Pylon King

Another from late 1972 , sadly the book never made it to the printers. 

Recently looked through a few more photos from the Rovex Studio Archive  .  This one dates from autumn 1970  , although part of the Track Plans Book /1971 catalogue layout , it has never been featured in any  publication .

Quick photo shoot at Kernow Models Guildford today.

1 hour ago, Right Away said:

Hi PK, absolutely stunning models.

Considering having a bash myself; there are many pylons of differing types in my area for reference. 

Having to order the materials online, I would you be able to recommend which of the various Evergreen angle strips to buy.

Utility poles  poles are another option to model which are generally far easier to scratch build.

On 29/08/2021 at 10:31, Right Away said:

Hi PK, absolutely stunning models.

Considering having a bash myself; there are many pylons of differing types in my area for reference. 

Having to order the materials online, I would you be able to recommend which of the various Evergreen angle strips to buy.

Many thanks.

For lower voltage models (33-132kV) I would recommend using 2mm angle (outer) with 1.2mm angle (inner) for the tower corners , double bracing will make them far more stable as the plastic tends to expand/contract when bonded . The majority of cross bracing uses 1.6mm angles which are manufactured  by Plastruct . 

Severn Models brass kit photos.

On 25/08/2021 at 05:57, Waka said:

Hi there, brand new to this group.....I have a 10 year old grandson who is on the autism spectrum....he is totally obsessed with anything to do with power transmission line equipment especially pylons.  I have made him several power pole and line models about 300mm high and would like make his a pylon or two.  Trouble is I cant find any plans or templates to assist me and I'm at a loss as to type of material to use...I would think wood is the best.  Can anyone help please.

The Science and Industry Museum Manchester website have a few CEB pylon design drawings from 1928 . They make excellent templates should you want to scratch build them . The finished models are in 1:76 scale and made from Plastruct/Evergreen Plastics.

N gauge scratch built spotted at the Astolat open day 21st August..

1:76 scale 400kV National Grid maintenance team still hard at work.

A couple more 66/33kV model photo’s .

On 08/07/2021 at 14:52, dhdove said:

Hi All

Newbie here, first post!

I’m a plastic modeller of many years who’s built my first OO DCC sound layout in lockdown. It’s modern day and focussed on the Bristol area freight, industrial and nuclear movements.
I saw this kit and was excited as I’ve already built my first pylon (laser cut, cheap and went together easilly) and I hadn’t previously found a “UK” substation.

Oh dear, I’m disappointed.

I don’t think it’s U.K., possibly US or continental, round transformers don’t look right and definitely not the colours shown on the box lid. 
The instructions are terrible, poorly printed vague drawings which give little idea of exactly how parts fit together. There appear to be colour call outs in letters but these aren’t referenced anywhere, either in the instructions or on the box.
The plastic isn’t exactly Hornby  bendy vinyl but it’s getting there. Lots of ejection pin marks. The “assembled” picture on the back of the box doesn’t match the instructions. Given that it’s not a U.K. installation I wonder whether it’s really OO scale, I suspect it’s probably HO, which is a bit naughty given the box is labelled as ‘OO scale”.

I was so dissapointed I emailed Gaugemaster yesterday and received a rapid reply saying they had referred my comments to their product development team, I await their response.

 

So here’s my question.

Given the massive advances over the last twenty years or more by plastic injection moulded kit manufacturers, Tamiya, Wingnut Wings, Airfix, etc. etc. Why are railway modellers so poorly served with third grade ancient kits?

The Hornby kits are generally appalling in my experience, absolutely awful, terrible vinyl plastic, loads of flash, 

and seem to date generally from the fifties and sixties?

Others don’t seem much better.

Why is that?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

V Best and Hi!

TonyS

 

 

   The Gaugemaster kit was originally produced by  North American company Atlas and is indeed 1:87 scale . With  prototypical British power grid infrastructure in 1:76 scale , modellers have generally  had limited options .
   Severn Models and N-SCENIC produce brass/laser cut products which greatly reduce costs . Substations are more or less non existent with only Hornby and Bachmann focusing on 11kV and third rail structures while P&D Marsh have a 132kV  substation , sadly only available in N .

  The most logical reason is down to production costs ,as substations tend to be rather complex structures , affordable injection tooling would be prohibitive.  

1:76 scale 132kV  ‘polons’ , very prolific on the British landscape but rarely featured in the modelling world.

On 22/01/2021 at 09:50, Howard Smith said:

*220-page bumper digital edition, including Traction 250 November/December 2020 for Pocketmags readers

***Digital edition includes bonus galleries, additional features, and video extras.***

 

Many say that January can be a long month, well, here's a little something we hope you'll enjoy reading in the evenings to cure your lockdown boredom –  welcome RMwebbers to the latest issue of BRM magazine! Plus, if you're a BRM subscriber (print or digital), you'll have access to BRM TV featuring: Hartley Poole Too (N), solving common electrical problems with points, and landscaping with polystyrene.

 

Digital editions are available to download now from pocketmags.com/BRM and arrive in stores from January 28. 

 

Inside all versions of the March 2021 issue you'll find:

 

Amalgamated Wagon Works (O)...

 

Hartley Poole Too (N)...

 

Peterborough North (OO)...

Practicals this month cover:

 

Weathering Heljan's Class 07 (OO)...

 

Soldering an etched pylon kit (N)...

 

 

 

Getting started in N gauge finescale...

 

Painting a backscene...

 

 

And, making a timber yard diorama...

Plus, don't miss our reviews of Hornby's new pre-grouping coaches (OO)...

Accurascale's JSA wagons (OO)...

Bachmann's Class 20/3 (OO)...

 

And, Graham Farish's 'Parrot' wagon (N)...

 

We also share the latest model railway gear to arrive in the office, highlights from Hornby's 2021 range announcements, news, and more!

 

* Digital edition copies include an extra layout in the shape of 'Hartley Poole Too's' predecessor, also in 'N', 'Hartley Poole', plus the bonus articles:

• Creating better backscenes
• Weathering a Hornby Standard 4 locomotive (OO)
• Designing and building a water tower (4mm:1ft scale)

 

Digital editions are available to download now from pocketmags.com/BRM and arrive in stores from January 28.

 

With their additional features, now's the best time to try digital. Why not download a free trial copy of BRM? Visit pocketmags.com/BRM take it for a free trial.

 

Happy reading and viewing folks!

H

 

 

Great article covering constructing the Severn Model pylon kit back in March  . I’ve scratch built quite a few 1:76 scale pylon models using the original CEGB/National Grid blueprints/drawings for accuracy, very time consuming but worth it , all are British designs .

400kV maintenance still ongoing .

Auhagen kit .

 Another model , this 1:76 scale British sub was constructed back in the 1960’s .

11 minutes ago, zarniwhoop said:

Is that East Worthing ?  If so, I used to walk over the bridge in the early years of this century (at a time when my interest in model railways had lapsed) but my impression is that the bridge side was too high to even think of trying to take a photo.

 

No it probably isn't - seems to be too much of it (too long). So where is it, pretty please ?

 

ĸen

East Worthing .

Took a  photo featuring the sub at Basingstoke which is situated between the mainline and National Grid substation.

Hornby Scaledale  11kV version. 

Only Hornby (Scaledale 11kV) and Bachmann (Scenecraft SR 3rd rail) have produced dedicated British designs in 1:76 scale  while the  P&D Marsh (132kV) sub is available in N.

8 hours ago, spamcan61 said:

I figured it was probably re-boxed Faller,  but a quick online search only revealed this Faller one, which looks quite different:-

 

https://www.jadlamracingmodels.com/faller-transformer-station-model-kit-iii-ho-gauge-130958/?gclid=CjwKCAjw8cCGBhB6EiwAgORey5URHvdF9Jl1ubOy8TxbgaLfTS7p2WXMyhcn_o3-1keb8hfUFDn6EBoCw7QQAvD_BwE

 

...and this more showbiz Kibri one with lighting:-

 

https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/Landscape+&+Decoration/Trade+&+Industry/Kibri-39840/gb/modell_35419.html

It appears to be originally made by Atlas .

14 hours ago, Zomboid said:

There are no proper power transformers in the kit, so that particular substation doesn't supply any OLE. The configuration is all 3 phase as well, and AC railway supplies are mostly single phase - autotransformer supplies as found in a few places are two phase, but are also fitted with massive transformers.

 

As traction supplies are often located in multi purpose substations you might find some of the stuff in that Fordhampton kit at a site which supplies the OLE (or DC network), it does not include any of the components actually used for the railway.

 

Traction substations are much smaller. Most of them use indoor switchgear, and those that don't are much smaller because 25kV clearances are much smaller than shown.

No  doubt there’s a degree of modelling license in this kit ,.

7 hours ago, Hibelroad said:

I must say that the kit does not look much like a UK substation to me. Generally speaking outdoor switchgear would be found in a Grid substation, one where the high voltage (400kv/275kv/132kv) is transformed to 33kv for distribution in a town or larger conurbation. The 33kv output would feed Primary substations which might be two outdoor transformers but indoor switchgear, relay room etc. This would distribute power at 11Kv to more local distribution substations, again usually indoors with indoor switchgear. The output would be 415v 3 phase for local distribution. Outdoor gear is seen in rural and semi rural areas but the large stacks of insulators in the kit suggest high voltages as found at Grid subs and these are large affairs and would feature much large transformers than appear in this kit.. 

Originally this was probably manufactured abroad under a different brand ,especially as Gaugemaster’s Fordhampton range also features a few ex Hornby kits too.  In terms of off the shelf British prototypical substation models , very little appears to have been produced .