PupCam

5 minutes ago, Barry O said:

It was during my period as a rocket scientist... so if I told you I would have to report you...

Baz

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

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

There is a way of reducing the squeal from the gearboxes attached to Portescap motors in the UK.  With a "dc" controller ..as in one feeding pure dc with no added spikes and ripples to help get things going the escap/faulharber motors are very quiet.

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

12 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Nick's been before, and he always brings something he's made/making.

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

16 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

There is one sentence at the bottom which states “If you have experience of soldering, the models can also be assembled using this method”. It’s not surprising that people don’t solder when they’re actively discouraged in this way.

 

 

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

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

As for CREPELLO, I'm afraid she'll (he'll?) have to be shot/destroyed/put-down!

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

59 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

I see myself as a model maker and have used CAD to create etched and laser cut items to effectively create my own kits (as well as designing kits for an established kit supplier). The footbridge in the could have been made totally from plasticard, but reproducing the window panels on a consistent basis would have taxed my skills and patience but required only simple 2D cad drawings to get the ninety main parts laser cut. The rest, another ninety bits, were scratchbuild. Do I feel it is any less of an achievement compared to building it entirely out of plasticard, wood or paper? No.

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

3 hours ago, westerner said:

Perhaps if Peter Denny and Frank Dyer were starting railway modelling today as youngsters they too would be using CAD and 3D printing, and those that do use these modern day tools will, in 50 years be treated with the same reverence as those 2 modellers.

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

7 hours ago, Lecorbusier said:

With the advent of Computers and digital drawing .... coupled to rendering and modelling packages ....  most pieces of machinery are now computer controlled and the skill part lies with the design  ... so CNC lathes/Milling machines/Laser cutters - and that is before you get to such things as 3d printing. As such why would you teach the old skills now in schools? 

 

What is interesting to me is the desire to revive old skills which seems a key part and attraction of the hobby world .... and we see this right across the board not just with engineering.

 

I suspect were we to have subsidised courses teaching such skills (making them affordable to attend as a hobbyist), then people would be surprised at the level of interest.

 

What's more, with the advent of such platforms as Youtube, the scope to teach oneself and develop skills has increased exponentially, and my own experience is that people are incredibly generous with there help and advice.

 

As an example, Imagine being able to access demonstrations and guidance like this 30 years ago .... almost no chance... Being able to actually watch someone do a task is worth 10 articles on the subject.

 

 

Interesting times.

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

54 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Are there any videos showing how to afford those two Brass sheets?

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

Alan

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

I wonder how many Secondary Schools actually teach Metalwork and Woodwork now?  Using Lathes, Saws, Chisels, Brazing equipment etc.? 

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

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

Have you built it yet 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.  

22 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

It is an old Kitmaster body I had for years (it was acquired via a promotion with Nabisco decades ago - does anyone remember that?)

 

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 ......

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

It has a Leica lens.

 

.... that will help! 

5 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

This is the 3rd/4th? year in Stevenage.

4th

5 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

I can't believe some are still whinging about its move from what was bluntly a terrible venue.

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

34 minutes ago, bart2day said:

The organisers should have just found a bigger venue in the St Albans area rather than moving 15 miles away.

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 .....

52 minutes ago, Andymsa said:

Im curious what happens if you do use the facilities then go to the show, I assume you get a ticket still. But how do they actually know if your not using the facilities 

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

4 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

 

I wouldn't be put off by the poor quality prints you describe. 3D certainly has its uses and when it is set up and printed correctly it works well as a modelling medium.

 

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

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

I have indeed - loads, though I can't post them on here. They are, however, in my two bookazines on Deltics, published by Irwell Press. They're also in my 'Green/Blue Transition' bookazine from the same publisher. Phone 01525 861888 if you want copies.

Looks like a visit to the book stands at Stevenage then over the weekend.   Watchout wallet ...

Remember!

DO NOT PARK in the car park for the "LEISURE PARK" (Cinema, MacDonalds, KFC, TFI etc) across the railway YOU WILL GET A PARKING TICKET IF YOU LEAVE THE LEISURE PARK!

Hopefully you will all enjoy the show.

Alan B

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Great stuff again, Charlie,

 

IC was a train to Grantham from Kings Cross in 1961, and 1A46 was a late-evening service to Newcastle in the same year. 

 

I never saw steam at Wood Green, only getting down to the southern end of the ECML in the mid/late-'60s. Other than the motive power, it hadn't changed a bit..........................

 

 

 

What excellent photographs Tony!   Got any of New Barnet / Oakleigh Park (my stretch of the ECML)?    Deltics etc would be more than acceptable .....

Alan

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

The greatest express passenger locomotive class to ever grace our rails? I think so.

I might have to prefix "locomotive" with "diesel/electric" because I can't resolve the question is a Deltic better than an A4 in my mind, in much the same way that I can't resolve the question is the Supermarine Spitfire a more beautiful aeroplane than the Hawker Hunter so I dodge the question by prefixing aeroplane with propeller or jet as appropriate!

Maybe I'm just indecisive ....

Alan

11 hours ago, Chamby said:

Reviewing the winners of those races since the early 1960’s reveals some great names that could have adorned locomotives in more recent years: How about these evocative winners names for a taster:

 

Snow Knight

Troy

Shergar

Dr Devious

Commander in Chief

etc

 

 

I believe there was a locomotive named Shergar although it disppeared from the shed one day and no one knows where it went ......

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Three, not such an instant fix! Yet another Veissman signal motor failure (at least the ninth in five years). Graham Nicholas (that great model signal builder/installer) will investigate. I think it's time to junk the lot!

 

Having had a lot of experience using servos for R/C aircraft over the last 30 odd years and now given the very low cost and the numerous and very flexible ways of driving them are R/C servos not the obvious solution these days?  

Personally I'd use an Arduino to drive them as they are very cheap and flexible but that route needs a certain ability and knowledge of coding so a "Ready to Play" solution from MERG or Megapoints etc might be more appropriate?   Although specific brands and models of servos come and go R/C servos certainly won't be disappearing anytime soon unlike the more traditional, proprietary and fra more expensive model railway point and signal motors and the results (IMHO) are far superior and capable of being far more realistic (e.g. easily programmed bounce).

Alan B