Garden Railway Forum

Hi

Right, 25 years GAO I had a garden railway and started a Donald Pearce kit of an Ashover coach. I did quite well until I started dating.

Well, two weeks ago I glue the ends on and fitted the roof. I've ordered some WD bogies from AnDel too. Things are looking up.

The kit is quite crude compared to modern offerings. However, I'd like to finish it but would like to add some details. Air brake pipes, hand rails, ventilators that kind of thing. Any tips?

I will post a pic later.

I'm also trying to get hold of a decent drawing of the carriage too.

I'm still with the girl I started dating by the way!

I'll go and take a look at the one under restoration about a mile from where I'm typing this and get back to you!

Don't worry about simple or crude, 5' away in the garden and they all look the same!

I have started digging out the stuff I did in the 1980s as a youngster. Is it simple, yes, some of it is downright ugly, but no reason to give it up.

Thanks. It's the fact I started it all those years ago that I want to finish it. Bogies here soon too!

I'm experimenting making hand rails at the moment. The kit comes with bent wire. I'm bending thinner wire and trying to solder to flat plate to get them to look like the real ones. Mixed results.

Bogies arrived from Andel. My first experience of cast resin. After a bit of a fiddle they are now built. They seem a bit fragile for garden use. They look small under the Ashover coach. Buts that's the look I guess.

I want to make them in metal really. I thought using brass Chanel and sheet.

How do upload a pic?

Wrightscale also does WD bogies, which i belive is what the Brandbright Ashover coach kit uses?

I looked at wright scale but plumped for cast resin. I wasn't convinced large white metal castings would work after my earlier experiences.

I've painted the Andel bogies. I might put these under a D wagon and try some wrightscale ones.

An interesting tip though about the Brandbright kit. Thanks. It does look like a great kit and far superior to the one I'm doing and which I need to finish.

Resin bogies are actually very rigid and strong. I have a WHR "B" wagon (bike conversion) with resin bogies and it probably suffers the most (being used behind an NGG16, usually with a HUGE train). Also bogies in the Swift Sixteen Darj van are completely indestructable!
The bogies aren't really put under much strain, just ask IP: he uses Plywood!

Ah the couplings....

I am worried about their capacity to take and handle drawbar load.

The buffing gear/draw bar connection will need some reinforcing. I thought a bolt thro the buffer and buffer beam into a block fixed to the underside of the bogie.

Or I may make my own by attaching to a draw bar secured inboard. I like the sound of this.

I decided I didn't think the draw gear would strong enough so I'm making some new to retro fit.

I'm making it from sections of K&S strip. The draw gear will transfer load to the bogie pivot. The drawbar wil run through some rectangular hollow section. The whole assembly will look more prototypical I hope.

Struggling to fabricate the coupling. Think silver solder is way to go.

I'll put pics up to show the result.

Some progress. I strengthened the Andel bogies by adding a drawbar tube in brass box section. The drawbar load is taken back to the bogie pivot and spread under the bogie rather than relying on the fragile buffer beam.

I'm trying to upload a pic here.

http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0096009/photo ... 623770237/

I now have a couple of spare Roundhouse diamond frame bogies. These were originally intended for the kit and I have just put the wheels in. What can build to use them?

I recently bought the Wrightscale Bogie Kit, they're an absolute dream I have never seen a kit so well done in white metal.
Seems a shame to put them under a wagon body they should be in a glass case!

I thought about Wrightscale. I was concerned that the casting might be a bit big and fragile.

I have recently completed some aged Roundhouse diamond frame bogies in white metal and thought they pushing what's possible in white metal.

Have you any a photos?

Here we are.[/U[URL=http://s1335.photobucket.com/us ... .jpg[/img]RL][/img]

Hi

They are amazing. I wish I'd gone for those now.

The buffer looks delicate?

I think I might get some and put the Andel ones under a D wagon.

Thanks.