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Dave John

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Blog Entries posted by Dave John

  1. Dave John

    Starting a signal box.

    By Dave John,


    General
    The signal box on Kelvinbank consists of a photo of Boness box stuck to a light bulb box. Ok, its the right style and size, but time to make something a bit more accurate.
     
    So the silhouette has been busy. The windows are all done as a single layer, the frames both sides laminated onto that. Cutting all those soffit brackets took a while, but I’d never manage it by hand. This is the second attempt, I got my dimensions wrong on the go.
     
     

     
    Some brickwork for the lower sides next.
     
  2. Dave John

    The western corner

    By Dave John,


    General
    I have been sorting out the western end of the layout so the boards have been wheeled out for access. Getting a bit chilly this time of year so pvas do take a while to dry for the scenic stuff.
     
    Anyway, a few pics of that corner. I’m not entirely happy with the brick gable end of the factory. I keep an eye open for something more suitable but as ever its the problem of getting a good square on photo of it.
     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
    At least the trains are running again.
  3. Dave John

    A CR D 35 full brake, part 1

    By Dave John,


    General
    I have had some Worsley Works etches in the kit stash for a while, so I thought I’d have a shot at building one. This is a 45 foot Diagram 35 full brake, first lot built 1897. Worsley Works only provide the basic body, though it is a very accurate and nicely etched set. Slots for the guards duckets do need widening a little.  The builder supplies the rest.
     
    Bogies are Comet 8 foot SR pattern converted to Drummond style by removing the top flange and adding small inserts to give the curved lower edge. Footsteps are fabricated from scrap etch. Other parts are from the bits box, but most could be sourced from 51L
     
     

     
     
    I have used the magnetic side technique again, though I found I needed a couple of extra magnets towards the ends of the sides to pull them in smoothly. Won’t be visible in service. The internal half partitions forming the guards compartment add  stiffness.
     
     

     
     
     
    The D 35s were built dual braked braked and had a through steam pipe, makes the coach ends rather crowded. There was a gas fired heater and the seat in the guards compartment lifted in the style of a commode with a wc under it. Luxury,
     
     

     
     
     
    Time for a spot of primer.
  4. Dave John

    A brake wagon, or two.....

    By Dave John,


    General
    Happy new year to everyone.
     
    So not one for celebrations and fed up with the dead time twixt Christmas and New year I decided to make something. I looked about and ferreted in various boxes, what did I have at my disposal? One last sheet of 10 thou styrene. An idea formed, a brake wagon. Something that has been sitting in the back of my head for a while. So I dug out the wagon book, scanned and sized the the drawing and re-read the section about them in the book and the CR forum.
     
    Brake wagons were essentially an open wagon with a brake stanchion on it. Their original use was was as a brake vehicle in yards or short trip workings. The one I’m making was built under Drummond but a further 41 were hurriedly converted from old wagons in 1905 when the BOT complained that the CR had been running short trips on the mainline with no brake van at the end of the train.
     
    The drawing is not detailed, more of an outline. However the salient features are that these wagons were just 12 foot long with a 6 foot wheelbase. They were however weighted to 10 tons. They may have been converted from earlier wagons, but no details below the solebar are known, nor has any photo of one turned up. ( If anyone has one, shout ).
     
    Why two ? I designed the bits in the silhouette software, worked out how many of each part was needed and transferred them to a cutting sheet layout. Came to half a sheet of styrene. Click, click click. Nuff said…..
     
    Some parts cut and laminated.
     
     

     
     

     
     
     
    Fiddly to stick together, but coming along.
     
     
     
  5. Dave John

    A pair of brake wagons , part 2

    By Dave John,


    General
    I have pushed on a bit with the brake wagons, just about ready for some primer. They are small, but I have managed to get enough weight in there for them to run smoothly enough and keep the compensation working properly.
     
    Here’s a harsh picture of the underside, nothing particularly special but the use of a copperclad sub chassis does give decent fixings for W irons, ajs and the buffer springs and allowed me to get a slab of 1mm brass in as a spacer. Brake gear is a chopped up etch from the bits box.
     
     

     
     
     
     
    A photo on the track. I’ll put the brake stanchions and the lower footsteps on later. The handrails do bow in a bit, though I suspect the prototypes ended up like that too. A few more bolt heads needed too, but primer first.
     
     

     
     
     
  6. Dave John

    The 1/50 project, A loco in service and some thoughts.

    By Dave John,


    The 1/50 scale project
    Various colours were tried on a few dummy sides. I felt the greens looked a bit too military and the brighter reds looked a bit too Swiss. The blues I have just didn’t say late 50s austerity, In the end I went for a practical colour, Tamiya hull red.  Weathered a bit with powders.
     

     
     

     
     

     
    I decided to fit the “clearview” style marine windscreen “wipers” Not found that often in railway use, but I thought it would add a bit of style.
     
     

     
     
    With a short train. Ok, a very short train, but it is a start.
     
     

     
     
    That all looks reasonable, but how does it run ?
     
     
     
     
     
    Eventually it will need a number and perhaps a logo. Still not decided about that, more thought needed.
     
     
  7. Dave John

    The 1/50 project, Building a wagon

    By Dave John,


    The 1/50 scale project
    I managed to get the loco body sprayed up, but experience has taught me to give paint a good while to dry thoroughly before moving on. So in the meantime I thought I would have a shot at making a wagon to go with it. Nothing fancy, just a simple open wagon.
     
    Hmm. It has taken a bit longer than I thought, mainly because I can’t keep things simple. Just me I suppose but I do tend to try and work down to as much detail as I can. Anyway a few pics of it unpainted. I used a lot of the masterclub rivets and bolts. Having the silhouette mark it all out makes the drilling a lot simpler and since it is just styrene relatively fast. The other parts are just scrap etch and various sizes of wire.
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
    Paint on the loco should be well dried by now, time to get the details on.
     
     
  8. Dave John

    A pair of brake wagons in service.

    By Dave John,


    General
    Some photos of the brake wagons. Both have a rather rough appearance, but I doubt they were high up the list for maintenance.
     
     

     
     
     
    I have made a few guesses about the final finishing.
     
    Firstly, I’m not sure about the running numbers. I know that No. 185 was of this type so I have just used a couple of close low numbers. Being built on early wagon frames they might just have been painted on rather than having number plates.
     
    Secondly, it was CR practice to paint the ends of brake vans vermillion. These brake wagons don’t have much of an end, so I have just painted the outside of the end footboards red. The overall colour seems to have a bit of a purplish tinge when photographed. 
     
    Thirdly, lamp irons. There is an amendment on the drawing of the later type of brake wagon indicating that lamp studs should be fitted, but that is dated 1913. I have no idea whether that applied to the earlier type as well, but if the earlier type had them I would guess that the later type would have them fitted at build. However I can’t imagine going out on the main line at night without one so I have fitted 235 with a lamp just fixed to the handrail with wire. Might well have been the kind of improvised solution applied at the time.
     

     
     

     
     
     
     
     
    If more accurate information comes to light then I can always redo them
     
     
    This is my take on how they would be used. A small trip working. Four empty cattle wagons, an old pig iron wagon and a brake wagon out on the main line.
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
    It might have kept the BOT happy, but it looks like Archibald would prefer a proper brake van.
     
  9. Dave John

    The 1/50 project, Drivers with magnetic personalities

    By Dave John,


    The 1/50 scale project
    They say that joining the railways is a job for life. It certainly is if someone chops your legs off and superglues you into a model loco cab.
     
    Right back at the beginning of this project I was looking at what was available in 1/50 scale. I found that figures were made by several suppliers. Clearly they are aimed at modellers who want to make dioramas with their 1/50 scale  diecast road or construction vehicles. There are some nice accurate expensive ones made by Prieser, or you can get 100 rather dubious ones for 8 quid from china and have some fun Mikkelising them. You can guess which option I chose. They are not the best of figures, the faces are just painted on,  but ok for playing about with and viewing at a distance.
     
    Anyway, here is a drivers chair. Bits of brass soldered up mainly, however the seat is a bit of iron transformer lamination. The base is threaded so they are height adjustable.
     
     

     
    A freelance drivers desk with a rather formally attired driver.  I understand why other railways might go for left or right but given no other constraints a central driving position is logical.
     
     

     
    A more relaxed looking driver.
     
     

     
     
    Purely in the interests of equality, another driver.
     
     

     
     
     
    Since we are in polite society I shall leave it up to the reader to decide which aspects of their personalities are particularly magnetic.
     
    The front part of the drivers desk will be fixed to the body. Just sat there for now.
     
     

     
     
    The body now has a roof.  Conveniently the exhaust port is directly above the battery isolating switch so it can be turned on and off without removing the loco from the track.
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
    Time to get it all in primer, then the hardest choice of all. Choose a livery.
  10. Dave John

    A Lampmans hut.

    By Dave John,


    General
    Following the excellent discussion on the storage of lamp oil I have built a combined lampmans hut and coal store.
     
    A dimensioned sketch of the type favoured by the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire ( and other CR lines built later on ) can be found in "Signalling the Caledonian" by Jim Summers. A very common feature in many stations and yards, clearly having a separate small building for maintaining signal and general lamps would minimise damage by fire should an accident occur. 
     
    So with a bit of simple styrene chopping with the silhouette I have ended up with this. Close photos show a bit of weathering detail needed. Also some bagged coal in the coal store.
     
    Just sat there  for now, I haven’t decided where it will end up.
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
    I have had a few good running sessions too, identified some things that need done to the layout itself. Repairs, some extra uncouplers, various bits. Something to get on with now the light should be improving a bit. Mind you as folk that went to the SECC show this weekend will tell you its still rather dark out there.
     
  11. Dave John

    The 1/50 project, A body and lights

    By Dave John,


    The 1/50 scale project
    My silhouette has been busy.
     
    The body is made up of five layers of 10 thou styrene. I find that it is easier to use than thicker section and gives a clean cut which can then be laminated. Also the window relief can be thin. Start with the central three layers, allow to cure overnight between flats, then add the outer layers. It might just be my impression, but I feel that a larger number of thin layers is less prone to warping than thicker layers.
     
    The louvres are individual strips on a sawtooth frame. I thought that would be a real hassle but it was just a patience game, letting the first dry then adding the next.
     
     

     
     
    These are the magnet assemblies. They go in behind the cab bulkheads and meet tinplate pads on the mainframe.
     

     
     
    Lights. My attempt at creating the larger style headlamp, similar to those used on road vehicles. My thinking is that they used a brighter white headlamp bulb and a smaller red lamp (possibly in the sidelamp position) as a tail marker.
    The outer part is turned from aluminium bar, the lens from acrylic rod. Back flattened with a ridge in the middle, so that the leds can be cyanoed face down. The white is a warm white chip. Very little current is needed to give a realistic light level. Output from the control board is 4.5V, I found that a 6k8 resistor with the red leds in series and a 6k8 resistor for each of the white leds to be quite sufficient.
    One thing I discovered, the easy way to polish acrylic rod is toothpaste. Squeeze some on a bit of paper and happily polish away.
     

     
     

     
     
    Ok, this a pic of No1 end. You can see how the magnets are glued to the bulkhead and hold the body down to the mainframe. The other end of the magnet is the feed for the lights, it is just held there by the magnet. There is a similar layout at No2 end, the wiring is all glued to the bodyside, the resistors are mounted on a bit of vero.
     

     
    A pic of the body on the frames. Reasonable progress, I am happy with the way the lights look and the overall feel of the thing. Body removal for battery change is easy, the magnets giving a good hold but not too firm.
     
     

     
     
    Next stage ,  cab detailing and add a roof.
  12. Dave John
    A pair of these control movements across the trailing crossover beyond the platforms. The Stevens pattern dropflap signals themselves are the 51L etch, I had them powered with a servo via a linkage. It was designed to cope with servo overthrow under transient conditions, but it didn’t. So for quite a while now they have been cosmetic. Time for a rebuild.
     
    The signals are mounted on a bit of double sided copperclad with some 6mm U section brass on the other side. The flap and conterwight are linked with 0.4 wire which passes through the base and two tube guides. An iron nail is soldered to a short length of tube which in turn is soldered to the wire.
     

     
    The light source is a bi coloured LED. Slightly tricky to flatten the top , drill two holes and glue the fibre optics in. These then pass up into the body of the signal and sit behind the lens.
     

     

     
     
     
    The servo saddle is soldered up from bits of angle and copperclad. The horns at the top are pb wire and hold the signal down to the ground when in place, the screw just tightens against the U channel. A magnet is fixed to the servo horns, which are a nylon type plastic that doesn’t take glue well so again a bit of copperclad, some wire soldered through and the magnet glued to that. If the servo does overthrow it doesn’t wreck the whole thing.
     
     

     
     

     
     
     
    A short video of them on test.
     
     
    Ok, that looks like a lot of hassle just to make a ground signal work. I could just sit the signal of a larger baseplate and have the servo fixed to it. Thing is I’m fussy about signals not sitting on large plinths. The Caley sat these on a baulk of wood about the size I have made the bit of copperclad, so visually it looks about right.
     
  13. Dave John
    So, I’m building a loco with batteries inside. To change the batteries I need to be able to lift the body off without messing about with screws or clips. You may have noticed, I do like magnets and since I have used them with reasonable success on both rolling stock and buildings they are the logical choice.
     
    Having some lights at each end of the loco would be nice. My original thoughts were to use some sort of springy contacts, a trailing wire with a mini connector would get get broken with repeated use.
     
    Anyway I was messing about with some magnets and tinplate to decide what size would be good and the thought stuck me. Tinplate is a conductor and metal magnets should be. A quick test showed that the neodymium magnet had a very low resistance, less than 0.1 ohm, which is as low as I can measure directly. I suspect that may be due to the neodymium core being plated with copper then nickel, but putting one in the lathe to machine the plating off to prove the point seemed a real hassle.
     
    Now there are several ways you can kill a magnet. Repeated mechanical shock, heat it past the curie point or put it in a strong alternating magnetic field for example. A large current might overheat one. But what effect would a small DC current have on these neodymium magnets? I asked the internet, it really hadn’t tried it either. Sometimes you just have to do it the scientific way.
     
    I set up a simple experiment. Tinplate electrodes. A small magnet and some LEDs. Bench power supply. I set the current to 5mA, plenty for my needs.
     
     

     
     
    I left it running for a week with the current passing from N to S through the magnet. I then removed the magnet and tested it against a fresh one from the box by taping a bit of iron to a plastic ruler and gently pushing the magnet to it while noting the pull in distance. As far as I could determine both had the same magnetic strength.
     
    For the next week I reversed the magnet, current S to N. Test repeated, again no change of magnetic strength.
     
     
    So, I conclude that passing small DC currents through ( or perhaps round the core of ) neodymium magnets does not affect their strength.
     
    Perhaps a bit of a boring blog, but maybe a few folk will find it useful.
     
    I still need to turn that idea into a practical engineering solution but it does give me the confidence to go ahead and try.
     
     
     
  14. Dave John
    These are made from the latest True Line Models resin body produced by the CRA. Many thanks to all involved.
     
    The description pre-diagram means that they were built bfeore the introduction of the official diagram book and therefore don’t have a diagram number. More details here;
     
    https://www.crassoc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1479
     
    I have built them in my usual way, copperclad sub chassis, rocking W irons, internal sprung buffers, all the bits from 51L.
     
    Resin bodied wagons are very light, so the large crate and the load under the sheet are weighted.
     
    Anyway a couple of pics. slightly faded livery, getting on a bit by the Edwardian era.
     

     
    A harsh close up showing the roping cleats.
     

     
     
    A more general shot putting them in context.
     

     
     
    Anyway, good luck everyone. 
  15. Dave John

    The 1/50 project, cosmetic bogies

    By Dave John,


    The 1/50 scale project
    How do you make a freelance bogie ? I started by looking at many photos and drawings of stuff built back then. That gave me a lot of ideas so I sat down, fired up the silhouette software and drew a lot of shapes. Cut them out and stick them together. Simple, inexpensive, but rather time consuming. Though I might argue that is the point of the exercise.
     
    I also wanted to try the resin boltheads from Masterclub.  Airnimal uses them with excellent results, so I bought a couple of packs. A bit fiddly drilling all the 0.4 mm holes but having the silhouette mark them out is a great help. Thats all the little grey dots, but they are very detailed if you can get them in focus. I like them, I shall be using more.
     
     
    A simple bogie.
     
     

     
     
     
    Painted. I really didn’t want to kill the detail with a matt black, so I have gone for a very dark grey. Tamiya brushed over halfords primer with a few washes and a spot of powder to lightly weather it all.  Shows the compact nature of the n20 motor assembly, it it free to move on the springs and just gently constrained on a couple of foam pads.
     
     

     
     
    As Arthur Negus might have said, probably one of a pair.
     
     
     

     
     
     
    Sitting under the frames .
     
     
     

     
     
    I reckon that looks reasonable. A fair bit of glueing, over 350 parts per bogie but repetitive patterns. I think that resin 3d printing would be the ideal method, though I’m still swithering over a 3d printer. I fancy the idea, but limitations of cost and living in a flat are still winning for now.
     
    Ok, body next.
  16. Dave John

    Some more plugin signals.

    By Dave John,


    General
    So like many I’m stuck inside unable to work, so keeping optimistic I’ll treat it as a rehearsal for retirement. Time to take stock, have a good dig through all the boxes and see what I have available to make things with.
     
    Signal parts come on frets or bags of several bits. Of course all the spare bits are put away, so having sorted through them I realised that I had enough bits for a couple more signals. An ideal project, fiddly and time consuming. Takes the mind off other things.
     
    So here we are, a home /distant and a simple home. Both are plugin types to much the same design as the ones I made a couple of years back. Just sitting on the test jig for now. LEDS are each protected by a 1k2 resistor in the signal base, will be wired via an external resistance to dim them down a bit.
     

     
    And under the board.
     

     
     
    A simple home.
     
     

     
    But why? Well, there is a bit of the layout to the right of that viaduct which is yet to be developed. It does need some sort of corner bit to frame the viaduct, so that might happen too. The long crossing is 30” long and flows quite well so I might as well extend scenically into that region. First thing though I need to signal it so that is where those two will end up.
     
     

     
    Hope everyone is staying well.
  17. Dave John
    I have been with pottering on with the far corner of the layout, signals are installed, then unplugged and a lightweight scenic extension knocked up from foamboard and card. All a bit rough at the moment, but taking shape. I think it will enhance that corner and take the eye round to the storage yard in a more transitional way. Some sort of wooded area perhaps.
     
     

     
     
     
    I also painted a couple of figures and added them to this very odd thing that I made quite a while ago. Now you might well think that I have gone round the bend and dived into the world of steampunk which seems to be popular these days. But no, this is actually a model of a real steam locomotive, albeit a road locomotive rather than a rail one.
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Call it a mad easter quiz……….
  18. Dave John

    A corner improved

    By Dave John,


    General
    I have added a bit of scenic detail to that corner. Much improved in taking the eye round at the end of the viaduct. I am going to have a go a tree making to disguise the rather abrupt end of that big retaining wall, but for now thats the layout back together and some trains running again. 
     
    A couple of rough snapshots.
     
     

     

     
     
     
     
    Hope everyone is managing in these strange times. 
     
     
     
     
  19. Dave John

    The 1/50 project, Buffers and couplings

    By Dave John,


    The 1/50 scale project
    Looking at a lot of photos it seems that there is a very wide variety of buffers and couplings fitted to metre gauge stock. Knuckle couplers, chopper types, single buffers with one or two chain couplings, all the way through to fully automatic stuff on modern stock. I researched both knuckle and chopper style couplings which would be about the right size for 1/50 scale. A  few might be suitable, but would be difficult to achieve what I’m looking for.
     
    Since this is a freelance project I can choose from quite a range. But perhaps it is better to come at it from the modelling perspective.
     
    What do I want from a model coupling for this project?
     
    1. It needs to be reliable with the ability to couple, uncouple or stay coupled on curves that may be tighter that those on real railways.
    2. It can be unidirectional, I don’t envisage turning stock round.
    3. It needs uncouple at specific points on a layout when required to, but only when required to.
    4. If manual uncoupling is ever needed it should be simple.
    4. The buffer part should be sprung and actually buff.
    5. It should be readily available, or manufacturable from material which is likely to be available using simple jigs
    6. It should be cheap.
     
    What caught my eye was the larger curved style central buffers fitted to some metre gauge locos and freight stock. Could this be used as both a buffer and a coupling?
     
    Time to make some. Here is the third attempt , I quickly found out that a jig to ensure it all lined up was needed. The plates are are 6.4 x 0.33 mm brass strip, the front one doubled up. I use smiths couplings with the hook slimmed down in 4mm but I just glue them in, so I have plenty of spare springs. Shafts are 2mm steel, the bushes are turned brass so the the whole thing sits square with no droop.
     
     

     
    Next, a coupling. Brass tube 1mm od with a spring steel hook. Using tube as a pivot means it moves easily. There is a 3mm dia magnet, N facing down in the tube which acts as a counterweight.
     
     

     
    Fitted to the bottom of a test wagon chassis. Crude but fine for a test.
     

     
    A pair of wagons coupled up.  A magnet with N up under the board opposes the one on the coupling which just pivots down. Similarly if the magnet is waved above the wagon N down it uncouples. Although the axle is 3mm steel it doesn’t move the wagon unless you get too close.
     
     
     

     
     
    So on to the loco. Heavy brass buffer beam bolted to the mainframe so it can be removed for maintenance. The coupling , in the same style as the wagon ones is on a bit bigger brass pivot , 1 mm id tube. The steel pivot pin can be slid out to drop the coupling, and there is a turned brass counterwieght. To the side of the counterweight is a brass tube, 1mm od with a bit of spring steel wire sticking out of it aimed at just below the weight centreline.
     
     

     
    At the other end is a similar arrangement. The T bar is held high by the counterweight, the spring steel pushes it down dropping the adjacent coupling under the buffer.
     
     

     
     
    In the middle is a servo. The ch 3 output from the rc reciever is a toggle and conveniently moves the servo through about 90 degrees.
     

     
     
     
    So, working buffers and couplings, together with a loco that can uncouple anywhere at the press of a button.
    A bit of rough video of me playing with it all. In the first part I’m just waving the magnet under the board.
     
     
     
    Yep, I think that meets all my requirements.
     
    I’m sure all of this has been done before, either with radio or dcc control. I see that dcc driven motors for uncoupling kadees are available. But do they meet requirement No. 6 ? That lot cost me a few bits of brass and a 2 quid servo.
     
     
     
     
     
     
  20. Dave John

    A CR 670 Class part 4

    By Dave John,


    General
    The engine body is not far off complete. A close photo shows areas that need some cleaning up. The gap between the rear of the boiler and the cab needs to be filled, the cab is square to the footplate so I’m not sure how that bit of drift happened.
     
    As you see there are a lot of holes, but I have the pipework bent to shape ready to go on post painting.
     

     
     
    The frames are ready to go. The cylinders have been moved out slightly and solid brass cross pieces and cylinder insides used. I use gibson wheels and the critical thing here is to get the driven axle right first time. Once that is in place I can address the slide bars. In order to do that I want to have the gearbox fully assembled and tested, so a slight delay until that is ready.
     

     
    So, slowly getting there.
     
  21. Dave John
    Progress on the 670 is delayed at the moment until I get the parts for the gearbox. Can’t be helped, difficult times slow things down.
     
    Anyway, I need to build something. I had a browse through drawings and books and settled on a D27 Machinery wagon. ( the CRA does sets of wagon drawings on a cd ) 
     
    So with a bit of luck here is one I can make from the stuff I have.  The body is laminated from 10 thou styrene cut on the silhouette. Bit of an odd wagon, big plates on the sides riveted  to an internal frame of angle sections with a planked floor.
    Nice and simple.
     

     
     
     

     
    As you know I like to be able to drop wheelsets out, makes it all easier to paint too. Personally I think it also makes wagon building easier. All that faffing about getting it perfectly square and making sure all the wheels sit on a perfectly flat surface so they touch the perfectly flat track?  Not something I ever managed to do very well.
     
    Anyway all that really means is just a pair of low profile internal compensation units soldered to a bit of coppeclad. Lands for ajs if I decide to fit them.
     

     
     
    Some lashing points made up from bits of scrap etch.
     

     
     
    Some primer, then the invasion of the rivets…..
  22. Dave John

    The 1/50 project,power and control.

    By Dave John,


    The 1/50 scale project
    Over the years I have spent a lot of time cleaning wheels and track. Carefully designing multi wheel pickups with exotic contacts. I do get good running but I have to keep on top of it, never found any quick solutions to it all.
     
    I have also tried dcc and I just didn’t get on with it. Sure, I made it all work, the electronics is fairly straightforward. My issue was that I ended up watching the controller not the trains, all the button pressing to make the right light come on and remembering what it all was with which loco. Nor is it cheap, and it still has the track cleaning and pickup issues.
     
    The answer is of course to go battery. I did it a long time ago for a friend, installed rc control in some narrow gauge stuff which ran on O track. Acoms 27 Mhz and a small lead acid battery. History now, no idea what happened to it all.
     
    I have been very impressed by the rc models of Corbs, Giles et al. So last year when I was thinking about 1/50th I came across a 4 channel rc combo on ebay for 23 quid, brand new, not a bid thing. Bought one. I shop in Lidl, a while back they had packs of 4 AA NiMH batteries for 3 quid. Bought some.
     
    Now I know there are sophisticated rc systems for model railways, and clever Lipo batteries to power it all. But let’s see what I can do with some cheap stuff.
     
    The combo. It is kinda 4 channel. 1 and 2 are truly proportional, range, direction and limits can be set and it stores them. Ch 3 is a toggle, ch 4 is just a momentary pushbutton. Both switch from about 1.2 mS to 1.8 mS at the rx.
     
     

     
    The control system. Two bits of vero, which can fold back to back. Ch1 is speed, Ch 2 is direction. Ch3 and 4 I have ideas about later.
     

     
     
    So there it is in situ. Still needs a bit of tidying, but it gives excellent speed control, proper forward/reverse control and switches the lights. I’ll upload a circuit if anyone is interested.
     
     

     
     
     
    As for the controller. I was very pleased with the simple way it came apart. The input potentiometers have been replaced with a  forward/off/reverse master handle and the power one with a better pot.  Interlocked so that power cannot be applied in the off position. A small wooden box some drills came in gave plenty of space for a rather nice control desk.
     
     
     

     
     
     
    Works fine at 15 m, any further and I would fall out of the window into the back lane.
     
     
     
  23. Dave John
    Well, there we are, a slap of paint makes all the difference.
     
    Rivets are Archers, easy to apply and they make a big difference on a model like this. No idea what is under that sheet, but it is heavy so this wagon moves as if it does have 16 tons on top. The chains and shackles were fiddly, but add to it all I think.
     

     
     

     
     
     
    Catching a bit of evening light.
     
     
     

     
    You can see that this wagon is properly scotched. There is a good reason for this, D27s like the other wagons in the same style, had no handbrake. Run as specials they would have wagons with handbrakes either side. Given that loaded it might be 27 tons that sounds a bit dangerous though I doubt they ever travelled outside the industrial areas served by the Caley and probably only in special short workings rather than as part of longer trains.
     
     
    So just for fun and I think typical of how it might have run here it is passing through Kelvinbank. Archibald McGregor hanging on and hoping it isn’t going far.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    I now have parts for the Cl.670 gearbox, so it is hopefully going to progress a bit with that.
     
  24. Dave John

    A CR 670 Class part 5

    By Dave John,


    General
    The correct gears arrived and so with a fully assembled and tested gearbox I have been able to push ahead. Soldering needs a bit of a clean up, but thats the chassis built up and running smoothly. Driving the front wheelset means I can have a compensation beam at the rear. The kit suggests driving the centre axle, since driving the front axle would mean losing the view through under the boiler. However by using a roadrunner box and an extender with a narrow motor I was able to get the motor right up into the boiler and the drive goes down behind the front splashers. The slot in the bottom of the boiler is only 9mm wide and cannot really be seen from normal viewing angles.
     

     
     
     
     
    A pic with it paired up to the tender. The mini connectors are from Express Models. I didn’t want slop in the little end bearing causing fouling with the leading crankpin so I soldered a Gibson crankpin screw through the rod from the rear and so the piston rod runs on a steel crankpin bush to help keep it in line.
     

     
     
     
    A view from below. I managed to get a bit of weight in there and a fair bit in the smokebox and firebox areas. AJs are on small copperclad pads, removable if they ever need repaired.
     

     
    A side view. It all runs well, I am happy with the solution for the motor/gearbox allowing a view through the whole thing.
     
     

     
     
     
    Some primer and filler, then off to the paintshop.
  25. Dave John
    There are times when I can see the appeal of BR unlined black. About half way through decorating the No. 252 was one such occasion. However bit by bit it all came together. The final result is a bit bright, but the brass does tend to develop a patina of its own over time. As ever close photos show errors the eye misses and it needs some builders plates as well.
     
    A few pics ;
     

     
     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
     
     
    Originally built as goods engines in 1878 the class were rebuilt as mixed traffic in the early 1900s, westinghouse fitted and repainted in lined blue. Last members of the second lot were withdrawn in 1932.
     
    A bit of video of 252 in a variety of mixed traffic roles.
     
     
     
     
    I found that to be a challenging build, but the end result is a bit of a character and a rather nippy wee engine.
     
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