Great Bunbury, a Shropshire light railway terminus circa 1905

[Dave]

The Mannings I'm looking forward to, although I've never built an etched loco kit..... I've got a couple of High Level's chassis kits for Newton Lane's locos, so I'll probably start there!

A fine choice, Sir! But the RT Models Old Class I is a fiddly kit when it comes to getting a motor and gearbox in and adding pickups.

 

[2996 Victor]

A fine choice, Sir! But the RT Models Old Class I is a fiddly kit when it comes to getting a motor and gearbox in and adding pickups.View attachment 170852

That is a superb locomotive! Sounds like it's not a great choice for a beginner, though May I ask what motor/gearbox combination you used?

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Rob R]

Love it - sounds like a distinctly West Country pronunciation

I would have thought that bit of Shropshire would have a fair bit of "brummie" in it, toned down a little with a bit of border country welsh.

 

[Robert Dawson]

Hi Robert,

Many thanks for your reply - I think pre-staining is a good idea, that and being less generous with the glue! I'm quite pleased with the effect overall and I think the technique bears pursuing.

I've had reservations about using real wood to represent scale wood for that very reason, the grain. However, it can be very difficult to get "right" using styrene or even card. You're absolutely right about using wood with the finest available grain, and I was going to try Lime from Cornwall Model Boats but I'll also have a look at Mantua Models as well.

Thanks again and best regards,
Mark

Hi Mark, I’ve had a couple of batches from Cornwall Model Boats but found the quality was variable. My last supply came from Mantua which seemed on the whole better. I sadly miss Model Dockyard who shut a few years ago…

 

[2996 Victor]

Hi Mark, I’ve had a couple of batches from Cornwall Model Boats but found the quality was variable. My last supply came from Mantua which seemed on the whole better. I sadly miss Model Dockyard who shut a few years ago…

Thanks, Robert, that's good to know! I've got Mantua in my bookmarks so I'll go there first, I think.

Thank again!

Mark

 

[Dave]

That is a superb locomotive! Sounds like it's not a great choice for a beginner, though May I ask what motor/gearbox combination you used?

Cheers,
Mark

Hi Mark,

I think it is a High Level Roadrunner + The motor is an N20, which is the equivalent of the Mashima 10/15. It is mounted vertically in the firebox and drives the centre axle.

 

[2996 Victor]

Hi Mark,

I think it is a High Level Roadrunner + The motor is an N20, which is the equivalent of the Mashima 10/15. It is mounted vertically in the firebox and drives the centre axle.

Thanks, Dave, that's brilliant! I've got a High Level chassis kit for a GWR 14xx to do with one of their gearboxes. Should be good practice.....

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Joe's Garage]

I like the platform using the wood, I may use the same idea on my “Another attempt” O gauge layout to simulate sleeper construction. Thanks for sharing the images and information on the types of wood and Mantua Models of Windsor.
Cheers Julian

 

[2996 Victor]

I like the platform using the wood, I may use the same idea on my “Another attempt” O gauge layout to simulate sleeper construction. Thanks for sharing the images and information on the types of wood and Mantua Models of Windsor.
Cheers Julian

Hi Julian,
Glad to be of help - it's certainly a technique that has a good deal of merit. As others have said, it's perhaps better suited to scales larger than 4mm.
But I think if I take much more care, particularly with the glue, and then sand with fine paper before staining, it can look good and is definitely rustic and light railway-ish!
I've built the new platform core and painted it brown, and my next lot of timber has arrived, so it's about time I had another go!
Cheers,
Mark

 

[johnpolscoe]

Hello
I've just come across this thread, and it's uncanny how it echoes my recent thoughts. Now I'm too old and decrepit for my lifelong main interest (archery) I should get something made rather than my previous occasional dabbling.
Like you I started with thoughts of a Ruyton-like fictional branch of the S&M, maybe to a wharf on the Montgomery canal, but then reflected that I find the landscape up there a bit flat and began wondering about Mr Rice's ideas of a line to Clun, or the Bringewood Chase one. Probably done as a Stephens line though.
I haven't got as far as your board, in fact haven't decided between P4 and EM, but I have acquired two kits ( as yet unbuilt) from ebay: an Impetus Manning I class and an Albion Terrier. Recently I have been trying to puzzle out the pipework on Terriers like S&M three, basically still A1 but with vacuum brake added.
I hope to get going once an impending house move is over, in the meantime I hope to see yours develop.
Oh, and may I support the suggestion of using lime for things like your platform, I used to do some ship modelling and it's a lovely wood to work and very inconspicuous grain.

 

[2996 Victor]

Hello
I've just come across this thread, and it's uncanny how it echoes my recent thoughts. Now I'm too old and decrepit for my lifelong main interest (archery) I should get something made rather than my previous occasional dabbling.
Like you I started with thoughts of a Ruyton-like fictional branch of the S&M, maybe to a wharf on the Montgomery canal, but then reflected that I find the landscape up there a bit flat and began wondering about Mr Rice's ideas of a line to Clun, or the Bringewood Chase one. Probably done as a Stephens line though.
I haven't got as far as your board, in fact haven't decided between P4 and EM, but I have acquired two kits ( as yet unbuilt) from ebay: an Impetus Manning I class and an Albion Terrier. Recently I have been trying to puzzle out the pipework on Terriers like S&M three, basically still A1 but with vacuum brake added.
I hope to get going once an impending house move is over, in the meantime I hope to see yours develop.
Oh, and may I support the suggestion of using lime for things like your platform, I used to do some ship modelling and it's a lovely wood to work and very inconspicuous grain.

Hi John,
many thanks for your post and many apologies for not having responded sooner! I'm afraid I've been doing aeroplaney things over on Britmodeller since early December, and railey things have taken a back seat. That and me having a wobble about track gauges and the finite nature of life on planet Earth. Sorry if that sounds a bit heavy, it isn't really: I've just concluded that I haven't got enough time to model everything I want to do to the standards I'd like, and that some compromises are going to be needed.
Hence, I'm going with PECO's new Code 75 bullhead OO track. It looks pretty darned good and with a bit of careful laying and ballasting/weathering, it should be good enough for what I want to do. Plus it means I can get trains running without first having to build loco chassis.
Anyway, that's where I am with Great Bunbury - I've been waiting to get hold of some medium radius points and then I'll be tracklaying and testing. And in the meantime I'm knee-deep in aircraft models!
All the best,
Mark

 

[David Waite]

Hi Mark
I have never seen Lime timber can it be cut or thinned down into thin strips to around .005” thickness without breaking or splintering?
David.

 

[michael mott]

Hi David Lime is similar to Basswood which is often used for beehive frames. I have cut basswood quite thin .005" is quite thin for this wood you would be better off using yellow Cedar or castelo boxwood for cutting fine strips Yellow Cedar is a very fine grained softwood that i have used for a variety of modelwork, the castelo is an almost grain-less hardwood that I used here for frames it is one of the preffered woods used by the model ship builders. and is quite stable.

Michael

 

[Oban27]

Hi Mark
I have never seen Lime timber can it be cut or thinned down into thin strips to around .005” thickness without breaking or splintering?
David.

Hi,
lime wood, and other types of wood, is available from suppliers such as Cornwall Model Boats. They are used to make model boat hulls, decks etc. I've used it, in various sizes, to make sleepers in N and EM, building parts and wooden wagon bodies. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer, their service is very good.

Roja

 

[2996 Victor]

Hi Mark
I have never seen Lime timber can it be cut or thinned down into thin strips to around .005” thickness without breaking or splintering?
David.

Hi David,

apologies for not having replies sooner. I see that Michael has suggested a couple of alternatives. To be quite honest, I don't know a great deal about the properties of woods: of the lime strip I have, the thinnest is 0.5mm, which is quite flexible: I would be extremely surprised if any wood could be cut to .005" but I'm happy to be corrected!

I've bought most of my strip wood from Cornwall Model Boats - as Roja has said, customer service is very good and they're quite to dispatch. I've also no ties other than as a satisfied customer. I've also bought various width and thickness strips for use as sleepering.

Hi David Lime is similar to Basswood which is often used for beehive frames. I have cut basswood quite thin .005" is quite thin for this wood you would be better off using yellow Cedar or castelo boxwood for cutting fine strips Yellow Cedar is a very fine grained softwood that i have used for a variety of modelwork, the castelo is an almost grain-less hardwood that I used here for frames it is one of the preffered woods used by the model ship builders. and is quite stable.

Michael

Thanks, Michael!

Hi,
lime wood, and other types of wood, is available from suppliers such as Cornwall Model Boats. They are used to make model boat hulls, decks etc. I've used it, in various sizes, to make sleepers in N and EM, building parts and wooden wagon bodies. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer, their service is very good.

Roja

Thanks, Roja, me too. CMB are very helpful and quick with orders.

All the best,
Mark