PupCam

Due to the lack of structural integrity in terms of the combination of the frame material and the geometry of the front sections of the frames I presume. The frames must have been very shallow at this point to clear the pony wheel but the important fact is that the buffer centres appear to be below or at least very close to the lower edge of the frame in these locos and thus the forces acting through the buffers are not acting directly "through" the frames but applying a bending moment in such cases. With repeated loading the frames and/or the beams themselves will bend if the design of the structure does not adequately take into account those bending loads. As the O4s seemed to be particularly prone to this one can only conclude that the mechanical design of this aspect in these locomotives was, how shall we put this, sub-optimal. Perhaps a somewhat contentious statement depending on one's allegiance but the evidence is clear to see! On the other hand, If the design had been adequately strong the frames/beams would not have bent when service loads were applied. Alan

"Fireflash lift port wing!" ....... So glad Thunderbirds had a revival when my son was young. In fact my grandson was introduced to a rather battered Thunderbird 2 only last week. Whatever happened to our (non-Blue Peter) Tracy Island, hand built so I'm sure Tony would approve, with ramp and door features operated by motor/gearboxes from old camcorders? Such fun! Alan

The same will still apply won't it? If there is a short across the track, the DCC output will be shorted and thus nothing will run. If there isn't a short then the other loco should operate as normal. An oscilloscope would prove it if you happened to have one hanging around, unfortunately not many have. Alan

Poor old Crepello failed at LB and had to be removed from the train. It will be towed to Doncaster for maintenance in due course although the word on the street is that's its beyond economical repair and has been condemned and put in the scrap drawer on the scrap line.

I don't know if ghost trains still run, maybe somebody close by could keep an ear open and let us know? Alan

I'm reminded of that excellent '80s TV series "The Train Now Departing" and its haunting theme tune and opening shot.

I suspect I know the application you refer to but, like you, if I let on I'd have to shoot you. Can't beat a bit of rocket science ... Alan

If I recall, the original instruction for Portescap motors were that you should use a pure DC controller to avoid damaging the motor because, being coreless (i.e. no heavy magnetic armature) there was very little mechanical inertia and thus the speed of rotation would attempt to follow the Full Speed / Off / Full Speed / Off .... high frequency sequence that is the output of pulse width controller. As motors generally have a specified number of start/stop cycles these get used up very quickly if you turn them on and off at 1kHz+ ! The armature in a cored motor is effectively a built-in flywheel and I suspect the brush gear is generally more substantial so the PW effect is not an issue. Alan

Hmm, maybe I feel an OO gauge Deltic project coming on? Shall we say "Crepello"? Heavily ballasted, high spec motors in nice shades of green with may be just a hint of yellow? Just like I remember I hope it doesn't take as long as my Triplane project! Alan

I don't interpret that statement as "actively discouraged", I interpret it more positively as the manufacturer providing supplementary guidance as to a prerequisite for the completion of the model by that method. You could look at it as active encouragement to develop soldering skills on something easier before committing to the construction of a more complex or difficult model. Having spent many years in the aviation industry where bonded metal structures were first developed back in the 50's there's clearly a place for adhesives in assembling metal components but for etched brass model kits soldering just seems better to me, although I admit that the thought of soldering doesn't fill me with fear. For those that do dread the mention of solder there are many shows that have demonstrations of soldering and in some cases (e.g. Roger Sawyer @ CMRA Show Stevenage) where you can actually get hands on and have a go. Soldering is not a black art, there are just a few simple rules to follow and success is (almost!) guaranteed. You can even "solder" (Quotes are because it's not actually solder i.e. a tin/lead alloy) aluminium components together now with a couple of products. The one I use is called Alutite, it requires a slightly different process as there is no flux (just a sharp metal point) used to first "tin" the mating surfaces withe the Alutite which are then sweated together just as you would with solder. Here is a little Rotherham Pump (used on WW1 British aircraft) assembled from turned ali and brass components. In this case the ali components were joined with Alutite, the brass components were Silver Soldered (much higher melting temperature than normal tin/lead soft solder) and the ali spigot epoxied into the tight fitting brass cylinder. A novel trick, although probably not relevant for railway models, is that if you grit blast machined ali it turns out looking like a casting Alan

He'll have to be destroyed! Oh no! A sad reminder of September1981 Will he be parked, unloved at the back of the works unloved before the axe man cometh? Alan

History repeats itself!

Well what an excellent day! The entire Mimram Modellers group (both fully paid up and honourary members) had the honour of a day excursion to Little Bytham. What a superb layout it is, a beautiful rendition of times past on the ECML. Three words really do sum it up when you see it in the flesh, consistently high standards. Some layouts have beautiful stock running on a "trainset board", others have beautiful scenery with track barely better than Hornby Dublo 3 Rail (no offence intended to 3 rail collectors!), some have exquisite trackwork in an unbelievable environment and in each case something jarrs. As you all know, not so LB; the topography is entirely believable (easily checked on the way to the pub for lunch), sublime trackwork, beautiful architectural modelling, realistic and reliable stock (with the possible exception of the odd Deltic), historically accurate situation and operation etc etc. Unfortunately Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate have had to be called in to investigate a serious accident when an Up Express ran into the rear of a stationary Pullman train held just north of the M&GN bridge. The derailed Pullman cars fouled the adjacent line derailing a number of wagons. Initial indications are that the signalling systems were operating correctly and human error was the likely cause. It is too early to say whether any railway staff will be prosecuted. Anyway, many thanks to Tony and Mo for the invitation and their hospitality for a thouroughly enjoyable day. We look forward to our next visit! Alan

And quite rightly so IMHO Jol. In abstract terms I think the the tools, methods and materials used in building a model are, to a large extent, irrelevant. Is a Plasticard model of an object superior to one made of wood or metal? Not necessarily, I would venture to suggest it depends on the "quality" of the results and that's often highly subjective. Would a model made only with the use of a scalpel be superior to one where saw, files, drills or whatever? Of course not, in fact it's more than likely it would be inferior and the adoption of "modern technology" tools is merely an extension of that. I'm old enough to remember the George Allen kit for the exquisite lattice footbridge when it first came out in the early 70's(?) using the relatively new fangled process of chemical milling (yes it was an etched brass job). Unless you made a completely ham-fisted job of assembling it you ended up with a beautiful model, the finesse of which you'd be very hard pressed to equal by other means. I don't think that because you hadn't made it from individual strips of plastic made you any less of a bridge modeller. It really needed the now common skill in the world of railway modelling of the ability to solder properly although the rep that sold the kits to my father (he owned a model shop) was also peddling the new Cyanoacrylate adhesives. Why you'd even think of super-glueing the whole thing together escapes me but then, I can solder! Let's not get too hung up on what or how something is achieved and concentrate on the beauty and quality of the results just as long as the extent of the model making isn't limited to opening some boxes or, maybe, paying someone else to do it for you! Alan

I believe people use the materials, tools and skills they have that are available and comfortable to them. Peter Denny and Frank Dyer didn't use CAD and 3D printing because (to state the obvious) it simply wasn't there. Who knows if they would have used them if they were? What can be said is that an Arduino or two and modern sensors would certainly have made Peter's "Automatic Crispin" a lot easier and more flexible. But then again there's something truly fascinating about electro/mechanical computing machines and clocks. I think a key prerequisite is for an individual to be fascinated by "things" and have a hunger to learn and understand and a willingness to try and, maybe, fail. It's only by doing so that you learn where your strengths lie. As an example, another of my "time sponges" is old motorcycles and for 40+years the Smiths Chronometric speedo. As the name suggests, they are actually based on a clock escapement and are very complicated but truly amazing instruments. Faced with a potential bill of £200-£300 for a repair I decided following a bit of internet research to "have a go" at repairing one of mine. I'm no clock maker but my little Unimat 3 enabled me to make a tiny replacement top hat bearing for the mechanism and I was able to get it working once more. Indeed one of the members of the Owners Club (for my bike) who used to repair them but couldn't source the parts commissioned me (a complete newbie to the world of Chronometrics) to make him a batch and so others will hopefully benefit! Anyway, for those who appreciate interesting mechanisms here are a couple of videos of my one being tested after repair: The bearing I made sits in the gear at the bottom of the "waggling pinion" seen in this next clip The moral of the story? You never know what you can do until you try! With regard to treating current and subsequent modellers in equal reverence to our hero's of the past I'm sure folks will. I bet everyone of us has a list of our own more recent railway modelling greats, I know I have! Alan

Well thanks for that, another hour gone watching 6 or 7 episodes and another YouTube subscription added to the list! Although it's not railway modelling they show someone (clearly skilled) making a thing of beauty and passing on tips and techniques that have application beyond, in this case, clock making. I'm sure I'll find a use for the "glue chuck", a simple home made device for turning thin sheet parts and if only I'd had one of those filing machines when making the sheet steel fittings for my Sopwith! Most of all I think they underpin Tony's key message (which I've picked up on this thread!) that is the joy and satisfaction of making things for yourself, whatever those things happen to be. Here's the first railway modelling I've done in perhaps 20 years. The simple pleasure of assembling a 7mm 16T Mineral wagon. From small acorns ..... Alan

Don't know about that, but I like the look of that filing machine! Alan

I was fortunate that, in the early 70's when I was in secondary education we had both fully equipped woodworking and metalwork shops. The metalwork shop had numerous lathes, mills, drills and a forge. As light relief from A Levels I chose to do metalwork and started to construct a 2.5" gauge "Austere Ada" locomotive. Here's what it might have looked like: https://www.stationroadsteam.com/2-12-inch-gauge-wd-2-8-0-austere-ada-stock-code-7284/ Ah, the optimism of youth in what could be achieved in 4hrs/week during school terms. Unfortunately my skill level did not match the level of optimism (ignorance?) and the project floundered at the main frame and front pony truck stage (and even they weren't very good!) but at least I had a go. I've still got the drawings for it and a 2.5" gauge V2 and having recently, at last, had the opportunity to buy a Myford lathe perhaps I should have another crack at it? Probably lacking sufficient time left on the planet now though ..... I've also got a 1/3 scale Sopwith Triplane to finish, a 30% Chilton monoplane to repair and some old bikes to keep on the road. So much to do, so little time! Alan

Yes, probably in 1965 (or whenever the promotion was). No doubt there was more plastic cement on the body sides and the glazing than in the joints on the finished model! I might have bought a Dapol version some years ago, just for old times sake you understand, that still lurks in its packaging in a box somewhere in the garage.

Indeed I do, that's where I got my Kitmaster Deltic and my love of Shredded Wheat! I seem to remember them doing other promotions as well, we were forever saving tokens I seem to recall but I can't remember what they were for. Alan

Ignoring the relationship between focal length & aperture on depth of field for the moment ...... .... that will help!

4th Me neither. Two of the perennial comments from the St Albans days was that we needed to fit in more exhibits(!) and that it was too crowded. As our American colleagues would say "Go figure". St Albans served the CMRA for many years and I'm pleased to say the exhibition developed and maintained a very good reputation over many years despite those two comments and all the other aspects that have been mentioned in this thread but it was way past time for it to move on. So when the opportunity arose to move the exhibition on to a bigger, better venue it was taken. No venue is perfect of course, but the benefits of the Stevenage venue far outway the fact that St Albans "is a nice City". Many thanks to the participants for their contribution and their comments on this thread. It would be rather nice if subsequent comments related to this weekends actual event and even better if they included some photographs and videos of the wonderful exhibits that were on display whilst we await Adrian's retrospective on the CMRA website. If you do have any specific feedback for the organisers that will help enhance future CMRA exhibitions please send it to exhibition@cmra.org.uk as requested in David's introduction to the Exhibition Guide. Alan

Perhaps you could suggest a suitably large, easy to access, affordable venue with the appropriate facilities in St Albans? We spent 20+ years looking, clearly we've missed something .....

Allegedly, there are people in a little hut whose job it is to watch what people do when the park their cars via CCTV and race out and ticket "offenders" before you can say "Jack Robinson". I've seen the wardens ticketing cars on numerous occasions though I've never seen them in their little hut. Of course, if you feel lucky you could try nipping in the cinema or a restaurant (I use the term loosely you understand), change into a disguise, come out go and do whatever and see if you get away with it For me, I think I'll be using one of the many town centre car parks and adopt a less clandestine approach Alan

Indeed and the relatively poor quality of 3D printed items is more to do with the quality of the 3D printers used than a fundamentally flawed process. If you want perfect quality then you have to use top end, professional printers which cost a very significant amount of cash and that is reflected in the cost charged by the printer. A friend has 3D modelled numerous components for his beautiful 1/3 scale(!) Fokker DVII and had them professionally printed at very great cost specifically because 3D printers to get the quality/finish he wanted were way above his means. I can't find any of my photographs of it at the moment but it is beautiful thing he has built. He 3D modelled all of the components he needed including a pair of Spandau machine guns, magnetos and the complex radiator he just didn't do the last fabrication step himself. The radiator includes thousands of hexagonal holes 2mm A/F. I defy anyone to make it anyother way! Anyway, if you are interested to see photographs of this manificent (albeit not railway related) model visit Nigel's webpage http://www.flightlinegraphics.co.uk/projects/gtm/fokker.d.VII/fuz.htm Alan