5&9Models

Interesting looking beastie.  Very much looking forward to seeing this loco take shape.

Looking good, and I’d not seen the skew bridge before, very nice indeed. You can’t beat a good skew bridge!

It’s a reasonable idea but for all the effort it would involve I’d rather just see more fantastic layout! Quite like the curtain idea though.

Looks very good indeed.

11 hours ago, Dave John said:

...but to make them really light up would require a tiny led. 

 

Or fine fibre optic from a light source beneath the baseboard? Tricky but not impossible?

4 hours ago, MikeOxon said:

 

That was my approach when I built 'Rob Roy' but there I had some strong back support to bend the strips around.  My thinking at present is to 3D-print a suitable former.

I must admit I have found annealing the brass before bending makes a huge difference, particularly on boilers, but it might help here too.

Great progress, very much looking forward to seeing this build come together. I think I might tackle the splashier tops as separate pieces: three curved bits and flat sections in between, filled and gently filed to appear as one strip. Bending and shaping the whole lot in one go must be nigh on impossible.

14 hours ago, Mikkel said:

They were clearly a subject of much debate and mirth at the time.

 

But we shouldn't forget their lives were utterly miserable. They were amongst the lowest of the working poor, often physically impaired and subject to the most cruel and degrading treatment. Dickens character Tom-all-alone is a sentimentally florid fictional example of one of hundreds of people whose real lives were truly grim.

Hey ho! sorry to be so depressing, last thing we need at the moment! Feel free to tell me to go away and cheer up (or words to that effect) ; )

2 hours ago, kitpw said:

Mikkel - there was Jo, the crossing sweeper in Dickens' Bleak House.  It started a "genre" of paintings and prints of similar characters - see William Powell Frith's 'The Crossing Sweeper' (I don't seem to be able to log into the British Museum website this morning so can't reproduce a print of it here with commons license):  a tiny section of crossing exactly like the ones you illustrate above appears in the bottom right hand corner of the picture.  I believe the sweepers were unpaid, relying only on tips.

Kit PW

For period descriptions and interviews with some of these characters I highly recommend reading ‘London Labour and the London Poor’ by Henry Mayhew. One of the most interesting books I have ever read. Everything you will ever wonder about the lives of the labouring classes in London in the mid 19th century.

By way of contrast and perhaps further inspiration, this view is the superb underside of the canopy of Blackfriars Bridge whilst gracing the halls of the NEC last November. Unfortunately this view is not easy to see from the public side, more an occasional treat for the BFB team, so well worth sharing.

No doubt about it, that roof is a superb piece of work. Well done!

Looking really good. I think this layout really scores with those long shots looking down the length. Photos 2 and 4 are excellent.

Thank you. It’s getting there and I’ve loved every minute of it, so thanks again for the etches. I wanted to make on for ages and the availability of your etches gave me the excuse to pull my finger out and get on with it.

So, a wee update. Bit of a jump from the last pic but I’ve almost completed the body. There are still a few details to attach and some of the bits are just balanced in place for the photo.

All soldering is complete and de-greasing is done, so a bit of filling, glueing and painting to follow.

Then I can finish off the chassis, which to be fair I should have done before getting too carried away with the top half, but what the heck. Sometimes you just gotta live life on the edge!

Excellent work as always. Those setts look fantastic. Well the whole thing looks fantastic! Deeply inspiring, thanks for posting. 

Really enjoying this blog. Fascinating to see some good old fashioned problem solving. I’m particularly interested in the motor as I have some very small engines to build and it looks like a very handy little unit.

looking forward to seeing the next instalment.

10 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Only if no staples. Surprisingly strong electric fields are produced, especially at sharp corners - enough to ionise the air, producing sparks - so there's then a danger of starting a fire. I did read (possibly in ERs) of someone who successfully microwaved The Times but incinerated Private Eye. Of course MRJ is on much higher-quality paper than Private Eye, but still I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

I believe there's a much higher risk of the packaging being contaminated with the virus, as it's been handled much more. So open the envelope with the gloves on, dispose of the envelope, wash hands, and enjoy.

Is this a good time to confess I don’t actually own a microwave?!!

12 hours ago, figworthy said:

Looking forward to the postie delivering my copy (with suitable quarantine period before reading).

 

Adrian

Apparently you can pop magazines and newspapers in the microwave to ‘decontaminate’ them...!

That’s brilliant! Just needs a few Boy Scouts toasting some marshmallows!

Well done! A fabulous layout which deserves centre stage.

Lovely work!

That looks fabulous, well done!

Fantastic work, that bridge looks brilliant, and a very helpful and informative video too. Thank you.

I reckon move on to the rolling stock next to give yourself a break from the architectural side of things.

20 minutes ago, chris p bacon said:

WOW!. That is superb Chris.  I really like the gear drive, very ingenious. I'm happy with how mine works but it did mean sacrificing the floor of the cab. I'm guessing you turned the valve and chimney out of bar as you mentioned using the 3D parts as casting masters.

Thanks very much.

Unfortunately the 3D prints didn't survive the mould making process (note to self - do not use 3D prints as masters without waxing them first!). They stuck in the mould like they'd been superglued in! I had intended to turn all the round bits anyway, I've done a nice copper firebox top and brass bonnet as well as the breather pipe behind the chimney and the funnel top of the dome.

I'm really enjoying the build, there's quite a lot of modification going on but that's only because of the way I've chosen to motorise it (and because I'm a fussy old sod)!

Brilliant work. An excellent example of problem solving and there's no doubt the 'mixed media' approach produces the best results. The combination of cast, etched and printed components seems to me to be the ideal since each process has its limitations and where one falls down, another technique can produce better results. I'm still not convinced that 3D printing can give as nice a finish on broad, flat surfaces like tender sides as well as etched sheet, and a cast whitemetal or lost-wax brass detail can add a little extra weight if required. 3D printing comes into its own for making masters and solving the issue of layering etches which as you rightly say is an absolute drag.

Looking forward to seeing the next bit of ingenuity!