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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 7:09 pm
by tom_tom_go
Thanks Peter, this is why I don't bother with buildings lol...

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 7:20 pm
by invicta280
tom_tom_go wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 9:21 pm Just messing about with the camera on the last day of summer as the days are now going to start getting darker in the UK:
That's a depressing thought. Luckily it's not true. The days will start to get shorter, but only marginally at first, but not darker. Best part of summer still to come.

Great pics by the way.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:00 am
by philipy
tom_tom_go wrote: Sat Jun 23, 2018 5:12 pm

The ladder is made from Hornby OO rails with copper wire.
Tom, you are a genius! Thank you.
I'm in the middle of signal construction and have been wondering what to use for the ladder sides. The brass strip I was intending to use is really too wide and too thin, but I do still have some lengths of 4mm rail from many years ago, so...

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 1:29 pm
by tom_tom_go
Can you make me one after as it's too hot im my shed to do anything.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 7:48 am
by FWLR
I don’t have a shed anymore Tom, but I know what you mean about it being hot….I had two fans and both of the double doors open and there I was losing 1/2 a stone on weight….. :lol: :lol:

Although Anne did say I was looking better for it. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:41 pm
by tom_tom_go
Cooler evening so played around again with soldering the ladder and this time used my 40w iron and it worked fine. I don't know why I was having problems before but 100w or blow torch is OTT for this work.

Bending the wire and filing it down was starting to piss me off so you can see in the first rung I have soldered it flush which is quicker and looks better, K.I.S.S working well for me for here!

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Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:14 pm
by bazzer42
That's definitely one of those ideas to remember!

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:01 am
by pandsrowe
You may call me a cheque book modeller if you wish but I find with the usual problems of advancing age eyes etc. that making things like these ladders is just too much of a faff. I do appreciate that so many of us and me in the past, enjoy the construction process and the sense of achievement on completion but for around £7 one can purchase a length of etched brass ladder from Pendle Valley Workshop that is the most realistic that I have ever seen in 16mm scale. From memory I think that each length is about 300mm long and it is used in their signal kits but obtainable separately. Just to add that I have no connection with Pendle, just a satisfied customer.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:47 am
by tom_tom_go
£7 + postage for a model ladder is alot of money to me...

The cost of for model railways in general has got silly over the last couple of years and given the results from Rik's garden railway survey there are hardly any young people doing this hobby so prices will continue to rise as the numbers fall.

As one of the few younger people involved in this scale I need to get clever with making stuff as my pension will not allow me to be a cheque book modeller.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:46 am
by Peter Butler
You are Sooo... right Tom, but all hobbies are expensive for the same reason... where there is a market there is an entrepreneur. Even us scratch-builders need to purchase basic parts (wheels etc) but the idea of buying expensive, showy items never appealed to me and hand-crafting became the norm.
In the past I have kept tropical fish, collected stamps, postcards, fine art etc.....(wine would never have reached maturity!) all of which became prohibitively expensive, at least my garden railway can be built to my own level of competence and that is the most important.
I feel for anyone still working and with unknown pension prospects, that would be a concern even without a hobby to support!

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:17 am
by philipy
I agree with all three of you! ( How's that for fence sitting? :lol:)
Seriously, on my pension I could never justify 2 grand or so for an RTR steam loco and I don't have the ability to build one myself, so that's something I must resign myself to not having. By the same token, the Pendle Valley buildings are beautiful , but pricey for something that I can build from scratch for a fraction of the price plus I get the pleasure and satisfaction of doing for myself. Having said that, Peter is right, we do have to buy the basics and then comes a grey area, 'what is a basic'? Peter, I know you've bought window frames for example and Jackson frames are not cheap, so what is the difference between that and buying a signal ladder that could potentially save a lot of time and look loads better than a DIY version?
As with most things, it's horses for courses and one persons 'must have' is another persons 'wouldn't touch with a bargepole'.

Coming back to Pendle ladders, after reading Phil's recommendation I went to look at the Pendle site, and although they are shown as included with the signal and water tower kits, I can't find them listed on their own?

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:39 am
by ge_rik
My philosophy is, that if it's something I can make myself, then I'll have a go. Primarily it's to save money, but secondly I get great satisfaction from solving the problems involved and egotistically admiring my own handiwork - though I am very conscious of the limitations in my skills-sets. But, heck, it's my railway and it keeps me happy.

I like sharing my exploits through my blog - with the maxim that 'If I can do it then anyone can'. Very satisfying yesterday that on another forum someone (I believe in the younger age bracket) was describing how he is bashing a US loco into something resembling an Irish NG loco. When I complimented him on his progress, he replied it was because of my blog that he had decided to have a go himself.
https://www.gscalecentral.net/threads/i ... er.311257/

Rik
PS And it was seeing what Gregh had achieved that gave me the confidence to start building my own locos. So, worth sharing anything you do. It may well help others.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:24 pm
by BorisSpencer
philipy wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:17 am Coming back to Pendle ladders, after reading Phil's recommendation I went to look at the Pendle site, and although they are shown as included with the signal and water tower kits, I can't find them listed on their own?
I did the same - they are listed in the downloadable PDF catalogue (£6.50 for a 290mm ladder).

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:44 am
by pandsrowe
Oh dear, I seem to have touched some raw nerves here, sorry. What I was trying to show was for someone like me with poor eyesight and not a lot of time there sometimes is exactly what is required off the shelf. I also appreciate that a lot of us want to build everything ourselves, but how far does one go. Do we smelt our own metal, grind pigments to make paint etc. etc? No I don't think so, so for the majority it is a case of hopefully striking the right balance between build or buy.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:03 am
by tom_tom_go
No we have covered the ladder can I get back to my railway thread please (feel free to start a new thread about scratch building, etc).

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:52 am
by FWLR
Well Tom, I think you have done a great job on the ladder for a first attempt. I am also not that brilliant at soldering, so for me your work is great. The rungs do look as they have had a few feet trodden on them…. :thumbright: :thumbright: :thumbright:

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:53 pm
by tom_tom_go
Is this where a sign like this would be placed at an ungated crossing?

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I have another sign that says 'TRAINS CROSS HERE' but not sure where to put that?

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:01 pm
by Andrew
Hi Tom,

Must be quick, should be packing to go to a wedding tomorrow, but your sign looks about right - just before people cross the track. There are lots of pictures online.

I think "Trains cross here" would be displayed like a road sign at an ungated road crossing - the forerunner of modern versions. I'll try to find a photo after the weekend, but I've seen some in a book on the KESR, with a black and white striped pole and a red triangle on top...

Back to the packing - and tidying up too, because my Mum's coming to look after the kids...

Andrew.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:23 pm
by tom_tom_go
Thanks Andrew, I won a few bits on a job lot and these signs were part of it but I think the posts are a bit overscale so may change them.

Re: RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:27 pm
by Andrew
tom_tom_go wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:23 pm Thanks Andrew, I won a few bits on a job lot and these signs were part of it but I think the posts are a bit overscale so may change them.
A bit of rail would be the thing...

Oops, still supposed to be packing...