Time to build a railway...but where?

LNR · Post by **LNR** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 1:19 am

Nice to see a load that is properly secured to the wagon.
Grant.
PS that brush guard on the radiator is a good move.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:03 am

Thank you Grant, I am always aware of the importance of making my models look as though they could do their designed task and, having had a class 1 (LGV) license for a while, I have carried similar objects before.
The radiator guard was simple but effective as the original casting let down the appearance of the front end of the Fordson.

LNR · Post by **LNR** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:37 pm

Guess we're in the same boat regarding truck licenses Peter. I knew what the guard was covering, I think I counted three different die sets used by Ertl for the Fordson. They all have there pro's and cons. I certainly had to work on my radiator to line up each half. Actually seeing your Fordson without the rear guards and thinking how much smaller it seemed, caused me to strip the guards off mine and take some pics. Couldn't leave it that way though, as we just didn't use them that way down here. They do hide some nice detail though.
Grant.

Post by **ge_rik** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 4:29 pm

Another great model, Peter. Really like the way you've weathered it.

Rik

Post by **philipy** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 6:42 pm

Lovely job as always, Peter

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Thu Jun 30, 2016 12:04 am

Isn't it strange when two completely unrelated ideas come together to form one solution? Recently I was given a small piece of material which I planned to use as a tarpaulin sheet on a wagon. I had no immediate use for this so put it to one side. Another task was to convert some scratch-built locos, originally made to operate on our track powered exhibition layout, to battery operation. Trouble here is that the locos had no room for batteries!
Now the idea formed to combine the two by making a power truck carrying an unidentifiable load covered by the tarp.
This morning I started the build by making a small truck in two parts... upper and lower. The top slots over the bottom covering the batteries, R/C speed controller, etc, while the bottom houses the on/off switch, recharge socket and connection point to the loco. In general use they are permanently attached but can be separated for maintenance purposes.

The top part....

The bottom...

Together...

The bottom section houses ten AA rechargeable battery pack, Rik's Rx unit, on/off switch (mounted underneath), recharge socket and loco connection point. The wagon is made from the usual Plastikard method with Cambrian bolt heads. It has Swift Sixteen wheelsets and Binnie buffers.

The top section will be covered with the tarpaulin sheeting which will give the appearance of having a slight dip in the middle along its length, also, along the join with the sides. To make this impression I have put some modelling clay to give a rounded shape at these joins. This might show on the pictures.
It has been a good start but I won't know if it works until it dries.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:15 pm

More progress today.... despite the weekly shopping!
The two sections have now been painted, the top has been lettered and both have been weathered. I have marked out the tarpaulin in the hope that my wife will break out the sewing machine to assist in making its seams. (she is usually helpful if I ask really nicely!). If all goes well I should be able to post pictures tomorrow.
Then it's just a matter of connecting the electrics and away we go... if it ever stops raining!

Post by **ge_rik** » Fri Jul 01, 2016 7:06 am

Clever to make the complete top section detachable. "You can't see the join," as Eric Morecambe used to say.

Rik

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Fri Jul 01, 2016 10:17 am

Peter, I would have thought as man with your talents would have been a dab had with a Singer!

(I can use a sewing machine, but I daren't let the current wife know)

Looks good Buddy,

[/i]

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Fri Jul 01, 2016 9:30 pm

Well, the sewing was done, and very well too... but I wasn't satisfied with the look of the out-of-scale stitches, so another piece of material has been cut and this time the edges were stuck together with Evo-stik.
The whole sheet is attached to the wagon with the same adhesive so it doesn't bleed through the weave. The effect of the 'sag' where the tarpaulin would naturally fall under its own weight has worked well (I think) and looks better than if it was just flat.

The wagon and tarp. have been lettered with my stick-on vinyl letters which have stuck well.

As previously explained, the purpose of this wagon is to hold all of the control gear for a few locos which I can't convert to battery power, so there has to be a discrete cable and socket connection. This is done with inset socket in the wagon mounted centrally above the buffer and the cable could be mistaken for vacuum piping, (if you don't look too closely!)

The first to be attached for visual test is 'George' the crane engine, which is the first 16mm loco I made some forty years ago. Although it looks OK I haven't finished the wiring yet and tomorrow will be a day off as I'm treating myself to a visit to Llechfan for the first time.
I forgot to say I will be fitting ropes to hold the tarp. down when I find my reel of rigging twine.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 11:58 pm

Between showers, very short periods here in Wales, I have continued with the stone work to create background to the railway. This is the final corner to receive this treatment and will also be the site for my third station.

The concrete base for the platform has been laid and when dry I will fix slate edging along the track and fill level with concrete coloured with black powder additive to match the existing platform at Brockhamton.

The planting area has been prepared waiting for some green things to arrive!

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:57 pm

Unfortunately, not all is well at the B.U.R.P.S.... the MD managed to get himself a prolapsed disc in early March and, despite the time lapse, it continues to slow down production. Heavy duty civil engineering projects have either been simplified or cancelled awaiting a medical miracle!
Work has continued slowly outside on the railway, but more time has been spent on acquisition of new stock.
The loco maintenance crew have noticed that more heavy lifting has been put on their shoulders and they have been revolting!!! Even those diabolical words... Health and Safety have been used in order to get the management to supply lifting apparatus.
In order to pacify them a gantry crane has been installed outside the loco shed and, so far, so good!
At this rate they will be asking for holidays next!!!!!

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:28 pm

Splendid as per normal Peter.
Do you realise that your thread is approaching 50 pages? I have a sneaking suspicion it is now one of the longest on the forum.

(effects standing-by-to-be-corrected-type-pose)

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:22 pm

[quote="Big Jim:118941"]
Do you realise that your thread is approaching 50 pages? I have a sneaking suspicion it is now one of the longest on the forum. quote]

Oh dear! I do hope that doesn't mean you are tiring of my ramblings?
I just pass on what I'm up to as there are so few local visitors to share it with.

Edit..... having just posted this I see I have indeed achieved 50 pages!!!

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:32 pm

No chance of that Peter,
It is great to see the results of your labours, especially when one is bereft of railway, so to speak.

jim@NAL · Post by **jim@NAL** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 9:51 pm

super cool crane peter

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:14 am

Thanks Jim, I thought the loco shed needed something extra to give it more of a working environment appearance. I think it works.

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:08 pm

What Big Jim said.

Please keep delighting and inspiring us Peter.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:41 pm

Thanks for the positive comments guys, I am grateful someone is out there watching.
One of the tasks which has been postponed for far too long has been to finish off the dead end of the indoor part of the layout. Having originally been a circuit and modified to fit inside my shed, the track suddenly comes to an abrupt end with no indication as to why. Way back in this thread I included a picture of the location which I will repeat now to show what I mean...

As you can see it makes no sense at all. However, I later attached a picture of a modified Cain Howley bridge portal, blocked off with sheet metal and a padlocked doorway to give the impression of a disused and dangerous tunnel, which I placed across the track.

A good start, but still some bare background to fill in.

The next part to complete included a short length of light rail which originally was intended to serve an incline, now removed. Again I used some cast wall sections from Cain and cut them to fit, this time including a blocked-off mine entrance and placed against a painted sky effect, which I tried to match with the printed sky paper I fitted a couple of years ago.

I am particularly pleased with this now as it finishes the 'end of the line' in a most convincing way, (well I think so!), I hope you agree?

bazzer42 · Post by **bazzer42** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 7:45 am

I'm convinced Peter and I love the cheeky culvert to the side. You make scenery look quite natural. Would the signal arm have been removed? I had toyed with an armless signal on the 4mm terminus I dabbled with over the winter.
Either way it looks good to my eyes.

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Time to build a railway...but where?

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