andi4x4

Carpet tiles probably would indeed improve the insulation further, however, I only used the black floor tiles because I had a load sitting in the garage unused. I originally bought them to put on the garage floor, but, my wheeled motorcycle work table won't roll on them (it just sinks into them), so they got lifted again. I have a double thickness row of them in front of the workbench in the garage though. Very good for insulating your feet from the cold concrete, (especially this time of year !) and I have half a dozen loose ones I can loose-lay as and where I need them when I am working in there. Andi

Hello Nearholmer, knew you'd find me eventually ! No dry stores or freezer thankfully, but, I do have all my 00 stock, locos, and layout and a couple of boxes of 7mm fine scale stuff stored underneath the layout, along with various other boxes of 'essential' junk ! Sound insulation is fairly important as the railway room / basement is directly below the living room and 'Woe betide' anyone who interrupts the Domestic Dragons telly viewing ! The floor tiles work quite well as a sound insulator. Only problem with the floor tiles is the colour - the sleepers are not particularly visible. I am thing about something grey to go under the track - mount card or similar. Thinking on it, I do have some very thin grey underlay foam normally used under laminate flooring. I have used this before under the track on a tinplate layout I had ten years or so back, again using Maldon track, but it was not a very good sound insulator on its own. On this occasion, though, it would merely be cosmetic. Andi

Spent some time in the basement this afternoon and this evening working on the lift out section. Narrow board to the right of the door (viewed from inside the layout) has had the end cut at a suitable angle. Lift out board has been started. Need to dig out some more framing timber from my stocks in the garage attic tomorrow. As for locating and retaining the lift out section in place, I will be using two 8mm wooden dowels in each end and two overcentre catches at each end to pull the boards together. Fishplates will be used to align the rails if needed, however, I am hopeful of being able to maintain alignment without them. I have used this method quite successfully on my portable 00 gauge layout. Electrical connection will, eventually, be by plunger and contact, hopefully, in order to make fitting and removal of the board quick and easy. It will need some research into what is available commercially, or, what I can fabricate at home, so, for the time being, plug and socket will probably be the go to solution ! Andi

As promised - some photos of the beginnings ..... First pic shows main area - here will be a station and small goods yard ........ possibly on the inside of the curve, however, I am also considering a 'Minories' style terminus across the back edge of the board, bringing the curve forward in front of the terminus with a small goods facility towards the front edge ...... much thinking to be done ! Second pic shows 'rebated' area to allow easy access to the window. Tumble drier vent hose needs to go out of window when in use hence the need for easy access. Tumble drier is here temporarily - however, it has 'temporarily' sat there for the last two years ! As for the track layout here - there can be seen three tracks to the left of the pic, it is hoped that a small goods yard or engine shed can be squeezed into the inside of the track in the top left of the image, with the points giving access to it on the straight section in the lower left side. Just visible in the very bottom right corner is the corner of the board running down towards the other side of the door. There will be a lift out section here. And finally...... The access to the room and into the middle of the boards. A lift-out section will span the gap across from one board to the other. Track plan in the station area needs to be finalised as it will affect the layout of this area, so needs be finalised before the lift-out section can be built, then the ends of the erected boards can be cut to suit. The boards have been topped, as previously mentioned, with interlocking rubber matting of the type used for home gyms and workshop flooring. It seems to isolate the boards well, with virtually no rumble/drumming noise from the boards when trains are running. Not completely silent, of course, due the the 'empty box' design of tinplate rolling stock ! Track is fixed using just one screw at each end of each length and one in the middle of longer ones. Not screwed down tightly, but enough to stop the track creeping and to allow it to 'float' slightly so that the screws transmit as little noise through to the boards as possible. The rubber matting I acquired from B&Q , approximately £10 for a pack of 6 x 600mmx600mm tiles - I have used 15 of the 18 tiles so far. The brand I purchased just happened to be smooth on the back, so I have used them chequer side down. Andi

Oh, I don't know.... I always thought those candle lit Hornby stations were a bit dodgy ! Andi

Shame about the weak mech, it's a very attractive little loco ! Still working on my pannier when time permits - been more focused on building somewhere for it to run just lately ! Andi

Very nice Sir ! Is that self made ? Interesting 2-4-0 too, what are the origins of that loco ? Andi

There are people out there that would probably be able to make a custom gas system to fit in the current burner/fuel tank locations without modification of the loco. Most, if not all, the Mamod ones are just that - they fit without alterations to the loco. There was a rectangular gas tank available for the mamods that could be fitted below the cab floor, although both of mine were cylindrical ones inside the cab. Sorry to hijack your thread, Kevin ! Andi

Douglas.... A trick I used to use when steaming outdoors in my 16mm/ft Narrow Gauge days was to fill a cold loco with boiling water, or as near to it as possible in order to speed up the steam-up time and conserve fuel. I also had gas fired conversions for the couple of Mamod locos I had, and the Roundhouse loco came as standard with gas firing, both of which are far superior outdoors, and smell much less offensive indoors ! Some Mamod runners would close off a couple of the draught holes in the sideframes to prevent the wind affecting the burner flames too much. Andi

Looking to buy Maldon , Mike Foster, or John Pentney 3 rail points and track. Anything considered, including 2 rail from any of the above. What have you got spare sitting around unused ? Regards Andi

These all started well before lockdown, Mervyn, and will more than likely continue well beyond it too ! Regards Andi

Hi Mervyn ! Looking forward to providing some updates....time permitting ! I have been collecting parts for a couple of loco builds I have in the "project box" - all of which will eventually get their own build threads once they get going - Ace/Darstaed diecast A4 bodyshell needs wheels, motor, gearbox - have frames waiting, Kit/Scratchbuilt "Black Watch" awaiting frames, motor, gearbox, wheels in stock, ETS 0-8-0 motor block going into old Hornby body which needs a repaint - ROD style All the above have tenders in various states of build Also have four 0-6-0 locos under construction - the pannier linked to in my sig, as well as a second pannier which is a glass fibre (Douglass ?) body currently fitted to an ETS 3r motor block, along with a J94 style saddle tank with a poor chassis and seized motor, and what I think is a J71 or Jinty style side tank with no running gear. As I said, all will get their own build threads, but, I may put up a thread with all of them in prior to builds commencing to gather the collective thoughts of the the forum on each loco prior to delving into them. Regards Andi

So, I finally got around to starting on a coarse scale railway for my increasing collection of modern and vintage tinplate and coarse scale locos and stock. It is not going to be very much of a scenic railway, as it is located in a basement room which also houses, amongst other things, the tumble drier (vented outside not into the room) so will be accessed almost daily for other purposes. Fairly basic construction of pinewood framing with mdf tops, most of which were already in existence having been recovered from a previous abandoned project prior to the house move just over 2 years ago. Tops are covered with interlocking rubber matting of the type you can buy in most hardware chain stores (B&Q in the UK). This is to provide some sound deadening, as, those of you who run vintage style tinplate trains will know, running on bare boards is very noisy ! The boards, when completed, will run around the perimeter of the room, with a lift out or folding bridge across the door to facilitate easy access. They are at approximately waist/worktop height to provide storage space below. Track is nickel silver Code 200 three rail by Maldon, although, the four points and one crossing I have appear to have been made by soldering rail to copper clad sleepers, so may either be kits, or are possibly older Mike Foster or even John Pentney items. Either way, they are in good condition (they were purchased second hand) and will do nicely for the time being, but, shorter, tighter radius points would probably be a better option given my space restrictions. As already mentioned, track is being laid on top of a rubber matting material and held in place, very lightly, by 3x30mm screws through the moulded holes in the Maldon sleepers. Power, at present, is provided by my trusty old H&M Duette, which chucks out sufficient power to run all the old motors I have, including the modified 20v AC motors. Pics to follow, not that there is much to show just yet - I'm not going to show the board construction, there are many good sources detailing the various different construction methods, and my carpentry skills are certainly nothing to brag about !!

Meths fired especially - the fumes from those are horrific ! I made the mistake of running a meths fired Mamod loco indoors - only did that once ! I gave up smoking a couple of years ago and started using a vape, soon gave that up too as it seemed to make my chest worse than the fags did. And, no, I didn't try meths in it, the Black Jack flavour seemed more appealing !

I agree, looks like underlay or blankets - we used something very similar in the removals trade to cover funiture. Two things that I notice within the first 30 seconds of that video, however - 1 ) The floor is tiled - in this instance I am inclined to think that the covering is probably more to do with sound reduction or an attempt to stop the tracks from creeping across the shiny, smooth, floor rather than a means to control the 'dribble' from the loco (although it would also do that quite well I think !) 2 ) whoever it is running the trains also had the (possibly hard earned ! ) forethought to place a sheet of steel/tin or other thin non-flammable substance under the rails in the steam-up/loco service area to prevent setting fire to the floor covering. Another option for running on hard surfaces is some of the interlocking rubber matting that can be found in hardware suppliers sold for workshop or home gym use. B&Q in the UK have packets of 12mm thick ones approximately 6sqm with edging strips for about £12 per pack - I have some to cover my layout boards with before I start laying track.

That's a cracking looking tree, Bob ! Are you modelling a particular time of year ? I would think that would direct the next colour to add. Adding a sprinkling of light brown might suggest late summer or early autumn as it may give a look of leaves starting to turn, where as leaving it as it stands looks more spring like with its bright fresh growth. At least, that's how my eyes see it. I take my hat off to you for having a go and producing something so good as a first attempt - I have never been brave enough to try it my self !

I was thinking of the silicon hoses used for water and turbo purposes on cars - they are often sticky to the touch.

That's a very smart looking workbench Douglas ! Nice to see the loco running smoothly, you have done a good job with that and she looks nice too ! What fuel are you using ? I think they were intended to use Meths originally, but, that stinks indoors - I know from running old Mamods in the stuff !

Silicon ! That will be the cause of the stickiness more so than the wax I would think. I agree about the repainting issue - in my youth I trained in vehicle body repair and we used to have all sorts of problems due to people using polishes and wax car shampoos containing silicon. It is extremely difficult to get rid of. Also a good reason to not use some washing up liquids as they can also contain silicon based substances to make your glasses shine. No plans to repaint the coaches in question, the litho is pretty good, as is the paint to the roofs. Maybe I will try some non-moisturising face wipes the DD has in the bathroom......

Ah, at a guess I would agree that it is probably a wax build up. I wonder if the wax would provide any sort of barrier to moisture/fingerprints from handling ? Does the stickyness develop over time with repeated cleaning/polishing, or did you find it evident after just one use ? I wonder if the Pledge Wipes would have the same effect ?

Until I saw your post, Kevin, I hadn't played the vids with the sound on - the wagons in the second video certainly sound like they are protesting about the curve !

Ah, ok, Thanks. No Waitrose on the island now, Sainsbury's have taken over the consession in the local supermarkets, so may need to find a suitable alternative. I have used Pledge, sprayed onto a cloth, to both clean and polish a small area of paintwork on a carriage roof without any immediate detriment - will give it a try on the litho print on a sacrificial item when I get chance.

Some pictures, as promised, of the loco as it stands this evening, and a couple of 30 second videos showing load capacity - second vid shows the loco struggling with a lack of torque from the cheap generic 1833 motor, that said, it is pulling a lot of weight around 38 inch radius on an uneven floor. Probably also worth noting that most of the rolling stock shown was purchased and put away into storage with little more than cursory glance to make sure it met the eBay description, none was checked for free-running prior to going into the train !! Vids- Photies - Excuse the tape on the flywheel - temporary measure until I get around to painting the chassis..... Having now seen the photos on the laptop screen, I can see I have some more work to do on the paintwork before I can even think about decals and clearcoat !

Finally found the mojo (Thanks Nearholmer !) to get some more done on this pannier. Will put some pics and video up later, but, chassis is now finished, apart from paint, with a removable block of weight added to give it some it some traction. Removable as it gives access to the guts of the chassis and running gear. Body is still awaiting decals and clearcoat, but, has had the brasswork refitted for the time being. A circle of track has been thrown down on the floor in the basement and some laps have been completed with two Hornby bogie coaches in tow - it seems to pull these quite effortlessly so traction trials will take place later this evening to see just what this little loco can pull ! watch this space !

Enjoying the pics and discussions in your thread as always, Kevin - given me enough mojo to get back to doing a little work on the pannier I started in my Unashamedly Coarse Scale thread. It has had some weight added and made a few circuits of a simple circle of track on the floor in the basement dragging a couple of Hornby bogie coaches around behind it really quite effortlessly I am pleased to say ! I have had the coaches for a while, and they were quite grubby/dirty when I acquired them. What do you guys use to 'clean' them without damaging the paint/litho print ?