I wonder if this is correct and should have been fitted with Instanters. Does anyone know or was it luck of the draw on the prototype.

 

Certainly the PVB looks like both types were fitted across the batch of wagons.

 

Paul R

One of each.....

A bit late to reply, but the white is actually contrasting paint for non destructive testing of the cast steel instanter link.

Good morning

I spend many hours 'wagon spotting'.  Looking in the area that I model.  Here is a 1963 image.  Big thanks to John Law.

It shows:

B726119 branded as a 12T SHOCK with 'Empty to xxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx' (more research needed on that one needed.  Fitted with Screw Couplings and low vacuum pipes.

B486874 just shown as 13T, with Instanter Couplings and low vacuum pipes.

It would be nice to have a facility to share, maybe a Facebook page.  Care needs to be taken to avoid copyright issues.  Most image posters are OK with re-posting with credits etc.  If anyone is interested in the Facebook page, let me know.

I'll hopefully ping some stuff over later.

Good morning

I work with the 12" to the foot stuff.  Can you be a bit more specific regarding the particular wagon.  Some pictures would be useful.

Thanks

Ernie

Nick

Thanks for this list.  It was on my to do list..  

Good evening

The workspace in the summer house is moving on, so hopefully production of wagons can restart.  During the last week I spent a couple of days in the mendips and was able to drop into the East Somerset.  I was able to check out the brake work on this beauty..

Well now were in 2022......  Plus we now reside in the west of Wales..

I've a smaller garage, 19' x 8'.  Plus an 8' x 8' summer house that will be the modelling room and home office.  Planning retirement from full time in February 2023, so on the wind down.  My company have changed my role to become support and to transfer all the knowledge in my head.  The IT guy did offer to fit a USB port for that purpose...

Anyway, the baseboards of Hayling Island were disassembled, so now need to work out how to go forward.  As part of the house move I'd disposed through ebay etc most of my 2mm, 3.5mm and 4mm stuff, just planning to keep the green BILs and HAL for a small SR station.  However when packing I kept discovery stuff that I had stashed away and forgotten.  Usually things with a more sentimental value or things with little retail value.  To cut a long story short I have been diverted by an HO US outline shelf layout.

However I have been spurred on by the purchase of some brass coach sides to allow some bulleid coaches that ran on the branch.  However I will re-start with the major structures; the Station Building and Goods Shed.  I can then think about the format during the summer...

Good evening

Sorry about the delay in liking the post.  It is a road I have an interest in..  Although now mainly in 7mm, I found I still had quite a bit of US HO stuff when we moved house...

So resurrected some other track already on a board, into an HO south eastern, location to be decided line...

I have a Bachmann NC&StL combine so wondered what diesels were about..

Thanks

Ernie

The actual fuelling point, with the tanks visible behind...

Saltley Depot 1997, probably there for a few years before that...

Good afternoon,

After building a K's Terrier in 4mm in the 1970's, I have made that leap and purchased another whitemetal loco kit.  A Roxey Mouldings P class with etched chassis and motor mount, with 40-1 gears.

Any constructive hints and or tips would be appreciated.  Soldering will be my desired medium for construction.

Thanks and regards

Ernie Puddick
 

Good morning.

The size V cost thing controls itself.  With 2mm, 3.5mm and 4mm you can squirrel away a fortunes worth of loco's quite easily...

Not quite so easy with 7mm, but I'm sure some of us will rise to that challenge.

My view is that the move to O was the best thing I ever did and wished I'd done it earlier.  It was originally spurred on by the announcement of the Dapol 08.  Then the Terrier tipped the scales completely.  

So now I have a few Terriers, a couple of 08's and just got an all green 03.  All suitable for use on South Coast locations.  I had a LLC 15, superb loco, but did not fit my area, so that went before the house move.

A luxury for Christmas is a P class kit.  That makes my roster pretty well complete.  

I could get a class 33 or 73, but would rather have a larger passenger tank loco, maybe a Radial Tank, suitable for passenger of freight...

In summary, it's a larger scale, but you buy less....

On 14/10/2021 at 20:22, Barnaby said:

Spent the afternoon assembling 3 x ht adjustable trestles purchased from B&Q. 

Probably the reason they were at a good price but it was a little awkward to manage holding while inserting bolts then adding their nuts trying to keep it all together.

 

Tomorrows task is to make some space in the shed for the part-build layout and place Portobello in a more permanent place on top of the raised trestles at about 44inches high.  That may require tweaking so that not only will it look better to view but can I work on the layout at that height not sure?

2nd task will be to power up the Led strip tape lighting for the layout, it is all fitted just needs 12Vdc applying.

 

Play time is nearly here...............

 

 

Good morning

I have 4 similar trestles from Screwfix.  I find them very useful.  Some of the nuts and bolts need replacing as they were not of the best quality and I will use locking nuts.  Plus a little additional bracing / reinforcement.  But very very handy....

I had a couple of second hand flush doors that could be used to create a temporary sub base.

Allows 'playing' at short notice :-)

I've moved to card where possible.  Quite retro, but theraputic.

Any plastic packing is given a second like where possible.  Drink lids are a source of thin styrene sheet, in black and white.

We need to use our imagination.

I remember watching the operation at an exhibition when I lived in Grendon Underwood.  It was quite inspirational as the operation was slick.  

For my '2 penneth', I'm not bothering next time as I don't model a main line.  If I did I would use laminate floor underlay.  My 'go to' material for structures, track base, scenery etc.  It's easy to cut and a few 'thin' screws will hold it down.  The shoulders can be shaped with a knife and then sanded with 80 grit paper...

John,

Just caught up with this thread.  Nice buildings, I think structures can be addictive.  I keep avoiding the temptation of a sentinel....  I'm waiting for a cheap 03 for a version of Kingston Wharf..

Thanks for the inspiration

Ernie

A pit is very handy when doing an A exam, especially if blocking or rodding..