Time to build a railway...but where?

jim@NAL · Post by **jim@NAL** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:43 pm

brilliant work peter they look fab

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:56 pm

At last.... a paint finish to the wagons.
These are the two coal trucks which I showed earlier in the plastic material and then in the grey primer coat

and four of the seven flats, three still to be completed.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Fri Dec 11, 2015 6:14 pm

Time for a new loco I think! Something completely different this time.
This is a joint build as a good friend kindly gave me a part built body, (scratchbuilt from plasticard), and a set of wheels. Apparently he had tried to motorise the loco but was not satisfied with his attempt and gave up on the whole thing.
The first thing to do was re-profile the wheels which were gauge 1 and didn't like my Peco track and points one bit! Then new bogies were built up from plasticard (again) and the axles set into brass bearings. Two Como motors with 30-1 reduction gears were sourced and fitted with bevel gears driving one axle on each bogie.

The body needed some attention to add detail, as well as replacing all window glazing which had pushed through into the cabs. Each cab is now fitted with driver and control panel (representative only) and the whole body stripped and repainted.

Post by **philipy** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:53 am

As always, Peter...Wow!

My only question is, when do you find time to eat and sleep??

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 8:06 pm

philipy:114736 wrote:
My only question is, when do you find time to eat and sleep?? :lol:

Trust me, I always make time to eat! Sleep? yes, I do that too.

However.... I still have time to make more models and this is one I have almost finished, just waiting for smokebox door and spectacles. I might add handrails too when they arrive in the post.
You might remember this from a few posts back when I showed it in the unfinished white plastic state.

Alan P · Post by **Alan P** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 8:11 pm

Peter, that's just amazing! If i could get just close to that with the models i build i would be more than happy. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 9:02 pm

I'm with Alan P all the way She's a beauty Peter. Lovely proportions and a very nice livery too.

Andrew

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 9:46 pm

What a pretty little locomotive! Peter, the models you build from plasticard are absolutely outstanding.

jim@NAL · Post by **jim@NAL** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 8:44 pm

looking great peter well done

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:24 am

The reason why I build models in wood and cardboard is because I can't tolerate the glues and solvents that have to be used with plastics. But that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate skilled work done in plasticard when I see it.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 10:05 am

Yes Annie, I agree the solvents can be pretty nasty and need to be treated with some common sense. I work in a large shed with plenty of open space. During decent weather conditions I like to have the doors open so that there is always air circulation.

Post by **philipy** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:04 pm

Peter Butler:114774 wrote: You might remember this from a few posts back when I showed it in the unfinished white plastic state.

Hmmm... I read this and thought, "No, I don't remember this from a few posts back"... then I thought, "Wonder where the dome and chimney came from?" so I went looking. It was actually a whole 6 pages back Peter, which says something about how prolific your modelling is.

I also found the answer to the question of the source of the dome, so scratch that one, but was the chimney from the same "Can't remember" source?

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:16 pm

Philip, I fear the answer to your question is 'yes!'. It has been such a long time since I bought the dome and chimney, and many other useful parts, that I have no recollection whatsoever where they originated.
I guess it is possible they are no longer available which would be a real shame as they are so useful.
What I can tell you is that the brass cap is lathe turned and the copper is simply a 15mm plumbing pipe with a flared end.

Post by **Andrew** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 5:21 pm

Just catching up with this thread - love the wagons (that plastic wood's more realistic than the real thing!), and the locos are very nice too...

Andrew.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 11:53 am

ge_rik:114394 wrote: I'll bet that somewhere there's a prototype wagon with mixed wheels -
Rik

This quote came about because of my failure to notice the mix of straight and spoked wheels during construction of my flat wagons.....

Now Annie has come to my rescue with a genuine prototype. Not only with mixed types of wheel but different diameters too!

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:35 pm

Well there you go Peter, - problem solved

Going by the historical photographs I've seen odd wheels on tramway rolling stock was not uncommon. As a teenager I used to go the school on the train and even the NZGR which should have known better had goods wagons with odd wheel sets. I can well remember seeing 4 wheel wagons in the station yards with disc wheels at one end and spoked wheels at the other.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sun Feb 14, 2016 8:54 pm

The last entry I put on this thread was dated Jan. 2nd. This was because immediately following that date my whole family (four adults) came down with real flu which knocked us all out for a couple of weeks. In my case this graduated into pneumonia, resulting in an eight day spell in hospital. I have been out now for over two weeks but had no interest in model making at all..... now that is serious!
Today the weather was beautiful, the sun shone and the temperature rose enough to encourage me back into my engine shed for the first time in over six weeks.
I put my time to good use installing a third 'RC Trains' Rx unit into another loco. I had fitted the first when I purchased the prototype Tx unit from Rik. It proved itself to be better than I dreamt could be possible so I ordered three more. Unfortunately this coincided with a lack of stock and I had to wait a while. They have been sitting on a shelf waiting for me to feel up to the task but today I managed to fit two more.
The first two are in scratch-built plasticard loco bodies with plenty of extra weight. They look good and perform faultlessly....

The third one is fitted to a steel bodied diesel outline loco (Jessie I think) and has an extended aerial which passes into the cab and is coiled behind the driver out of sight. It works equally well to the other two and I will certainly order another to install in my brass Fairlie when I get around to painting it. The diesel was originally fitted with a manual speed controller which worked very well but is only good for continuous running.

The control gear used to look like this....

But now looks like this....

Clever stuff which I don't pretend to understand, however, if I can get it to work, anyone can! Thanks to Ge_Rik of this Forum for his venture into the control system market. I recommend his products without hesitation.

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:47 pm

Your two plasticard locos are fine pieces of model making Peter and I love the weathering job you've done on the diesel.

I'm glad that you're on the mend now and if you've been so sick you didn't want to do any model making, - well that very clearly tells me that you were very sick indeed. I hope you will be feeling better soon

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 11:13 am

Thank you Annie, my model making fingers are itching as I write so I must be getting better!
I have another Rx unit still to fit so I need to decide which loco will be the next recipient.... I'll post a progress report.

Post by **ge_rik** » Tue Feb 16, 2016 7:35 pm

Glad to hear you've recovered sufficiently to start modelling again, Peter. Also really pleased that you're also enjoying the delights of the Deltang radio control system. I'd love to be able to take credit for the quality of the gear, but I'm just a distributor - David Theunissen is the genius behind it all.

You're right, though. The level of control it provides is really impressive.

Rik

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