detheridge

Hi Robert, you may remember that Bec or Esanel did produce a Q1 kit to go on the Jinty chassis complete with Boxpok overlays. 3SMR still have it on the books IIRC, plus wheels. I've seen the odd one on 'a well known Internet site' to coin a phrase. Regards, David

Hi folks, as an aside, the K's Southwold body kit has a bit of a history. Even though advertised for 4mm scale, when we in the 5.5mm Association got hold of one, it tuned out to be a mixture of scales depending on which bit you were looking at. It's not 5.5mm scale - as shown by the comparison to a scale drawing. What it is (nearly) is a Manx Northern Railway sharpie (see pic of kit compared to the drawing), and someone on the Yahoo 00n3 group built it as just that. It's now available from Malcolm Savage (MSM) models. Purchasers have made a variety of versions from 2-4-0s to 0-6-0s, and many moons ago someone in MRC made an 0-4-0 in 16.5mm gauge. Hope this isn't too much of a digression from the subject.. Regards, David.

It's here: Ronald Dodd (HD 3 rail guru) triumphs again! :-) As an aside, does this means that if you fill an HD boiler with lead or equivalent - there's loadsa space in front of the vertical motor - you could get similar performance without even changing the original stock wheels to pinpoints? David.

Hi Garry, I remember that one as well. IIRC, I think it was achieved by using a coil spring between the bogies wrapped in sellotape (which shows the thinking of the time!) and seemed a bit rough and ready. Surely a better way would be to use 2 motor bogies? David.

Quick update: I've found that Edward Beal's TT gauge West Midland Railway was featured in the July and August 1964 issues of MRN http://www.magazineexchange.co.uk/model-railway-news-magazine-july-1964-issue.html?&cat=5088 http://www.magazineexchange.co.uk/model-railway-news-magazine-august-1964-issue.html?&cat=5088 There are some tantalising glimpses of stock in the pics there! And there was a series of occasional articles in RM from around 1959 onwards on various models including the Airfix breakdown crane mentioned earlier. Edit: from memory, I believe that the 3mm Society has some of the TT West Midland stock in their heritage collection. David.

Try these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/257-2716385-5763761?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=edward+beal+tt+gauge+stock+and+trackwork https://www.transportstore.com/Beal-Edward-Edward-Beals-Railway-Modelling-Series-Book-Twelve-Ttgauge-Stock-And-Trackwork-Book-15836-1877.cfm Hope this helps! Regards, David

Another goodie to look out for is this one: Edward Beal's 'TT gauge stock and trackwork. This predates the advent of Triang TT (IIRC it dates from the early 1950s) and mentions HP products (U.S.) and Rokal. I'd guess it was (at the time) mainly a theoretical book, but offers lots of ideas. David.

Hi Garry, The info on motorising the Royal Scot is actually in Edward Beal's 'New Developments in Railway Modelling' - the 1962 edition (earlier editions date back to as far as 1947 and include such goodies as making loco bodies from card - even chimneys and domes!). Edward Beal was a master of freelance modelbashing: in early OO days he converted Reipath 0-6-0 tanks to anything from an 0-4-0 to an 0-8-4 Wath banker. With the Royal Scot, you'll find drawings for a 2-6-4T and an 0-8-0 goods engine. I would guess that the 0-8-0 chassis might have been an 0-6-0 chassis suitably extended. As an aside, he proposed a similar approach for the HD N2 in 'Scale Railway Modelling Today' (1939 and 1942). Both books are a great source of inspiration for working with Triang TT, or Hornby Dublo. Regards, David.

..And here are more TT service sheets for those who may need them for servicing/restoration.

Hi Il Grifone, Here are some Triang service sheets. As you can see the XT60 is labelled 'TT motor' and obviously the small (standard?) motor is a totally different beast. On the T90 service sheet, Triang list all the part numbers of the motor, but don't give a label for the motor itself! Regards, David.

For info, the 3mm society once had a member who supplied 5 pole versions of the small TT motor. I have a couple of these and they are truly magnificent. They're no longer available as the person who produced them passed away some decades ago. IIRC, Model Railways in Cyril Freezer's time had details of folks who could provide 5 and even 7 pole armatures for standard motors circa 1980 or thereabouts.

These two are rather terrific as well. The Rolling stock in TT3 book gives lots of options for converting stock, while the 1962 edition of 'New Developments' has a whole chapter on TT including conversion of the Kitmaster Royal Scot, and cutting down Bilteezi OO buildings for TT purposes. MRN featured his TT West Midland layout in two editions in 1965.

Hi Garry, Interesting to see the A4 chassis with a K's Mark 2 motor rather than the standard Triang motor, an XT60 IIRC. Likewise the 0-6-0 chassis where the X03 (is that the right term? - standard motor anyway) has been replaced with an XT60. Any idea why the previous owner did this? The K's Mark 2 is a terrific beast, and will pull a house with a lump of whitemetal on top of it. Gem used it to power their 5.5mm narrow gauge locos, of which I have a lot! Regard, David.

Here are some more examples of 5.5mm modelling. Andrew Wilson's unfinished Linda in early FR days form, with England tender and extra water tanks, and Alan Catlow's amazing scratchbuilt Sir Haydn. 00n3 fans will be familiar with Alan's terrific IOM models and layout, featured in recent years in RM.

Hi DLT, Yes, this particular layout was scrapped by Keith Vernon when he moved from Menai Bridge to the Midlands, as his new house didn't have the space. He built a new one (which is the one I have) to fit into an alcove in his new place. I purchased it in 1993 after seeing it for sale in RM and missing it by minutes! Luckily the guy who bought it was really an N gauge fan so i was able to get my hands on it. This one also has a long kick back siding which makes shunting interesting, to say the least. Though coarse scale (using Triang TT chassis and standards) it oozes character on the lines of the Aire Valley in some respects, and there's some very inventive modelling. The slate wagons are actually from Airfix Rocket tenders! I'm afraid that those are all the pics that Keith sent me. Many thanks for the appreciation, Best wishes, Dave.

The way we were in 5.5mm scale way back in 1986. This was Keith Vernon's Cadnant Valley Tramway, showing an imaginary line from Menai Bridge in Angelsey up to Llandonna. Keith surveyed the route personally (he lived in Menai at the time) and some of his pics of rural Angelsey look for all the world as though there was a trackbed there! I acquired the modified version of the layout together with the stock in 1993. Triang technology, it's crude by today's finescale standards, but oozes character. The 5.5mm equivalent of Hornby Dublo 3 rail? :-)

Some wonderful models in 5.5mm scale from Nigel Smith: some NWNG classics and the well known 0-6-2T Graf Schwerin-Lowitz from the Brecon Mountain Railway.

Or this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Fictional_populated_places_in_England

To revive this thread a bit more, here's a site to give you ideas on location: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_counties David.

Each to his own Garry. But might the whole princip0le of 'neverwazzas' be expanded into 'what ifs'? After all, we've had discussions on this site about locos that were planned and never built: Stanier 4-6-4s and 4-8-4s, Bullieid's expanded Q1 4-6-4 tanks, GWR 4-8-0s and more. E.S. Cox gave papers on planned designs to Loco engineers, and they make absorbing reading. One of the most absorbing books I've ever come across is A. J. Powell's 'Living with L.M. Locos' where he puts forward an entire range of potential LMS designs and the rationale behind them. They include rebuilding many of the Stanier and Fowler classes for better efficiency, and even includes a couple of designs for Beyer Garratt's. I would argue that this kind of freelance modelling may be potentially more creative than the 're-creative' modelling of an actual loco? It's also more difficult, as in order to produce a convincing freelance loco, you have to look at loco designs in great detail, and be able to postulate why a particular approach might or might not work. Might a Bulleid body on a 2-8-0 chassis work, or indeed not? As an aside, narrow gauge modellers do this regularly; although there are some turkeys there, but there are also some terrific (and believable) creations. Best wishes, David.

Hi folks, reading both here and on Facebook about the wonderful HD 'Neverwazza's', I was wondering if anyone still has any freelance 3 rail creations still in existence? Edward Beal described the HD range in his books on Railway Modelling at the end of the 30s, and drew plans for an 0-8-0 based on the N2, and a 2-6-0 using the A4 chassis. Using the Reidpath 0-6-0, he developed designs for everything from an 0-4-0 shunting tank to an 0-8-4 Wath banker, and described how he either did it, or intended to at the time of writing. Theo Pearson's epic North Midland Railway (3 rail again) has freelance designs in with more familiar locos. In the early 50s in (I think) either MRC or MRN, one writer converted a Duchess to a 4-6-4T, plus others. Do any of these still exist, and is anyone still freelancing in 3 rail OO? Best wishes, David.

Hi Garry - just a thought, but Worsley Works do brass etched for Britannia valve gear: http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk/3mm/3mm_Loco_Bits.htm Might this be a way of improving your A4? Best wishes, David.

George Williamson's 'Bryn Einion' is now in the hands of Francis Stapleton. Here are a few views of the line with his stock.

And here's the finished article!

George Williamson again to the fore with his superb model of the TR's Tom Rolt approaching completion..