Garden Railway Forum

I haven't run a train since early July and I've just spent three days clearing the jungle that had grown up around the track since then. The works foreman was sent out in the gang motor on an inspection trip to check for any damage from a recent storm and ensure the track was clear for the branch li...

I'd always thought you had to thin paints for a bow pen (not that I've tried it since my first abortive attempt around 60 years ago!). Interesting to hear you used Humbrol straight out of the tin. As well as reducing the viscosity, adding solvent reduces the surface tension of enamel paint, so the ...

Did you make templates to draw around, or some other method I'm not aware of? I tend to be allergic to templates and jigs.......... The lining on this model was mostly done using the spring bow pen from the drawing set. The type I have has a removable point, which I replaced with a piece of brass r...

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2023 9:27 am Thanks Graeme. I hadn't realised that Skylark was that low, either.

Consider the Groudle Glen Bagnalls, which are probably right up your alley. 2' gauge, but the cab is so small the driver has to sit to fit..........

Graeme

The tallest figure that will fit in the cab of Thornas is about 85mm high. That makes the cab about the same height as a Kerr Stuart Skylark. The TVT engineer is 85mm tall and he just fits in the Skylark cab. I wouldn't worry too much, Skylarks weren't alone in having low cabs. Anyway, the average ...

Time marches on and this model has finally left the paint shop, leaving only one model currently in the queue. The original plan was that this loco would be finished in time for the GSSU last year, it will just make it for this year. I wasn't that sure of the shade of green at first, but the lining ...

I'm also not sure what's wrong with the motor mount but that was one piece I kind of rushed and meant to come back to later... I guess it's later now :oops: I had a kind of revelation an hour or so ago and I think I may have found a better answer. I know your motor is 25mm diameter but how long is ...

BTW I cannot access the gearedsteam website as it gives me a great big red warning that I have (somehow) infringed their copyright. No idea about that one, it's not an error message I've ever seen online. I used the site heavily and downloaded photos when I was researching prototype info for the Cl...

First question is what is that vertical thing inside the cab? I’m guessing it is the steam dome. Then what is the long ‘chimney’ on top? UScdesigners rarely used inside cylinders on steam locos., mostly on early ones copied from UK practice. In later years, the yanks preferred the working parts of ...

I lamented my bad luck and replaced the dead Deltang RX65 with the only spare I had, a micron MR603B. As it turns out this motor controller seems to have braking as a built in feature, the speed remains very steady in varying load conditions including while running down hill. Some sort of friction ...

That’s the one I’ve just bought - they said their ‘tech team’ said it was impossible to regauge to 45mm. The Accucraft link says otherwise, as do my eyes when looking at the underside view. Hopefully it’s not been welded up or anything… Rails of Sheffield mostly deal in OO and N trains if their web...

Is the Accucraft Caradoc dual gauge or only 32mm? If you poke around in the Accucraft UK website, several levels down in the drop-down menus, you'll find all their discontinued models are listed. Along with the instructions, if the model ever came with any......... https://www.accucraft.uk.com/prod...

Can anyone advise on Tamiya putty please? Unless they've also changed the formula recently, Tamiya grey putty works fine. The only problem I've ever had with it over the years is that once the tube is opened it dries hard before you can use all of it. Tamiya sells several putty versions. I bought a...

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 7:37 am Out of interest, are the bogies actually driven by the prop shafts?

Yes, it has a fully working geared drive. It's even got the correct skew bevel gears on the driving axles.

Unlike the Bachmann Climax, which has motors in the bogies and the shafts just go along for the ride.

Graeme

The TVT engineer has lately been doing a bit of moonlighting for one of the local timber companies........ The Mt. Deception Hardwood Co. recently bought a s/h Climax steam loco., which was no oil painting, to be charitable. This company is a newer customer of the TVT and its line runs to the east o...

Factory paint. (Chinese ? ) Accucraft paintwork quality has improved considerably since their association with Aster. I assume the paintwork is done in China, as the factories that make Hornby, etc. have been doing excellent paintwork on model trains since the '80s. Satin paintwork with pad printed...

Hydrostatic Dazza wrote: ↑Tue Aug 29, 2023 11:17 pm What is this ?

An R/C servo mount. I assume the bit of K&S channel sticking out the front is to hide the servo wiring.......

Graeme

There are small electromagnetic clutches available, which could be set up to work as a brake. If it was driven with an ESC you could likely get variable braking force out of it. It would probably have to be fitted in an unpowered bogie under a trailer, or driving trailer, as it's about the size of a...

That's a nice looking model of a 2 car Doggie set. To be prototypical, Doggies and Taits only had Westinghouse automatic air brakes. The Butterboxes, being locos, had the addition of straight air brakes for the loco only. The first use of regen brakes on the VR electric fleet was the L class I think...

It does seem to be speed dependant though, too fast and it sails straight over the magnet without stopping, but I guess that makes sense. I may try experimenting with two sets of magnets in parallel, to see if that allows it to 'bite' for longer. That was what I found with my HO speedometer car, as...