4mm An EM Workbench: Mini-Signwriting (rough)

[Dan Randall]

That's a nifty idea for the middle axle Adam and I can't see any reason for it not to work. I have a part built Slater's kit gathering dust somewhere, and may well pinch your method if I encounter cornering problems.


Regards

Dan

 

[AJC]

Not my idea, of course! I think I picked it up from - actually, I'm not at all sure where - Bill Bedford, possibly? Some Masokits instructions? MRJ? Who knows? I can see how it should work so I'm willing to give it a go; testing should take place later this week. Those pesky safety loops first...

Given the inherent slop in the O finescale standard, I'm not sure how necessary such an approach would be there, at least with moderate curves, but in Scale Seven (I think you work in Scale Seven?), probably. I'll leave comment on that to those who do actually know what that standard will allow.

Adam

 

[Dan Randall]

but in Scale Seven (I think you work in Scale Seven?)

I do indeed.


Regards

Dan

 

[Steph Dale]

Adam, Dan,

In 7mm Finescale the Slaters 6whl tankers seem fine without too much sideplay. @oldravendale has built a couple that are sprung, but I don't recall them having any sideplay in a meaningful sense. In S7 both the springing and sideplay would seem de rigueur.

The tubular axle is an idea I've incorporated into some of my HO (P87) carriages - I think I first came across the idea on some european r-t-r, but that would have been stock produced over 20 years ago! It works rather well and making the tube slightly proud of the wheel face is a nice touch that can only help.

Lastly (whew!) I'm always interested to see what people make of 6-wheel tankers as I did the tooling for the David Geen kit you mention. It was probably one of the last things I did when doing such things full-time. The breakdown of the various parts was in order to allow David to produce multiple variations of kits, although I'm not sure how far he got with this. I know the last time I checked, which would have been a couple of years ago, there were parts I'd done that hadn't made it into production.

Steph

 

[AJC]

Thanks Steph - dad has a Geen kit (and possibly one of Justin's chassis etches) somewhere in the stockpile. I know he's got the detail etches because I saw the new ladders applied to his detailed LIMA tank - yes, we know the limitations - when I was last back home. Perhaps this one will encourage the appearance of the other? We can but hope.

Adam

PS - if this one works out, it will accelerate the appearance of the Stove R, though only after I've completed a few more (of too many) half-done wagons...

 

[AJC]

Update from deepest Somerset:



There's a bit of extra detail to add (but not point rodding, life's too short at this point) and the coal bunker isn't fixed down yet but the overall impression is what I'd hoped for, I think.

Adam

 

[oldravendale]

Nothing to add, except to endorse Steph's comments. I've built two of the Slaters 6-wheel milk tankers in 7mm finescale (with two more to come) and used the Slaters sprung chassis components. No problem in getting them to go round corners at all.

Brian

 

[Jim smith-wright]

This is quite timely Adam as I've ended up with one of Justin's chassis I was going to use for a tender but now I'm not going to. I was pondering the Lima body. I'll be following with interest

Jim

 

[AJC]

This is quite timely Adam as I've ended up with one of Justin's chassis I was going to use for a tender but now I'm not going to. I was pondering the Lima body. I'll be following with interest

Jim

Thanks Jim. My thoughts - at present - are that the body, well the tank and its fittings, at any rate, will just about the only part to be retained. The end baulks are quite well-detailed (I'll use these), but the T section supports sprout from the top of the headstock rather than being proud of them as they should be. Easily sorted. The tank supports look reasonable but should be parallel rather that slightly tapered though it's not that noticeable. The O56 I'm doing had a different type so I'll probably replace them rather than modifying them.

Were I to do this again, I think I'd probably do functional solebars from brass strip with the solebar detail in plastic; much quicker and easier. Since I'd quite like an LMS one (the coach-size wheels are visually interesting) at some point I might try that yet.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Taking advantage of @djparkins 10% off sale - I've been thinking about a Nissen Hut for a loco shed on my putative colliery layout - but this is a much longer term project not least because I need to finish some stuff first. I've acquired, among other bits and bobs, an etched kit for an air raid shelter (with bits for a semi-submerged blast shelter). Why? Well the first bit of building recording I ever did as part of work experience with the local museum, 20 years back(!) I took some pictures of the - then - surviving air raid shelter over the road from Yeovil Town station. Actually, there were two, the other built to serve Yeovil Pen Mill on the other side of Wyndham Hill identical to each other and both now long demolished. They weren't quite the same as this, but near enough, I think. The kit, from David's Flightpath range, is pretty straightforward and comes with an etched roof which I didn't use. Nothing wrong with it, but I felt better able to replicate the concrete texture from plastic sheet.



I've epoxied the walls to the plastic base and will add some foundations before I paint the thing properly - the roof is just balanced on for the minute and won't be added until after painting.



Now, what to do with it? Er... There's probably space on South Junction for it. I think?

Adam

 

[AJC]

A little resilience-proofing and pre-regauging work for some RTR vans. Well a horsebox and a van, from Hornby and Bachmann, respectively. The principal concerns in each instance are the brakeshoes. Set for OO, of course which is a cross anyone in EM or P4 has to bear, so they've been removed and will require reinstatement. The horsebox is more or less perfect barring this fact, but I'm out of coach wheels at present so can't move further that stripping the (very nicely-moulded) air brake pipes off the model and replacing the buffers with some from Lanarkshire Model Supplies - though stupidly I ordered a set with the wrong size of heads; I can report that they turned down well in the Proxxon... Removing the mounting block for tension locks leaves a nice hole in the floor which was patched from above prior to fitting a pair of the usual Masokits screw couplings through the headstock and sealing the ends of the hooks with epoxy.





Once I've wheeled the thing up and sorting out the brakeshoes, new lettering and painting the ends black will finish it. So far as the LNER Fruit van is concerned, what needs doing is shown below:




What's currently been done is a simple re-wheeling (the reinforcing ribs behind the W irons) were trimmed away with the brakeshoes which weren't anywhere near the wheels in OO, never mind EM.





Quickish wins?

Adam

 

[PMP]

I've been thinking about a Nissen Hut for a loco shed on my putative colliery layout - but this is a much longer term project not least because I need to finish some stuff first.

Adam

Ratio now do a nice kit for a small Nissen Hut, but if it's on the radar for a loco shed it's too small, except for narrow gauge. I'll pop a pic up later if it's of interest.

 

[AJC]

Ratio now do a nice kit for a small Nissen Hut, but if it's on the radar for a loco shed it's too small, except for narrow gauge. I'll pop a pic up later if it's of interest.

Thanks Paul - I'm aware of that (and the stature of the Ratio version). Where the Parkins' production scores is the etched windows for the sides which is relevant, because the example linked to has them: Industrial Diesel & Electric Locomotives - Phil Trotter

The tucked under look that is a feature of the 16' diameter version is what I'm after (though I think the army had use of much larger ones at Bicester) and once stacked up on bricks (or concrete blocks) as that one was, most industrial types should fit. Certainly, that's the idea, plan to follow...

Adam

 

[AJC]

After a week away in Gloucestershire, a couple of steps forward or a review of the state of play with various things. First, the horsebox:



It's been a bit of a struggle to find enough light today so this view from underneath shows up what I've done, including new wheels (Gibsons - like @Geoff I found the path of least resistance was to pop these onto the original Hornby axles: less hassle than fiddling with deepening axle holes or fitting brass bearings/compensation). The brake shoes are next on the agenda along with steam heat pipes, just about the only thing Hornby haven't included. I'm of a bit of a loss for things to do to it! I can also show that I've completed my copperclad crossover, and the plastic one for that matter, and amused myself this morning by pushing stock through it. Testing?



One victim is this newly converted Warwell (the Oxford Rail version).



Another with short axles and bogies which are consequently too narrow (the Hattons one has the same feature). Why the Oxford version? Well , while the Hattons one is more accurately liveried, has better detail below the frames (where you can't really see it), and a greater range of options for the subsequent conversions into bogie bolsters, flats, etc. As it happens, it's a Bogie Bolster B conversion that I'm after which Oxford don't do. Why the Oxford one? Well, partly it's the buffers of the Liverpudlian product are naff, and partly it's because the bolsters aren't very well-defined and aren't correctly mounted - they were riveted to the frames on the real thing rather than bolted on top of the deck planks (so yes, I reckon I can do better) and also that there's a reasonable price differential, increased by not having to buy replacement buffers... For a straight Warwell, the Hattons product is probably the better model, however.



So here's the basic conversion. The wheels are the originals reduced on the minidrill and placed on spare 26mm pinpoint axles because the real wagons have 'lowmac'-size wheels an I had none in stock. The frames have been re-spaced by an ugly but effective method which on epoxy rather too much for my liking. It'll be fine, but it's not reliable enough to use as an example to anyone! Brass subframes from Masokits or similar would almost certainly be a better, more reliable option and give you springing if you wanted it. The livery on this example is utterly bizarre and may - charitably - be replicating something seen in preservation. The white buffer heads are especially interesting but since I'm going to repaint the thing completely, no matter.

Adam

 

[jjnewitt]

Hi Adam,

It will be interesting to see how you get on with with the Warwell. I have one of the Hattons bogie bolster B ones to have a play with at some point. The prototypes are great fun! Fixing the mounting on the centre bolsters should be fairly straightforward once the unwanted planking is carved off. Are you plannning on beefing up the planking on yours? One of the things I don't like about the Hattons one is how thin the wood is and the Oxford rail one looks similar from a distance. It was fairly chunky on the prototype. Just a note on the bogies. The wheelbase for these is 5'9" not 5'6" which the various subframes are. The Hattons version has got the wheelbase right, I don't know about the Oxford rail version. I know it's only 1mm but something like the Masokits subframes might look a little odd behind the Hattons sideframes and the pinpoint bearings may come through on the inside faces of the cosmetic journals.

Aside from the buffers and planking I was quite impressed with the Hattons offering. The detail is really nice, especially along the top of the deck. It also has a lovely weighty feel to it. Definately no need to ballast it!

Justin

 

[AJC]

Hi Justin, I think the bogies are correct, not that I've checked (EDIT - I have, and can confirm that they're correct). The Oxford decking has the same lack of depth so I will be working on that. Because of the relative lack of complexity of the Oxford moulding I'm inclined to cut the relevant chunk of the deck out and reinstate it with a layer of 40 thou'.

Adam

PS - I absolutely agree about the nature of the prototypes; the bolsters are particularly wonderful things to look at.

 

[AJC]

Well it's a bit late to go back now...



The way this model breaks down is that the running gear is mounted on a separate floor pan which, once levered out (it's secured by a pair of screws amidships) allows the centre to be hacked out and the planks to be trimmed and filed back to frame top level. A new sub-floor will be added between the frames and a layer of scribed 40 thou' with cutouts for the bolster bases which will sit on said floor. Planks also need to be laid a little way up the ramps, too so the remaining plank will gain an overlay to bring it up to height. Meanwhile, at the ends, vac' pipes and couplings have appeared and, below, you can see what I've done to the bogies: bodgetastic.





By the by, the floorpan has some bearers moulded in at one end to keep the wagon level so I've taken care to arrange the scraps of brass such that they don't interfere. While we're in a bogie bolster sort of mood...



The first substantive work on my Cambrian SR Borail for quite some time; the shackles are from a 51L etch (I didn't buy enough; there's 16 each side so I'm 8 short...) which are much finer and hopefully more durable than the mouldings Cambrian supply. These are mounted on the ends of spare etched links from Masokits screw couplings - I have loads of these and they're exceptionally useful - superglued into 0.5mm holes. The shackles were squeezed into place and soldered in place ready for the finished wagon to have its load chained on. Those axleboxes need a bit of fettling to better match the real thing, I think.



Up top, I've replaced the bolsters themselves with something that better-matches the drawings in SR Wagons IV.


Adam

 

[iak63]

Fascinating butchery Adam...

 

[AJC]

Fascinating butchery Adam...

Well, if you enjoyed that:



Here's the first pass at the planked floor. The step inboard of the bolsters will come next - lumps of 60 thou' with 40 thou' planks over the top:

Warwell WW2 type - all photographs | KDM721216_BOGIE_BOLSTER._B__3m_

Warwell WW2 type - all photographs | KDM721216_BOGIE_BOLSTER._B__3m_

Adam

 

[AJC]

Returning to my Peckett, last mentioned here, I picked up the soldering iron yesterday and did a bit more. Having made up the rods, I've fitted hornguides and bearings, one set from High Level, another scratched up from scrap brass, L section and what I think are Perseverance square bearings - this part of a batch I did ages ago - and fitted a dummy firebox bottom between the frames. All this does is to serve a view block hiding the gearbox and there's no real need for additional detailing because it's all pretty well hidden. Compensation beam next...





The body really should be at the final detailing stage and is, more or less, but I wasn't in the mood for pipework so I fitted the steps which are nice bits of design with a supplied triangular bracket located in half etched grooves. Being in thick nickel silver, they are extremely robust!



Adam