The B.E.R - The Rebuild Begins!

[angr607]

Hi Jon,

Yes that was me... I have the drawings for the pulp wagons and a friend built the chassis for me... They're a simple design that there aren't really that many of about in our scale...

Let me know if you want the drawings and how you get on!

Hi Laurence,

Thanks for that. I've also got a set of drawings for the All Steel Wagons which is fine for my initial ideas for my Bowaters Stock. At the same time as drawing up the Wagons, I drew up one of the coaches (Coach 641 as running today) which has been cut out at the same time as the 2 test chassis.

When I ordered the first 2 Headstocks, I discovered I'd mucked the hieght up so I had to rapidly reorder a second pair with the correct hieght. Its safe to say this most likely won't be a cheap project based on the first coach and wagon combo.

Anyway, the first two chassis, coach body, couplings, 2 mucked up headstocks (2nd pair are due on Monday) and bogies have all arrived and been assembled. I'm very happy with how they've turned out and hopefully when funds allow, I'll be able to make some more......


The first completed chassis with the wrong size headstocks


Coach 641


Both Chassis together (One Wagon and One Coach)

Cheers,

Jon

[MDLR]

Nice!

[Andrew]

Those look great! Did you send your CAD drawings to be 3D-printed? I'm impressed with how quickly you've got it sorted - I take months just to mull over an idea...

Andrew.

[Big Jim]

Is that the Australian version of vale of ffestiniog in the left of the picture?

[angr607]

Is that the Australian version of vale of ffestiniog in the left of the picture?

Nope, its what's left of my Locolines VoF that couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding. Also its the wrong gauge to run with the rest of my stock now.

Those look great! Did you send your CAD drawings to be 3D-printed? I'm impressed with how quickly you've got it sorted - I take months just to mull over an idea...

Andrew.

Hi Andrew,

I got the end pieces 3D printed which were pretty quick (normally they take a lot longer but I'm not complaining). The rest is all wooden parts cut by a firm in London from my drawings.

I have plans for a rake of Coaches and a separate set of Wagons. Hopefully both will be about 5 vehicles long each. I've drawn up all 3 of the 1950s Build staff coach designs which will form the passenger set of 5 (641, 657, 658, 659 and 660). I've also got drawings for all 5 of the more common Pulp Wagons including a flat wagon (The 8 Ton Ones built for the original railway, 2 10 Ton Pulp Wagon variants and the 10 Ton Bagnall Flat wagons (same as the 10 Ton Pulp wagons without the headstocks)). Since other people have already asked, would anyone else be interested in these being available to others? Wouldn't include bogies or couplings but other than that, I'm still working out the costs for those that do want some.

Cheers,

Jon

[SpudUk]

Any chance of a couple for me!?

[angr607]

Any chance of a couple for me!?

Sure! Which ones would you want?

After the second set of headstocks arrived today, they've been fitted and the Butterley Wagon painted to go with the Staff Coach. Plus since it was not raining/snowing today, I went outside to get a couple of photographs of them both together. Not had a chance to run them with a engine yet but I can say they will run around 3ft Radius Curves (slightly less than the Peco 2nd Radius Points and Curves although they won't run around reverse curves without a short straight between the curves).











Also while waiting for the headstocks to arrive, I've completed the other headstocks for the 8/10 Ton Pulp Wagons so hopefully I should be able to get prototypes ordered soon.







Cheers,

Jon

[laurence703]

They look really smart! I like the pulp wagon, it looks a lot more sturdy than my foam board ones.

[angr607]

Well this is slightly out of date......

Sadly the layout has been out of use since April 2015 due to various factors (like lack of time/will to want to use it). However after some thinking and the potenial that it might finally be installed in its final location, the layout has had a minor rebuild. Its now a 30 (soon to be extended to 34)ft straight which leads to two sidings.



Motive power is consists of the 3 Accucraft Brazils (although that's about to reduce to two hopefully) as well as a Roundhouse Millie and two IPE Diesels. Rolling stock is currently made up of 3 Bowaters Coaches No.641, 657 and 659 as well as about 4 Bowaters Pulp wagons to match them (see below) plus a small set of W&LLR wagons for running on other railways. Rolling stock should grow as various kits need test running etc......













Haven't run over the line yet in this guise but hopefully next week a train will run.

Cheers,

Jon

[JCSteam]

I like those, will look really good in a rake behind a loco

[angr607]

Well yesterday the line was run on by Excelsior with a rake of 3 Pulp wagons behind her. It went well although I'd forgotten how Excelsior looses power rapidly as the water levels drop.

Excelsior is my latest Brazil class (now one of two as Premier has been sold off) and features the original cylinders which is why I wanted it. Why with the original cylinders? Because I wanted something with a seriously different power output when compared to my Leader while sitting fitting in with the rest of the fleet. It is still capable of pulling 4 of my Sittingbourne wagons which is all I ask of it (and all the prototypes were capable of hauling).

At some point, I'm planning to buy a Superior to complete the trio if I can get my hands on one when I can afford one!


Excelsior when delivered last year.


Excelsior and train on the railway.

Rolling stock Bowaters wise, I've got another pair of Passenger coaches in the works (1 awaiting Bogies and Couplings and 1 on order) which brings the total to 4 along with 3 more Pulp Wagons (1 awaiting painting, 1 awaiting Bogies and Couplings and 1 on order).

I've also got two other coaches on order for another project but there will be more on that when they arrive.

Cheers,

Jon

[angr607]

Well, new forum, time for a update. Things have progressed very slowly. The layout although operational, has ended up dismantled until I have the time to run it again (Hopefully THIS weekend fingers crossed) plus I haven't had much will to run trains. Until Peterborough that was

The track plan will stay the same at the long straight with a couple of sidings at the end although I'm going to try to finish extending it the full way down the garden to give a nice long run. Part of the reason for wanting to get the railway out again is these........


One Second Hand Accucraft Superior. Only had it nearly a year and still not run it........


A certain pair (now Trio and soon to be set of 5(!)) of Ffestiniog Coaches

I definitely think having spent the afternoon completing (as much as I can) and fitting couplings to my 3 FR coaches and now having a powerful enough engine to pull them, time to give them a run

Cheers,

Jon

[LNR]

Some nice work in those coaches, lasers have definitely change the face of kit making.
Grant.

[angr607]

Thanks. Laser cutting certainly does make models I could have only dreamed about a few years ago possible. It means even this idiot can make models I can be proud of

Just one from today, I was planning on running some steam tomorrow but then I saw the weather....... I'll just have to wait until Monday!



That doesn't look half bad. Might have to dig out the station shelter I built a while ago to sit there as well........

Cheers,

Jon

[LNR]

I don't imagine you'd be wanting to get steam oil on those nice bare timber coaches.
Grant.

[daan]

Nice coaches! Indeed laser cutting opens possibilities. I do have an electric jigsaw, but it's very hard to get so much windows exactly the same.. Combined with 3d printing or castings and even a hobbyist can make professional looking rolling stock!
It will be a huge length however when these 3 coaches are all hooked up in one train..

[angr607]

Thanks for the comments guys!

Nice coaches! Indeed laser cutting opens possibilities. I do have an electric jigsaw, but it's very hard to get so much windows exactly the same.. Combined with 3d printing or castings and even a hobbyist can make professional looking rolling stock!
It will be a huge length however when these 3 coaches are all hooked up in one train..

3 of them is shall we say...... bigger than most 16mm trains as it is. And there will be 5 in total. Total train length of 10ft before we start adding motive power. That said, all 3 do look stunning coupled together. Bring on the next two

Seeing as the weather today was better than I was expecting but not being steaming weather, I did some construction work. I only added 8ft the end of the railway along with a small siding. Not going to fit much in it other than a cooling down steam engine but should give me the room to get engines somewhere while continuing operations. Not a lot will fit around the curves at the other end so...... Just a 'slight' design error that I might correct in time. I like the idea of having different siding styles at each end of the layout.


The railway as it is at present.


The new extension showing the engine siding.

Its getting there. Not sure when if at all I'll modify the other end but if I do, I have something in mind. Can't add loads of sidings because I've 'slightly' run out of track.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to run a train or two!

Cheers,

Jon

[angr607]

After a long discussion with the landlords, it's finally happened! A permanent line has appeared in my garden. Only about 22ft long at the moment but will grow to 30ft on Saturday with further growth potentially following in the new year if it beds in enough and the parents are still happy.


First job, go and buy a load of Ballast. Phase 1 used 6 bags and I have 4 more in stock for phase 2/3 if it ever happens.


Ballast down and in place. Taken just before it was packed (aka stood on)


Track all laid and tamped. Ready for running (and yes, the trains do fit under the slab)


The kinds of shots that are now possible. Leader shown at the end of the line. That's SO much better compared to the rotten planks the line was on before.

Overall, I'm very happy with the end result and I'm looking forward to getting it finished and test trains run on Saturday! That and finally being able to dispose of the rotten boards the line used to live on!

Cheers,

Jon

[tom_tom_go]

Glad your line is progressing.

Any railway is better than no railway at all.

[Peter Butler]

Top marks for perseverance and determination.