When TT3 was the next Big Thing

[Silverfox17]

In an envelope with other items was nearly a full set of new Britannia valve gear, the most interesting part though was the envelope with Great Western on and dated 1933. No idea what it is referred to.

[cypherman]

Very strange. Perhaps a little bit of Sherlock Holmes is required here.....

[Ruffnut Thorston]

12 hours ago, Silverfox17 said:

Does anyone know if the Tri-ang WR toad was commonly produced in a proper grey plastic?  I aquired two today, one in the green hue version which is all I have ever seen but one was a light grey.  

Nothing concrete in Rob Hampton’s book.

Though there is at least one moulded in green with a grey roof, no lettering.

 

Considering the variations noted in the book of the shades of grey used for the low sided and 16 Ton Mineral wagons, it’s probably not surprising though.

 

 

[Silverfox17]

50 minutes ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

Nothing concrete in Rob Hampton’s book.

Though there is at least one moulded in green with a grey roof, no lettering.

 

Considering the variations noted in the book of the shades of grey used for the low sided and 16 Ton Mineral wagons, it’s probably not surprising though.

 

 

I have since found out that the proper grey were done occasionally but more than enough to make them rare.  Rob's book mentions the grey but shows the tinted one as well as the dark green.  It is the first one I have come across though.

[detheridge]

On 09/11/2021 at 20:21, NCB said:

Remember reading how somebody rewheeled Triang rolling stock, but can't remember where I read it. It described using flangeless bearings from 3SMR to fit pin-point axles. That bit I'm OK with. What I'm not sure about is how you remove the Triang axles in the first place. Any ideas?

Nigel

It's here (with pics): 

 

[detheridge]

On 31/10/2021 at 13:04, Pacific231G said:

Is anyone still using TT-3 products (as opposed to TT or H0m products from the likes of Tillig)- especially those from Tri-ang- as the basis for narrow gauge modelling? There was quite a lot of that in the period when Tri-ang was marketing TT-3 before N scale and hence OO9 and H0e appeared. The Rev. P.H.Heath comes immediately to mind but there were others using it for Manx or Irish 3ft.

I'm curious because I recentlly came across a modeller who started using it (with locos adapted from Tri-ang Jinties) fairly recently to represent a metre gauge steam tramway. He's mainly using Tri-ang Series 2 track and points plus some Peco H0m flextrack but I wondered  if there were still others.

Am I right in thinking that Tri-angs track and wheel standards are incompatible with modern TT/H0m standards?

There may be very few folks still modelling 00n3 in the 'traditional' manner (Triang chassis, Pugbashes, etc - and I'm one of them!), but there's still a great deal of nostalgia for the classic 00n3 layouts of the past. The most famous is Derek Naylor's Aire Valley which proved to be arguably the most influential of all the 00n3 layouts of yore. The surviving Aire Valley stock is in the care of the 009 society's archive, and last year I donated my collection of Alan Brackenborough's Vale of Fawrcarnedd stock (MRN 1966) to the society's archive. Other layouts that have garnered comments and enthusiasm in the pages of ngrm-online include Giles Barnabe's Midd Valley (MRC 1971), David Lloyd's Augher Valley (RM 1964), J.E Tennant's Clun Valley (RM 1969), and Rev Heath's Llanfair Valley (featured in RM in 1962, 65 and 1984). From comments (and not just mine) there's a feeling that layouts from that era have a very appealing 'imagineering' approach to them that seems to have been lost over the decades in the search for more accuracy and fidelity. This is not to criticise more recent examples of 00n3 - far from it, current practice can be breathtaking in its results - but there's a certain something about happily using Airfix/Dapol bodies (or indeed anything you can get your hands on) with the so-reliable Triang chassis (as Garry has proven in these very pages) for models that run reliably, are easy to keep going, and have an atmosphere all of their own. Above all, they're terrific fun!

As regards track, I'm lucky enough to have amassed a large amount of Gem flexitrack and points - they still turn up on Ebay from time to time and the 3mm society has good supplies. Even though they're not 'scale' when painted and well ballasted, the result can look like well weathered narrow gauge track. Mind you, the 'overscale' rail section (Code 100?) might not be far off today's prototype, as I understand that the Festiniog and Welsh Highland are essentially using standard gauge rail. Same with the VOR; its track was relaid under later BR auspices with the lifted rail from the Carmarthen branch out of Aberystwyth.

Each to his own as always! :-)

[Silverfox17]

Here is an interesting homemade motor bogie I obtained yesterday at the society event in West Byfleet.  It looks to have a Tri-ang DMU style armature and wheels but with a pickup assembly similar to the A1A.  I say Tri-ang style armature as this is a 5 pole version which at one time were available as spares. Not bad for just £3.

[Silverfox17]

At a recent 3mm society event I bought this nice looking kit/scratchbuilt Jubilee. At the time I thought the bogie would be a problem but should not be too difficult to alter. I was correct, it would not go around the main layout so I swapped the 10mm bogie wheels for some Tri-ang 9mm ones and she will now travel even around Tri-ang curves, very impressed with the model.  It is actually a lot quieter than the microphone makes it out to be.

 

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Silverfox17

[Silverfox17]

Had a go at making up one of the old PC litho printed coach sides.  These are beautifully printed (as were the 00 ones in the 60's and 70's) but they are unfortunately a little tall.  The sides without solebars are nearly as deep as a Tri-ang coach with.  I could run without a solebar which would look odd, or, try to obtain/make a lower profile roof.

If I ran these as a fixed rake it would not be too bad, until, they passed a rake of any others.

 

I may have to look at making a different profile roof with single arc and lower.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Silverfox17

[Silverfox17]

Looks like a flatter roof will do very nicely. This is borrowed from one of my GNR 4 wheelers so tomorrow hopefully I will cut the end down to suit so I can compare it with others.

[Silverfox17]

The latest bodyshell from Lincoln-locos is for the Duke of Gloucester and is designed to fit a Tri-ang Brit/M-N chassis.  Here it is on a full Brit chassis but I do have one somewhere without the ancillary parts which will be more suitable. There will be a tender shortly to go with it.

[Silverfox17]

Got a Shapeways 3D printed 2 Bil unit and WR railcar to add to the fleet.

[Silverfox17]

Got an Atlantic working I bought a few years ago. I had to fit a new motor with one of my gearboxes and works well now. The original coupling and connecting rods were far too thin and useless (strange considering the quality of the loco) and by good luck the wheelbase matched a Tri-ang Brit so cut a couple of those down and fitted the con rod the the crosshead. 

 

Even the tender frames are 1/16" brass.

 

She is now stripped ready for a repaint.

[Silverfox17]

Got a nice resin diesel brake tender to go with one of the diesel fleet.  I may have some LNER bogies I can fit which will look better.

[Silverfox17]

The green King is coming along nicely. Just needs cab numbers and a new proper copper chimney making.

[Silverfox17]

Just received some of the 3D transfers from Railtec and initial impression is very, very good.  I will be trying some out shortly.  Even the WR cab numberplates can be supplied lined or unlined.  These sets do come with shed plates and coloured route indicators although they are really to small to read they will at least show something is there.

[Silverfox17]

A Deltic 3D transfer and WR cab plate 3D transfer in situ.

[Silverfox17]

The Duke and an Atlantic coming along.

[Silverfox17]

There was not much space for cab numbers but managed to squeeze mine in, pity it had no 1's in. The colour photo in SR days shows even 4 was a lot.  Just need to line the firebox next to the cab and the cylinders then fit the nameplates and she is nearly finished. I may have to fit some larger tender wheels to lift the tender body, or, the loco body might not be fully down.

 

It is a pity I could not get smaller tender lettering but N gauge was far too small.

 

Still need to find the bogie and opposite side crosshead.

[Silverfox17]

Due to the chassis wheels still being wet it looks as if the body was not seated properly, looks a lot better now. I may just pack up the tender body about 1mm and see how she looks.

[Silverfox17]

Another TT rtr loco, this time even painted.  A 3D railbus project by Lincoln-locos and Martin Olley.

 

 

[Silverfox17]

With a few spare A1A bodies I thought I would have a go at D5579 as new delivered to BR in Ochre livery. 

Attempt 1 was to try to mask off the original lining and use Precision Golden Ochre, but, that was no good as even low tack masking tape pulled the lining off and also the colour. Trying to hand paint the lining was not successful either as it was all freehand.

Attempt 2 was to strip, use a primer, then a car colour. Unfortunately there were no car colours anywhere near the shade, in fact the only "browns" were metallic.  I did find a general purpose colour called Ochre with a lid shade close but the paint was not, too light.

Attempt 3 was a strip, prime, and brush paint the Precision colour on. This has worked well and Fox lining used. Railtec transfers are now ordered.

Two bodies are actually the same colour but the lighting has made all 3 different.  I may use the light one as the well faded version.

[Silverfox17]

Tried to do some teak effect on the 4 wheelers, not perfect but will do.  One day I may get to add footboards but not soon.  The real coach just shows how the teak is different, especially all the doors as if the grain was vertical instead of horizontal.