hartleymartin

On 09/04/2024 at 00:23, Steven B said:

 

What era? 1950s would be different to 1980s

 

Steven B

Let's say 1950s. But, I suppose it is a good question to ask:

What were typical branch line formations of BR Mk1 Carriages, given that there would be variation by area/region, and over time. Let's say a typical formation for each decade. A 1950s formation, 1960s, formation and 1970s formation?

One question I would like to ask about the BR Mk1 stock is what was a typical consist for a branch line train? I imagine 3 carriages, one of them a composite one of them a brake carriage (probably in the middle) and another 2nd class of some sort?

Ian Futers' "Victoria Park" plan with 3-points is basically what you get on a prototype if you have a single-line version of the classic layout scheme "Minories." You just need to have both facing and trailing cross-overs on the approach to the station throat so that all platforms can be used for both up and down trains. If it is a single track line, you basically have an "Inglenook" with a kick-back siding.

You do have to take off the tank to remove the body. There are other screws from underneath to remove as well.

What type of couplers are you fitting?

A few months ago I set up some of the 1970s Atlas 2-rail track with 24" radius curves. I can confirm that 0-4-0s will happily run around those curves, include the Dapol Sentinel, Ixion Manning Wardle H Class, etc. I also have a Rivarossi DB Clas 80 which ran with no problems. If couplings are left loose enough, most four-wheel wagons will be pulled happily around these curves, but propelling them may be a problem when you get back to straights.

Would love to lay my hands on a few of the Rivarossi Virginia and Truckee carriages. Can't seem to find them anywhere though!

I recently ran some 1970s Vintage Atlas O gauge, which has 24" radius curves and points. Much to my surprise, British four-wheelers ran quite happily around these curves, hauled by locos such as the Atlas Plymouth 0-6-0 shunter, Heljan 03, Dapol Sentinel, Rivarossi DB Class 89 (0-6-0), and my Ixion Manning Wardle H Class. It helps if the buffers and couplings are sprung, but not 100% essential. I also have some 36" radius curves, which I might set up later. My Ixion Hudswell Clarke struggles a bit on 36" radius. It largely depends on your choice of prototype, and whether or not the model is made to allow for sharp curves.

I have a Dapol southern railway brake van that I would like to disassemble. I cannot find any screws or tabs to get the body off. Any suggestions?

https://www.Dapol.co.uk/products/7f-100-006-o-gauge-brake-van-sr-brown-red-small-letters-even-plank-55526?variant=43341527417055

Had an impulse purchase of a 1970s-era Atlas F9, some 40' Reefers, 40' Stock Cars and a couple of cabeese. One of each all shown here:

On 27/10/2023 at 10:03, Dava said:

Unbelievably its almost 10 years since this loco was exported to Aus! Always good to see it and to hear from Harleymartin. I haven’t acquired or molested an Atlas Plymouth since! They are becoming quite rare but at last I am working on a shortline project which could employ a hacked version.

I now own six of them. Four of them were obtained from the USA cheaply as a job lot because they all had missing/broken handrails and couplers. Two more were recently acquired new in original box! I had another one years back which I started converting to an 0-4-0, but whilst disassembled the drive train components were damaged which stalled the project.

Planot No.5 with extra hand-rails, brass door handles and "Dolly Parton" buffers. She is that powerful, I am sure she would demolish buffer-stops. I don't think it needs DCC sound. The huge motor growls as it crawls along.

I recently acquired a set of 1970s-era Atlas O gauge track. The type with 24" radius curves and points. I set it up with a Bachmann Controller on the floorboards and had the first ever opportunity to give a few locomotives a continuous run, including Planot No.5 ex Coney-Hill. Not photographed (yet) are a Lima O gauge 0-4-0 Diesel Shunter, Atlas 0-6-0 Plymouth Shunters (I now own 6 of them - how did that happen?) and my prized Manning Wardle H Class, NSWGR No.1021. Photos will follow in due course.

Planot No.5 in my posession gained some large sprung buffers, brass door handles for the side panels, and a couple of extra hand-rails. A little bit of extra weight was added under the nose to rectify a slight tendency to perform wheelies.

For a steam-lover, I have an inordinately large collection of small diesel shunters.

On 16/05/2023 at 13:52, Bill said:

The Impermanent Way is my current  modus operandi in layout building.  Every time trains run the track goes different places.  As part of this I am experimenting with using Maerklin C track for DC running.  A small operation with a pair if snips at each end of a piece of track and voila - AC becomes DC. ( I have yet to figure out what to do with points/turnouts... ) I was wondering if anyone else has any experience to share  in this field of experimentation?  C track is very versatile and to my eye has a pleasing profile.  Maerklin also make a useful range of accessories for it..

I am doing something similar and have purchased a quantity of Trix C Track. I would like to figure out the possibility of converting the Marklin C track to 2-rail as they do not produce a 3-way point in the Trix range at the moment. I was using Bachmann EZ-track for my "Floorboard Central" as I obtained a vast quantity of it very cheaply, but I am not pleased with the messing about for setting it up and packing it away.

It is terrible news that he passed away. My condolences to his family and friends.

15 hours ago, Jon Fitness said:

Ah, I raided the infamous bargain bits box on the Agenoria stand at a model railway exhibition. That's where the smokebox door came from too. I think they were all "seconds" from one of their Hudswell Clarke kits. I don't think it would still be possible as the Agenoria range passed to Ragstone Models although it maybe worth contacting them.

That was never going to be a possibility for me, living down here in the antipodes. But thanks, it may help me track down something appropriate!

I may have posted it elsewhere on RMweb, but I found a similar Australian prototype, which is the basis/inspiration for my own project. My own model will be about 10% over-scale I think, but I plan on something which captures the character of this little loco. I have no information on dimensions other than 37" Driving Wheel diameter and 12"x18" Cylinders.

On 01/01/2016 at 01:48, Jon Fitness said:

Right, here we go!

I got the black paint on (Halfords Matt Black spray), repainted the buffer planks and fitted the pipework. Once all the paints and glues were dry, I re-fitted the cab spec glasses (they were a good push fit) and stuck the name/number/worksplates on with double sided tape. Eager to "have a play" I fitted the body to the chassis and plonked it on the track. Sadly the chassis turned out to be a dud!

I took the chassis apart and checked everything.

The wiring loom for the chip was damaged so I removed it and wired the motor direct to the pickups

The pick ups were bent so they were removed, straightened and re-fitted.

2 axles were out of quarter and loose on the plastic bushes, so I re-quartered and loctited them

The 2 middle tubular/tapped crankpins were split so the crankpin bolts fell out after a few trips up and down the test track. I replaced these by pushing a 12BA bolt through the back of the wheel and fastening a nut against the crankpin. I thinned the nut down with a disc in the minidrill. Once I'd done all this it ran very nicely. Serves me right for buying dodgy second hand Ixion chassis'!!

Anyway the sun actually shone for an hour this morning so I took the opportunity to grab a few pics...

And just to show where I started from....

I think I can tick the box on this now! Great fun and I'm planning my next one now..Something with outside cylinders maybe?

Oh well, back to the signals.....

Jon F

JF

Apologies for the thread necromancy!

I now have a rather sad looking spare Hudswell Clarke which has given up lots of parts to keep other ones going. I am planning on doing a similar Canal-class conversion, but I do have to ask: What dome and chimney did you use?

Everything else I either already have or can obtain locally. The only two parts I need to obtain are the chimney and dome.

On 03/04/2023 at 05:48, New Haven Neil said:

I have Minerva, Lionheart and Dapol panniers which are perfectly happy on them, a Dapol Jinty, Minerva Victory (fitted larger buffers due to locking) and even a Lionheart/Dapol Prairie that buffer locks but runs fine through the points.  Some fitting of larger buffer heads to end vehicles in fixed rakes (4w coal wagons mostly) has also helped.

I am guessing that the buffer-locking is mostly an issue when propelling through S-bends? I've been doing some testing with set-track pieces and it is only S-bends (reverse curves) where it becomes an issue. Largely mitigated by some length of straight track between the two curves.

44 minutes ago, Barnaby said:

Hello Martin.

 

Now that is something I have been considering of late too.  A compact, but full of interest shunting plank but using set track  parts.

 

Ill mark this as one to watch.

I might start up my own O gauge thread for it. I've got my fingers in a few pies at the moment, with American On30 (slowly being Australianised) some British 7mm Standard Gauge and NSWGR 7mm Standard Gauge.

I have read comments elsewhere that the Panniers and Jintys don't seem to like these points, but the Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 and the 0-4-0s seem to do okay. I have a Sentinel and a Heljian 04 which I have not yet test run on these points.

The other day I bought the Peco O Gauge Set Track starter kit. I think they were on the money by providing a kit which is basically O gauge Inglenook layout in a box. I already own a pair of Set Track O gauge points, so I have a few extra options.

Is there a published list of the RTR locos known to operate on the points and curves successfully and any known issues with buffer-locking? Would like to know in advance where potential issues may arise.

I have a rather specific question about Soundtraxx regarding their TSU-2200 and BLU-2200 decoders.

I have read on some websites/blogs that whilst DCC decoders these days will happily run on DC Analogue, the presence of a Current-Keeper (Stay Alive/Keep Alive) can cause some issues when operating in this mode.

1.) Is this a real problem?

2.) Is it possible to hard-wire an isolating switch (micro slide-switch on floor of the tender) to isolate the capacitor to solve this problem?

I acquired a BLI C-16. And I have decided to back-date it to resemble a Queensland Railways C15 Class from the 1880s. First two items was to replace the original pilot with one that has a working coupler and a smaller tender more in keeping with the era. Both come from Bachmann and are for their On30 Mogul. I used an online article from the On30 Annual website as a guide for the pilot upgrade: https://on30annual.com/ditching-the-dummy/

I have written a more detailed account of process for "7th Heaven" which is the journal of the Aus7 Modeller's Group and it is due to be published in June. In the process, I did some research and edited the wikipedia articles to include historic images of the locomotives.

https://aus7.org/

Found some more Trix Tippers. I actually now have enough that I might put the couplings I saved back onto a couple of them and put them back into their original cardboard box so I can make them available to a collector.

What do you do when you have two Bachmann On30 Consolidations? Why, you double-head them of course!

I have to admit that I hate the "onion stack" on No.28 and will change it for a straight stack as soon as I get one.

16 hours ago, 34006 said:

Ah,yes.What is known as Sod's(or Murphy's) Law.Or as Parkinson put it,"Work expands to fill all available time."Or was it"Life's a bitch and then you die."

 

Take your pick.

 

Phil

I decided at the end of last year that I had to open up some more personal time for various forms of self-care. I managed to hand over my weekend job as a church organist (which I have had since I was at college) to someone else who I mentored for a couple of years. The weekend job as an organist was great when I was a student and when I was struggling to find regular work during the week, but now that I have weekday jobs coming out of my ears (I am a maintenance contractor) and I am doing night classes to get a trade certificate as a cabinet-maker/furniture-maker I decided I needed weekends back to myself. Except for Sunday mornings. I can spare an hour a week for my religion, but now I am no longer tethered to an organist's position, I can travel and visit historic churches!

Picked up my new airbrush, compressor and spray booth from the hobby supplier today. My On30 bashes will recommence because now I can get to painting!

Well, what else have I been spending all my money on? A Bachmann On30 4-6-0, Bachmann On30 Consolidations (2x), a couple more "collectable" On30 Moguls, Atlas 0-6-0 Plymouth Switchers (4x) and a few more Ixion Hudswell Clarke locos (how did I end up owning six of those?)

I am well stocked up on project items for a couple of years - next big purchase is a good airbrushing rig because I have resolved to finally paint all those models I've been building over the last 20 years and where applicable, I will be glazing and decaling them too!

I see that a lot of modellers only get "serious" in their late 30s when life settles down enough and there is a bit of disposable income again. In my late teens and early 20s I had all the time in the world, and no money. Now I have a bit of money to spend on trains, I seem to have hardly any time.