rovex

Impressed with what can be acheived with 3D printing I have been having a play over the weekend with "Sketchup" a free 3D drawing programme that can be downloaded off the interweb. I had intended to use the ratio canopy kits to produce the extensive canopies that covered the bay platforms at Snow Hill. Each one being approximately a metre long (or more) in model form. However the work needed to beef these up was concerning me, and I wasn't sure that they would look high enough. They also (whilst a prototypical GWR design) weren't right for Snow Hill - Although I don't know why I'm being so precious on that score. Anyway having seen other people's efforts I thought I would at least try and draw some up and see If could create something that could be printed up. Given the nature of the beast it lends itself to a mass production technique like 3D printing. So here is my attempt at drawing the support column and cross beams. - lots of these will be needed. I'm quite pleased with it. the programme is quite easy to grasp, The only thing I haven't got to grips with is making rivets - any ideas anybody. Dean

Hi, have only just discovered this thread and I have found it really interesting. I am currently (very slowly) working on a model based on the old Snow Hill station. All four platforms outside the trainshed had canopies which on the model will probably exyend to at least a metre each. I had intended to use the ratio canopy kit which gives a fiar representation of the GWR later style modular canopy. However its not quite right for Snow Hill and will involve quite a bit of beefing up. I can see how a "printed" canopy would probably be a lot simpler, involving in effect a few statndard parts, the main support. The photo above gives an idea of the structure.My space restraints mean the canopies will not be as wide as those for Snow Hill and would probably need the following parts: 1 girder support and cross beams, 2 central girder support for the roof 3 one side girder support for the middle of the roof - this could probably use the same design as central girder with the vertical support reduced. 4 valancing for each side 5 valancing for the end 6 roof covering. I assume that this would be feasible given the rather more complicated canopy that you have designed. How would I go about creating the masters, given that whilst I'm no idiot in a computer I'm no expert (and have very little partience with IT - lol)? regards Dean

Following on from last nights post, here's the same thing after ten years of wear and tear. Weathering has been done with some Humbrol white weathering powder and some old cars weathering powders, mainly black, brown and rust. The leadroof was first washed with the white powder and white spirit. Lead tends to whiten as it ages and then it was given a wash of the black and whiote white spirit. This took the edge of the white and added the soot. The sides were done in a mixture of the brown and black. whit copious amounts of white spirit to prevent it looking to extreme. Finally the girders were done in rust. This has been washed down a couple of times and I may do it again, as I had forgotten just how far a little rust powder goes. Dean

I have got around to painting the model of Brackhampton (pronounced Birmingham) North Signal Box I made several moons ago. I have been unable to find any decent colour pictures showing how the box was painted in real life and the girder supports were causing me some heartache. "black" seemed too stark and dark stone didn't seem appropriate either. Anyway, last week I was leafing through a new book of GWR structure colours in Ian Allan's Brum bookstore when I found out that some features on GWR buildings were painted "chocolate" and this was before BR(W) region adopted it for surviving GWR buildings - and so I seed was planted. The girders would be painted "chocolate", the rest would be painted in typical light and dark stone colours. So was born what must be one of the most colourful of buildings to grace the layout - Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen would be proud. Of course the whole thing is going to be weathered considerably. I want to aim for a building that hasn't been painted since before the war and has been standing out in Brum's sooty atmosphere for ten years. railings and a door need to be added, and I shall have to dig out my Coopercraft Signal box name kits and add a name to front and back (it appears to have had plates on both sides - although that on the back looks more like an enamel one on one photo I've seen. With all those windows some representation of an interior will need to be added - as it was an electrical box this means I can avoid having lots of levers. EDIT Some work done on an interior - as its not pianted yet the camera tends to bleach things. But I've built the 37ft electrical lever frame with lots of little levers (thank you Station master ). The photos I;ve seen show a writing slope and two benches at the back. Also a number of cast iron radiators along the front - I'm going to see what I can do to represent these. The false roof I've inserted means I've lost some of the space where block instruments fitted, but again I'll have to see what I can do. Some of the interior photos (http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1772.htm) show some extra instruments added in front of the lever frame. They look like black cylinders about a foot long - one of top of another - anyone know what these were for? A final shot showing a badly painted signalman enyoying some fresh air now the platform is safely railed off.

Thanks without wishing to appear lazy, is there anywhere on RMweb that discusses the likely modifications needed? Dean

You're worrying me now! Are the motors likely to be too strong for the point or not strong enough - I hope not since I have loads left over from my old layout?

Oh before anyone mentions it, the scissors crossings will be put the correct side of the bridge and not as shown

track laying has recommenced. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but following an expansion problem and an experimental track fixing method I lifted all the track on my layout and decided to start again. This time 4mm cork underlay has been glued down with copious amounts of undiluted PVA glue. On top of this the track plan has been pasted. It was printed out on heavy duty printer paper and then pasted down with wallpaper paste. This should ensure that the track is in the right place. I'm starting in the middle but before the scissor crossings which were such a feature of the original Snow Hill go down, I've decidd to try and make a representation of Great George St Bridge. The photos show the attemprts so far. The cork underlay is cut out and a 20 thou plasticard peice fitted to shape. track chairs are fitted to two pieces of 4mm square plastic strip from evergreen, using a lenght of track to ensure there are in a striaght line. With sleepers attached to each end these are glued down to the 20 thou sheet. Cross timbers are then added and the whole sprayed grey, the timbers picked out and then the sides of the rails painted brick red to represent the rust. All will be suitably weathered once in situ. I am also taking the opportunity to paint the sides of all the rails to represent rust. I only hope my patience lasts. Now for a question. This time around I intend to wire up as I go along, including the numerous point motors that will be needed, but where to put them. The point motors that is. Obviously they will have to be beneath the track, but do I cut out a small hole and feed a rod up, or cut out a larger whole and fit the point motor directly below the track. If the motors go immediately belowthe point I was thinking as all points are handmade I would fit a plasticard rectangle beneath the tiebar and then fit the point motor to that - I intend to use peco point motors operated using old Hornby passing contact switches (assuming that will work). Do any one have any thoughts, opinions etc?

Would it work as a back story, that this track originally was the branch to Slapton. When the branch was closed and lifted, this section was retained for use as a carriage siding?

Perhaps we should organise a "railtour" excursion special before the tracks are lifted

You're a braver man then I am. Mind you the difficulty I have is finishing a layout. but having built such a good one I wouldn't be thinking of ripping some of it up. Will watch with interest. Dean

Having had to lift all the track at Brackhampton due to my revolutionary track fixing technique proving about as effective as Network Rails maintenance of the Dawlish sea wall. I've been concentrating on scenic modelling whilst I save up to buy more finescale flexible track. Latest thing I've been doing is building the platforms. The arrivals side has been started, using large amounts of wills platform kits and additional paving sheets. This has also meant I have had to have a go at the subway which went down to the Great George Street ticket office under the station. Here is my attempt. and with the side wall moved away I know very little about this subway, other than it was probably faced in white glazed brick, that it opened into the lower ticket office and that it descended straight down in two flights. So this is my interpretation of the subway that originally graced Snow Hill. The subway on the other platform, which will be next, truned though 90 degrees and wrapped round two sides of a lift. Hopefully both sets of stairs will lead to a representation of the Ticket office - but I don't intend going to great efforts in that regard as it will be barely noticeable under the layout. The subway is constructed from the stairs from an old Hornby footbridge and 80 thou plasticard covered in slaters embossed plasticard. The arches are by Wills. Once inset into the platform, railings will go round three sides and there should be some kind of ornate gateway at the top of the stairs. As for the track. I had originally glued the cork underlay and track down with spray adhesive. With the warm weather far too much of it had lifted. So the remainder was lifted and the pointwork painstakingly saved. 4mm thick cork sheet was bought of ebay - very reasonably priced if you avoid the stuff specially sold for model railways - this has been glued down with copious amounts of PVA glue, and then once dried the Templot track plan has been printed off on 160gsm paper and pasted with wallpaper paste to the cork.The track will be laid directly on top of this secured with yet more PVA.

Well you could sell it on ebay as a rare collectors example - only one a few to escape the cutters torch (recycle bin)etc

As you've mocked it up you've got plenty of head room below the bridge. You could add a beam below, set back a little with little pieces of plasticard cut into triangles to tie the beam to the wills girders. The whole resting on slightly lower abutments. I did a similar thing with the Peco girder bridge like this

My only concern with the wills kits, is that modellers do tend to use them to make a bridges of very long length without any kind of intermediate support. After a certain length, given the limited depth of the sections the bridge would collapse under its own weight, unless some kind of intermediate support was used. Dean

Sorry for the delay in responding - you can make an approximate model of non-corridor stock all third using the passenger ends of two bset coaches. I did such a thing in OO using the Airfix coaches. I think the photos are on the old rmweb if you're interested. Should be possible to do the same in N, as the Dapol b set coaches are the same as the old airfix/Hornby ones. Dean This is the link to the topic on old RMWeb - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=49301

Isn't it something to do with the quality of the coal. Towards the end of steam the good welsh coal just wasn't so readily available

Hi Rich, Thanks for the response. I built most of the signal posts etc some time ago (see this thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/45577-a-signalling-challenge/page-3 for pictures). then came to a shuddering halt - I keep meaning to get restarted but can always find reasons not to. As you can see from the abive thread there are an awful lot of signal arms to "crank up. I had already decided on building bases onto the bottom of the each post (as you have done) to take the cranks etc to carry the motion from whatever operating system I use. However I am interested in the use of servos, (especially if it allows you to control the speed of movement) although its obviously more complicated than I thought. I shall look into the MERG thing. Thanks again. Dean

Thanks for posting this, I have a number of signals for my layout that I want to have operational. I have had the same problems with the little brackets and the rodding but have persevered (well with one bracket arm at least). I am replacing the plastic arms with scale link brass ones - not the easiest thing to do, as the each arm has to be soldered up from two pieces (arm and spectacle plate) and then has a brass rod attached at the back for the spindle arm. I had already thought about using track pins in future. I've used the etched brass cranks supplied with some of the ratio signal kits rather than the plastic ones, and Peco/Ratio have kindly supplied some extra ones at a very reasonable price. The scale link cranks (included on the signal etch) seemed far to flimsy to me. I was intending to use wire/thread to operate the signals running back to lever frame and had never considered the use of servos. I might give this a try. Can they be operated from passing contact switches, like point motors? I assume you have to be careful of the current/voltage used to ensure you don't burn them out. Dean

well I certainly won't be from now on.

Glowing review in Hornby magazine this month, no mention of moulded handrails, bent front plate (although the one in their sample doesn't look quite right) or the wrong number of spokes on the bogie wheels.

Hey just think in 50 days time we can all be moaning about how bad Hornby's 2014 models are going to be

I rather think the problem with this approach is the use of the "reasonable person", The reasonable person, being the man on then Clapham Omnibus, probably isn't an avid railway modeller, and wouldn't be able to get terribly excited about the wrong spokes and a missing valve gear.

Course you'll have to remember to build in the delays for breakfast to cook and the kettle to boil when reproducing this in minature :-)

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow," to quote from the Bard