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RedgateModels

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  1. RedgateModels
    I am Christmas crackered but the woodworking is all done for the new lighting rig. I moved on from the last posting by adding the pelmet that for Fourgig East sits to the left of the public
     

     
    You will see that the support is set in 9" from the edge so that the bottom of the legs will not stick out beyond the nominal footprint of the layout - I have had them kicked too many times by neighboring operators to leave it as it was!
    I will have to add some packers to the key points on the underside of the layout to ensure all is level.
     
    Moving swiftly on to the shorter fiddle yard/shed road pelmet for Fourgig, to the right of the "centre" board as the public see it
     

     
    You can see my drive is not exactly level! Again the supports are set in 9" from the edge (nice car ....) The next pic shows the back of the pelmets and the method of dowelling the end ones onto the centre one.
     

     
    Finally I took the time to put further work into the left pelmet to make it so it fits on the right for Summat Collery
     

     
    The photo shows the rig in full "Summat" mode with the support on the left removed as the fiddle yard is non-scenic.
     
    So, just need to get the lights. I'm planning on led as they will be light (ho ho) and very low profile. I also need to have a mammoth painting session and get a sign made for Fourgig and Summat to velcro to the centre section.
     
    Back to work tomorrow for a rest
  2. RedgateModels
    Made a start today on the camping coach for 4gig. I'd already donated a section of the interior of a Lima mkI, so I set about the remainder with a razor saw.
     

     
    The remaining compartments will be a bathroom and 3 bedrooms, so the seating had to go.
     

     
    I then filed the remains of the seating from the compartment sides taking e molded taper away at the same time. You can see one compartment to go in the pic - showing the amount of material removed.
     
    Next steps will to be to fabricate a new floor and compartment walls from card. I have ordered some quarter scale dolls house furniture from America to fill the spaces
     
    Scalescenes interior textures have been downloaded for wooden floors, rugs etc
     
    Should be a fairly quick makeover (he says)
  3. RedgateModels

    Servoset II

    By RedgateModels,

    The signals on Fourgig East are driven by MERG servo driver boards that for now are set-up using a laptop and the appropriate software. However lugging an ancient laptop (it still has a 3.5" floppy drive!) around just in case I need to adjust a signal was bugging me so I spent some Christmas money on a MERG kit 76A Servoset II.
     
    SWMBO also arranged for Santa to bring me a nice new shiny drill press (pillar drill to the masses) so the two were brought together last night for a pleasant hour with drills. Most of the machining is now done and it all fitted together first time - A product of the excellent instructions and good tools methinks
     

     

     

     
    Just got the LED holes to open out and then I can fire up the soldering iron
  4. RedgateModels

    Block Cut Outs

    By RedgateModels,

    I've been busy rewiring Summat since the Nottingham show. One consequence of using a Powercab on the layout is that the Powercab does not respond gracefully to a short circuit, especially with two throttles in operation. So to mitigate all the unseemly unplugging of power, swapping handsets and reassigning of cab numbers some form of protection was in order.
     
    Many moons ago Mike Bolton at MERG sent me one of his prototype BCO1 block cut-out pcbs to test with Dynamis. It didn't work, being unable to respond fast enough for Dynamis' lightning fast response to a short. Because of this and also some non too favourable tests with other proprietory DCC systems MERG have put the project on hold and don't currently produce a kit.
     
    I tested it anyway with the Powercab and it worked
     

     
    It's now wired in on board 2, between the NCE UTP panel and the track bus. I've also put a seperate feed from the UTP panel direct to the DCC input of the MERG Pulsed Accessory Decoder board so that if I run a loco against an incorrectly set point the BCO1 will cut the track power but I will still be able to change the point via the throttle and remove the short!
     
    Great, but as board 1 track bus is still fed from the track bus on board 2 any short will mean that the 3 way point Accessory Decoder will be dead following a short - I need another BCO1
     
    Thanks again to Mike at MERG who is sending me a programmed chip and Pinkmouse of this parish who is etching me a pcb. Now all I need is the rest of the components and I will have another BCO1 for board 1. This will then have it's own section so not only will I be able to change the 3 way point following a short but a short on board 1 will still leave board 2 operational and vice verca
     
    Unlikely this extra BCO1 will be in place for the Mansfield Show, but to be honest, shorts on the 3 way are rare.
     
     
    UPDATE:
     
    PCB etched (cheers Pinkmouse!) parts are on order so I might have the second board ready for the Mansfield Show
     
    here's a quick pic of #1 in situ under board 2.
     

     
    The thin red and black wires run to an LED mounted in the layout back panel to give indication when there is a short. All DCC signal connections are now via the white sheathed 2 core flex. The red/black bus and heavy feed wires are the 19vDC bus from the laptop psu.
     
     
    UPDATE 2:
     
    PCB assembled last night and tested - nothing no power to track at all. A quick email to Mike Bolton at MERG though has revealed that the programming on the PIC might not be compatible with the MkI PCB that I have used, will swap the PIC from the (older) working board tonight to prove. If this is the case it's a quick mod to the new PCB and all should be well and good.
     
    UPDATE 3:
     
    Following a good test with the PIC from the old PCB I cut the track from pin 4 to pin 1 and then soldered a new bridge from pin 4 to pin 8 and hey presto, with the new PIC it all works - I now have a BCO1 for both boards. Just got to rewire board 1 now to take it - job for tomorrow....
     
    Here's a pic of BCO1 #2, thanks again to Mike at MERG and Pinkmouse for the PCB
     

  5. RedgateModels
    Made a start today on the rivets for the O gauge Sentinel. Using Archer's transfers for the first time. I'm the first to admit that the spacing is too close, but the prospect of adding each rivet individually was too daunting to contemplate!
    So I'm going for a general "look" of a rivetted loco rather than prototypical fidelity. What I am trying to say is I'm not a rivet counter yet
     

     
    I've given them a quick waft over with satin black to seal them, pretty pleased with the effect.
  6. RedgateModels

    DAS is done!

    By RedgateModels,

    Finally the hardstanding area is complete, painted and the goods shed stuck down, that's one big storage box in the recycling bin.
     

     
    Note how the right hand track is not straight through the turnout - I guess this should be classed as a wye - THE advantage of Templot and home made pointwork
     

     

     
    I've also edged the raised polystyrene landforms with thin card (cornflakes packet) and painted them a nice earthy brown. Some sheep have been bought and are in the process of being painted.
     
    Next job is to dig out the cinders where the camping coach steps should go and stick them down. The coach itself will be screwed to it's track just before the Mansfield Show
  7. RedgateModels
    I thought I'd settled on the final track plan - until Ian Allen posted a 1:5 double slip in O gauge on the Templot forum. Why didn't I think of this in the first place? When Martin advised me that a 1:4 would not be practical I went for a 1:6.
     
    So, have a go I thought. This meant that most of the layout had to be redrawn, including the position of the 1:5 turnout leading to the goods shed and of course the run-round turnout was made a 1:5 too.
     
    here's the final, final plan. It's got to be as I start building next month at the Mansfield Show!
     

     
    Pretty pleased with this now, the compromise of a tighter radius slip has given me a good 12" of run-round now, good enough for most tank engines methinks
     
    So, come along to the Mansfield Show and see it all progress. I will have a full size plan spread over two 6 foot tables, with the buildings etc in place. As the track progresses over the weekend it will be laid on the plan too.
     
    Must get four 1:5 crossing Vs made up before then though - anyone want two 1:6's
  9. RedgateModels
    I had a conversation with Pete Harvey of PH Designs at the Derby Show about getting some brake gear sorted for my Warren Shephard Sentinel. Well, yesterday this dropped through the door
     

     
    It all goes together like this:
     

     
    Superb quality as ever from Pete, going to make the rest of the kit look a bit basic
     
    Soldering iron at the ready .........
  10. RedgateModels

    Gardening

    By RedgateModels,

    I managed to get a couple of sessions in this weekend and with the warm weather, the PVA dried off quickly and we have the basic landform done. Couldn't resist a few wide angle shots in the back garden today with my new phone
     

     

     

     

     

     
    Can't put of that ballasting for much longer!
  11. RedgateModels
    OK, here's where the O gauge on a budget goes right out of the window. If you were doing this at home dear reader you could use cheaper imported figures and paint them up but this is an exhibition layout and I have a very tight deadline!
     
    approx 100 quid spent on Preiser figures but the layout is starting to come to life
     

     

     

     

     
    The camping coach is now illuminated too. I really must get on with that coach .....
     

  12. RedgateModels

    Fiddle Yard Wiring

    By RedgateModels,

    After a very pleasant afternoon at the Huddersfield Railway Modellers Open Day I got home and started wiring up!
     

     
    I've gone for simple and chained the tracks on the surface - well it is all going to be painted black.....
     
    Just got the deck to wire up then connect all the bits underneath
  13. RedgateModels
    have had this loco in the operating fleet on Summat Colliery for years, bought from a fellow member back in early 2009. I got Roomey to weather it but forgot to add the detail pack etc. So as part of this project to add sound I also added the details.
     
    The black plastic parts were fitted and toned down with PP Weathered Wood which is a pretty good match for Roomey's base weathering. The 247 Developments fire iron rack was fitted and blended in too. I removed the fake coal load and made the bunker rusty and dirty black then added some real coal.
     
    The decoder was removed from the loco and a 4 way micro connector lead soldered to the motor wires and pickups to pass through to the tender. four small holes were drilled in the plate that carries the pickups and the wires passed through. These were painted black to disguise them. The Socket was "Man Glued" (Screwfix no nonsense mitre bond) to a slot drilled and filed into the tender floor.
     
    The fixings for the tender weights were removed and a speaker grille drilled to allow the sound to escape down towards the track. An ABS 40x30mm speaker was black tacked to the floor.
     

     
    The decoder needed a flat filing on the front of the speaker housing to allow it to sit on a slope matching the underside of the coal bunker, once this was done it was soldered to the connector and speaker and job done
     
    Final shot of the tender body before coal and decoder fitting
     

     
    and here's a link to the youtube vid
     

  14. RedgateModels
    So, the time is almost upon me when I tackle the Bob Moore lining pen!
     
    The first side is painted out, but I won't be putting the pen to this until I've practiced on the as yet untouched sides for the all 3rd
     

     

     
    There's still a few bits that need touching up, but I'm hoping the lining will cover most if not all of them, we shall see. The other side is still masked out waiting for the window frames to be painted.
     
    I've also repainted some of the cheapie eBay seated figures ready for fitting - the chap in the nice pink suit with pink shoes was first
     
    Still want some mountain bikes and baby buggies for the guard's compartment ....
  15. RedgateModels
    Last night I refitted the wheels and made up and fitted the brake pull rods.
     

     
    I can't remember if I did this on the Brake Third, but all the linkages on the pull rods are pinned and would pivot if the vacuum cylinder moved! Just a lick of paint and they are done
     
    Today I spent my lunch hour cutting ten sets of seats out of their sprues ready for assembly and tonight I got the basic bodyshell together as far as the floor. Here's a snap of the body after gluing still sitting in my nifty magnetic corner clamps
     

     
    Must not forget to glue in the ventilators above the doors ....
  16. RedgateModels

    Kaydees, no thanks

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    What to do when your 13 year old takes a shine to an old Atlas loco at the Mansfield Model Railway show. Prize out the Kaydees and glue in some spare NEM pockets. He likes the big old style couplings so we have standardised on them. Plenty of spare small Bachmann style ones for me 🙂
     

  17. RedgateModels
    Basic construction is done on the Parkside wagon. I've fitted the Bachmann NEM pocket mounts - took more fiddling than I expected to get the height right. I ended up carving off the vertical projections off the mounts and then cutting back the underframe bracing until the correct height was achieved - silly me for expecting that they would just fit 😏
     
    Here's a pic of the underframe prior to priming
     

     
    and here's it resplendent in red oxide primer
     

     
    I might keep it this colour as it's going to be well weathered anyway. Nice kit to build, but you do need something like EMA Plastic Weld to stick the black ABS bits, luckily that's what I bought last and it is better than the Modelmaster stuff I used previously 😁
     
    Now, I'm going to need some white lettering transfers, I've already posted a question here for advice on what is best to use. Anyone got a couple of Bachmann NEM pockets spare?
  19. RedgateModels
    Last night I got the roof drilled and the fixing strip drilled and tapped 8BA to take the threaded roof lamps. Next I got on with the end detailing - steps one end and brake gear the other, plus all the lamp irons etc
     

     

     
    I also applied some Squadron White filler to the edge of the roof - the kit was second hand and whoever had cut the roof from the sprue had been a bit over zealous and the edge was ragged to say the least (sorry Ian if it was you ) hopefully it will clean up ok, if not the coach will have a "viewing side" Tonight I hope to clean up the roof, then it's on to the roof detailing.
  20. RedgateModels
    Well, after a false start when it all went together crooked I dumped it in boiling water and started again. This time I ignored the instructions and built the body box up first using my nice magnetic corner jigs then fixed the soleplates/W irons on after.
     

     
    I'm just waiting for some more parts from ABS, mainly the side door bottom planks to make the sackbarrow bottoms and then it's time to start painting.
     
    Thanks to Adrian at ABS for his help and all the guidance and advice offered on the forum to help this wagon numpty make something that reasonably resembles a wagon
     
    Lets wait for the first armchair pedant to point out at a future show that as this is a diagram O.23 wagon it couldn't possibly be seen on a heritage railway .......
     
    Update:
     
    Bit of fiddling at lunchtime today whilst waiting for the parts from ABS. I've painted the buffers, couplings and floor. The floor will not be fitted in place until the body is painted, that will give me better access to the underframe and easier masking of the wheels.
     

     
    I think this will be painted in BR spec, so grey body, black underframe etc and white numbers on black patches. I have some black patch transfer left over from the Parkside TOAD, so that's nice.
  21. RedgateModels

    Yellow Peril for Summat?

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Ahead of Summat's date with the public in March I've started fettling the RMweb Austerity.
     
    First off couplings. Off to with the front pocket and the hook removed from the rear tension lock. Home made 3 links held in place on the DJM hooks with a spot of Cyano. Done 🙂
     
    Real coal added to the bunker and it looks like the crew have been careless with cleaning out the smokebox....
     
    I've also filled the buffer beam holes as I won't be fitting vacuum pipes. A touch of Tamiya Matt red and they're gone.
     
    Finally a steady hand with black acrylic along the edges of the footsteps make them look much more presentable 🙂
     

     

     
    That funny steam pipe from dome to cab next
  22. RedgateModels
    I managed a few hours over Christmas to get the chassis painted and over the last two evenings I've got it running again!
     

     
    Pretty pleased with the neat phosphor bronze pickups which should blend in pretty well with some black paint later. The rods are VERY sloppy and there is a bit of a stick due to this. To get an idea of the problem the crankpins (threaded screws) have an outside diameter of 1.6mm. The holes in the rods are 2.2mm! I've found some 1.6mm i/d tube with an o/d of 2.4mm so I will make some bushes for the rods sometime
     
    Waiting for a new 60w soldering iron and then I'll get on with replacing that chimney on the body
  23. RedgateModels
    One thing I have been doing over the summer is making #2 son's first layout. Quite refreshing bunging down set track!
     
    It started as a 1st and 2nd rad loop set across the corners of two 2x4 boards using my now familiar dowels and toggle clamps. Power transferred from one board to another via the clamps.
     
    Santa is bringing him a centre board with turntable and engine shed
     

     

     
    So he can still have the simple 2 boards for a quick play or all three on a weekend (and Dad has a test track at last lol)
  24. RedgateModels
    More progress!
     
    The solebars were bent to shape using nothing more than a vice and two steel rules as bending bars then they were joined to the buffer beams using 188 deg solder. The angle plates were then added using 145 deg solder. You will see from the photo that the ends of the angle plates stuck out beyond the edge of the buffer beam - soon sorted with a file!
     

     
    This assembly was then fitted to the superstructure and the buffers added.
     

     
    Starting to look like a Sentinel now
  25. RedgateModels
    got the lettering done on the other side this lunchtime, so 'tis done
     

     
    Going to leave it for a few weeks for the transfers to "set" then I will start the weathering. I'm going to use a combination of the techniques described by David Spencer in Hornby Mag Issue 6 and bounce spraying the underframe. I'll take it slowly as this little wagon has took a lot of time so don't want to mess it up in the weathering stage 😃
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