Garden Railway Forum

There was recently a write-up in the 16mm facebook group about a spiral.

Slow progress recently. Ended up cutting out the cab pieces by hand after wasting time and money on a scroll saw. Then spent a week waiting for a metre of 1/8" brass half round beading to arrive; to edge the window openings and doorways. The metre length wasn't quite enough, but the front and b...

I was going to post a question asking if anyone built one and how did they get on? Obviously people did as your last post shews! I fancy having a go myself when time permits. I can thoroughly recommend the Idris. Here's mine, widened for 45mm gauge, and with a slightly larger diameter boiler. We ke...

I had a big shock when the cab was mocked-up in card today, it's enormous!

I just love the proper engineering and thought that has / is going into this loco and would love to see it in the flesh.  Just a shame your not local! Thank you! I'm just a click on the keyboard away. Here's the footplate, all one piece, lots of sawing and filing. https://i.postimg.cc/9F5yDsVV/DSC0...

With regards the protector/ oil bath - do you think a drain valve for changing the oil would be required or would you syringe it out? I can't wait to see a video of the finished thing! Well, at the moment I think we'll do without any drain and just apply oil to the gears before a run. I can't wait ...

Ive always wondered - what is the best way to fill holes in the frames? Well, I've managed to fill 4 with some more screws. Here's a cover for the lower gears, I could imagine that vegetation would get crunched up by the large 1st gear. https://i.postimg.cc/ZKzqPgd7/DSC09620.jpg The cover fitted. h...

Finally the chassis is rolling again... I had to modify the clutch actuator shaft to allow full travel on the front axle boxes (the wheel flanges were contacting it) that took three days after I had worked out what to do! I've switched the fasteners to mushroom-headed screws, I think they look bette...

I had to use coil springs as I couldn't fit leaf springs in.





Now I have to do it all over again for the second frame

Here are two new axle boxes. I shall think about the springing and the keeper plate before I start on the other frame.

Milling the axle box slots out of the first frame side. https://i.postimg.cc/rFX5NWqF/DSC09598-s.jpg Here's the new horn plates in position on one of the frames. Front https://i.postimg.cc/xTrw2s3G/DSC09603-s.jpg Back https://i.postimg.cc/vHFZNt1k/DSC09604-s.jpg My project this week is to make some ...

Superb stuff.   That is the only loco chassis I've ever seen in any scale that could not look any better by fitting a body.  Its almost a shame to cover it up. Thanks Andy, that's great. There will be plenty of works to see through the cab doors. I didn't manage to keep everything below floor height

How does the new system work - equalizing beams? Axle boxes sliding between the horn plates. I want to try a leaf spring arrangement, if that fails it will have to be the usual coil springs on top of the axle boxes. I was recently re-watching the 16 mm assoc videos, I loved your DVLR films they wer...

The rear suspension is far too bouncy. Some things are good being bouncy but not this loco. https://youtu.be/Wr8XZBUyQr8 As a trial I had used a gauge 1 inside frame type suspension, it doesn't look the best on this application. Here we are, I'm making horn plates for a new suspension arrangement on...

I've had to extend the frames forwards 10 mm.  The front of the carby was directly inline with the front buffer beam.  The engine couldn't go back any further... The chassis with one side frame off for lengthening. https://i.postimg.cc/8P85190n/DSC00318-s.jpg Now the frame is 10 mm longer. https://i...

I use a spring in my whistle pull so that the valve is pulled wide open without anything getting strained.





Best wishes,
Dave.

I've not had to machine gears yet, are you using commercial volute cutters, or do you make your own? It's a bit hard to work out from the photos, but could you fix the bevel gears on a sliding sleeve so they move together? Hi Graeme, I'm using a homemade cutter as detailed in this excellent resourc...

After yet more months of behind the scenes work I can now reveal the final transmission set-up. https://i.postimg.cc/65Jq6R4L/DSC09560.jpg The gears are in constant mesh and are connected to their shafts by sliding dog-clutches. The gears on the jackshaft are Loctited to the shaft, the other gears r...

A gas poker burner does not seem to be a very efficient way to heat a large diameter boiler as the surface area of the flue tube(s) is quite small compared to the water volume, this may explain why most gas boilers of 2.5 to 4 inch diameter sold for model boats use Cheddar type ceramic burners in f...

So where does the exhaust from the cylinders go? I think I'd prefer to have a open smoke box and no uptake if it were mine. The exhaust goes straight down behind the rear wheels.  This was a special set-up for an unusual model.  I think the boiler is efficient with the uptake, and is helped by bein...