GWR57xx

A parcel arrived late last night from Grainge & Hodder containing some 6mm ply panels to make up the control panel: Here they are just slotted together, but fit together perfectly: And with the dibond panel propped in to check the fit, alongside the cardboard prototype: Panel needs drilling for LEDs and switches, then folding to fit the enclosure. The ply will be treated with shellac and varnish before glueing together. Then all the electrickery needs to be installed... Very very pleased with the panel and the enclosure, just hope my finished article does them justice. 🙂

Panel propped inside just to check the fit, alongside the CAD mockup (Cardboard Aided Design) - thanks @BusDriverMan! (Panel needs folding to fit).

A parcel arrived late last night: Superb service from Grainge & Hodder - I wasn't expecting this so quickly. Slots together beautifully: I'd better get on with drilling and folding the dibond panel... Very happy - hope my finished control panel does it justice 🙂

Seems a pity to cover up the superb view along the platforms through the roof trusses, but excellent work all round.

I believe art-printers will print them taller for you if you ask (see their page "custom back scenes").

I was intending to use the DCC Concepts Cobalt-S levers to control the points but they've been unavailable for over a year now with no sign of them re-appearing so I've given up and resorted to standard DPDT switches instead. Slightly disappointing but at least I know I'll be able to get replacements and/or additional ones whenever I need them.

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted on this thread 😮! Things have been progressing, but at a very slow pace and in several different directions. I seem to be able to work on many things in parallel and not finish any of them! The reason for posting now is that the latest side project involves the control panel for the layout, and last week I came across this topic: which introduced me to printing onto dibond panels (an aluminium composite material). Long story short, I ordered a panel for Hinton Road Shed: Full story here:

My dibond panel arrived from PremierPrint: Overall I'm very pleased with the result. The colours and print resolution are an exact match to my original PDF file. The panel measures 306mm square, which is the smallest they allow (I had specified 310mm square). The circles with an X are where leds and switches will go, so the X gives me an exact point to aim for with the drill. The panel was very well packed and protected for shipping, but despite that there are a couple of scrapes on the surface, circled in red: These must have been done either prior to or during packing, as the outer packaging was not damaged in any way. Pity. I am also a bit concerned about how durable the printed surface will be, so I've ordered some clear sticky-back plastic to cover it with, to give it a bit more protection. For the price (£13.66 inc VAT & delivery) I can't fault it. I ordered it gone midnight last Friday/Saturday morning and it was delivered today (Thursday) less than a week later. Amazing - how did we manage before internet shopping? A bit more detail: The panel is 3mm thick, which is ideal for mounting switches and leds and also rigid so won't need any support except at the edges. Eventually I plan to mount it in an enclosure made from 6mm ply. My cardboard mock-up to prove the concept: (The final version will be a couple of inches deeper at the back). I'll need to bend the panel through approx 60 degrees which will involve cutting through the back aluminium sheet across the full width then carefully bending to the right shape. I was originally going to order the switch panel separate to the led display panel, but PremierPrint's minimum size requirement wouldn't allow this, so I thought I'd try this approach instead. What could possibly go wrong?? My DXF file with plans for the enclosure are in the queue with Grainge & Hodder to be laser cut, so will be several weeks before they arrive. I think this is going to work out vastly better than what I had previously thought I could achieve 🙂

Looking good so far

Unfortunately Model Railway Solutions are not taking any orders for bespoke work at present, nor is Tim Horn. I drew mine up in QCAD and saved it as a pdf to send to the printers.

Great information, thanks everyone. I've recently been pondering how to build my control panel, so this is very timely . I'm thinking of having the enclosure made up as a custom job by one of the laser baseboard suppliers. For the mimic and switch panels I'd settled on the ply, paper, acrylic sandwich idea but the dibond looks to knock that into a cocked hat. I've just placed an order with PremierPrint (https://www.premierprint.co.uk/) so I'll post a photo when it arrives.

If you click on the "Activity" tab at the top of the page there is an option "Content I Started". Would that get you where you want to be?

Hi Simon, Apologies if this is too late to be of use. I was looking through my newly purchased copy of "The 2-8-0 Tank Papers" (Ian Sixsmith, Irwell Press) and noticed three photos that include 35 ton hoists: p26, Worcester p43, St Blazey p61, Worcester None of them is really a shot of the hoist itself, rather the engines under them. You can see a fair bit of the hoists though, so may be of use. Cheers Peter

Thanks. I've just had another look, taken the roof off (mind the handrail!) and done what you suggest and put the roof back on and it's now much better.

My two 48xx arrived yesterday . Great service as usual from Tower Models. Unfortunately both have the issue with the tiny screws from the plate under the front drivers not doing their job. A couple of bits of detail loose in the box, easily resolved. Considering how far these have travelled and how many times they've been shipped and handled and how much small detail there is to be damaged, they've survived remarkably well. The only complaint I have (apart from the screws) is the daylight either side of the cab roof and the cab sides. Probably no more than 0.5mm each side, but very noticeable. Anyone else had this? It doesn't look as though the cab sides are splayed out, more like the roof just isn't quite wide enough?

Another superb bit of work - you are setting a very high bar, I'm thinking maybe I should just give up now!

Posted this morning on Tower Models' website: Good news from Dapol, we should hopefully receive later on today the first of the sound equipped versions of the 48xx/14xx/58xx 0-4-2 Autotanks. The delivery is expected later on in the day so we will get as many of them off today as we can but the majority will be despatched tomorrow. Those for numbering and weathering will be through to the workshop tomorrow night and should hopefully the first of them should be completed in the next ten days or so.

Would something like this work? https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=horn&PN=RB-Model-Fittings-Foghorn-11x4mm-RB026114.html#SID=770

Just thought some of you good folk might be interested in a period bus model - I've been looking for something suitable for a while and I happened to come across this diecast model from RIO while browsing the web earlier in the week. Mine was delivered yesterday, but @Jason Pape beat me to posting a photo, so I've linked to his post in another thread (hope that's ok?): I thought it would look good done out in GWR colours and insignia ... For anyone who's interested, it's a RIO #20 - Fiat Omnibus BL18 (1915).

By coincidence I have just bought exactly the same model this week - I thought it would look the part repainted into Great Western colours. It's a very nice model and very reasonably priced. RIO #20 - Fiat Omnibus BL18, 1:43 scale (7mm).

After a bit more research I think Minerva have got the buffer beam rivets spot on. I think the font used for the Fox transfers might be a bit too heavy and possibly a fraction too large as well? This page http://www.gwr.org.uk/liveriesloco1906.html (about half way down) appears to support Fox's use of yellow rather than dull gold (seemingly contradicting GW Way), but compare the weight of the font used by Didcot on Lode Star with those in my images above. I'll wait until I've received the GS transfers before deciding my next step.

Those two photos look very realistic. Had to look twice at the first one to check if it was real or model. Really nicely done.

Maybe I should grind the offending bumps off (or just down a bit) so the transfers are flat and don't look distorted from different angles? I'd be concerned about making a total bosh of it though...

A comparison with the Dapol 57xx and Lionheart 64xx: The Fox numerals appear quite a bit larger and thicker than the Dapol ones, and certainly a lot yellower and brighter. Time to do the bunker end: Again I cut the numerals as close as I dared, only to find I needed to shave even more off: This is all I'm using: First (last) three digits on, and you can see that the next 8 has to go over those two humungous rivets: The eight at the other end is also on to equally big rivets: From a few different angles: I've put some Microsol ("Softens decals to conform to irregular surfaces; For a "painted on" look") on front and back so I'll leave that overnight to see if it helps. Overall I'm not too pleased with my efforts because apart from straight on the numbers are quite distorted, and even if they weren't they are still too big and too yellow compared to the other engines. I checked Great Western Way and discovered that from 1940 onwards the GWR changed buffer beam numbers from gold to yellow. After 1940 the numerals were 6" high but I couldn't find an equivalent dimension for the earlier numbers. It appears that the Fox numerals are the 1940-1947 version? I looked at the HMRS transfers, but it's a bit galling to fork out that much for a sheet of transfers of which 95% will be useless to me, but maybe I'll have to. Searching online I came across GS Model Supplies (Geoff Stait), who do 7mm GWR numerals, so I've ordered some of theirs to try. If they look a better size and colour then I'll remove this attempt and re-do them. Are there any other suppliers of 7mm GWR buffer beam numeral transfers?

I notice that the C&L website now lists four options for 7mm fishplates: 7FP101A: Plastic, 24 for 12 track joints 7FP101B: Brass, 12 for 6 track joints 7FP101C: Etched Nickel Silver, 12 for 6 track joints 7FP101D: Etched Nickel Silver reinforced rib, 12 for 6 track joints full wrap round style Currently no photos of these last two. Does anyone know if these are "H" style, like the Exactoscale ones?