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RedgateModels

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  1. RedgateModels
    Had a day off today so started to remove the bits of 4gig mk1 that are no longer needed
     

     
    The platform will be reused but the cinders are in the bin. I was relieved to find the pva softened easily with water - still made a mess of the kitchen though!
  2. RedgateModels

    Check rails

    By RedgateModels,

    Got the chance to do some more trackwork on Fourgig, this time it's the checkrails for the inset trackwork around and in the goods shed.
     

     
    Not much rail left now, just got to add the flares for the checkrails on the adjoining board and that's the track done - scenery can start in earnest
     
    (once the inset track is sprayed black)
     
    UPDATE:
     
    flares added to the ends of the checkrails leading to the engine shed. Note Isebrook sat over the illuminated pit - Black Cat Tech universal lighting strips were used to add the lighting as they don't (obviously) do an O gauge version specifically for the sclescenes kit
     

     
    I also spotted that I'd caught the rail ends at some point and broke the solder joints on one rail. So they were resoldered using 188 deg solder for added strength and a new sleeper added to reinforce the track at baseboard edge.
     

  3. RedgateModels
    More progress on the fiddle yard. It's all wired up and tonight I cleaned off the black paint from the rails and then soldered the buffer stop to the end of the engine shed road - spilling half a bottle of flux all over the board during the process! Hope it doesn't attack the ply!
     
    couple of snaps, first the fiddle yard
     

     
    and the public side, before the buffer stop and flux were applied!
     

     
    Next I need to add the concrete apron/floor to the engine shed. The card for this is laminating overnight then will be stuck to the scalescenes print before being cut to shape. I'm going to use McDonalds coffee stirrers as wooden edging between the outside rails and the concrete apron.
  4. RedgateModels
    So, the rebuild of the DJH Duke of Gloucester is moving forward slowly. It has emerged from the paint shop with it's BR Green (late) paint airbrushed over the base satin black.
     

     
    Green is Phoenix Precision P101 thinned to approx 50% with cellulose thinners. Three light coats over two days and now it's resting until next week in a drawer.
     
    Some areas of black to touch up where masking failed or was impractical to do. Once the detail painting is done then I'll move on to the lining
  5. RedgateModels
    So the crew climbed aboard (driver needed his right leg amputating below the knee to clear the motor) and I've added a little coal around the door bottoms and chassis ledges to simulate spillages during loading.
     
    Not sure how prototypical this is but is made me smile last night
     
    So here's some snaps ahead of the photoshoot for the MR article
     

     

     

     

     
    So, that's it, on to the next project - rebuilding the L&Y Pug I bought from Scanman ages ago - the chassis is already stripped down and in Superstrip!
  6. RedgateModels
    Tonight was a milestone, the track was laid on board #2 completing the plan for the main body of the layout.
     

     

     
    The only remaining trackwork to do is the engine shed road on the (yet to be constructed) fiddle yard board #1. Most of that is over the inspection pit, so not too much soldering left
     
    I am going to concerntrate however on getting boards 2 and 3 operational for the Member's Day, I have Monday off work and the plan is to wire up and test (including all the remaining TT300s) then get the backscene boards fitted - busy day then
  7. RedgateModels
    Bit of progress, all the track is laid on board #3 and it matches up to the original trackwork on board #2
     

     
    and in a fit of enthusiasm last night I stuck the final turnout plan to the workboard and laid the sleepers ready for some soldering action tonight
     

     
    I really need to get on and wire up board #3 - TT300s ordered from Bromsgrove Models and components in hand to build the block cut-out boards.
     
    Once all this electricery is done then I'll start with some scenics, pot of brown paint at the ready .......
  8. RedgateModels

    In Print!

    By RedgateModels,

    Well, spring seems to be a popular time for my random scribblings.
     
    The 2-8-2 is scheduled to appear in the next Model Rail - May issue out April 19th and yesterday Mike at Hornby Magazine confirmed the Duke of Gloucester will be appearing in the June edition (HM60) out 11th May
  10. RedgateModels

    Four Vees

    By RedgateModels,

    So here are the Vees ready to go. Two are reworked from the 1:6 ones I made earlier and two brand new ones.
     

     
    Now to get some switch rails etc prepped, not forgetting all those sleepers
  11. RedgateModels
    I'm in two minds with the trackplan. At the "dead end" of the station area I currently have a very short 1:4 point to maximise the length of loco that can clear the switch blades and run round the train. This has resulted in an ugly curved section with a pretty tight radius between the point and the double slip as the slip is based on 1:6 diamonds. If I replace the 1:4 with a 1:6 and make the section between the point and slip straight it looks much better, but I'll only ever be able to fit an 0-4-0 or maybe just an 0-6-0 tank into the "headshunt".
     
    Here's the plan with the 1:4 point, note kink between point and slip
     

     
    and here's the plan with the 1:6 point - nice transition between slip and point
     

     
    So, do I knock a hole in the sidescene and have say a 12" bolt on single track "fiddle yard" and have the prettier track arrangement? I'd have to hide the exit with trees or somesuch scenic device, or maybe resite the signal box to the other side of the tracks.
     
    Or is it just too contrived and would make the layout more awkward to fit into exhibition plans with an extra foot being needed just for a sticky out bit of track???
  12. RedgateModels

    The Duke's Plates

    By RedgateModels,

    I received the plates for the Duke of Gloucester Saturday morning, Narrow planet have done a fantastic job, etching using thinner brass than for the 2-8-2 which has allowed a much better detail for the works plates etc.
     
    Here's the nameplates fitted
     

     
    I'm still trying to get the rest painted with white raised text etc, might not work due to the thinness of the etching, but I'll give it my best shot.
     
    My large tin of pre-thinned PV72 satin varnish went off, maybe in the cold of the office, it was fine a couple of weeks ago when I finished the lining but late last week it had turned to cottage cheese.
     
    After a couple of failed attempts to catch Brian of Shawplan in at home I've now ordered a couple of 14ml tinlets from Modeller's Mecca - hopefully they will turn up over the hols and I can get the airbrush fired up when SWMBO's not looking
  13. RedgateModels
    So having completed the goods shed I thought I'd better check to make sure that locos and wagons would get past it, so armed with board 1 and a Templot print I started arranging things last night.
     

     

     

     
    It's a wee bit tight entering the shed past the office building and the longest item of stock I have at the moment is the Toad brake van. I hope to have a Lima coach soon, so I'll have another check when that lands. There's no real need for coaching stock to pass the shed on the run-round, but if I have any guest locos that are longer than 12" wheelbase I will need to use a pilot loco to release the coaches and shunt them into the run-round.
  14. RedgateModels

    Motion

    By RedgateModels,

    Not much done over the weekend, more kitchen hard labour and a trip to Alton Towers water park yesterday. We do however have the beginnings of the left hand side motion
     

     
    Valve rod has been modified to have the forked end into the expansion link and seperate lifting link added within the fork. The valve rod is free to slide in the "forward" slot of the expansion link. in fact the whole lifting mechanism works as prototype at the moment
     
    Return crank and eccentric rod next to see if it all works
  15. RedgateModels
    One of the reasons for lack of progress on the Duke is that I've been distracted constructing what has turned out to be a multifunction rig for shows and home.
     
    I've been wanting a programming track when exhibiting for some time, as I have at least one loco still running an R8215 decoder that resets itself to 3 when a short occurs. I have had to seek out a friendly trader or other layout who can reprogram the chip for me. Sociable though that is, I really wanted to be self sufficient.
     
    I've also fancied a more "commercial" rolling road than my old home made one - so combining the two ideas I bought a Hornby rolling road and combined it with a spare PCP panel and an autoSW to give me this:
     

     
    The box is 18mm gloss cream faced MDF left over from doing the kitchen, so does not look out of place on the kitchen table it's also VERY sturdy. The rolling road is wired to the autoSW so becomes a programming track when the appropriate mode is selected on my PowerCab. A flying lead with a 2 pin DIN speaker plug on the end is connected to the MAIN output of the autoSW and simply plugs into the existing socket on Summat Colliery.
     
    Since taking the photo I have also added a speaker socket to the front that is fed from a changeover switch so that I can switch the rolling road to an external input for use with the SPROG or good old DC at home when testing etc.
     
    I do not now need to buy a PCP panel for each layout I build, just add a speaker socket and away we go!
     
    However, I now have a "spare" PCP panel that was fixed to Summat Colliery when I first got a Powercab. I think I will move this to the front of the layout so that I can link them up and operate from the front if the mood takes me
  17. RedgateModels

    Boston Show

    By RedgateModels,

    This weekend gone was Summat Colliery's first time out since the Member's Day in July and what a great weekend it was.
     
    The show was held in Stickney Village Hall in Lincolnshire and just at the edge of my limit for a show without accommodation, so it was an early start and quite a few miles under my belt in the Scooby (not all bad then )
     
    Summat performed brilliantly as usual, most problems were caused by operator error (me) in the main. Can't thank my two helpers over the weekend enough - Aaron and Dave from the Boston MRS who took to the Powercab and Summat's complicated shunting sequence like ducks to water. Even Wendy left the kitchen on Sunday afternoon and took the controls for a spell.
     
    Couldn't resist this shot, I wondered why the tender on the 8F had tipped over, and this is what greeted me on investigation
     

     
    As I said, operator error mostly
     
    I bagged a bargain loco from one of the traders too - a Standard Class 4 mogul 76079 for £45, that turned out to be already chipped when I opened it up on Sunday morning to add a Lenz Standard It was immediatly pressed into service all day Sunday - Don't tell it it's likely to come under the knife when the GWR 43xx body arrives .......
     
    Oh, and I was acutely embarrassed on Sunday afternoon when presented with this
     

     
    :) :)
  18. RedgateModels

    A Grey Day

    By RedgateModels,

    Grey primer that is - it's a lovely sunny day really
     
    Various chassis parts have been stripped down and given a coat of Hycote grey primer ready for some satin black
     

     
    The loco and tender bodies have also been treated to a coat or two, but are hardening off in a darkened room
  19. RedgateModels
    It's not often I look a gift horse in the mouth, so when SWMBO suggested that I fill a gap at the Mansfield Show by manning a demo stand demonstrating the various techniques used to build a layout I thought
     
     
    and jumped at the chance
     
    So, armed with newly constructed baseboard with cork trackbed and reversed plan glued to the underside, point, plain track and tools etc I set up my tables.
     
    First job was the DCC power bus, done with way over the top 6mm twin and earth blue and brown wires screwed to 30A terminal blocks at each end of the underside.
     
    The track was then superglued down after first threading the dropper wires through the pre-prepared holes. Insulation was stripped back on the bus wires and the droppers soldered on. This proved tricky as my 30W iron struggled to get enough heat into the 6mm wires, but I got there in the end.
     
    AT this point I connected the track up to my trusty H&M Clipper and put the pug on the track. In full view of the adoring public nothing happened - a dead short somewhere
     
    Steve1 leant me a multimeter and after a bit of random sleeper gapping with the minidrill I sussed it. Where the plain tracks come tgether at the heel of the point the sleepers interlace (I nudged them in Templot to allow this). When I fitted the track some of the paint must have scraped off one of the sleepers that goes under both rails leading to the frog causing the short. A quick go with the slitting wheel and all was well.
     
    After lunch on Saturday I broke out the ballast bought from Benhams the previous evening. I chose Woodland Scenics coarse buff and a mid brown medium grade. I took all afternoon to ballast quite a large section and was pleasantly surprised that despite my careful mixing of the two once I had finished brushing it around I got a nice uneven affect. Kinda looks like the brown was original and the buff is recent repair work.
     

     
    Sunday was reserved for soldering up a yard of track for the first cassette. I was a bit tight and only sleepered every other one on the templot plan, so the result looks like it should be Gn32 track if there is such a thing
     

     
    Anyway, a VERY enjoyable weekend with much chatting and maybe a little modelling B)
     

  20. RedgateModels

    Trackwork Done

    By RedgateModels,

    Found a little window of opportunity last night, SWMBO out at a meeting and #1 son happily playing with his Lego (#2 asleep), so out came the solder and flux and I now have this ready for some baseboards!
     

     

     
    I used the full yard length of rail and will make little cuts in the railhead where the joins should be before painting. I'm going to get the airbrush out to spray the PP weathered wood onto the sleepers then hand paint the rust to the sides of the rail - another first for me B)
  21. RedgateModels
    A while ago I bought, amongst other things, a couple of Waverley O gauge point kits from Ian Morton.
     
    Following a succesful test build of a Scalescenes Waiting Shelter blown up to O gauge a seed of an idea for my first layout in 7mm started to grow ...
     
    So, the premise is a preserved railway somewhere in GWR land (as the point kits are to GWR standards). A single track railway doubled at the station. Model half the station with the overbridge forming the scenic break at one end and a tunnel at the other. The waiting shelter could stand on one platform with a small station building on the other.
     
    Here's the shelter
     

     
    and here's the point - a left hand A4, my first ever soldered point and not too shabby even if I say so
     

     
    The wing rail on the straight route needs adjusting as it's a bit tight between the two .....
     
    Finally here's the Pug sat on some track at last B)
     

  22. RedgateModels
    Detailing has started on the bodyshell, the Comet Britannia/Clan/Duke detailing pack has been opened and the following added so far:
     
    Smokebox dart
    Safety valves
    Clacks and feed pipes
    Vacuum ejector
    Steam manifold
    Carriage warming valve
    Injector steam valves
     
    Here's a quick shot of the right side of the firebox showing the pipework so far.
     

     
    A few more evenings to go with this one then it's the deflectors and footsteps. Once these are done then I think I will be in a position to take some photos to show the whole loco before paint. The intention is to show what has been added to the base donor plastic to better illustrate the work involved.
     
    UPDATE:
     
    Got the main pipes to the Exhaust Injector done plus the rocking grate linkage
     

     
    Note the pipe from the yet to be fitted water valve is too fine and will be replaced with something thicker soon!
     
    Im particularly pleased with the thin pipe that follows the line of the exhuast feed to the injector before taking a different route under the footplate
  23. RedgateModels

    Balance Spring

    By RedgateModels,

    Take one bit of 1/8" diameter tube (bought at Trains4U last Sunday), drill a 0.6mm hole through the end, elongate this hole with the drill so that two 0.45mm brass wires will pass through. Bend said wires inside so that a 0.7mm wire will pass between them axially down the tube. Repeat at the other end and solder up. Afer cleaning up the ends of the 0.45mm wire you get this
     

     
    cut excess 0.7mm wire off the long end and flatten with a pair of pilers. Solder to RHS weighshaft bracket (burning your fingers in the process) gives you this
     

     
    which looks a bit like the real thing
     

    Thanks to Pinkmouse for this photo
     
    Another bit of detailing bites the dust. Now for the lubricator/cross slide support brackets
  24. RedgateModels
    OK, I admit it, I played with the 2-8-2 for a lot of the day at Trains4U and it behaved itself quite well. Stuggled over the "hump" that appeared at one baseboard joint and proved that 14 wheel pickup isn't necessarily enough
     
    Lots of questions from customers about what/why etc it has been modelled. Anyway here's a few pics
     

     

     

     
    So now it's on with the bodyshell detailing. I bought some brass tube to fabricate the counterbalance spring for the RHS weighshaft bracket and some 10 thou' evergreen sheet to do the cab doors/fall plate etc - more to follow!
  25. RedgateModels

    A Sound Investment

    By RedgateModels,

    To say the least, the cost of the 2-8-2 has just jumped up with the addition of a Loksound 3.5 with my own customised sound scheme
     

     
    It all fits in the firebox area behind the motor, all I needed to do to get the standard speaker in was to cut one of the mounting lugs off, file a couple of flats on the outside of the case an fix the other lug to the frame with a 12ba Triang valve gear screw B)
     

     
    I've not cut off the spare function wires yet as I've not decided on lights etc yet.....
     
    The sound file is a modified Loksound german 2-8-2 with all the unnecessary sounds removed. The background hiss and whistles replaced with real Britannia versions. I've also played with the sounds used to make sure that there is some chuff when coasting.
     
    I defy anyone to say it does not sound like the real thing
     
     
    UPDATE:
     
    Just totted up all the parts used so far. Not including wire, solder etc this build has cost me £219.27 so far
     
    UPDATE 2:
     
    I've added a connector twixt tender and loco chassis so with 14 wheel pickup it runs quite well. Anyone wanting to hear it come along to the Trains4U open day on Sunday B)
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