1/32 Gauge 1 'City of London' and Carriage Builds

[Steve Cook]

Jamie
No problem, I've sent the requests sent out, I'll let you know the observations when they arrive

PS Steve, two rather large turnouts have arrived, so tracklaying for the Baldwin can start if it ever dries out in the garden.

Fantastic stuff, I'll keep my fingers crossed for some dry weather

 

[ScottW]

Thanks Steve, being a novice any help would be greatly received.

Being new to Gauge 1 I have found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. I am interested in building my own locomotive at some point but thought it best to cut my teeth on a kit first. Like Taliesin has already pointed out I also have found most kits tend to be 10mm. Having now bought a kit my thoughts are turning to coaches for it to pull and here I find the market to be dominated by 1/32". Tenmille sell 10mm BR Mk1 coaches but only produce two types, a greater variety seems to be provided by other manufacturers in 1/32". I'm not bothered about the whole finescale thing as it's more the operational side of things I'm interested in but I find myself wondering if I have made the right choice buying a 10mm kit.

Scott

 

[Steve Cook]

Hi Scott
I'll send the feelers out on the Jubilee and see what comes back.

Have you done the right thing with a 10mm kit? Yeah, I think so - you couldn't have got 1/32 kit for the price you are paying and Barretts deserve their good reputation. There is the odd bit that needs thinking about but thats true of just about any kit loco in any scale as the build threads on this forum testify. If you are interested in building, making and operation then don't have any regrets, just enjoy it for the experience.

In terms of 10mm BR Mk1 coaches you need to add Peter Alliot Model Engineering to your list. I'm looking at a parts list from 2009 (I don't think he has shrunk his range since then) and can count 14 different MK1 specs (FO, FK, BFK, CK, BCK, SK, BSK, BSO, TSO, SO, RSO, RUO, RMB, BG) which I'm guessing would satisfy most of your requirements If you look on my other thread, all the videos with my engine running are pulling Pete's coaches to give you an idea of what they look like (its only the chocolate and cream coaches that were 1/32 scale).

In some respects I guess you need to choose: are you building a train (or trains) ie matching loco and stock or do you want to have one rake of coaches and have multiple options for pulling them? Both approaches are common, some people have to accept that they own the odd engine that isn't the same scale as their coaching stock but it doesn't seem to spoil their enjoyment. Trouble is, that is quite a personal viewpoint and only you know whether you are happy in that situation.

I'm not sure what your local group situation is like but chance are there will be coaches for you to pull, a quarter of my running time has been spent pulling some extremely old wooden bodied maroon 10mm coaches - I haven't given a rats backside until now By the time you have built yours and gained the experience of running it you will either be able to sell if for at least what it has cost and go 1/32 or you might just find that 10mm is fine when you are running.

I'll send you Pete's details anyway.

Steve

 

[ScottW]

Thanks for the wise words Steve, and for Peters' contact details. I'll contact Peter regarding his catalogue, by the sound of it he produces far more designs than I will require. My plan is to just build a rake of coaches. I don't think the funds could stretch to producing a number of different rakes for different trains.

I hadn't realised Gauge 1 was such a mixed bag until I started taking more of an interest, it would appear that most of the popular scales are fighting with gauge issues. Despite S Scale being one of the lesser well known scales at least it has one set of standards.

I'm certainly looking forward to receiving the Jubilee kit, it's just a matter of when. I am looking to move house this year and I would imagine this will have a detrimental effect on it's construction unfortunately.

Scott

 

[OzzyO]

Hello all,

I'm a bit confused about this 10mm or 1/32 thing. lets see if I've got this right.

1/32 is 3/8" ; 1' or 9.525mm ; 1'.

10mm is .3937" ; 1' so is that 1/30.5 scale?

Or have I got this all wrong?

Thanks,

OzzyO.

 

[Steve Cook]

Your maths is fine Ozzy
Steve

 

[mickoo]

Basically three scales in Gauge 1 for standard gauge trains.

10mm/1' = 1:30.5, UK live steamers etc
9.5mm/1' = 1:32, True scale
10.5mm/1' = 1:29, Popular US scale

All running on 45mm track.

 

[OzzyO]

So it's a bit like upside down 4mm, where they have one scale and three different track gauges, 16.5, 18.2 & 18.83mm.

You have three scales and one track gauge.

Thanks for the help.

OzzyO.

 

[alcazar]

My brain hurts.......

 

[Len Cattley]

And mine......

 

[mth]

Ditto...........

 

[OzzyO]

Oh dear what have I done?

 

[Steve Cook]

To compound Gauge 1 it is also very popular to use 45mm track for narrow gauge railways, usually 1000mm gauge and 750mm, I think all LGB stock is 1:22 scale running on 45mm track, what is a shame is that some rather nice DB modern locos (PIKO if I recall correctly) are modeled in 1:22 scale but running on 45mm track where as they should be running on 64/65mm track.

Easy Mick, you'll have 'em on the ropes at this rate

 

[ceejaydee]

I think that some of the Piko locos are supposedly closer to 1:27ish than 1:22.5 but regardless they are good value.
I have the BR 80 and the overall size fits in well with the LGB NG stock but then again the ubiquitous LGB Stainz is supposedly closer to 1:19

I only run 1/32, 1/19, 1/29 and whatever Piko is on my 45mm gauge track

...not all at the same time I hasten to add!

Whilst all my G1 is 1/32 (on my tiny track scale is somewhat irrelevant as long as a train looks right) I have always fancied building a Barrett loco so your shared experience will be most welcome Steve

 

[Susie]

Definitely D28 in the notes Graham. And in the wood too

View attachment 23395

Not my best photo by a long shot, but it gives a good idea of what scares waves at me over the horizon
Steve

Hi Steve,

Nice to see the coaches have surfaced!

The diagrams are those of a specially formed train that ran to Birkenhead from Paddington for the ocean-going steamer routes. I chose them because they formed a complete authentic train using only four or five coaches. All but one of the diagrams are in Russell's book, the other came from Stewart Hine's collection.

For the mouldings, the intention was to make doilies using thin card and glue them on with Gum Arabic (which we used to buy in large quantities at work), as per Jim Whiticker, but that was long before lazer cutting became readily available. If you know a friendly lazer then I would certainly do it that way, particularly as the clerestory sides, with all those little windows need making.

I must admit though, that if I was to start building them these days, I'd probably go the David Jenkinson route with Plastikard, especially for painted coaches, despite my S scale GNR coaches being on the books for so many years. Cutting all those fixed and drop lights out using a router made an awful lot of mess! At the time I was concerned with plastic coaches and meth's fired engines, but others have done it and not had problems.

By the way, during a tidy up I found the set of Guilplates for the loco. I'll send them to you, assuming you're happy with "City of London".

Best wishes,

Susie

 

[Steve Cook]

Hi Susie
Good to hear from you, hope you are keeping well
Yes please for the name plates, that would be magic. Must be some sort of coincidence as I was only going through the list of suitable names this weekend to see what alternatives were available (the other chap close to me already has 'Truro plates) - given my accent, 'City of London' is most appropriate, thank you very much.

I'm in a coach kind of groove at the moment what with the other projects on the go and I've been thinking about the panelling options for the bodies you made. I was tempted with card, but my current favoured scheme is plasticard, glued onto the bare wood with butanone - I reckon if its good enough for building track then it should hold OK on a coach side. Not sure how to deal with the wood grain or rounding the panelling edges yet (perhaps priming and rubbing down will sort both out in one go), its time for a test piece

Ah, yes, the clerestory sides, that'll be why I'm going to start on the K3! The bogies for that are on order so I can try an attempt at getting what I want from sprung axles in a self contained unit with cosmetic sides. Lots to do (understatement if ever there was one!) but they are rolling round in the back of my mind now so I can start collecting materials, tools and firming up ideas.

Thanks again
Steve

 

[Steve Cook]

Got round to making a small test piece using some of the spare wood that Susie provided with the coach bodies. The beading is cut from 0.5mm plasticard, thicker than ideal but I don't have any 15 thou to play with. It was cut out in the style recommended by David Jenkinson in his book, goodness knows how he reckoned on 3 hours a coach to cut out a fret - he must have been a demon with a scapel and a ruler!



Glued into place with Butanone, it has resisted the 'pick test' and when trying to tear it up using the tag at the top, the plasticard started to fail before lifting from the wood - I reckon its a good to go. All I need to now is patience and practice to make up the frets...

Following the above bit of success I've made a start on working out the order of assembly. The centre partitions are glued in first, although with hindsight I should have marked and drilled the pilot holes for the bogies pivots first - it would have been easier.



Having drilled pilot holes for the bogie pivots, the first side was glued in, both sides having had cardboard taped to the outside to prevent any bruising of the wood. The clamps have been borrowed from a friend as I wasn't sure what size to buy, smaller than these ones is the answer However, they are doing a grand job, but their weight has necessitated clamping the coach floor to the work surface.



Whilst the glue dries, I should get back to the PMV...
Steve

 

[Neil]

..... The beading is cut from 0.5mm plasticard, thicker than ideal but I don't have any 15 thou to play with. It was cut out in the style recommended by David Jenkinson in his book, goodness knows how he reckoned on 3 hours a coach to cut out a fret - he must have been a demon with a scapel and a ruler! .....

Would it be possible to punch out the corners in the panelling (improper engineering suggestion would be sharpened tube walloped with a hammer) then just join up the holes?

 

[Steve Cook]

I like the idea of what looks like cling film over the work bench to stop the seeping glue from sticking the whole lot to the desk

Well spotted Mick, cling film it is

Would it be possible to punch out the corners in the panelling (improper engineering suggestion would be sharpened tube walloped with a hammer) then just join up the holes?

I think so Neil, it would need either a jig or straight edges to make sure you could get a consistent response from the punch position in my opinion, but definitely do-able. I need some 15thou plasticard to see if the cutting / shaping gets any easier, or just more fragile and hence tedious...

Steve

 

[Steve Cook]

Second side was glued in this afternoon too



And with the excessively large clamps removed, it takes on an altogether smaller presence


Shown with the appropriate roof section, you can also see that I removed a small amount from the top of the partitions to allow the roof to sit down flush. The ends sit within the sides



If a clerestory roof was on the prototype, the ends are tall enough to be shaped to cope with the extra roof section. In this case though, the roof is without the fiddly bit so I can use another section that Susie had machined up



I shall have to loosely fit the ends and scribe on the shape of the roof, then I can trim both roof and ends to get the final shape. At that point I can worry about the extra windows in the ends. Whilst mocking up the roof, I noticed that one section of side hadn't sat quite right at the floor joint - the tumblehome makes clamping quite difficult. Fortunately I hadn't waited that long so the glued joint could be gently broken, fresh Evostick forced in and then the side re-clamped using a rubber band (and a peg to keep the band out of the glue).



Everything else looks OK so I can leave it all to dry for tonight, then work around and reinforce all of the joints.
Steve