rue_d_etropal

The Correze ones are the narrow body. Also photos show them with what I assume is modified radiator, both ends as I have seen a photo on another line with older radiator and only at engine end, like the wider railcars with external radiator. I plan to do both widths and all radiator types. As for powering , it would depend on scale. I model in various scales, and for 1/100 scale would use a Tomix or Kato chassis, and for 1/55 scale(5.5mm/f) I have plenty of HO/IOO motor bogies to choose from. I think some of the French modellers have managed to stretch N gauge axles to fit 12mm gauge, otherwise one of the trambogies might work OK.

thanks for that. noticed there are some subtle differences, assuming drawing is correct, namely the rear windows in cabs is shorter. Not obvious in some photos. Also might be able to workout seats from side view of interior combined with plan view I already have. On looking though my copy of book on Billard for interior photos, found a drawing of the A150D3 standard gauge version. No end view but should be able to work that out. I will concentrate on the metre gauge versions for now.

I think I have already had some interest from France for some of my models. Just working out what other scales I can do. Certainly 1/64, then maybe 1/120 and possibly 1/35 for military modellers.Wondering about 1/19 scale as this would suit some garden railway modellers.

one question.Does anyone know of any drawings for the bus type seats. Something that would be needed for biggere scale models. I have just resized railcar up to 1/22.5, ie same scale as LGB Corpet loco. So far for metre gauge I think there are 2 versions for wide body, one for narrow body and 2 versions of the articulated(although it is only really roof detail, and blanked off radiator that is different). Then I can move onto prewar A150D ans a A135D railcars, and then there are some longer versions as well,all for metre gauge, and then if I have more info there are the standard gauge versions. Musn't forget the remorques, both original builds and converted railcars. These should not be diffcult as they are just simplified versions of the wide bodied A80D railcar. Were there any based on the narrow bodied version?

I would be interested in side drawing for the articulated version,I presume the articulated version was 2.4metres wide. Fortunately I have drawings for the narrow bodied version, and should be able to work out shape of base of roof. I was very lucky to find drawings online showing radii of curves in shape. Hopefully I have estimated where crve starts jus in front of luggage space doors. I now seem to have got the hang of merging different radius curves, but I still have to be careful when it goes into 3 dimensions and break design down as software seems to go a bid odd sometimes and not get it quite right. The railcars built for the Mamers-Calais line are totally different, but there were some other standard gauge versions which look like they are just longer and presumably wider than the metre gauge versions. I think I have drawings for the Mamers-Calais version so presume the other standard gauge ones were same width.

another option might be to convert an old triang TT Jinty chassis. Easy enough to replace wheels with Romford ones. Wheelbase is near enough the same.

THe similarity does not surprise me. Why design things different when a design can be shared and cost reduced.

I am sure I have seen something to say the G6 and O2 were near enough the same, body wise, and certainly close enough in an HO model.

I had seen adverts, it was one thing that reminded/spurred me on to do design now, but REE are only doing it in HO. Big advantage of 3D printing is multi scales can be done and I have just resized design into 7 different scales in total(but could add more). Not everyone wants a nice r2r model(assuming they can afford it). 12mm gauge can be difficult for some, and I personally think 9mm gauge is too small for these railcars. For 9mm gauge I would go for 1/100 scale as it is surprisingly well supported for modellers thanks to wargamers (15mm). There is a nice HO kit I have seem referred on online, and some useful info/pics on another forum, including a plan view of top of roof, showing curve above cab which would have been tricky to work out from other drawings.

had not noticed as I was just looking at a spare chassis I have. easy, just reverse chassis , and remove brakes if bothered.

that shows how similar the G6 is to the O2. could remove rear axle and fit a bogie.

Possibly one of the most numerous railcars used on French metre gauge is the prewar Billard A80D raicar. It has been a design I have wanted to dofor 3D printing for a long time, but only now feel confidet enough to do all those curves. Amazes me how they managed to do original design without computers! Probably trial and error with some bodging. Anyway completed one design here. From this I hope to be able to do variants, such as the external radiator version, the remorques(both original and converted motored railcars), and the articulated version , confusingly referred to as a A150D, because of the bigger engine. I can't find a drawing of the articulated one, but should be able to work out where the single cars wre 'cut'. Also a fair number of small variations, with respect to roof detail, vents and horns. Lots of modified railcars as well, mainly once they transferred to departmental use. Would like to do the standard gauge version, sen one photo, but wondering if it was just stretched wideways, and by how much. On close look I think they are longer and are A150D . There is also the prewar A150D single ar, which I thin is what I started before, but gave up.

an interesting subject. Looked through my collection of books and found drawings in Highland Railway book. Could be done as a bogie coach , or a 6 wheeler(assuming standard Midand Railway version). just completed a SR 2-BIL, as had a request , as it would be a nice model in gauge 1. Suprised at number of small differences between 1st batch and other batches. The Hornby model is one of the later batches. http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/southern/sr-2-bil-driver-motor-later-1a.jpg http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/southern/sr-2-bil-driver-trailer-early-1a.jpg http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/southern/sr-2-bil-driver-trailer-later-1a.jpg

Skills are not resticted to those who make but also those who specialise in designin. Maany of those who want stl files just want to print models using their own printrs. There may be some sjkill in setting up a 3D printer, partly because we most machines are not yet totally plug and play, but there is a lot more skil involved in designing models. I struggled with CAD software (despite spending many years in IT) until the package I use was suggested, but t wasn't instant, I have built up my skills using it over past 5 years, and hopefully got better. I am happy to offer advice to anyone wanting to do 3D design from my own experience.Forums such as this are good places for advice, but not everything on forums is correct or should be taken as gospel truth, so discussion is useful, so we can all learn. I wonder where the idea that 'sharing' designs comes from. It has probably come from the IT world, where ideas are shared and so much software is free, but often only a sample just to get interest, otherwise there would be no IT development.

following a request for an LNER G59ex NER O) class 0-4-4T loco, and with some decent drawings have done 4 versions, from original to theone with an extended hopper bunker. http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/ner/ner-o-steam-loco-1a.jpg http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/ner/lner-g5-steam-loco-1a.jpg http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/ner/lner-g5-steam-loco-bunker-1a.jpg

I suspect this is something that will have to be looked at in future. There have been other ideas put forwar in past for printing books and magazines such as 'print to demand'. Used for quite a few books now, but have to be orderd online and delivered. There was an idea for books to be printed at bookshops. Nothing has come of it, but it could be an idea that need to b looked at again , and that could also include magazines. And for trying to order magazines from local shops, assuming they are open, is that distributors often only have limited numbers of copies in some areas, based on what they expect to sell. Something else that is required to make online selling more popuar would be for a low res version of magazine to be available to look at online. Just enough to show potential buyers what is actually in the magazine.

I suspect things will change. At one time some tried to limit mail order, then it was the internet, but the writing has been on the wall for a long time. Remember it is now over 10 years since Woolworths closed, and quite a few years before that they closed their biggest stores such as Liverpool, as costs were too high. P&O started to offload their shopping malls many yeas ago, and there havs been a big change within the property companies, many of them in effect now owned by pension funds. And pension funds are possibly one of the weak links. They grew when times were good, and many of those who have benefitted are either no longer around or won't be for much longer. When will it dawn on more people that the only way big companies make lots of money is by undercutting , and only paying what they can get away with. Ultimately they will run out of those at the bottom toexploit. Sorry , getting political. The future is small, small businesses linked together, and the internet is their High Street. There has been a lot of discussion , some here, but some areas are probably worth looking at simply because they have been very quiet, probably hoping to srvive by not being noticed. One is pension funds, which has been mentioned here, another is the insurance industry. I suspect number of insurance claims has gone down, with fewer cars on the roads and fewer accidents on the roads , not forgeting all those work places now empty, but I have no heard of any proposals to cut insurance costs.

I am sure someone locally should be able to identify what type of steam wagon this was. One photo might help, but more information would be needed to design a model. I have found that railways are a lot easier to research than road veheicles, in particular scale drawings of any sort. Despite steam wagons being popular for model engineers ,there don't seem to be drawings published, or at least advertised as such, and those that do exist are aimed at model engineers. Having said that, with suitable drawings it should be possible to design a model for 3D printing.

back up north, with the fist of the LYR electric stock for Southport line. Luckily I had a cpy of a couple of the drawings as well as another less detailed drawing so could work out the designs, but unlike other railcar/coach designs there did not seem to be much logic with respect to window positions so have done asbest as I could. http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/merseyside/LYR-d57-trailer-1st-coach-1a.jpg http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3d-print-photos/merseyside/LYR-d96-trailer-3rd-coach-1a.jpg

I am still puzzled by high price for this N gauge wagon. Just checked one of my coaches which is about same size and it is a lot cheaper. Sprues and multiparts do add cost but not really that much. In fact it is sometimes cheaper to do several separate designs rather than putting the into one sprued . I have done experiments with this to see what is best method. I always try to make my designs as open as possible, not that that saves space(more important for bigger scales), but it might be one factor why my designs are cheaper. One advantage of just doing design, and also doing a lot of different designs in different scales is that it shows me what is best method, and how price can be affected by something quite simple. My N gauge designs are often not much different to ones done for OO scale, just beefing up some thin parts such as buffers and window frames. Everything else seems to fit minimum dimension criteria.

Started on some more District stock. Someone asked, so had a look. Thought I had drawings , but could only find one for E and B. I am not happy with the B on as it has an obvious error with respect to width, but shoud be able to do something. Done the E stock. Luckily it had been designed to be suitable for conversion from motordriver to trailer and visa versa, so onlyone design which can be added to if required. The C and D stock is said to be similar design , but with clerestory roof, and there were some mods done to cab windows for different versions over the years. The B stock is different(wider and longer) but I should be able to do something. Took the chance to add O and G1 versions to the F stock.

it's not that it is difficult, but I don't think the farmers are allowed to switch who they sell to. One reoort last week said government were looking at it! (again looking but doing nothing). Maybe we should send in the army, as they seem to be the only group capable of orgabising anything. Without them we wold not have the temporary hospitals.

I agree, N gauge items don't usually come out that expensive. Also home printing might be on the rise but most people do not have a 3D printer and there are a number of problems some are having , and then there is maintenance etc. If more people start doing their own printing I think you might find price of materials goes up. I have found that price of ink cartidges for my 2D printer(?) have gone up recently with more people working from home.

beat me to it. Some will grumble as prices go up, but Shapeways are still operating when some of our manufacturers have stopped manufacturing. SW have had to introduce some new physical security, and suspect some of their costs have gone up,not helped by some not ordering as much as they have in the past, but I have had an increase in interest, afte a couple of months after Christmas when people try to repay credit cards etc. Some are now using 3D printing to show what it can do to help , and it will probably become even more used as a means of manufacture once things return to relative normality.

I wonder if the current situation is an opportunity to develop new ideas with respect to magazine(and book) selling. At the moment there is a clear line betwen traditionally printed ad distributed mazines(and books), and to a certain extent thse who like one or the other. Some grumble that people stand at magazine displays and seem to be reading every magzine, but not buying them. Obviously some might even believe this could be a health risk as well. Going digital might seem a good idea but digital is easier to copy so systems are in place to make that more difficult(wide range of e-readers). Not everyone wants digital , and prefers a printed copy, but if they can't see what is in it they maybe disappointed(so less likely to buy again) or not even buy in the first place. I wonder if it might be possible to have an ability to browse throught a digitalmagazine without having to buy it. Before anyone starts shouting , I would add that the browse copy show be low quality, but good eough to see roughly what is in the magazine. Another advantage is that this would also be a far smaller file to download. I also think this cpuld be used for book selling. In my reseach for scale drawings I am sometimes disappointed by some books, and if I had had a chance to browse though a low res digital copy then I might have not bought a copy, or might in fac have bought a copy as I was better informed. Now there are probably legal and copyright issues, but the ay things are going more magazines and books are going to available digital and at some point it might not be possible to buy a print copy. Another issue my be customer rights and wheter customers could return magazines if they felt it was not what they wanted. Better upfront info such a low res digital browse facility would reduce this. Back to main theme. Most of my local newsagents are shut, including WH Smiths. Supermarkets locally do have some titles but not all of them. Now that might not concern some readers, but it might concern some advertisrs who pay to get noticed. Without the advertisers most magazines would not exist. It might be me, but tend to look at more adverts in printed magazines than those in digital ones. The way people read printed magazines is different to the way they read digital ones.