Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

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Post by MDLR » Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:52 pm

IrishPeter:118317 wrote:It was only in the steam tram era that reversible bench seats became common upstairs along with a flatter roof profile.
.................... or even just a roof, to keep some of the smuts off the passengers!
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Post by SapperAnt » Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:59 pm

MDLR:118324 wrote:
IrishPeter:118317 wrote:It was only in the steam tram era that reversible bench seats became common upstairs along with a flatter roof profile.
.................... or even just a roof, to keep some of the smuts off the passengers!
The Liverpool & Manchester way back in 1830 had reversible seats in their open 2nd Class Coaches - they recieved roofs twelve months later :-)

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Post by IrishPeter » Mon Dec 05, 2016 5:17 am

I have a certain amount of plywood to shift to the new house, so I decided - with proper authority from SWMBO - to reduce said stash to kits for rapid construction (did not mention that) when we get to Virginia.  

Anyway, following the fun I had with the Oldbury style Nesttun-Osbanen vehicle I made a while back, I came across some plans for a bogie third-baggage for the Lillesand-Flaksvandbanen which was never build.  I think the plans came from Skabo's archive and dated to 1894.  The baggage-third in question happens to be about the right for my line at 500mm in 1:20 scale, or a little under 20" long, and seated 32 with a 2.8m baggage compartment.  20" is ideal for my usual engineering standards as much longer than that, and my 4' radius curves ensure that it spends a lot of time being re-railed if I go in for headstock mounted chopper couplings. Of course, my over fertile imagination already has a couple of follow-ons in mind, namely an all third Co), and a second-third composite (BCo) in the same basic body shell.  

The other possibility is a further excursion on to the stream tram trailer theme.

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Sat Aug 04, 2018 5:10 am

Tonight - after containing the water problem in the basement, I decided that the "Buffer and Chain Gang" were going to get a makeover. I am toying with the idea of a 32mm gauge line outside, and there is a need for some stock. What better offerings for the project than the existing 16mm oddballs that I made for the Far End Tramway? Anyway, the 32mm long axle wheelsets intended for the Newqidas have gone into the bumper and chain gang, and the NQs will be repainted into late 1950s CIE mid-green to represent an as yet undiscovered modernisation era fleet of 3' gauge coaches...

Anyway, the Far End Tramway may actually achieve a physical existence for the purposes of freight and passengers from Far End to either a steamer pier, or the Big Railway. Just depends on to what degree the missus will let me snag some space around the back of the house in addition to the area loosely defined as the 'useless patio.'

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Last edited by IrishPeter on Mon Sep 03, 2018 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Mon Sep 03, 2018 11:25 am

I started hacking away at the jungle that had taken over the Useless Patio last week, and investigating the remains of the fence that at one time divided us from the apartment house next door. It turns out that I have a little more space than I thought. Preoccupied for the next few weeks, but hopefully I will get to it again in a couple of weeks and get the remaining jungle tamed.

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by bazzer42 » Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:56 pm

Nothing better than "more space" :D

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:20 am

Whilst I am waiting for the winter 'die back' to give me an idea of how much room I have for the Far End Tramway, I am building a little diesel loco out of one of HGLW's kits to provide some motive power whilst I get operations up and running. The chassis kit seems to drop together fairly easily, as the instructions are easily followed, and the parts are very clean. Got the basic frame put together in about 20 minutes 'reading the pictures' in the instruction. However, I am now temporarily stymied until I can get to the hardware shop for some primer - the last can's nozzle has died the death.


Cheers,

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:07 am

The little diesel was completed about a month ago, and has been wobbling up and down the 12 feet of 32mm gauge track in the basement. The wobble is due to the track been thrown down on a none too even shelf. Performance is reasonably satisfactory, but it needs some more weight. I may eventually branch out with my diesel livery, but this one is black like the one on my other line, the Skebawn and Castleknox Tramway.

The lastest wagon build for the S&CT&LR has left me with some spare wheelsets which have been re-gauged to 32mm, and will be the basis for a steel body 4-wh van similar to those used on the Darj. I have retrieved the materials for the basement (minor flooding imminent according to the weather forecast, and the blip-blip-blip from the floor sink down there) so I can start the build tomorrow or Wednesday. Well, I said I needed to build some more vans only trouble is it is for the wrong railway!

Anyway, what is in the back of my mind is the following:
Nicked off t'Internet
Nicked off t'Internet
DarjVans.jpg (302.46 KiB) Viewed 5651 times
They look a bit like small versions of the BR standard ventilated vans that were being cut up with such enthusiasm when I was a kid. I am wondering whether I need to make templates for these as I reckon there is going to be 'a few' of them. Mine will probably be a bit taller - say 160mm by 96mm by about 125mm - to reduce the wear and tear on 16mm scale flat caps.

The outdoor line is looking increasingly like I may follow LNR Grant's suggestion and go 'Mountain Railway' with it given the steep terrain around the back!

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Last edited by IrishPeter on Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by ge_rik » Tue Nov 13, 2018 9:02 am

Hi Peter
Depending on how accurate you want them to be, the Newqida box car might provide you with a body shell as a starting point.
IMG_8405.JPG
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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:31 am

Great idea, but it would involve putting my hand in my pocket and the scrap box is free! I have just paid the water bill, the personal property tax, the dog license, the gas, the electricity, and I also need to pay my quarterly income tax, so I am currently tighter than an Aberdonian at a church fete. The underframe consists of a lump of 12mm x 6mm basswood; part of a sheet of basswood left over from the last coach building project, and some logging car journals that I bought when playing the 'free postage if you spend so much' game.

It turns out this may not be the first 'steel van' but some sort of sentry box van, which is what the Far End Tramway uses instead of brake vans. The idea was a bit of lateral thinking, which is something I am good at even before a couple of beers. Mountain railways need to keep tare weights down, so a brake van that earns its keep as the place to dump LCL shipments, and parcels is an advantage. The initial design - sketched out on the back of a spare church bulletin - owes quite a bit to the Festobahn sentry boxes, though the box is in the middle not on the port side looking uphill. The rest is generic wooden van, though I might still go 'steel.'

More later!
Peter in VA

P.S. I reckon there is enough basswood left to act as the floor for the next passenger carriage. If not, it'll do for a couple of vans.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Thu Nov 15, 2018 8:33 am

Sounds a very interesting build Peter. Looking forward to some update photos soon. :thumbright:

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Fri Nov 16, 2018 8:05 pm

Photos in camera ready to be downloaded and resized by SWMBO. She wants to get the church bulletins done first.

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Sat Nov 17, 2018 11:31 pm

Here goes...
Sentry Box Brake 1
Sentry Box Brake 1
IMG_4302.JPG (217.16 KiB) Viewed 5415 times
Sentry Box Brake 2
Sentry Box Brake 2
IMG_4303.JPG (247.08 KiB) Viewed 5415 times
The 32mm gauge side of thing also has it first piece of motive power, and HGLW LB1
Far End "Diesel"
Far End "Diesel"
IMG_4304.JPG (279.22 KiB) Viewed 5415 times
Here seen at the head of the buffer and chain gang

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:54 am

Loving your Box Van Peter. :thumbright:
Are they hex heads on the van.

The Loco looks good too.

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Sun Nov 18, 2018 2:24 pm

Nothing so sophisticated as hex heads. 18 AWG trim nails IIRC. I usually glue the frame together, let it dry under weights on a very flat surface, and then drill out pilot holes for a few to strengthen the corners of the frames, and the ends of the vehicle. I like the frames to be square-ish and tight. No "limping lulus" if I can help it. I must have been feeling a bit ambitious when I started erecting this sentry box van 'cause I bunged them in down the sides as well, which is not my usual MO. I am now working on a history for this van, as my railway tend to develop quite complicated histories as I build them.

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Mon Nov 19, 2018 11:33 am

You do an excellent job Peter. :thumbright: :thumbright:

I am just a simple soul myself though… :lol: :lol:

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Nov 21, 2018 3:15 am

Platform built on Sunday night and roof spars in tonight. I am not quite as fanatical about these for a goods wagon as I am when I am making a detachable roof for a passenger carriage mainly because the roof is fixed. That said, I do not like more than about 2" unsupported or you end up with hills and hollers in the roof. Still trying to decide the precise form of the sentry box, but I have not got much longer to dither on that point.

More pics tomorrow (hopefully) when I am putting the roof on.

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Nov 28, 2018 5:10 am

The sentry box van seen broadside on. Small rolling stock like this comes from the early days of the Far End Tramway so far as thinking is concerned
Broadside shot
Broadside shot
IMG_4310.JPG (37.92 KiB) Viewed 5188 times
Nice three-quarter shot. Not sure about the extra step on the balcony.
Van 3/4 shot
Van 3/4 shot
IMG_4312.JPG (42.69 KiB) Viewed 5188 times
Little Black Diesel No. 2 and the Sentry Box Van
Van and the usual motive power
Van and the usual motive power
IMG_4313.JPG (42.8 KiB) Viewed 5188 times

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

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:15 am

Nice van there Peter. Can't help with the step....it does seem a bit odd...But it's your build mate and if you like it that's all that matters.

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Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Nov 29, 2018 2:25 am

I did decide it was a bit odd, and knocked it off. The original idea was to make the floor of the sentry box high enough that an ordinary height guard could peer over the top, but the van sides are 96mm, and with the curve of the roof that ended up being 104mm in the centre, which meant that even with the step, the guard would have had to have been considerably over the Victorian average of 5'6" to be able to peer over. Instead we'll just make him a nice little sentry box to keep the worst off. As things develop a bit, I think the small stuff will end up being allocated to maintenance of way duties.

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

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