Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

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TonyW
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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by TonyW » Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:03 pm

A superb job, well done. It is always nice to see a loco that is no longer in shiny-shiny-shiny fresh from the box condition.

And you painted the wheels! It baffles me as to why a huge proportion of model loco owners think their locos look great with unpainted shiny plated wheels. Try finding a full-size prototype of that...!

My favourite bit of your loco: The rivets on the frames. What a difference they make.
Tony Willmore
Rhos Helyg Locomotive Works: http://www.rhoshelyg.me.uk
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Old Man Aaron
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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by Old Man Aaron » Thu Apr 01, 2021 12:46 pm

Thanks again gents, really pleased with how loco and track (well, most of the latter) has turned out.

Andrew; I'm excited to hear that; encouraging others to have a go at weathering is half the reason this thread exists. That, and to contribute something to this forum from which I've learned so much over the years, lurking, until recently. Keep us posted, please!

Phil; Tamiya makes both acrylics (round jars) and enamels. (square jars) I wouldn't dream of trying any acrylic on a live steamer. I know plenty of people successfully spray the bodywork/cladding with car acrylics, but I'm not willing to risk the paint softening under steam. Though to be honest, I did use acrylic inside the ashpan because it was more convenient - it'll barely get warm and nothing will get in there to damage it anyway.. The tramway has quite a bit planned for the inspector..

Tony; Thanks, the rivets (dressmaker's pins) cumulatively took seven hours, and thirty 0.8mm drill bits! During the original build, a mate of mine did something similar on his loco, which soon prompted stripping down my own chassis, after I'd already assembled and timed it.. Shiny wheels and cylinder caps are a pet hate of mine too, especially given how easy they are to deal with - but each to their own, of course..

Looking forward to the day I can finally step back, and see a half-dozen or so fleet of grimy canefield workhorses on shed.. :)
Regards,
Aaron - Scum Class Works

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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by Old Man Aaron » Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:44 am

Tested "Victoria" on Thursday and Friday. Had the usual troubles filling the gas tank. You'd think it's warm enough in this country to not require pre-heating a brand-new gas can for every fill. :scratch: Clearly something isn't right, but it happens with all three locos I've steamed since late 2018; one Accy, two Roundhouse - even tried swapping the filler valves on the latter two. Also tried two different nylon gas adapters. All to no avail, who knows why this is.. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, though it's hard to stuff up filling a gas tank. Only thing I've not tried, is a different brand of butane..

Once the tank was finally filled, the loco was soon pleasantly simmering. One strange thing I've noticed, is that the clearcoat that gets hottest (on boiler, smokebox, domes and front headstock, yet not the cylinder cladding?) has turned to a satin finish. This is a bit weird, but I'm wondering if this isn't just off-gassing due to the heat, and my may rectify itself with time..
Worst case, I'll degrease it with alcohol and water, and take my chances with Humbrol flat clear :? - I used it on the Baldwin before I sold it, and it stayed matt under steam..
A light-engine trial up and down the elevated "yard" (tightening the cylinder gland nuts before they made a dribbly mess) was very successful, so I called it a day.
Image

The next afternoon, a carriage and requisite momentum van were coupled on for a road test. "Victoria" behaved as you'd expect a Roundhouse, and I look forward to hanging a reasonable train behind it at the AMRA open day in Zillmere next weekend. (plague provisions notwithstanding)
Image

As requested, I took some video. Please excuse the funny transition pacing, slight camera wobble, and my camera's annoying habit of dampening the audio when zooming. In time, I'd like to make better quality and more realistic videos..


Cheers,
Aaron
Regards,
Aaron - Scum Class Works

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Lonsdaler
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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by Lonsdaler » Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:15 pm

Lovely job Aaron. The opening shot in the video could have been 1:1 scale. Despite the problem with the clearcoat, you must be very pleased.
Phil

Sporadic Garden Railer who's inconsistencies know no bounds

My Line - https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11077

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Peter Butler
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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by Peter Butler » Sat Apr 10, 2021 7:28 pm

Wonderful video Aaron, the low angle shots through the foliage are beautiful. It makes your railway come alive and appears to be much larger than it really is.
Love the wildlife noises too, no need for added sound effects in your back yard!
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

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Re: Weitere Verbesserungen an einem Roundhouse Fowler

Post by SKGLB » Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:15 am

Hello Aaron,

very nice slow run of the Fowler in a wonderfully designed outdoor layout. :thumbleft:

Only the noise of the slomo wagon bothers a bit.
But I know the problem, I built a slomo wagon with 2 zecars myself, the mechanical delay is close to the original but the noise is a bit annoying.

Greetings from Austria
Gerald

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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by Old Man Aaron » Mon Apr 12, 2021 2:00 am

Thanks again. I'm finding that starting a shot slightly zoomed in, often makes the photo of video look more like a 1:1 scale shot. Could be something to do with the field of view, but then I've yet to seriously look into home film-making. Looking forward to making "videos of "proper" cane tramway movements once the next line is built. I'll have more bird sounds and none of the air-conditioner's humming.. :roll:

Aye, sorry about that van's harsh and obtrusive noise, especially on such a short train. Annoys the hell out of me, too. Camera makes it sound worse, but it would've been slightly quieter, had I oiled the gears before the run. I've four other Zecars and will look at ways to try and quieten them down when they're built into new wagons..
Regards,
Aaron - Scum Class Works

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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by Andrew » Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:46 am

I agree with the others, a lovely video. I think it's incredible (inspirational, indeed) how realistic a line you've built in such a small space, and your close attention to the track has really paid off, it looks amazing. It's something I'll be thinking about more in future...

Sorry to hear of your varnish woes - although, for what it's worth, I still think it looks great, the more satin bits just look a little oilier. I've been looking at reviews for various varnishes, and those for Humbrol are pretty mixed, aren't they?! I don't know if I'll dare risk it on my Baldwin - I don't have an airbrush, so my options are pretty limited...

All the best,

Andrew.

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Keith S
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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by Keith S » Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:41 pm

well done
Last edited by Keith S on Mon May 10, 2021 4:36 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Further Improvements to a Roundhouse Fowler

Post by FWLR » Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:45 am

Nice video. Love the shots travelling through the foliage.

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