Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

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Andrew
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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by Andrew » Fri Dec 07, 2018 8:44 am

Hi Rod,

My wooden dummy is just a battery-sized lump of wood with a screw in each end and a length of wire running between them. That way it does the conducting part of the battery's job without providing any power, so the loco's got a third less oomph than it had before and trundles round more slowly - but I can swap another battery back in if I ever want it to go faster again.

I'm with Anne on Christmas - Grace and I still put out our stockings for Father Christmas. They get filled, too...

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by FWLR » Fri Dec 07, 2018 1:09 pm

Thanks Andrew. :thumbright: :thumbright:

It makes sense now.... :lol: :lol:

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by FWLR » Fri Dec 07, 2018 1:11 pm

I love Christmas too Andrew, I am on with making the box, but it's getting very cold in the garage, so all marked out for now...

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by Andrew » Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:00 pm

Boxing Day - it's called that because traditionally it's used to build models of box vans, right? I started this on the 26th, and here's where it's currently at:
BR box van 1.jpg
BR box van 1.jpg (174.13 KiB) Viewed 4499 times

It's based on a BR standard 12t box van, but tweaked in size to fit "C Scale". "C" is for "chocolate", and the scale must combine standard gauge prototypes with 32mm track and look roughly right with Playmobil figures. Luckily you can mess about with all sorts of things on modern photocopiers, which helps keep the proportions of tweaked drawings vaguely right even if the size isn't, if you see what I mean...

Here's what the real thing looks like:

Image


This van will be permanently coupled to the yet-to-be-built Sentinel loco to act as a battery tender. I might start work on the loco soon-ish, I'll let you know...

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by IanC » Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:23 pm

The box van, or ventilated van as it's also known as, is looking great. The finished wagon will look superb.
Ian

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by philipy » Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:42 pm

That box van is looking as good as a box of chocolates. ( OK, I'll get my hat! :D )
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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by tom_tom_go » Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:57 pm

IanC wrote: ↑Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:23 pm The box van, or ventilated van as it's also known as, is looking great. The finished wagon will look superb.
Is it called a ventilated van because it has vents? :roll:

It looks superb Andrew!

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by LNR » Mon Dec 31, 2018 10:27 pm

I like the corrugated ends, nice job, will look good when painted.
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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by IanC » Tue Jan 01, 2019 12:39 am

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:57 pm
IanC wrote: ↑Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:23 pm The box van, or ventilated van as it's also known as, is looking great. The finished wagon will look superb.
Is it called a ventilated van because it has vents? :roll:

It looks superb Andrew!
It is called a ventilated van because of the vents on the ends. Not all standard gauge wagons were fitted with vents.
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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by FWLR » Tue Jan 01, 2019 7:51 am

I just think it looks brilliant Andrew. Another one of your excellent builds coming to the "Chocolate Factory" line. :thumbright:

I have had one of those, (I really can't think of its name), train sets that Tesco were selling still in it's delivery package now for 18 months. Maybe after the garage build, I will have a look at doing something with it.
DSCN3756.JPG
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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by ge_rik » Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:31 am

Blimey, that van looks good - even in the nude.

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by Peter Butler » Tue Jan 01, 2019 11:23 am

I hope you checked the contents Rod, it might be too late to send it back!
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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by FWLR » Wed Jan 02, 2019 8:19 am

I haven't Peter, it's one of those things that kept getting forgotten about..... :( :(

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by BertieB » Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:51 am

Your 'C-scale' box van is very pleasing and I've a mind to set up a production line to do a few copies... Are the sides scored sheet or are they planked? If you don't mind me asking.

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by Andrew » Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:43 pm

Hi all, glad you like the van...

Bertie, I had your "B Scale" stuff very much in mind when I was making it. It's made from 5mm PVC foamboard using various techniques I've picked up her - scribed with an old screwdriver, grain added using course sandpaper etc etc. It's wonderful stuff to work with, very well suited to make-it-up-as-you-go-along type building. I was keen to make the planked version of the van because I believe they were most common, but if I were to make more BR vans I'd be tempted to go for the ply bodied variant, which would probably be quicker. There are lots of good pictures here - https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brwagons - and, if it helps, the drawing I used as a starting point is here (just scroll down a little): https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brwagons

I've moved on from my original tipper truck plan for chocolate delivery and now need a sliding door van for that purpose. There's an LMS design I'll probably use for that, and then I'll probably make a GWR "Mink A", which I think would've been the van most commonly seen at Somerdale.

Rod, I'm intrigued by your parcel - you must open it to put us out of our misery!

Cheers all,

Andrew.

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by BertieB » Thu Jan 03, 2019 10:14 pm

Andrew wrote: ↑Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:43 pm ...it's made from 5mm PVC foamboard...
Terrific. I shall have to get some. Thank you.

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by philipy » Fri Jan 04, 2019 6:32 am

BertieB wrote: ↑Thu Jan 03, 2019 10:14 pm
Andrew wrote: ↑Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:43 pm ...it's made from 5mm PVC foamboard...
Terrific. I shall have to get some. Thank you.
Bertie, just a word of warning. Make sure you get the 100% PVC stuff and not the stuff sandwiched between 2 layers of paper/thin card. It tends to all get called foamboard, especially on ebay.

Sorry for hijacking the thread Andrew, but I've been caught like that myself, even though I should know the danger ( anyone want some paper faced board??).
Philip

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by Andrew » Sat Jan 19, 2019 1:39 pm

Hello!

This morning I made a start on the Sentinel loco which will pull the train. The real thing is nearly finished now and should be complete at the Avon Valley at Easter.

Mine is lagging behind, but I've now got the frames and running plate sorted so I can build up from there... It's quite happily pulling the van along but had a bit of a tendency to bounce itself off the track at the moment. I was going to leave it like this for the time being and focus on the next van (the one that will deliver the chocolate), but I think I'll build the loco body and get the batteries properly stashed in the van, then I can assess the possibilities for adding weight to keep the thing on the track.

Sentinel test.jpg
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More later, maybe...

Andrew.

PS Note that Tom's station has served its first train!

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by FWLR » Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:23 am

Looking forward to this build Andrew...

How do you get permission to have some track laid out on the dining table... :lol:

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Re: Andrew and the Chocolate Factory

Post by Andrew » Sun Jan 20, 2019 4:09 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:23 am
How do you get permission to have some track laid out on the dining table... :lol:
My wife's away for the weekend!!! That's also how I got away with plonking this horrible old vice (possibly originally my Great-Grandfather's) on the table AND pinching the spice pot in the foreground...
Vice.jpg
Vice.jpg (282.05 KiB) Viewed 4435 times


The spice in question (possibly sweet smoked paprika) was a holiday gift from my mother, and using the pot to act as a former for making the body of a C Scale Sentinel is the only use we've found for it so far... I cut a piece of plasticard to size, clamped it round the (emptied, metal) pot in the vice, then filled the pot with boiling water. It worked relatively well, although I don't know that using the vice was actually necessary. That was glued around a kind of sub-body made from foamboard, resulting in this:
Sentinel body 1.jpg
Sentinel body 1.jpg (219.57 KiB) Viewed 4435 times
If you're interested, her's the drawing I'm using - it's one I found online stretched in various directions on a photocopier then cut and pasted (literally, with scissors and glue) to produce something roughly the right size:
Sentinel drawing.jpg
Sentinel drawing.jpg (272.94 KiB) Viewed 4435 times
It's kind of taller and thinner than the real thing, but that was a compromise necessary to fit the Playmobil driver in the cab...

Electrics next I think. Here's the set-up, hacked from the original toy train...
Sentinel electrics.jpg
Sentinel electrics.jpg (304.14 KiB) Viewed 4435 times

The on/off button will go in the cab I think, with the battery box in the van behind. As you can see, there will need to be three wires between the two - can anyone suggest a suitable connector/plug and socket etc please? I'm afraid electrics really aren't my thing - I can't even work out why there are three wires instead of a nice simple battery/motor/switch circuit...

Cheers all,

Andrew.

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