snitzl

Modifications and detailing on Neilson & Co 0:4:0 Coffee Pot. After reading other modellers blogs, its seems that quite a few of us are plaqued with infinished projects syndrome, with incomplete models littering our shelfs. In my case, I had scratchbuilt 16 locos and 5 remained unfinished, so a decision was made to try and get some of them transferred to the done section. This scratchbuilt model of the coffeepot was started some 30 years ago, but because of its racehorse like running qualities was put aside and forgotten for a few months, then years. This just might have been a lesson in ' is it worth scratchbuilding a loco when you have very little information '. This is yet another loco built to run EM gauge that needed modifying to P4. During the initial dismantle of the loco, I was a little surprised with the lack of gearbox and method I'd used for the drive. If memory serves, the boiler had been turned on a lathe and bored out so that the tiny ECM motor was a nice snug fit inside, then a worm and wheel were made that had the same centres as the drive axle / boiler on the model. The boiler was turned to just over a millimeter oversize to accomodate the ECM motor which later caused problems with interference between the suspension springs, reverse lever and boiler. The model was originally built to a simple drawing found in F.C Hambleton's book, Locomotives Worth Modeling, but when making present day comparisons with the model there were differences with the splashers and steps. Recent investigations have revealed that variations did indeed exist with regards to splashers, chassis, steps, rear cab and no doubt, quite a few more, not to mention later revamp modifications to the boiler, coal bunkers and enclosed cabs. Snitzl. Thanks for Looking.

Geabox Madness illustrates the construction of different gearbox types. How many modellers do you know that make a closed gearbox for an Adams B4 only to find that the motor intended for use with the gearbox has packed in, a modification is made to the gearbox to later find that the unit will not fit in the intended B4 without surgery to the boiler, a start is then made on a cradle type gearbox only to find the same, the end solution on the B4 can be viewed in another blog. This blog follows the construction of a simple enclosed gear box, an open cradle type gearbox both with a P4 50:1 gear wheel and a 2BA screw for the worm, the third gearbox is an open frame type gearbox utilising gears extracted from some old sigma camera lenses. Snitzl.

Ever wanted to make your own worm and gear wheel ?. Here's how to make a simple 30:1 worm and gear along with a home made gear cutter, both lathe and milling machine were used in the process. Snitzl.

Scratchbuilt Em to P4 conversion with wheel rim turning for this L.S.W.R. class B4 Dock Tank. This second installment of Snitzl Works section covers the conversion of a scratchbuilt Adams B4 in EM gauge to P4. The original model was built way back in the early 1980's to standard gauge and a few years later converted to EM, so its taken a while to build up enough enthusiasm to do this final conversion. Snitzl.

Brief introduction and Wheel Quartering Jigs . Snitzl Works blog will illustrate and describe my efforts into modifications and scratchbuilding of rolling stock / locomotives along with all the sub assemblies / components such as gearbox's, gears, worms, wheels, motor bogies, wheel quartering jigs and will also include all the trials and tribulations that can sometimes occur along the way, so perhaps this blog should be a guide on how not to modify and scratchbuild locomotives. I realise that this blog will only attract a handful of rmweb members but I'd rather present these projects than stop blogging altogether. Brief History : First loco was scratchbuilt using very basic tools in a fashion described by John H Ahern in his book 'Miniature Locomotive Construction', later models were constructed with the aid of an emco unimat SL which with its accessories can perform as a lathe, milling machine and pillar drill. Time has moved on and I now have a workshop complete with traditional engineering workshop machines ( mainly company retro throw outs ). I started sratch building loco's in the early 1980's to the more common gauge of 16.5mm but after a few years a change to EM gauge was made and this involved modifying six locos to the new gauge. A few years later a change from EM gauge to P4 was made and this involved modifying fourteen locos to the new gauge, three of which have still to be done. Signs of this modification can be seen on some locos in the gallery, you'll notice brass chassis, painted body combination . Although I use the term 'scratchbuilt', all loco's have commercial motors and most have commercial wheels and gears. All rolling stock has a fully compensated chassis system as described in Mike Sharmans book 'Flexichas' , which is essential for reliable running in any gauge with true scale tyre profiles. I hope that this blog will encourage others to venture into this most rewarding side of the hobby. The most influential sources of information on locomotive construction was a set of articles by Guy Williams in Model Railway Constructor which were later combined to produce a book : Model Locomotive Construction in 4mm Scale by Guy Williams. see also : The 4mm Engine - A Scratchbuilder's Guide - R.Guy Williams. Snitzl.

Walls Traverser Cover - Part 2. This is part two of the 'Walls Traverser Cover' which was started last February and has taken at least 1260 hours to construct. Details of construction covered in part one are not repeated in this blog so illustrations move on rapidly. The model is virtually a micro, multi layered layout modelled in styrene. This blog also covers details of the traverser with its extruded aluminium tracks, mechanical switch and end of board track protection. Snitzl.

Walls Traverser Cover - Part 1. It was only last February that I thought to myself that Snitzl Town only required a traverser and transportation rack to finish, then I could get on with some rolling stock modelling. Thinking about the traverser, instead of using two pieces of plywood to hide the traverse sidings from the viewing public, what about an actual model of stone walls and walkways. Searching the internet for ideas with search terms such as ' fantasy castle ', ' stone walkways ' revealed little, but I did discover a few pictures of Bramhope Tunnel , Leeds, which became the starting point for the 'Walls Traverser Cover'. Don't know how many Blogs this traverser Cover will take, here is Part 1. Snitzl.

Harbour Cranes for Snitzl Town. Detailing continues for Snitzl with the addition of two types of yard crane and a warehouse pole crane. Images of these types of crane were collected from the web by searching google images. The model types chosen were Ratio's Yard Crane, Mikes Models GWR yard crane and a real world warehouse pole crane. A majority of the work was done by hand but a few components required lathe turning, milling, dividing head and bench drilling. Snitzl.

The Boat Warehouse Scene. The boat warehouse scene covers construction of two simplified boats, packing cases, warehouse crane, timber fence and a couple of items covered in previous blogs. The water is still receiving repeated coats of varnish and PVA, as suggested in the RMWEB forums. Further attempts were made at moulding street lamps as covered in the 'Cab Shelter Scene' blog which resulted in one more street lamp for this scene. Its worth a mention that the water clear resin used for this purpose has not hardened as expected and retains a certain amount of flexibility somewhat similar to liquorice. Snitzl.

Cab Shelter Scene. This blog features a horse drawn cabbies shelter, stone paving, winter tree's, shrubs, street lamp and a little more. In particular, the street lamp has been a bit of a problem. Initially, I wanted to mould the lamp in water clear resin with fibre optic running through the base and stand but found it impossible to fill the mould completely. Moulding one street lamp per day, cutting the feed deeper and thinking, might have to addopt an alternative approach. Snitzl.

Lineside Odds and Sods Here we have a collection of small modelling projects that have kept me busy for the past few weeks. Most of these projects were inspired by a series of articles found in Model Railways Magazine by Nelson Twells, Roy Anderson and Gregory Fox. Included are : LMS Lamp Hut - February 1977. LMS Mileposts - March 1977. LMS/BR Concrete Lineside Bin - April 1977. LMS Sandbox - May 1977. LMS Sidings Gates - October 1977. also LMSR Time-table and Poster Boards - November 1970 - Model Railway Constructor - V.R.Anderson and of unknown origin : buffer stops and loading gauge. Snitzl.

Here is yet another illustrated guide through the construction methods used on Snitzl's market stalls. In all, ten similar stalls were built and modelled in styrene with bread, pies, flowers, biscuits, meat, books, dishes and vegetables made from various materials. A simple brass injection mould tool made years ago was used for wheel production and the small empty crates are modelled in 10 thou brass. Construction of the simple brass mould tool will be covered in a future blog. Inspired by photographs from the real world and a product sold as 'SS37 Market Stalls' by Will's. Snitzl.

Here is yet another illustrated guide through the construction methods used on Snitzl's low relief warehouses. Inspiration for all three warehouses comes from a similar brick structure found on Peter Denny's Buckingham. Area's of construction lacking detail are covered comprehensively in other blogs. Thanks for Looking..

Harbour Walls and Warehouse. Here is an illustrated guide through the construction methods used on Snitzl's 12 foot harbour wall, step ladders, mooring rings, mooring bollards and warehouse. A little time has been spent adding variations to the plain stone walls with bulging / multi-layered stonework. Inspiration for the warehouse comes from both Dave Shakespeare's canal tunnel on Barden Road, featured in Model Rail - April 2003 and the front cover of a Langley Models brochure. Thanks for Looking...

Warehouses - Three of a kind. Warehouses - Three of a kind, has taken over 500 hours to model with an end result that recurs time and time again for me. It seems strange that some buildings modelled look perfectly fine on the workbench, but when placed in situ on the layout, they don't seem to belong. Again, inspiration for the warehouses was taken from photographs of Tregarrick MKIV by Iain Rice in Model Railway Constructor - May 1980 and Model Railways - January, February 1981. The Warehouses are presented in the usual snitzl step by step pictorial approach which is very handy for me when making three almost identical buildings. Two of the buildings are based upon Iain's originals whilst the third is a variation with a tower. Most area's of construction are covered in this blog but some parts that lack detail are covered comprehensively in other blogs. Thanks for Looking...

The Works or Halfwits Wondrous Wagon Works. The works is a small wagon / loco repair shop, managed by Jack Halfwit, that services the rolling stock of Snitzl. Comprises of three small buildings, water tower, hoist and pit. Most, if not all the inspiration for "The Works" was taken from photographs of Tregarrick MKIV 1980 by Iain Rice in Model Railways February 1981. 'The Works' is presented here as a complete project with the usual snitzl step by step pictorial approach. Thanks for Looking...

Servo Mod Point Motor. Following on from my previous episode with radio controlled servos as point motors, it did eventually dawn on me that there might be a way of using servo's without the electronic drive and sensing circuitry. A stripped down servo is made up of three main components :- 5volt dc motor. Precision spur gear box. Small PCB with electronics and sensor. By discarding the electronics and sensor, it should then be possible to utilise both the motor and gearbox in a point motor design. Why use a Servo ?. Servo's have been around in Radio Control for a long time and there are plenty of 2nd hand on ebay. The motors come in 3 pole, 5 pole, 7 pole and coreless with spur gears in metal or plastic that are precise with next to / or zero backlash. Gearbox and motor are fully enclosed with very little noise in operation and they come in different sizes. Snitzl.

Kimberley - Signal Box. Built for Ilkeston Woodside MRC's 00 / 4mm layout of Kimberley ( G.N.R. / L.N.E.R. / Midland Railway ). Just a few illustrations following the construction of this Great Northern Signal Box. Construction of the model was initially similar to the small timber station building posted previously, however, the interior of this building has been partially modelled so that furnishings can be added when required. The roof has been made detachable for this reason. Construction is mainly 0.5mm and 1.0mm styrene sheet with a little 10 thou brass for the walkway brackets. Area's of construction that lack detail are covered comprehensively in other blogs and this will be the format for future blogs. Snitzl.

Kimberley - Small Timber Station Building. Built for Ilkeston Woodside MRC's 00 / 4mm layout of Kimberley ( G.N.R. / L.N.E.R. / Midland Railway ). Here are a few illustrations following the construction of this part timber station building. The original building was constructed by the Great Northern Railway in 1876 and early photographs show wood panels down to ground level, later pics show bricks had replaced the timber from below the windows. Construction of the model involved accurate marking and cutting of mainly 0.5mm styrene sheet with the aid of a rule and digital vernier. The timber front panel is a little out of square, which I blame on an engineers square bought at a car boot sale. The error was only noticed when window and timber layers were glued together and I decided to live with it. Area's of construction that lack detail are covered comprehensively in other blogs and this will be the format for future blogs. I must point out that my blogs are a record for myself of how I have created models for kimberley or Snitzl and its a added bonus when other modellers find them of interest. Snitzl.

Timber Goods Shed for Kimberley. Built for Ilkeston Woodside MRC's 00 / 4mm layout of Kimberley ( G.N.R./ Midland Railway ). Here are a few illustrations following the construction of this timber goods shed and adjoining goods office. A small amount of Will's flexible brick sheet was used for a small area of brickwork in the office section of this building, the remainder was constructed from plain 0.5 and 1.0mm styrene sheet. Two photo's of the original building were available and alot ass-u-me's were taken during construction. It became clear with the addition of a third photo that an error was made on the chimney brickwork and images of this modification are included. Snitzl.

Three Buildings for Kimberley. Built for Ilkeston Woodside MRC's 00 / 4mm layout of Kimberley ( G.N.R./ Midland Railway ). Here are a few illustrations following the construction of two small weighbridge buildings and a small goods shed. Laminations of 0.5mm plain styrene sheet and Slaters embossed plastic were used for the body shells, while electrical wire was used for the downpipes and brackets. Special focus is given to the lintels and step by step illustrations as to how reasonable lintels can be created without reverting to milling and dividing heads. Snitzl'

Trestle Bridge. Based on Wickham Bishops trestle bridge over the river Blackwater with slight variations, this is a step by step guide to modelling the main components of this bridge in styrene sheet. The stone supports at either end of the bridge are briefly covered and further details of their construction can be found in Random Stone Walls. The bridge itself, is a fairly straight forward bit of model making ideal for the beginner. Most of the trestle bridge is constructed from 3.0mm styrene sheet, which when cutting is scalpel marked in the usual way, secured in a suitable vice with scalpel mark aligned to the top of the jaw and bent to create a break. Snitzl.

Lattice Footbridge and Steps. Based on a G.N.R. foot bridge that existed at Kimberley station,nottingham, this is a step by step guide to modeling the main components of this bridge, from styrene sheet. The stone support structures for this bridge are not included in this build because similar structures of that type have already been covered in other blogs. The build method is very similar to an earlier construction for Kimberley Station, with slight alterations due to lessons learned from that model. The earlier foot bridge had weak points between the handrail sides and steps that required repair from time to time. The main stone structure that supports the steps is based on a bridge structure at Crediton Station in Devon.

The little people in 4mm scale. Creating figures in 4mm scale is a bit of a hit and miss affair for me. When sculpting the face, some figures turn out great, while others turn into real monsters. The initial sculpting is done in dental plaster or chalk from which a silicone rubber mould is created. From this mould is cast a white metal figure which is further detailed to become a 'master figure'. If multiple copies of the same figure are required, then a second silicone rubber mould is made from the 'master figure', and multiple copies taken from this. A process is also illustrated on how to make a silicone rubber multi cavity production tool for use with the centrifuge casting method. Most, if not all of the components used in this process are either home made or modified from other components, for instance, two parts of the centrifuge were actually once part of a mini alternator. Snitzl.

Servo Point Motors, yet another Snitzl Failure. Here's my short interlude with servos as point motors. Found a simple circuit on the internet and did a little research on servos and within days I was able to flick a switch and watch a servo move from one position to another, and whats more, the positions were adjustable. I know that there are control circuits available commercially, but I had to do this myself, using analog as apposed to digital. Re-wired what was necessary on the control panel and baseboard, made 10 servo circuits, installed them and initially everything worked perfect with super silence. Next ,turn up the controller and as soon as a loco moves, servos dancing / twitch. Put the relco unit on and all hell breaks loose, so its probably an interference thingymebob. If anyone has any suggestions as to what the causes might be, then please comment, it may help others that wish to go down this route, for me, I'll leave it a while. The illustrations below show construction for a servo bracket, the electronics and wiring. Snitzl.