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Fen End Pit

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Blog Comments posted by Fen End Pit

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    All looking very neat and tidy, including the F4 chassis. It's always a pleasure to work on well crafted kits that go together and fit properly.

    If you don't mind me saying so, I keep thinking your goods shed looks a bit narrow, relative to the rail vehicle opening. I seem to recall from an earlier entry that you scaled the building from a map or aerial photo, so I must be wrong about this. It's just a gut feeling.

    Best wishes with the layout.

    Dave.

     

    Hi Dave

    I drew my mockup by counting bricks so I'm pretty sure it is right. The structure is quite narrow when you look at it

    http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/clare/index38.shtml

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    That's looking great, the correct area, and the correct era, thanks..! I'm just wondering thought about the laser etched templot diagram on the cork, it's an idea I'd had before, but never looked into seeing how easy it was to export the templot file as a laser cutter friendly file? If you had a minute to do a very quick description of the process that would be great. No point reinventing the wheel eh?! JB.

    Output from Templot to DXF is straight forward.

     

    output -

    export to file -

    create DXF button

    you can select the layers you want at this stage if you want though I usually export everything and then remove them in TurboCAD later.

     

    I then go from the DXF into TurboCAD with all the information Templot can output in different layers. The lasercutter software has a pretty terrible DXF import function which likes things simple so I tend to remove the unwanted layers containing things like the sleeper numbers or sleeper centre line in TurboCAD before trying to import.

     

    Once in the cutter software has the DXF loaded I'm simply setting the colour of the lines to represent a certain power and speed of cut which is just enough to mark the surface of the cork. I'm certainly finding that having the lines marked on the cork makes aligning the track so much easier.

     

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    You're making me very envious of your progress. Are there many of these Community facilities in the UK where the public can access new technology tools - laser cutters, CNC tools, 3D printers etc for a membership fee or is Cambridge simply rather more enlightened? A great idea none the less. I have have had a quick look for something similar here in Oz but nothing immediately jumps out in the Brisbane area. Others may be able to enlighten me though.....

    Hi RoyalClaud

    There are a growing number in the UK, best source of information is the http://www.hackspace.org.uk/wiki/Main_Page

    Also one of the UK banks has started using some of its redundant office space as 'technology centres' which offer some services. https://labs.uk.barclays/ They offer access to a cutter for ~£10/hour but there was a rumour of 'free Fridays'

    I can see that Melbourne has something https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/Melbourne

    also try https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/Hackerspace_Brisbane but I can't get any of the links from that page to work

     

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Hi David.

    It's all looking very good and neat. I must say, the use of your laser to mark the track direct onto the cork overlay is a great idea and avoids any problems of sticking paper templates down, which always seem to wrinkle up however careful you are. Are you going to build all the track, including points, in situ or just use the track markings to locate units made separately?

    The position of the base-board joint in the bottom photo looks slightly challenging.in terms of sleeper positioning and rail fixings. On my boards (Delph/Holt), I tried to make all the joints at right angles to the tracks, even if it resulted in boards where the ends were not straight but had angles or steps in them. That has worked well and resulted in all sleepers being one side or the other of the joint line.

    Look forward to seeing further progress.

    Dave.

    I think I'm going to build the double-slip off the board but try to do the rest in-situ. I've deliberately put the next baseboard joint along from that picture at 90 degrees to the track but I couldn't quite manage that with this joint. I think the angle of the picture makes it look worse than it is.

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Hi Vecchio

     

    I'm just using standard 'laser grade' 6mm birch ply from SLEC http://www.slecuk.com/balsa-wood/Birch-Plywood.html

     

    Yes I have made a 'slot' in the corner for a leg. I'm planning to make these from 21mm square timber, There will be two legs and a joining piece between the pair about 100mm from each end. Half way along each board you'll see a bracket hanging down with two holes in it. The plan is that the leg 'pair' at each end then has two diagonals going up to this bracket at the front and back of the board.

     

    I'm building the layout primarily for home use where the support system will be part of a row of bookshelves. I am planning that the layout will be transportable, rather then portable (Fen End Pit is quite enough to exhibit with), but maybe occasionally it will go out and need legs. I thought it was better to make some provision now rather than to meet an exhibition deadline!

     

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    That looks outstanding! Is there any way to purchase a "kit of parts" for the LBT? I (really!) appreciate that a lot of it was home made but I'd love to build one in this scale, especially with the engine on show as it's identical to the one we have at Amerton Railway in Stafford.

    Hi

    I might be able to arrange that, as I say it isn't a kit but you'd be welcome to a set of bits as long as you don't mind a wait. We have changed the 3d printer in Makespace and I'm not trained on the new one yet! You could source the wheels, gearbox etc from Branchlines yourself. I have a spare set of the etchings for the details. Not sure what you would think would be a fair price I suspect the cost is something in the realms of

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    That's really quite interesting. Not heard of those before. Any reason why they couldn't be used to power turnouts or signal arms do you think?

    No reason at all. I have seen a bouncing signal implemented using them already. The only difficulty (which is the next stage of development) is that the system doesn't 'know where it is' on start up. On a signal that would mean  If it was turned off when 'normal' then everything is fine, but if the power goes when 'reversed' then the system doesn't know that and would try to rotate another 45 degrees from the danger position if you see what I mean.

    The solution is simple enough, I'm going to put a little cam and micro-switch on the shaft so that the system can ensure that the motor is at a 'datum' point before it starts.

     

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Right that's convinced me to buy one!

    How easy was it to convert to P4?

    OK, this is confession time. I've just replaced the wheels with P4 ones and not bothered with any springing. I'm just not convinced that it is vital for 4 wheel wagons. The one thing I have found though is to keep the Bachmann axle which has the right coning on the end for the molded bearing holes. If you just drop in an Alan Gibson wheel set you will find the whole thing much too sloppy.

     

    Membership number of Scalefour society is 3500 if you want to demand my resignation!

     

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Beautiful model David. Handsome engines, even with the enclosed cab side sheets.

    This picture on Flickr is impressive, but I'm not sure I should go this far with the weathering!

    David

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart166axe/8486159925/in/photolist-c6tKSJ-dVTMGa-c6tGSW-dcfPFY-dVz5fP-8rC8bm-dzx4K1-82jdr9-8rC7Zd-8rz31F-9Fjged-c9tnNG-eqFcgx-htwQjP-euA6j2-5gFM6v-gH64XM-fSMpip-cnKcA1-eSMSFq-8wHXj6/

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    David, that really does look nice! I am a confirmed GWR modeller but everytime I see that the Gibson J15 and E4 are available I have to exercise great will power. One question though, are there balance weights fitted to the driving wheels?

     

    Craig W

    Yes, that is another missing item, only appears to be on the front driving wheel though and I've just spotted I've missed the sand box fillers...

    onwards and upwards!

     

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    @David,

     

    Nice project. I work on a similar project in 4mm scale. Is your solution also suitable for the fine brickwork?

    And, also important, is your material easy (and safe) to glue?

     

    Grzz,

     

    Hans

    Hi Hans

    I found that the perspex cut very cleanly, but with a slight tendency to curl where I had lots of bricks cut on one side. Also I wasn't particularly happy with the .7mm Acrylic/perspex mix as it didn't really cut as cleanly as I'd like. I've reverted to using MDF and ply since, see later postings.

     

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Hi Phil

     

    The GER built lots of '1865 style' station building to this standard design, they came in small, medium and large (as well as variants as crossing keepers houses). The plans were obviously given to a local builder and the actual details changed significantly between builders. Some, such as Takeley, were built solely in yellow brick, others on the Stour valley line were constructed with the quoin details in a different colour brick. There were some where the quoin details were rendered to make them look like stone too.

     

    I choice to finish my experiment in the red brick/white quoins as I think this is one of the most attractive.

     

    thanks

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Why have you cut a second model in a different material? (acrylic to start and now wood).  I might guess that a change in material gives a sharper result to the cutting process....  or a more realistic finish when painted.

     

    Whatever the reason, your model is delightful.

    This is all pretty much of an experiment and I wasn't entirely happy with the cutting of the .7mm Acrylic/ABS mix I'd used for the quoins on the original version. Also I have some concerns about the stability of the Acrylic, it warped slightly when all the bricks were cut on one side, but bent back into shape using some boiling water. What I'd really like to know is where I can buy genuine Rowmark from and whether it cuts any better than the alternative HPC sold me.

    David

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Thanks for this, David, some nice skills there.  It's good to be able to see new modelling techniques coming to the fore.  And presumably at reducing costs and becoming available to anyone, DIY.  Do I read that right?

    Yes, I'm doing the cutting myself rather than using a bureau service. The sort of cutter that will do this is slowly reducing in price, the cheapest you'd want is around

    Fen End Pit

    Posted

    Hi David, I am liking the vertical fiddle yard you have, is that self made ? can you stick some more pics on here showing the operating mechanism you have used ?

     

    Best regards

    Craig.

    There were a couple of earlier blog entries http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/186/entry-9638-vertical-fiddleyard-and-a-story-of-modelling-mojo-lost-and-found/

    and http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/186/entry-8706-vertical-fiddleyard-it-goes-up-tiddly-up-up-it-goes-down-tiddly-down-down/

     

    David

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