Anglicizing, or rather Hibernizing, Ruby - and cattle wagons

What is your latest project?
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IrishPeter
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Anglicizing, or rather Hibernizing, Ruby - and cattle wagons

Post by IrishPeter » Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:59 am

The current ongoing project is Anglicizing a Ruby.   I've decided  the main things that need doing are:

1. Loose the sand pot on top of the boiler - done
2. Change the dome - done - replaced with roundhouse Millie dome
3. Install longer regulator handle so I can do the 'off balance grab' from the side rather than the rear.
4. New cab sides and add a cab back
5. New funnel - though the stovepipe might be OK once I sort the smokebox door out.
6. Sort out smokebox door and repaint smokebox black (or thereabouts)
7. New buffer beams at correct height for the Skibawn and Castleknox - 34mm buffer centre height - and an 'Irish Cowcatcher."
8. Might add side skirts, but they tended to disappear in the early 1900s, so they would be anachronistic for GSR days.

Optional extras - repaint the beast GSR gloss battleship grey; she is already black, which became the GSR's livery in the late 1930s. Fit her with GSR number plates, and rear pony truck.

As iron strangling and brass bashing are chores not fun for me, I am also preparing some light relief for myself with the great cattle wagon build.  I think most of mine will be convertables - vehicles with flaps over the upper air vents and a washout hole at the bottom allowing them to be used both as covered wagons and for cattle.  Irish lines tended to have twice as many covered and cattle wagons as opens because of the different balance of general merchandise and cattle traffic to minerals.  The big exceptions to this rule of thumb are the Mid-Antrim lines which shifted iron ore, and the Cavan and Leitrim which shifted Arigna coal.

The last two projects through the wagon works were a 28' brake-third based on a Tralee and Dingle vehicle, and a covered wagon based on a Clogher Valley Railway example. Both are now far enough on for me to be planning whatever's next.  Of course with the weather forecast (more snow!) I may be spending the weekend on strapping, railings, door handles, and other ironmongery

Peter in AZ

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Post by Narrow Minded » Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:50 am

Sounds great! Any photo's??
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Post by IrishPeter » Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:17 pm

I managed to get outside and take a few pictures this afternoon ahead of the next stormrolling into town.  I have to warn you though, most of my stuff is in a state of runnable, but not finished as certain jobs - like fabricating carriage balcony handrails - are up there with painting the fence!  

http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ttac/SCLRTphotos.html

Peter in AZ

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Post by IrishPeter » Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:43 pm

Murphy's Law struck again, and the bg project is now repairing the eccentric rods on Ruby #1, and is therefore in the shop awaiting spares. Ruby #2 is not here yet, so services are temporarily suspended. Instead I have been getting on with the Schull and Skibberen inspired four-wheel first class saloon that has been sitting on the 'Roundtuit' pile since long before Christmas. The body shell has been erected, and has its first coat of GSR Claret. The floor has been cut and scribed to represent planking. I will finish the panelling on the carriage ends this evening, and possibly add the benches. Then comes final painting, glazing, a roof and an underframe. If I get some more basswood in, she should be finished next week sometime, as the castings for the 'W' irons are already in my 'bit box.'

Peter in AZ

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Post by IrishPeter » Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:53 am

Since the last comment I have managed to coax Ruby No.1 back into life, and order her a new rear axle. No.2 is still somewhere in the clutches of the Postal Service, along with a book that was shipped almost a month ago. I hope they both appear soon.

The four wheeler is coming along nicely. I installed the panelling on the ends yesterday, and gave her another three coats of paint today. Tomorrow if I have time, and it is warm enough she'll get her first top coat of varnish - maybe both. After that it is time to fit the windows and interior and hope that my travels take me somewhere near the hobby store before I get another day off. I need some 3/8th square for the underframe.

I noticed when I was sanding it off today that the proportions of the side panels are bottom-about-face on the Schull and Skibbereen stock. Tramway style vehicles usually have a narrow panel along the bottom and a broader one under the windows like the Corris stock. I might build another fourwheeler or two the other way about, as the S&CLR&T is based on the S&S not a model of same!

Peter in AZ

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Post by METHSSNIFFER » Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:29 am

any pics

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Post by IrishPeter » Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:47 am

There should be a couple of pictures of the new four wheeler at

http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ttac/SCLRTphotos3.html

Since I got that one up and running a three plank open has been built and I am now on the first of my cattle wagons, which is of the Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway convertible pattern. Basically 'flaps up' a covered wagon; 'flaps down' a cattle wagon. There is a slight danger that during construction it may veer off into a simila Clogher Valley design, just depends on how much of a pain the slding shutters on the CVBT version are to model.

Peter in AZ
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Post by IrishPeter » Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:30 am

I forgot to say that the Postal Service eventually disgorged Ruby No.2 and she needed a bit of tweaking. Like all straight out of the box small cylinder 'Rubies' she likes to runaway, so she'll either get the exhaust regulator treatment, or R/C..

Paradoxically, the first cattle wagon has been enough of a pain in the nuts that I am now looking forward to modifying the two 'Rubys' that I have. Further cattle wagons will not be to the same design. One of the two Rubies will be a bi-cabine tram locomotive, the other will have a single cab, but the still with the shelf out front where the second cab used to be. The aesthetics will be generally similar to those of the original TDLR No.4, an 0-4-2T of 1890.

Peter in AZ
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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