A. Bastow

Back at the digital workbench after another hiatus - at least this enforced break was shorter than the last. Back on with doing the LMS D1659 brake van to 2mm scale. Just got a few lamp irons to do but that'll go fairly quickly. They need to go on the outside of the roof supports on the sides, and another on the roof support in front of the door. I haven't decided whether I'll put some guide holes in for wire handrails yet... I think it looks alright considering I did it from an outline drawing. I have modelled it to photos from Essery's book on LMS wagons. The plan for the chassis: I have decided to try and cut and shut one of the 8 brake shoe fitted chassis from shop 2 and slightly lengthen it to 12ft WB. I'll have to see if it looks the part once printed! Other projects have been bubbling away in the background too but I'm not ready to share those just yet!

Massive thanks for the reply. It does allow you to model a cab interior properly if you so wish!

Jim! I'm watching this thread with interest as I am planning a 4-4-0 in future (L&Y outline of course). Is there any particular reason that your motor and gearbox is arranged below the footplate? I am curious as to the design choice. Cheers, Adam

Is it by Recreation21? The boiler should be hollow to let you put some weight into the loco, plus any weights that you'll be able to squeeze in between the frames. You might need to make your chassis a bit narrower to accommodate a gear tower but that's about it. My L&Y class 28 steam loco was a printed one and it runs nicely - albeit with an etched chassis. Maybe the generic one supplied by Bob Jones or the association would work for a J27? Worth a look. Adam

Not worked on anything substantial in a while and after acquiring yet another loco (and accompanying chassis) etch, thanks to Dr Nick and Mr Hunt, I decided to move some things on that have been in my "in progress" box for a while. Two LSWR 6 wheeled carriages that I acquired from Andy Hanson - one from Derby last year and the other via the post after chatting to Andy at one of the L&Y meetings when he looked at me quite surprised when I produced the etch that he had put on the bring and buy. Both are of Etched Pixels provenance and both reside on some 6 wheeled chassis by Eastern and Midland Models. These were really my first go at doing some etched carriage kits. Asbestos fingers were definitely required for them! Or do I need to adapt my working methods? I'm sure I know which one I should do... Interiors still need adding but for now they can trundle around on a layout somewhere- probably on Yeovil when I go to visit Laurie Adams at the next NMAG meeting. Looking at that photo in all its enlarged glory I can see that one of the buffers is askew - need to fix that. With a bit of momentum behind me I also decided to build something else that wasn't to L&Y outline. Some MR wagons from parts in the 2mm shop(2). This is the first of two - the other being a 3 plank wagon with what looks like falling sides. I have one more etch without a top to play with. The midland railway study centre has some drawings on their website so the plan is to pick one of those to fit the midland 9ft WB chassis and draw it up for 3d printing. After these it'll probably be back on to an LMS brake van for 3d printing to diagram 1659. This is where it is at the moment. The plan is to use one of the 8 shoe fitted chassis etches from shop 2. The print will include cosmetic solebars and headstocks. The chassis will be used for the fold up bits and for the bearings, coupling mounts etc. - everything needed to make it functional. It's been nice to do some modelling after nearly two months of doing not much at all really - as always the pressures of life get in the way!

Thanks folks… not sure about them then if they are intended for a peco chassis- as nice as they might look. I’m actively trying to avoid acquiring anything in N! I might help clear out the etched van bodies instead.

Hi John, As long as you're sure it's the 9' MR chassis! I guess I'll have to get my order together soon then. Cheers

Morning all, Just been looking at some of the wagon kits on the 2mm Shop - namely the outside framed MR van 2-580. There are no chassis suggested for it or buffers and I can find very little information after a quick google. Has anyone else built some of these and which chassis and buffers did you use please? Or is there something that I've missed somewhere that lists the required parts? It's not listed on the LMS wagon parts list given in other parts of the wagon shop. Any help is greatly appreciated. Adam

That’s kind of what I was aiming at with my original question. I don’t necessarily want to make money from it. I just wanted to gauge how others did it as I didn’t want a pile of etches sitting around that weren’t getting put to use, gloat box notwithstanding! Like in my reply to Bruce, I suppose the way forward is to have made what I need and offer the excess to members.

Thanks for the replies. A test build goes without saying! At least in my book. I did wonder whether folks put feelers out for how many people would be interested in a particular kit. It seems then as you say Nigel that the best way would be to produce for myself and offering the excess for sale. I guess I’ll have to prepare some other bits to do a full sheet test etch. Cheers, Adam

Hi all, I have designed a kit for an L&Y 21' Covered Carriage Truck. The body is 3d printed and the chassis is an etch. How much demand do you think there is and would it be unreasonable of me to ask for indications of interest before the etch is sent to production? Or would it be better for me to order just a single sheet of the etch and see how it goes, ordering more as demand increases? Cheers, Adam

Low Moor was an L&Y station and almost certainly would have been serviced purely by the L&Y. There was an engine shed there as well.

Hi Simon, I’ve had a look in the L&Y wagons book by Noel Coates. It seems the Dia.71s didn’t last very long into the LMS. Some stragglers may have persisted until the end of the 1920s. The other two types (the covered goods) did persist into BR albeit sparingly, but were almost definitely broken up in the mid 50s. Some did survive under private ownership. Hope that helps! Adam

Afternoon everyone. I've been working away at my actual workbench and my virtual workbench over the last few months and figured that I should share my progress, while I wait for a delivery of bits to finish other projects off. So I've been working on one of Nigel Hunt's Radial Tank etches. This was my first "proper" full etched kit. It was an enjoyable challenge and I'm looking forward to building the other kits that I've bought from Nigel. Two more radial tanks to follow as well as one of the L&Y 0-8-0s. The photo is from the start of July. I did manage to get the roof on as well and spend some time drawing up the dome for 3d printing. As Dr Nick has pointed out in his video on the 2mmSA channel, the dome supplied by N Brass isn't quite right - Nigel kindly shared the drawings with me. I'll have to do a follow-up post when I get it printed. I've also been working on some more L&Y wagon designs (intended for the chassis kits provided by the association) as well as an L&Y CCT, for which I'll probably draw up an etch for the chassis. I have a mind to have a go at drawing up an etch for the 6 wheeler milk trucks that the L&Y had, as well as the horseboxes (both from Tatlow's book) and the 6 wheeler well/implement wagon. I also want to have a go at doing some carriage sides, ends and roof for non-corridor LMS period 1 stock - there's some outline drawings in the Jenkinson carriage book that I have. I find that the problem with doing the model railway stuff, especially designing things, that sometimes it's a bit of a black hole that you can just easily disappear into.

Hi Jim. You’re right, weight was a concern. The boiler has been filled with lead and there’s plenty of space to fill inside for extra, including between the chassis frames and in the firebox. The tender does need a bit of weight adding to it as well. All to come!