Dad-1

On the 9F's I didn't even try removing the opposite end motor clamp. I didn't

see the point as both locomotives were and still are beyond further use. I should

write to Hornby with a moan, the reason is they are still making and selling 9F's

therefore in theory replacement parts could be available. However it'll probably

be a waste of time as they pass all spares responsibility on to Peters Spares.

Here are the two 9F clamps :- Evening Star's first

I didn't photograph the tender problem because I knew I could make a

plasticard insert which initially seems like it'll be fine. However without

a working locomotive I can't do the final proof testing.

While it's difficult to throw stones at Hornby, they didn't use contaminated

materials by choice, but with current 9F products they should make spares

available. I have no reason to think they have changed the design as those

earlier products were fine - Until !!

Geoff T.

No Paul, I can easily convince myself !!

Anyway just a little more done on the brake van. Decals have to be on and settled (24 Hrs)

before I can begin weathering. Side steps just resting in place for this shot.

At the moment getting the track sorted is a priority, I have obtained the few extra lengths

required, soldering a few droppers today.

I am enjoying making this. I also have a question for all you 7 mm modellers.

Do you ballast your '0' wagons ?

For 4 mm I have mixed views, ultra light wagon kits do need some additional

weight to prevent being pulled off on a curve. My target range is 30 - 50 grams

although some just over 20 grams but using deeper flanged wheels (Hornby)

are O.K. The problem is the accumulated weight of a train made up of heavy

wagons will start to de-rail lighter ones and so adding more weight is self defeating.

This van is 93 grams.

Geoff T.

Thanks for the comment Chris.

One of the other difficult areas were the rain strips. How do you make 4 exact shape eye brows ?

I pondered a while and ended up making a jig and apart from one where some liquid poly got

under the plastic jig and was fixing that as well it has worked out fine !

My next, but not starting for a few weeks is the Parkside LNER 12 ton Fruit Van. As the whole exercise

is to encourage more club members to have 7 mm rather than rush whole hearted into it myself I

will probably stop at 3 wagons. No.3 will probably be a 16 ton steel mineral as they got everywhere,

but then so did RCH 7 plank wagons ?  NO, No, I must stop at 3  !!

Geoff T.

All those wire grab rails needing bending to within 1/4 of a mm to fit well.

Only had trouble with 1 where I used the recommended length, it was a fraction short.

I added half a mm after that and had perfect fits.

Painting them was FUN !!

I'm still uncertain if I'll manage to weather and NOT jam up the sliding axle boxes, designed to allow

some un-sprung compensation.

Looking forward to my Modelu guard figure coming. Then I can finish completely, currently awaiting

the foot boards being fixed, which needs to be done after weathering the chassis.

Geoff T.. 

Creating a club shunting plank for a gauge you don't engage with is not practical.

How do you know if it's working well ? Obviously I needed a bottom end loco that

the Dapol Sentinel represents to proof test.

As someone who has done shunting puzzle layouts & likes freight there was no way

I could progress without a wagon, or so. NO slippery slope, but at least something

to appreciate all that 7 mm can offer. My plan that I intend to stick to, is to have a

brake van, a basic 12 ton covered wagon, and one, or perhaps 2 open wagons. I have

the first two with progress on the Brake, a Parkside BR Ex-LNER Toad 'E'.

Here were the parts :-

Initially the instructions seemed fine, but there are a few glitches. Certainly a very different

level of complexity in comparison to the 100 plus 4 mm wagon kits I've built.

More and longer 3rd hands needed !!

At the time I was just finishing a 4 mm Cambrian kits Loriot in BR engineers black.

Geoff T.

On a wet evening Paul it raised a smile - About the best I could offer.

To put Simons mind at rest here is the normal 'free length' between each board.

The cable well anchored in a loop, with the individual polarities split onto a couple

of copper-clad tags each side onto which all track droppers are attached.

My first '0' loco had an uncertain beginning. It arrived with one guard iron snapped off, the

other side cracked and ready to fall off. The shut-down didn't help, but all credit to Rails who

arranged for replacement parts to come which I had volunteered to fit myself.

The packaging was too tight, since re-sculptured by me and although well supported

it's easier to get in and out.

This being my first & perhaps only loco, but wagons ? well you need a few don't you.

Geoff T.

Hi Simond,

I tend towards the Dawinian theory - If you are THAT stupid ...........

I actually don't see any conflict because the feed into the bus is via a DC socket mounted

through the base boards. The inter-board connectors would need to be used as the feed

if anyone was stupid enough to try putting 240V through it. These are tethered with no

more than 100 mm free cable at each board join. Add to that that I don't have any similar

connectors in the house, or at our club rooms it is almost impossible for such a mistake

to be made.

Certainly safer that having to ever cross the road again.

Geoff T.

Not a chance Kubes.

With over 500 '00' wagons and still around 20 unmade kits in stock

that will remain my primary scale.

What I have managed today is to wire in the main power bus and

plugs to connect up the 4 key boards. Two boards have all the track

wired in and I hope to have all live by mid week.

Then I have to add in fencing which will be made with 65 mm nails

with the heads cut off and wired with fine jewellery crafters materials.

Always interesting to try a different scale.

Geoff T.

Right then Steve,

Perhaps this will bring you back to the club rooms WHEN they re-open.

By disposing of some old stuff there will be room in the cellar for it, making regular weekly

running sessions available.

Currently yacht varnish going on the other end boards, back into the garden to strip down

more of the redundant mower lead.

Geoff T.

I won't be an avid '0' gauger, several logical reasons. I'm too far down the road with '00', too old, and don't have the room.

However I am the Bridport & District Club chairman, so expected to lead and I insist on personal involvement. I want the club

to offer something to any potential members who do work in 7 mm scale.

I'm in the process of making a simple loop to be stored at the club rooms when we re-open. The idea is a 16 foot long loop,

with an optional 4 foot extension in the centre, giving a potential 20 foot run. Power input via a DC plug and socket where

we can plug in either Analogue, or DCC power supplies.

I'm intending that we can support on trestles made for a clubs '00' layout. As there has been no access to the club rooms since mid April

I'm unable to work out quite how. Here at home I use my own low-level trestles where progress is being made and the first two boards

giving 8 feet tested.

Power from a bus using a damaged lawn mower lead with heavy duty power lead connections. Every individual piece of track will be fed via droppers

soldered to rail base made up from stripped out wires from the same lead. What else can you do with a long length of twin wire flex ? Without an earth

you can't make acceptable PAT certified extension leads !!

I have bought a Dapol Sentinel, which I will be adding a decoder too. In fact perhaps this would be a place to ask about suitable decoders - Can I get away

with  a '00' decoder ? I would have thought any with up to a 1 amp continuous rating will be adequate.

I'll stop at this juncture, but my recent work includes a Parkside BR (Ex-LNER) brake van. More therefore to follow over the coming weeks.

Dad-1 (Geoff T)

An increasing problem for Hornby 9F Railroad Loco Drive models.

The motor clamps are now decaying.

I have R2880 Loco 92221 where the mounting around the flywheel jammed movement thro expansion.

Then R2785 Evening Star 92220 where the motor mountings have warped enough to separate the motor

from the drive. …… It freewheels quite well.

On both the main footplate looks O.K at the moment I still have to check the tender from Evening Star, but

as already listed the tender chassis for 92221 has locked one axle thro decay expansion.

Geoff T

Wish I lived closer (Sometimes) then I could get there.

Geoff T.

Thomas & Friends Visit Bride Bay ...... All loaded in the car ready for the off

This one made for children to drive.

Get a pint up for me in the Public Bar, they know me well !!

I'll be across as soon as the freight's gone through.

Dad-1

Thanks Captain Kernow, we will have fun !

Dad-1

Heard of K & M Trees ?

Yes they were part of the Peco empire, but now an independent trader.

They will be at Beaminster, A brave move to take on and develop further.

We will welcome and give all the support we can.

Geoff T.

No other comments yet?

One thing I forgot to mention is that following our clubs annual diorama competition to

be held this coming Tuesday all the entries will be on display at Beaminster.

I usually find myself in second place, and here is my 2019 offering.

To keep rules simple we just insist on some railwayana content and within a maximum of 24 inches wide and 24 inches long. Any scale, or gauge accepted. This one being in 4 mm '00' and I can't even remember the exact size, around 12 inches by 16 inches ..... I think.

Dad-1

Oh well better put the other layouts on now :-

Dorbury North - 'N'

Bearston - 'N'

Blunden - 'N'

Sherwin's Yard - '0'

Limington End - '00'

Dysearth - '00'

I did say 10+ and that's 11.

In addition A Royal Train display, my plastic wagon kit building demo where I intend to let anyone who

has never handled them before put down some HMRS pressfix decals. I have old spares here !!

Which kit is this ? Is it the only source for a FM container ?

Trade :-

Rod Saunders

John Quinlan

Oh and I intend to get 3 Kg of local butcher Rawles bacon for bacon butties - All has to be eaten !!

If I could attach the scent of bacon being cooked I would !!

Dad-1

Live somewhere near Dorset ?

The ideal after Christmas day out, come to Beaminster on Saturday 11th January for our regular 'New Year'

starter exhibition held at :-

Beaminster Town Hall

8 Fleet Street

Beaminster

Dorset

DT8 3EF

Adults, £3; Children, over 5 £1, Babes free. Try to beat our youngest 'Thomas' driver of 1 year 10 months !!

10 + Layouts, Wagon Kit Building Demonstration, good refreshments, (Pay) Parking behind the venue, all that's

needed for an enjoyable day.

Wagon kit building demo by myself - some of my work can be seen in the RMW Blogs section

Layouts :-

Shillingsford - '00' sound

West Bay - '00'

Thomas & Friends Visit Bride Bay - '00' One for children to drive.

Lambeth Walk - 'TT'

Wykechester - '00'

More to be listed later - Her who must be obeyed calls right NOW !!

Dad-1

Hi Mike,

Yes we are talking about the same 007. Your comments about picking up where he was years ago, Oh so true Mike.

I think he knew more about running it than I do. In fact I believe this was the only time we've had shunting in the station

sidings while two long trains thundered around the main lines.

Dad-1

I'll be looking to see what responses are on here ......

All I know is I had a good day running Castell Mawr. We ended the day double heading with a 42XX & 56XX hauling

a 60 wagon goods train !!

There seemed to be many happy faces ..........

I was also assisted by Jamie who has not seen the layout for several years, but was one of the original team dreaming

it up back in 2010. It was a long trip from Cambridge for him to spend a day playing trains !!

Dad-1

West Bay during Kadee set-up trials

Now all systems GO !

Dad-1

Not exactly the last Knockings, but I'm almost there.

Always one awkward child, I was checking wagons that hadn't seen light of day for at least a year

and this dear decided to play-up. A change of wheel-sets and some adjustment of brakes has it

pretending to be O.K !!

One week until set-up on Friday afternoon.

Also a little news for those who know our John Edge.

He has now been discharged from hospital following his 'Near Call' with a ruptured Aorta. Still rather weak and will not

be at the exhibition with his Lane End layout.

Another layout not coming is the Frome Model Shops, 'Marsh Junction', another fallen foul of health problems.

Last year it was a cracking exhibition and this year will be even better, with all being well, 28 working layouts.

Dad-1

Cleared the decks slightly now time to start listing visiting layouts

First I shall make a note that one will probably not be there - even if he say's he's recovered enough.

Long time committee member John Edge had a ruptured Aorta a week ago. The odds are that's the end,

but John had an emergency operation at Southampton hospital where he still is. All we can do is hope he recovers.

If it's your name, or layout, I have spelt incorrectly, blame our exhibition Managers writing.

Filisur - Hom

Abbey Light Railway 0 - 14

Holm - 00/16.5

Ins & Outs - N

Penworth - N

Thomas & Friends (Children Drive) - 00

Hirson Bellavue - H09

Exton Quay - 00/16.5

Feltham Road MPD - 00

Castell Mawr - 00

West Bay - 00

Shillingsford - 00

Rosedale - 0

Wykechester - 00

Marsh Wood Road - 00

Axe Valley Mill - 0

I 'Ad That - 00 Hornby dublo 3 rail

Fullers Earth 0-16.5 / 7 mm

On The Red - 00

Avon Halt - 00

Craig-Yr-Hiss Quarry - 009

Pecos - 0n-30

Bearston - N

Bryn Coed - oo9

Ashwood - 00

Marsh Junction - 00

Lower Craggmere - 00

Dorbury North - N

Display - Military Train - Berlin

Meccano Models

Trade - Frome Model Centre

Rod Saunders

Ray Heard

Dick & Gloria

One working railway display I can't remember, I'll have to add when I see the exhibition manager.

More than enough methinks !!

Dad-1

In light of what happened at Stamford you get nervous, although the risk is thankfully small.

Bridport have a July Exhibition each year and after the success of our first event at a new venue The Sir John Colfox Academy we are again

preparing the final details for Saturday 27th July. We are looking forward to 30 layouts, 4 traders.

I will start listing later as I have a few jobs that must be done today.

This is to remind me I have 3 platform lights to replace ...........

Dad-1

We had a super day playing trains !!

Visitors were happy, we were happy.

Decision made, back to the same venue 2020

This is no big exhibition, just a quid for adults, children free

to share a nice "At Home Day" and meet the club.

Dad-1