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RedgateModels

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  1. RedgateModels
    Ok, the plan to use ndm/pacer couplings on the dev coach was a non starter. They were too long by about 5mm to give a consistent distance with the other cars. Here’s the dev coach to ndm compared with the tgf…..
     

     

     
    So the tgf couplings received a 2.5mm hole drilled as close to the blade end as possible
     

     
    and then shaped to approximate the ends. Here’s an untouched one and one I’ve attacked next to it. A lot shorter
     

     
    Fitted to the bogie, gap much more acceptable
     

     
     
     
  3. RedgateModels
    Things have moved on a bit since the last update. The body fabrication has been completed and the base coat of satin black applied. Buffer beams repainted (which are Hornby class 31 for info) and the body fittings replaced. Nothing left now other than tackle the lining 
     
    The chassis has also had black paint applied to the fabricated bits and so I could do an (almost) final assembly the cylinders had their red lining applied and satin varnished. Just need to get a Zimo sound decoder and 9F sounds before hard wring it all in.

     
    Last thing I indulged myself in a pretty pointless exercise of detailing up the cab a bit. Most will never be seen, but I'll know it's there
     

     
    The crew came with the donor 9F and were good enough to drop in without any further work.
     
    Hours of painstaking work with the Pressfix awaits .....................
     
     
  4. RedgateModels

    9MT - Lining Started

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Nothing else for it, the lining had to be started. Ease myself in, do the boiler bands first
     

     
    After this the problems started. I had forgotten that the HMRS/PC Models sheet 22 was originally drawn for LNWR locos not BR standards. The shapes really do not match the later locos. To compound this I'd used most of the useful bits off the two spare sheets I had on the last loco, which would have been the 2-8-2 Neverwazza. An order in is with Wizard Models for a couple more sheets.
     
    I'll crack on once they are in my possession.
  5. RedgateModels

    Wires

    By RedgateModels,

    I've been playing with lots of MERG stuff 
     

     
    The plan is to have full DCC control of the servo driven turnouts, but with push buttons on the side of the layout too, that's what the middle "PMP27" board does.  A fellow MERG member has ordered a load of proper PCBs for this circuit so that should help neaten it up a bit. Eventually I might produce my own single PCB which will neaten things up significantly as there is a lot of duplication on each PCB producing 5V supplies for the chips for a start ...
     
    The LEDs are very temporary helping me make sure that the PMP27 is working fine, but they can also be added to the edge of the board alongside the switches to indicate point position too
     
    As part of getting the PMP27 working I have invested in a PIC programmer, so I can now keep all my MERG projects up to date by rewriting the PICs when firmware updates are released.
  6. RedgateModels

    Trackwork #5

    By RedgateModels,

    So I set up the building board again, this time for the "plain" dual gauge track leading to the fiddle yard
     

     
    I did have an idea though that if I could make another fixed blade "crossing" I could move the NG track to the centre just before the fiddle yard exit to make it possible to have dual gauge cassettes that could be turned round ....
     

     
    Seems to work, I can always rip it out and make it plain if it causes trouble
     
    Here's the section in it's entirety
     

     
    Just got the plain standard gauge track siding to build and I'm only doing that as I've got no more code 75 flexi left
     
     
  7. RedgateModels
    Some trackwork finally!
     
    The handbuilt turnout section has been wired and fixed down along with the conveyor pit and associated road. Last night I got the tortuous looping curve section bonded down and started to look at the Peco Y that joins up to the boxfile. Slight deviation from the Templot plan for the curve as I had to straighten out the turnout exit to allow the Farish 0-6-0 chassis to run through. The road through the conveyor pit was always just a temporary placeholder as when I did the plan I had no real idea how the conveyor was going to sit
     

     
    As you can see, the Y is wired but not fixed down yet. I have modified both Y's removing the overcentre spring and adding a frog feed wire as relying on blade contact to power the frog as designed was not going to be reliable enough for me. The frog for the fixed crossing where the NG leaves the complex leading up to the Y will also be switched by the Y motor. So once the route is set from Y through to dual gauge section all will be good. For the Standard gauge track that leads onto the boxfile the Y will have to be reversed. This may change as I'm closely following developments at MERG where a new frog juicer design is evolving. If this is suitable I'll try it for the fixed crossing.
     
    Track is stuck down with runny Loctite Superglue, cured with Deluxe Materials Rocket Blaster cyano accelerator. Pin track in place, which is easy with 6mm of foam core underneath, flow the cyano around the sleepers, allowing it to flow underneath, then a quick zap with the Blaster, job done
     
    Getting closer to the point where the boxfile gets permanently stuck in position ......
     
  8. RedgateModels

    Trackwork #4

    By RedgateModels,

    Some more pottering about with trackwork went on over the weekend
     

     
    Culminating in the handbuilt section being  cleaned down and primed yesterday. Respaced the code 75 flexi to better match the rest of the track and removed the overcentre spring from the Y point as it will be servo operated.
     

     
    Some minor tweaking has since been carried out, if you look at the centre NG rail just before the single bladed turnout you can see the gauge is too wide. Good job this is soldered track as minor adjustments like this are pretty easy. Oh and that isolation gap that got missed just ahead of the tie bar has been put in too!
  9. RedgateModels

    Trackwork #3

    By RedgateModels,

    OK, first draft of the pointwork etc is done, some fettling to do but it's removed from the build board and had a quick clean. 
     

     
    Isolation gaps next and some wiring then I can test the running with a real loco or two!
     
    I'm also thinking about making the narrow gauge track move to the centre of the standard gauge, without sharing a rail etc towards the fiddle yard exit, then I can make dual gauge cassettes that can be rotated easily.
     
    Fire up Templot again!
  10. RedgateModels

    Trackwork #2

    By RedgateModels,

    Slow progress but getting there. Some changes from the Templot plan to reality but pretty close. It all looks a dog's breakfast at the moment as heat from the soldering and all that flux has made a mess of the tape etc holding the sleepers down. I'm sure it will all clean up and once painted will be okay
     

     

     
  11. RedgateModels
    The Class 3 tank engine sitting on my shelf gathering dust has been bugging me for some time. A somewhat impulse buy when I happened across Trains4U whilst around Peterborough with work.
     
    I didn't need it to complete the collection, I have my old faithful Triang/Hornby example that was really what got me "into" BR Standards.
     
    So, about that gap in my collection - the Class 3 Mogul 77xxx. Recent eBay bargains brought me an Airfix 76xxx kit and a Bachmann BR2 tender for less than 20 quid. So, I took the tank engine apart to see how much work it really would be to marry the bits together ...
     
    here's the chassis with the boiler resting on top
     

     
    and a shot of the boiler on it's own
     

     
    Quite a bit of work, hopefully the missing bits of boiler/firebox can be constructed from the Airfix kit, we shall see.
     
    There's also a dirty great groove along the boiler where the side tanks fitted in and even little holes to fill where the tank strapping located
     

     
    Nothing is set in stone yet, the 82xxx can be reassembled good as new at this point if I decide it's not a go-er. In that case I guess it's either a DJH kit or wait for Bachmann ......
  12. RedgateModels
    The boxfile has sat on the shelf since the Mansfield Show in March but I have plans for it! A Tim Horn 4ft x 1ft baseboard has been ordered and the boxfile will sit in the left hand corner of a new Welsh inspired colliery layout (Rhywbeth Pwll Glo?)
     
    here's the (very) rough plan
     

     
    It will feature some dual gauge trackwork with a narrow cutting leading to the right. Some sort of conveyor system will take spoil away with hopefully working tipper wagons etc.
     
    Oh and on holiday to Whitby last week I bought a couple of wagons from Dave Edge in Grosmont
     

     
     
  13. RedgateModels
    I've been making a few postings over the forum over the last few days asking for help with horn sounds etc for the class 15 and thanks to the preservation society's voutube channel I have managed to capture and chop around using Audacity to give me a couple of horn sounds. These were added to a standard ESU 16 cylinder diesel project.
     
    I know that it will not sound anything like the real thing, apart from the fact it's a disesel but hey, until the real thing is restoreed to running this is the best I can expect.
     
    Because of the transient nature of this sound project I was reluctant to hard wire the decoder so I substituted a spare 8 pin socket left over from my Crosti 9F project to the unpowered bogie instead of the Lenz Standard decoder that was there previously.
     
    The standard speaker would not fit between the fuel tanks and the bogie towers so a spare ESU twin speaker was fitted to the chip. Chip and speaker were black tacked to the underside of the loco roof and the decoder plugged into the socket. Pretty tidy job, and I can remove the decoder and plug in a different one at any time now
     
    Here's a few pics:
     

     

     

     
    I'll post a vid tonight to youtube for you all to pick holes in
     
    UPDATE:
     
    and here it is
     

  14. RedgateModels

    Am I Ready?

    By RedgateModels,

    Well, no, not yet. Some detailing to do but I do have a boxfile for the Mansfield Show this weekend lol. I will finish it off after the show, need a fiddle yard and people, pit props etc. 
     

  16. RedgateModels

    Catching Up

    By RedgateModels,

    After being a bit ill the last few days a bit of a catch up was in order yesterday. So building D was completed and the backscene added. This is a departure from the kit being an image of Linby Colliery gleaned from the internet, suitably sized and washed out in Photoshop to push it into the distance. It's a bit blurred but I think that helps with the false perspective too
     

  19. RedgateModels
    Well, another three evening sessions have now resulted in FULLY inset trackwork Building 1 is also stuck down.

    I'm going to sort the electrical connections next I think. I have my standard 2 pin din socket so any controller I have can be plugged in 
  20. RedgateModels

    Trackwork complete

    By RedgateModels,

    Just a quick entry before the forum goes down again at 1pm (which it didn't in the end!)
    Trackwork complete, wired up and tested. the wagon only tracks that run 90 degrees to the running lines are not powered though. The little 0-6-0 needs a run up to get over the turntables too!

  21. RedgateModels
    Here's building A about as far as I can get until track laying is completed.
     

     
    I've since added the doors, door rails and downpipes etc. Here's a couple of shots that show the modified rear entry through building A for a bit of OO9 track. The flaps at the back will be wrapped round the edges of the box file once the hole is cut
     

     

     
    No more updates until after I have got the y point and cork underpay at Warley....
     
    UPDATE:
     
    LEDs arrived yesterday, so I had a quick play to see how they looked
     

  22. RedgateModels
    We are having a Box File Challenge at next year's Mansfield Show, so as, Scalescenes have just released their box file kit I thought that with a few subtle modifications I could make another corner of Summat Colliery. This time it will be served by the internal narrow gauge system but with a section of standard gauge for exchanges etc.
     
    I already have a few lengths of "crazy track" so just need to get a narrow gauge Y point and I'm away.
     
    Here's how far I have got so far
     

     
    Can't do the trackwork/hardstanding etc yet as I've not got the point anyway.
     
    Summat Colliery has secured it's first traction too - a Peco Jeanette steamy
     

     
    Chassis is on it's way too thanks to eBay
  24. RedgateModels
    So at last the lighting rig and supports are complete, here's a couple of snaps of it in Fourgig East mode:
     

     

     
    and here's it for Summat Colliery - must get a new sign made!
     

     

     
    The shelves at the back were made from some off-cuts of UPC cladding I had lying around (as you do)
     
    So then as it was sunny etc I decided to get the static grass out and detail up the shed area
     

     

     

     
    Finally a shot of the shed/fiddle yard board in place
     

  25. RedgateModels
    Progress over Christmas
    The main body is painted, just need to add handrails and buffers etc. Cab roofs are stripped of details and are waiting for new roof vents and air horns.
     

     
    Main progress has been the bogies, pickups added and wired up so it now moves under its own power!
     
    Wheelslip is a big issue but once I've added a couple of pounds of lead it should be fine
     

     

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