tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33084369233211757572024-03-11T16:24:11.302+13:00Motorised DandruffThe worlds first NZ120 blog.
A mix of history of the scale, latest news and some modeling thrown in on the side. Poor spelling an added extra.RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.comBlogger1470125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-29381467657636401942024-01-24T22:19:00.004+13:002024-01-24T23:24:30.047+13:00Light at the end of the tunnel.<p> Last night at 10 pm, No 1's front headlight sparked into life and the new DCC system went live.</p><p>Like anything electronic here at La Casa Dandruff, things fought all the way to the end. When we left our story last time, I was cursing the creators of Ubuntu to a short walk off a very high plank. This also forced me back into the arms of the devil ie Windows....</p><p>Creating the Windows 10 boot USB gave problems with the file size which required the third suggested solution of those I tried (after the first 2). The install itself went fine, as did installing Java and JMRI. The computer picked up the DCC-Ex and I could then set it up under JMRI.</p><p>I purchased my Arduino and motor shield with DCC-Ex pre loaded for $65 from <a href="http://www.jtelectronics.co.nz/default.htm" target="_blank">JT electronics</a> in Hawks bay. They also do quite a few other electronic dodads.</p><p>The final install started with me having to get wires into the small tag board, and doing some trimming as I had folded the wires over to make them stronger which didn't fit. I then got no life from the track (including trying to induce a short). Worried that I had "bricked" the Arduino I dragged everything back into the living room to download the DCC-Ex program to see if it would read. Firing up JMRI, I then discovered that I had not turned the track power on in JMRI.</p><p>Back to the train room, plug it all back in and again no life from the power pack. However I noticed all the other lights on the outputs were lit. I then swaped the powerpack for a 30 year one from a Mac aquired back when I worked at Victoria university (which has also been the power supply for the Paekakariki loco depot). Firing up old reliable and pushing the light button for the front light on No 3 and theres life.......</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWubrcnGFIVP-h2GKtLefqVMPo-TthjHhq7OzqmVLLhnQZFRy8IqjE6uC8JY6Cjy7zbpPeQ0qziNER026otNR8N7IX3-fi9ihsAp-iDEFkpaNfErJeiff5BT1XKG39aHGprwOgZQ6-BxKREIbL2Wumwb3uEOeYKmEqcPR03d32plixjgQKSl2jkA7s0lg/s1600/IMG_2729.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWubrcnGFIVP-h2GKtLefqVMPo-TthjHhq7OzqmVLLhnQZFRy8IqjE6uC8JY6Cjy7zbpPeQ0qziNER026otNR8N7IX3-fi9ihsAp-iDEFkpaNfErJeiff5BT1XKG39aHGprwOgZQ6-BxKREIbL2Wumwb3uEOeYKmEqcPR03d32plixjgQKSl2jkA7s0lg/s320/IMG_2729.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The sign of success</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /> At this point I had a play for 10 minutes... And that will waste soo much time in the future.</p><p>To finsh this section (since its not an On30 blog) does anyone have any questions on the DCC-Ex setup? Its a bit complex online but in real life its very simple.<br /></p><p></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-3881327625273446562024-01-20T19:24:00.007+13:002024-01-24T19:19:27.487+13:00A cautionary tale.<p> In past days when the earth was younger groups of humns roamed the globe. And when they met they would swap stories late at night round a fire pit of horrors they had seen...</p><p>Last post we had an introduction to the DCC-Ex system. This runs on an Atduino mini computer with another module (called a motor shield) to power the track. The unit itself is quite small and both bits can be had very cheaply from Aliexpress.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DLAQNKvDB_6jpYenDlU9juFo-323Oq6whG3bVd7XZxfRsmDku_gMsxRDyCM0e6YbNN91a9Shy1L96LaySc64KCVxDEdKZVG6Wu70WyvcH3f9z_m2baGLnUEV2LAW8Z6fTUxMt2YIbqc0Y0n61xBfeUt1DCGzSx8k-GQiwLX98xUjJJQ-OeHRSKHqwPA/s1600/IMG_2725.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DLAQNKvDB_6jpYenDlU9juFo-323Oq6whG3bVd7XZxfRsmDku_gMsxRDyCM0e6YbNN91a9Shy1L96LaySc64KCVxDEdKZVG6Wu70WyvcH3f9z_m2baGLnUEV2LAW8Z6fTUxMt2YIbqc0Y0n61xBfeUt1DCGzSx8k-GQiwLX98xUjJJQ-OeHRSKHqwPA/s320/IMG_2725.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The computer (the DCC brains of the outfit is underneath, and the module on top is the motor shield with the connections to the real world at the top right. </p><p>So, next up was the connection to the throttles and ther stuff, a Laptop running the JMRI solftware. This is a free, powerful program which lets you control almost everyting on your DCC layout, from tinnkering with decoders right through to controling the layout. So out I dug a 15 year old laptop from the old elctronics collection that every household now has. It fired up and while it ran a bit hot and a bit slow, I figured that if I got rid of windows and ran a freeware Linux system It would be fine.</p><p>If you don't understand some of the terms in the following story, do not worry its perfectly normal and you can just switch off till the end.</p><p>The lunix system I shose is called Lubuntu. It is a stripped out version of Ubuntu (a well known open source version of Linux) for use on older low spec laptops. To install it you first need to download a file for the operating system and then creaty a boot USB stick to transfer it onto the target laptop. all good at this point, and I fired up the laptop. The operating system was installed overwriting the previous windows system (there is an option to run it as a trial to see if you like it but I didn't need that). I then needed to download some updates. Hmm, why is connecting to the WiFi blanked out? A 10 minute hunt reveals I need to conect my phone and turn it into a hotspot. Right, the update loads and the laptop now conncest to the WiFi. </p><p>Next, I need to have Java to run JMRI. What version do I have loaded? Hmmm, none...15 minutes sorting how to do this and getting it sorted. Then download JMRI and extract it to install it. Hmm, how the hell do I fire it up, there doesn't seem to have an icons on the desktop. Maybe I've installed it wrong. delette and try again. Repeat 3 times. Re-read the documentation and discover I have to create my own launcher icons (WTF). Then theres configuring the USB ports. And I can't set up JMRI with DCC-Ex unless i know which port is which...<br /></p><p>Talking to Drew today, doing this under Windows is a piece of cake. Everything just goes from A to B to C and it just works. Bastard.<br /></p><p>So the end of the story is this.</p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Don't try this in Linux.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">You have been warned...</span><br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-38404171193339825462024-01-17T20:04:00.003+13:002024-01-17T20:44:24.060+13:00DIY DCC<p>For the last couple of months locally there has been some experimentation with a DIY DCC setup, DCC-Ex. This is an open source project based on the Arduino minicomputer and add-on's. </p><p>At this point I should introduce the beast. The computer box on the
right contains the Arduino with DDC-Ex loaded and a motor shiled for the
track power. All this is powered by a computer powerpack. The Arduino
is connected with a USB cable to the laptop running JMRI. In the first
iteration, the laptop is connected into the house WiFi network. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJrgmkMtiWvd6gTrz1GQxEes-6ESmtFoR21lIM1A-fHFWrTAJXjAoRKoc4mXBIFX8vQznqYYdBoQcPXFW52lEzl30N-Z6OD_8jZSap6UvjcOGV-ckWVpK-zv6sYgh4zMkO33jDUTthfO9mdj12ErAio9AOy28Ar19jjsaMuLqk-CWfnLIKq3C8rgK6cM/s1600/IMG_2717.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJrgmkMtiWvd6gTrz1GQxEes-6ESmtFoR21lIM1A-fHFWrTAJXjAoRKoc4mXBIFX8vQznqYYdBoQcPXFW52lEzl30N-Z6OD_8jZSap6UvjcOGV-ckWVpK-zv6sYgh4zMkO33jDUTthfO9mdj12ErAio9AOy28Ar19jjsaMuLqk-CWfnLIKq3C8rgK6cM/s320/IMG_2717.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The throttles are smartphones running the Engine driver app, free to download which can run 2 locos per handset at once.
<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Kf2jRLy0dG1KQORBdAtTtMw0R2_Ec-vTXUN_gKtUA75Pq2glZHd9Anen3m7Y1OxumPA6oDYTUW5AuHigWi1si-3CGHwg3Sid4iMzCEQS-PTL6l66lerT5bfa7lqUsVIpZF3kqYUaSR5Sisib6Ix0gjbpJ1NohCZkvv3TFJTtmvQKWZWXUltMGVhYh74/s1600/IMG_2716.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Kf2jRLy0dG1KQORBdAtTtMw0R2_Ec-vTXUN_gKtUA75Pq2glZHd9Anen3m7Y1OxumPA6oDYTUW5AuHigWi1si-3CGHwg3Sid4iMzCEQS-PTL6l66lerT5bfa7lqUsVIpZF3kqYUaSR5Sisib6Ix0gjbpJ1NohCZkvv3TFJTtmvQKWZWXUltMGVhYh74/s320/IMG_2716.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The speed is controlled by a slider on each side of the screen. At first
I was skeptical about it, being a knob man myself, but I now quite like
it. <p></p><p>The test animal is an On30 layout that I've been working on slowly for nearly 10 years. A few months back I tried to sell it, but there was a lack of interest. It was all rather fortunate as this became the test bed for the DCC-Ex setup. <br /></p><p>Drew brought the setup round one afternoon and it was on to the show. We spent the afternoon just getting used to running
trains using the system. There were a couple of WiFi dropouts due to the
positioning of the laptop, this was solved when the laptop was moved 3
feet closer to the home WiFi router.I took some photos but Drew is quite shy so theres just some layout shots<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcRXvbbWc_371-Mxraed6ZYuvWDH7rpz00xR05YU31qGPf4ygdnFd8geaDlRWuZM9zAoAqjBtavjQBsvy8-bnevKWDsjtSKHFVzGs597WQ9iyv7lCk55fj7XULf7kre3PNXNnk0Ij1ifLceoSfxHS5teubU4V3brGqc9CzLqwkH13ZVg80O41CDWO6R4/s4000/20231217_151323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcRXvbbWc_371-Mxraed6ZYuvWDH7rpz00xR05YU31qGPf4ygdnFd8geaDlRWuZM9zAoAqjBtavjQBsvy8-bnevKWDsjtSKHFVzGs597WQ9iyv7lCk55fj7XULf7kre3PNXNnk0Ij1ifLceoSfxHS5teubU4V3brGqc9CzLqwkH13ZVg80O41CDWO6R4/s320/20231217_151323.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p> Number 1 and Number 2 on shed waiting for the next turn.<br /></p>Number 3 about to depart with a surburban service <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX8KgRMkYZjx7hvXFbyxMBzrqZflHgSANUguEfZT2axPCgyKP42EWr6Hd2ByKWsUxG9HXFdZtnEPOm-gBECIVAFB0ekAIXUrmyW9Q0xqlfy_NXbiXMj5WeGELdHXmi4kcfhzzQFKyPrHaA2ekEPSjK9YIeIBSnG8sqZQzBBB44jqIcnAc2Y6LsRROg_g/s4000/20231217_151339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX8KgRMkYZjx7hvXFbyxMBzrqZflHgSANUguEfZT2axPCgyKP42EWr6Hd2ByKWsUxG9HXFdZtnEPOm-gBECIVAFB0ekAIXUrmyW9Q0xqlfy_NXbiXMj5WeGELdHXmi4kcfhzzQFKyPrHaA2ekEPSjK9YIeIBSnG8sqZQzBBB44jqIcnAc2Y6LsRROg_g/s320/20231217_151339.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>Number 6 moves off to the port (still to be built).<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgYT6WQm2P6iR7XaTtkd_LAit0gVWXMxTR-j7Iw3TRry_u_Hpn7uGzuNWklKnZfUH-3JP0dWT5EKGdKl_bqFabyt-eQPHgdYSUujRQDqtiJJcx8SPFJjbX4YF5F8JlAdxWL-mqPorpYCxbEYFiVOBkc4GHsDnrmPz6YJ15PFgjXTgq1O95G4eDCHlVFw/s4000/20231217_151316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgYT6WQm2P6iR7XaTtkd_LAit0gVWXMxTR-j7Iw3TRry_u_Hpn7uGzuNWklKnZfUH-3JP0dWT5EKGdKl_bqFabyt-eQPHgdYSUujRQDqtiJJcx8SPFJjbX4YF5F8JlAdxWL-mqPorpYCxbEYFiVOBkc4GHsDnrmPz6YJ15PFgjXTgq1O95G4eDCHlVFw/s320/20231217_151316.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the first session revealed a few inprovements that need to be
made, mostly to get the track more level and a few out of guage bits of
track that had revealed themselves. We then got together for a second
operating session. Drew had made some modifications to the setup by
adding a router off trademe which added the unit its own WIFi hub. He
also had found a couple of old phones at home which could be used as
throttles (and don't require a SIM card to connect into a WiFi network). This no longer had the
connectivity issues. We also found that 3 hours use only drained the
phone batteries 20%.
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">
For the 3rd operating session another local modeler Q was added to the circus.
</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4tr_1P1ZSWKMAmnygSwQ-iwMBl4TpjAhv6sazfKyDyN-JOFWSCZ9J8UseJd8bGtZUxEoVGCLakIJ4HqQ2UtpQK-_PH87igEKMw82rsiZ7Kn-FwjVHlaMH4XwXv33JOht4uPaYPOesy5kObWR3u20T-nzrv3LkJ_W8mSgd8RwBExn5e2r5Czw-OS0NHk/s1600/IMG_2718.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4tr_1P1ZSWKMAmnygSwQ-iwMBl4TpjAhv6sazfKyDyN-JOFWSCZ9J8UseJd8bGtZUxEoVGCLakIJ4HqQ2UtpQK-_PH87igEKMw82rsiZ7Kn-FwjVHlaMH4XwXv33JOht4uPaYPOesy5kObWR3u20T-nzrv3LkJ_W8mSgd8RwBExn5e2r5Czw-OS0NHk/s320/IMG_2718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p>So what are my opinons on DCC-Ex? The simple one is, I like it. Its untethered to the layout. The phone apps are easy to use. For a small layout its ideal. Cons are that it requires a bit of computer nouse to set it up, and currently I don't think theres any way to set up a network system with separate boosters.</p><p>So, the question that you are asking is, how much?</p><p>The Arduino bits can be had off Ali express for $30. The router was $1 off trademe. The laptop and phones were from the old electronics pile which most houses now have. Compare this with a Digitrax setup where just a separate throttle is north of $200.<br /></p><p>Its a budget DCC system for those who don't mind tinkering and for a small home setup its christmas. I have one opn order and will be reviewing it when I can find an old laptop that works (the 2 I have here have transformers that run red hot aftre 30 minutes).</p><p>I'm not sure how it would go in an ehibitiioon situation, but it might be fun to try. <br /></p>
</div></div><p></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-6557818339932126682024-01-13T18:58:00.001+13:002024-01-13T22:49:04.890+13:00Studholme 6 - Legging it.<p>DB Says:</p><p>The Fremo120 standard has the tracktop height set at 1200mm above the floor and recommends having some means of adjusting this to account for build-tolerances and non-level floors. Something one would have thought unnecessary until I saw the surprisingly un-flat floors when we were setting up the big 9mm layout in Christchurch a few months back. </p><p>So this means legs. If there was one thing I did like about the 9mm layout, it was how the legs folded up into the module, so everything was self-contained. </p><p>While on my shopping expedition at Bunnings a few months back, I spotted these 1.2m long 18mm square sticks that might do for legs. They seemed tiny, but surprisingly strong when you lean on them, and my modules are not expected to be very heavy, or to be danced upon, and any force is coming vertically down, (horizontal force will tip everything over rather than bend the legs). </p><p>So I gave them a pop. Out of about 25 sticks available, I selected the straightest 8. Look out for twists in the wood too, which can be a pain when you attach the cross braces. Apparently cheap replacement wooden broomhandles make good strong module legs too but I don;t know where you find these. Maybe a dollar shop?</p><p>I've had a few iterations of legs and fixing methods during recent experimental months, so will just discuss my favourite method.</p><p>Basically the leg set is screwed and glued together, braced just so, and fellow Dandrufers will tell you that what looks like an exceptionally spindly setup is actually really solid (there is a little torsional twist, but that's not the direction of force that needs to be dealt with in a modular setup!) :</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRI_4AilidYl9CoOGjkFqUqJ2r3WIbmcnTKlaf1Gfkd9Wn_CBTTNohfw8ojtjcx_Z55cURDXpY_bvoFf3ScMBcCrlK-lYfeRV644asv2NhHIr9d14BBOVT1ysMwoUmoeY4Idu2B0XUItZFfcBuiNZdQMT0ooLxqL7rF5jhNDrYltC_EnT3dJq9GQD-rSI/s1766/IMG_3350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1766" data-original-width="1069" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRI_4AilidYl9CoOGjkFqUqJ2r3WIbmcnTKlaf1Gfkd9Wn_CBTTNohfw8ojtjcx_Z55cURDXpY_bvoFf3ScMBcCrlK-lYfeRV644asv2NhHIr9d14BBOVT1ysMwoUmoeY4Idu2B0XUItZFfcBuiNZdQMT0ooLxqL7rF5jhNDrYltC_EnT3dJq9GQD-rSI/s320/IMG_3350.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><div><br /></div>If you remember the old bomb disposal joke: "Cut the <i>red</i> wire..." snip. "But first, cut the <i>brown</i> wire" you'll know not to make one of these yet, otherwise it won't fold up into your module. Well mine didn't, twice.<p></p><p>Things to think about before you start carpentering: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>How broad will the leg set be ... presumably for stability, about as wide as will fit (make sure you allow for the broader width of your adjustable feet (and don't install those either yet)).</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>How will the legs be attached to the module? After thinking about and trying hinges and little steel L brackets (all relatively heavy, clunky, pricey), I reckon the same 8mm wooden dowels that I'm using to align my module set together is the ideal pivot. Strong, cheap, easy. I have used little bits of what used to be called 4x2 to put the holes for the dowels in. </li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrbdBJeMP7hv9HKOvZXRNsSyr-ODLuDr1d8GNDD0-1ycVXGRzaPw6LxTh8BfXHnEFayNeFCxT9gRnmnSamAxSU6uDCCQTz2NxkHZalmqN2VcGYCK04SGnM1Im3Ky6d-Gsh_DdLY3iEif9DQ9czQRjMFGKM7CxcV8y06jxYY5d01__WTFW3azwjQjCLsU/s2016/IMG_3352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrbdBJeMP7hv9HKOvZXRNsSyr-ODLuDr1d8GNDD0-1ycVXGRzaPw6LxTh8BfXHnEFayNeFCxT9gRnmnSamAxSU6uDCCQTz2NxkHZalmqN2VcGYCK04SGnM1Im3Ky6d-Gsh_DdLY3iEif9DQ9czQRjMFGKM7CxcV8y06jxYY5d01__WTFW3azwjQjCLsU/s320/IMG_3352.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg9B8GExrton6X1cfTntULf5OR45739vQBRZ_93SdPuM-sKSewsKBLalxW3BCZkF8PbbOMTrO440B4WXEBuwo4Er1APQFJbt_zhx2HFqBG_WLKZyW1Ot7IYzdt4-p3lSHIh162MKTncq66FzOkpI-KtnCui1ur-dDcJN6okVJmyHFnNADrj1f9-mwMPc/s2016/IMG_3351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg9B8GExrton6X1cfTntULf5OR45739vQBRZ_93SdPuM-sKSewsKBLalxW3BCZkF8PbbOMTrO440B4WXEBuwo4Er1APQFJbt_zhx2HFqBG_WLKZyW1Ot7IYzdt4-p3lSHIh162MKTncq66FzOkpI-KtnCui1ur-dDcJN6okVJmyHFnNADrj1f9-mwMPc/s320/IMG_3351.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNgQpcmw3nhPmLHV6O1c92_9dfHxaC42wcdU8WsA5nHnejcU80HLyB_d3XKiQqOAGd0htX4cPsZqg8K0IaHDdp1Bqa6qEVvUWoRtVDShu4ykpKsJFc59mnLJT2ZeBzzGaOuOEp0SJhQzabETBK_AZdhi6By7h1prUt19r01NBAcPi0OLbtmOVPveUumX0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1807" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNgQpcmw3nhPmLHV6O1c92_9dfHxaC42wcdU8WsA5nHnejcU80HLyB_d3XKiQqOAGd0htX4cPsZqg8K0IaHDdp1Bqa6qEVvUWoRtVDShu4ykpKsJFc59mnLJT2ZeBzzGaOuOEp0SJhQzabETBK_AZdhi6By7h1prUt19r01NBAcPi0OLbtmOVPveUumX0" width="287" /></a></div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Consistent pivot locations using specific bits of wood to mark these out on my bits of 2x4. That's also the Bunnings 18mm x 18mm x 1.2m barcode FYI...</span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Related, where will the actual pivot point <i>be located on the module</i>? This was critical for me as I have fairly shallow 6cm deep module side fascias. I hadn't thought about this when I decided on 1200mm long modules, but you obviously can't fold 1200mm long legs inside a 1200mm module, especially when each end plate is 18mm deep, plus I need some pivoting room for the legs, so that eats up about 50mm of that internal space. Fortunately, you obviously don't need 1200mm legs as you can move the pivot point further away from the top of the track (probably why 10cm deep sides are preferred!) and as close to the ends as possible. This way your legs can be shorter and thus fit into the module when folded. Be aware that the pivot hole in the leg obviously can't be at the <i>very top </i>of the leg or everything will snap.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>From that, you can derive a leg stick length (taking into account the adjustable feet) and make sure that this will all fold up into your module... and most importantly, when you add it all up, it has the top of your track 1200mm above the floor when the adjustable feet are at about their midpoint of extension. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Lastly, back to the bomb disposal men, if you build the complete leg set <i>first</i> and then attach it to the pivot... unless you have a laser-sighted CNC drill press, there is a fair chance it won't fold up into the module. This is because if you are out just a fraction with your drilling/alignment of the pivot holes, the two pivots won't be magically aligned in exactly the right place (and you have two dimensions to screw up in at both the module pivot hole and again in the leg hole). Thus when I attached and triumphantly folded my pre-made legs up, the pivots weren't perfectly square so one of the legs banged into the long-side fascia of the module top. So I now assemble the leg set in situ.</li></ul><p></p><p>All of this made my head hurt for a week.</p><p>So what I have settled on is:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>make some calculations.</li><li>cut/measure/drill my little 2x4 pivot pieces and attach them to the module (screw and glue) </li><li>calculate 1200mm <i>less</i> "track to centre of pivot (45mm for me)" <i>less</i> "allowance for feet in halfway extended position (25mm for me)". This is the distance between the bottom of the wooden leg to where you drill your pivot hole in the leg. I don't recommend doing it the other way around (drilling the hole close to the top and cutting off the bottom to suit) because its really hard to drill a big hole near the end of a thin leg without shattering the wood. I measure, gently clamp the leg together to be sure, drill the hole, then cut off the excess length from the <i>top</i> of the leg, and then apply some woodglue on the surfaces to add a modicum of strength.</li><li>Cut the legs to length if you haven't, and drill/attach the feet, do a dry test or two before you make that final cut to make sure everything will fit. If you have a problem, you may need to rethink your pivot point!</li><li>Drill good sized pilot holes in the delicate legs for screws to go through to attach the leg set cross pieces. Attach top and bottom cross pieces to ONE leg, not screwed too tight</li><li>Dry apply the dowels to join legs at the pivot points (3/4 in with no glue).</li><li>Fold the legs up inside the module and center them nicely (pack with wood against the inner faces of the module top) and <i>only then</i> attach the other leg to the cross pieces with the legs folded for as much of this operation as possible. Glue and screw everything for strength.</li><li>Fold everything out and treble check you can get a level and 1200mm rail height before the glue sets in case you need to pull it apart to make adjustments.</li><li>Fold the legs back in, attach the angled brace piece, and screw everything tight.</li></ol><p></p><p>Somewhere in these final stages, you might chose to gently glue the dowels into either the leg (for strength) or pivot point. Be careful not to do both!</p><p>Legs extended. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai1z9i36qM1WCuqVIIqNzdwZOx5A7nSBF800YiIewVrjcTSTTZXgeKIDzwiUTap_6-fBmDzR-MoqWH6-WgR03q441r73YMtu7gkztbf1_UBlYWJ600GRvQdlPLTn3-S5-JajM1yPL0sZmz0XmmjowM7n5yWKqtyl2TaTtg9AzXLXMphzms1pWiawMccs/s2016/IMG_3354.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai1z9i36qM1WCuqVIIqNzdwZOx5A7nSBF800YiIewVrjcTSTTZXgeKIDzwiUTap_6-fBmDzR-MoqWH6-WgR03q441r73YMtu7gkztbf1_UBlYWJ600GRvQdlPLTn3-S5-JajM1yPL0sZmz0XmmjowM7n5yWKqtyl2TaTtg9AzXLXMphzms1pWiawMccs/s320/IMG_3354.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Legs folded cleanly:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp60tEdBKuBcUb3rtvThog3ziXPYuJJH6KkOpeO-WnaxaMAv9LJOmGYRm_fn0NGccc2hMToJ3MTD6Q2JeBfla1lDnf5ccbtnhAc64UMQ1g4ZxVpISFmSF69nz6jpBUtNl3LkgcMlnF0zW2V6s1zRvv2X5QkMTJZUxlbzU1rZbHtamKK8LEzOKXHzVSUHs/s2016/IMG_3355.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp60tEdBKuBcUb3rtvThog3ziXPYuJJH6KkOpeO-WnaxaMAv9LJOmGYRm_fn0NGccc2hMToJ3MTD6Q2JeBfla1lDnf5ccbtnhAc64UMQ1g4ZxVpISFmSF69nz6jpBUtNl3LkgcMlnF0zW2V6s1zRvv2X5QkMTJZUxlbzU1rZbHtamKK8LEzOKXHzVSUHs/s320/IMG_3355.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><p><br /></p><p>How the calculations worked for me:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-wKNUv-WtiGGFVRDjOmjN4AVLAK_Xo1tMI3HvACaNWUXQE2hafF-yezL-pbSczCr7K9cqPbaEvZD7CXRG0BkptI9Y3Woq2svooNBggsRpTyYhnaKWO_xqlhLJTsJAVNdjwfBndBWsAs1UDUeBXIB9CRFgNsTXyzbL5cSiPeLif4ZLDC0B2SqpXU4oOzo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1446" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-wKNUv-WtiGGFVRDjOmjN4AVLAK_Xo1tMI3HvACaNWUXQE2hafF-yezL-pbSczCr7K9cqPbaEvZD7CXRG0BkptI9Y3Woq2svooNBggsRpTyYhnaKWO_xqlhLJTsJAVNdjwfBndBWsAs1UDUeBXIB9CRFgNsTXyzbL5cSiPeLif4ZLDC0B2SqpXU4oOzo" width="307" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As for feet, I started with these relatively cheap ones with plastic press-in nuts, but the plastic nut bits broke off or lost their thread surprisingly quickly...</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDcyLLAiDRiOVBz6fd13Kf6HpMMvSsZy-BfKoJzblQj9EgzxYIFM7z-UclKVGnx0EF_XnV5va1Txbal-TOQHgSQWYZnx_wUes5hxJgADLEN-x30RX3-slVCVmCyM9PzaHo4XYzEas-rIFb-QmACg7aACVn5Q4dcNABVQU_dcsAENwsaGGiFEWJfM01UQ/s2016/IMG_3356.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDcyLLAiDRiOVBz6fd13Kf6HpMMvSsZy-BfKoJzblQj9EgzxYIFM7z-UclKVGnx0EF_XnV5va1Txbal-TOQHgSQWYZnx_wUes5hxJgADLEN-x30RX3-slVCVmCyM9PzaHo4XYzEas-rIFb-QmACg7aACVn5Q4dcNABVQU_dcsAENwsaGGiFEWJfM01UQ/s320/IMG_3356.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So have upgraded to these steel M6 T nuts <i>gently</i> hammered into the legs and these more robust feet below. You obviously need to drill two sets of holes in the ends of the legs first, one deep enough to take the T nut body, and one smaller diameter hole drilled more deeply to take the threaded rod when it is screwed all the way in (which it might need to be, to fold into your module).<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2AL-ETLzV8WrrpENGg8arl1bUd_ELUeOQaHrpKvC0rufHGSMlBXVstrfu4nRg1VxiE0J2oe-c1CYOApb4zbHpTto4mThxLeegGF2Mgax1vMtu_HPeg9oRMoBeXQWb_zQoUsCVStLJTpY-DF4KqzSXlttMSaaYZ7wvIfWo3vaW8NsFBz2124wgPMzdJI/s2016/IMG_3357.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2AL-ETLzV8WrrpENGg8arl1bUd_ELUeOQaHrpKvC0rufHGSMlBXVstrfu4nRg1VxiE0J2oe-c1CYOApb4zbHpTto4mThxLeegGF2Mgax1vMtu_HPeg9oRMoBeXQWb_zQoUsCVStLJTpY-DF4KqzSXlttMSaaYZ7wvIfWo3vaW8NsFBz2124wgPMzdJI/s320/IMG_3357.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRZl-bv7jiM2Mgb432yjwTn0NPJbbEGi3OUAcpN2Gtq3ZZK2eAf_xYNVnlaK-iHi8iDU28yFvZ4CZO6ymDCpwNdse5W9ZdPAntoju8p4M5VDsal6I6qAi1W1a9ZEVBVdpSKk_wNDg3umGRgZhjpC2nFdhIaEsyZ7Tq5v0qGjV3X7zZtzoly5pN1GnKkI/s2016/IMG_3353.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRZl-bv7jiM2Mgb432yjwTn0NPJbbEGi3OUAcpN2Gtq3ZZK2eAf_xYNVnlaK-iHi8iDU28yFvZ4CZO6ymDCpwNdse5W9ZdPAntoju8p4M5VDsal6I6qAi1W1a9ZEVBVdpSKk_wNDg3umGRgZhjpC2nFdhIaEsyZ7Tq5v0qGjV3X7zZtzoly5pN1GnKkI/s320/IMG_3353.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p>One of my three Studholme modules will have leg sets at each end, and the other two will have just one leg at one end, with the other end being supported by the adjacent module.</p><p>...By the way, I've also put some coal in my two 3'6 LCs (at the far end) and added a ridge pole to an older one, plus experimented with colouring pencil on the KS doors with mixed results:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpCKLeWKsdaexXNIsQOE-8-Vp0gXFaAq5MUScD0wI5zMBk0gkrDy3UhVy23VYSCwnr_LahXcvqqJA65FD20Q7HWi1uVa2SlEtfbB7MESAloy5dREpDEe4E2_JyzpOMoY41mOuLzo4x20E1Y1A2cgQbuvGQy79b0AFa2eNv3Egqj_QtkiR3tm_j5Z_m2s/s1805/IMG_3349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1805" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpCKLeWKsdaexXNIsQOE-8-Vp0gXFaAq5MUScD0wI5zMBk0gkrDy3UhVy23VYSCwnr_LahXcvqqJA65FD20Q7HWi1uVa2SlEtfbB7MESAloy5dREpDEe4E2_JyzpOMoY41mOuLzo4x20E1Y1A2cgQbuvGQy79b0AFa2eNv3Egqj_QtkiR3tm_j5Z_m2s/s320/IMG_3349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Quite like the way these four wheelers have all been resurrected and enhanced, with the possible exception of the LPA with the badly applied tarp, which I thought was 'clever and quirky' at the time, but now is just 'annoying' me.</p></div>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-86459838512854307602024-01-07T20:53:00.000+13:002024-01-07T20:53:36.322+13:00Rolling, rolling - 4w wagons<p> DB keeps moving before he gets distracted again...</p><p>15 years ago I made up three LPAs that I bought off Pat Eade a few years earlier. I binned the chassis and put them on Pecos. It seems I was a side short too, so I must have made a replacement up out of plasticard.</p><p>It's about time to top them off. Ridgepoles were added with some plastic coated steel rod. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjJDqUrGO6CtDdEQ1wX-dzvHlXppszbAERJyM8Sl9Tb3-WYKs6kayyLeYwhyPpZ1Qx6DbwQQce0MiDBm3JW2MNL_NaOqJERNUGwQovslBVSOf95Ds5o8kmaQ6nXcc0DaQM0Po9AEVuTSiOd-ReMOOizyrbO43A252ikg-ZCpG139nv6KL0cte9SrrqG7w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1085" data-original-width="2009" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjJDqUrGO6CtDdEQ1wX-dzvHlXppszbAERJyM8Sl9Tb3-WYKs6kayyLeYwhyPpZ1Qx6DbwQQce0MiDBm3JW2MNL_NaOqJERNUGwQovslBVSOf95Ds5o8kmaQ6nXcc0DaQM0Po9AEVuTSiOd-ReMOOizyrbO43A252ikg-ZCpG139nv6KL0cte9SrrqG7w" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Then some tinfoil tarps were added. Pic taken before the paint had set. Longest kit assembly elapsed time ever?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGyrClSqzqOv0LtMwN_bLaoqhAxBkWl8EiqOpnG5mTko7R6ncaOOt_4iU179l2xt_RpylqBwCtZ8dZliCyFtYA2KVNJYt3sQrRSb_BR00GONO54y-zPOCR0LzWUgxW0XZVIfsUuqcHAkudgN8U-1ZuyBNzZR19DH0kI36MWzCVC0vqCU0x7Nafu2R7hXo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGyrClSqzqOv0LtMwN_bLaoqhAxBkWl8EiqOpnG5mTko7R6ncaOOt_4iU179l2xt_RpylqBwCtZ8dZliCyFtYA2KVNJYt3sQrRSb_BR00GONO54y-zPOCR0LzWUgxW0XZVIfsUuqcHAkudgN8U-1ZuyBNzZR19DH0kI36MWzCVC0vqCU0x7Nafu2R7hXo" width="320" /></a></div><br />I Peco'd the other two 3'6 KS tops and got them up to the same level as the first one. At some stage I should probably do the V shaped dots along the door ridges and may add a few more bits.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW0qHaNEJ4Fz1nw3qS5iWmwFWjBcgWaBaJzf3p17mxIqGSGkCHHAC4d_0g5nnwPDdO5JUAlNvJhnTHYC_jZ8M1ZUKsPcR4g8bBOtxcRLE6JofoaW1V3D36v68axlPoEJ7L-yQ3nlUX_f4IOW2X7d64xyQzR-aqRUGtr0MLVUfSHcA1pqaK3zqqdk4qXdE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1875" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW0qHaNEJ4Fz1nw3qS5iWmwFWjBcgWaBaJzf3p17mxIqGSGkCHHAC4d_0g5nnwPDdO5JUAlNvJhnTHYC_jZ8M1ZUKsPcR4g8bBOtxcRLE6JofoaW1V3D36v68axlPoEJ7L-yQ3nlUX_f4IOW2X7d64xyQzR-aqRUGtr0MLVUfSHcA1pqaK3zqqdk4qXdE" width="320" /></a></div><br />So that's most of my four wheelers repaired, detailed and weathered more or less (other than the stone train and the really old LCs). I could do with a few more handbrakes and need to find some coal for the new LCs.<p></p>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-6316690577310589742024-01-06T21:56:00.000+13:002024-01-06T21:56:05.961+13:00Slow progress is progress - 4w wagons<p> DB might as well continue with the 4 wheelers, since he has a new workbench to test drive.</p><p>As mentioned, I have a decent list of tasks to fix a few and improve of my recently unwrapped models, plus completing the new 3D printed ones.</p><p>I replaced the busted stakes on an NC, put the second XC on a Peco, and painted yellow number patches on most of these wagons as well as a few black destination chalkboards. </p><p>Funny how these wagons, the details of which were once etched in my mind, are now harder to uncover. I have a few pictures on my website, Ken Lankshear and others have a few on Flickr, and there are a few rolling stock books that have some details (and Pictorial Railways of NZ is a goldmine for the TMS-era modeller), but it took me a while to see where these patches were located on a KS, as I've never made one before. I think I probably put them on the wrong place on the XCs. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc-a9GdttWQwf-GDEPIS63RQ93jFCiLMLhG0U_X9v-FGxXnL0gm2uHcP3J5nT-ZbwdbmIOEy6EITFOw8kKT_OekxCeH5wpkqSoSO_ptGrldbliSVv1cnundyWQBRYj5kcqyCqtkhAttXxDJCJ8jPkuUjmoThypLt-4oD46f223HiT2gBh74g_saOt4xfw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1992" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc-a9GdttWQwf-GDEPIS63RQ93jFCiLMLhG0U_X9v-FGxXnL0gm2uHcP3J5nT-ZbwdbmIOEy6EITFOw8kKT_OekxCeH5wpkqSoSO_ptGrldbliSVv1cnundyWQBRYj5kcqyCqtkhAttXxDJCJ8jPkuUjmoThypLt-4oD46f223HiT2gBh74g_saOt4xfw" width="320" /></a></div><p>And also stuck some little white plasticard door catches on the KS. These are visible on this (now repainted) grounded body. On the real ones they have a steel rod above them to keep the catches moving in a vertical manner. You might note how the corrugations on this are bevelled and a little finer than most modellers would make them. I should have put those four little horizontal pieces on too, as I did with the Shapeways ZM many years ago, but... forgot.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDBssaLLoKGgaqlP3WuTFz9jMZdApbzINyFI1pG5TXtbaKaPTAkwePkxDQGYu0MURHGtbTdPAsu2mAYhVsroauz2a-HfX4E6u9Y5FFPwaMrQk4WQeEkgk17Dce8gpFiKX5PnOkQT-zwixCyxaIiYbyxXZ6bQffai98BFvefQ78JeE36H9cS6SwL8zbfp4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDBssaLLoKGgaqlP3WuTFz9jMZdApbzINyFI1pG5TXtbaKaPTAkwePkxDQGYu0MURHGtbTdPAsu2mAYhVsroauz2a-HfX4E6u9Y5FFPwaMrQk4WQeEkgk17Dce8gpFiKX5PnOkQT-zwixCyxaIiYbyxXZ6bQffai98BFvefQ78JeE36H9cS6SwL8zbfp4" width="320" /></a></div><p>Also painted that second 3'6 LC and their other two KS tops. Painted the white door catches on my cast KPs too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqgrnbavfNQgTNSkD1FfFRBBnAnICNCDmGWqI8dodOWWjBVZzPReKzaULwW-LDiqgmZBUsQdD6S-OaV61CttvYKBOsQx7U0D2k5UlDsLhbsR8FcMqjeE0xqiOu25oJf4WcCg0g7DJKf9wlT5CWPEgr_VnNVS9PI0bsMUQRdRcxg3ZvburUAc0g0gaOVBk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="1718" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqgrnbavfNQgTNSkD1FfFRBBnAnICNCDmGWqI8dodOWWjBVZzPReKzaULwW-LDiqgmZBUsQdD6S-OaV61CttvYKBOsQx7U0D2k5UlDsLhbsR8FcMqjeE0xqiOu25oJf4WcCg0g7DJKf9wlT5CWPEgr_VnNVS9PI0bsMUQRdRcxg3ZvburUAc0g0gaOVBk" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-72023057411267358532024-01-05T19:11:00.000+13:002024-01-05T19:11:06.669+13:00Great Workbenches of the World Part X<p>DB gets a workbench:</p><p>Since I have kicked myself off The Linesider's desks a week or so ago, I have been working standing up beside an old set of cabinets in a junky corner of the basement.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjocRR8_5DmlNOzkSxFSA6h0fN8NirPQC7QyEHh0Y06IpRJAV099URwP3r6HjjsDAcpCBxL6cak4V74ynGVwN_9oG2Rjg5uCuPkKPug8Imvnuro_c0RxuAX4JhcI8ylacbDOxIxulhKKr5gVfOJZyhbOw2sLE8QVksamXscVZunImeMJo_ESnHQUhB1sak" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjocRR8_5DmlNOzkSxFSA6h0fN8NirPQC7QyEHh0Y06IpRJAV099URwP3r6HjjsDAcpCBxL6cak4V74ynGVwN_9oG2Rjg5uCuPkKPug8Imvnuro_c0RxuAX4JhcI8ylacbDOxIxulhKKr5gVfOJZyhbOw2sLE8QVksamXscVZunImeMJo_ESnHQUhB1sak" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p>It occurred to me that I might as well put up a workbench, even a temporary one, in a less cluttered corner of the basement, and installed this former kitchen benchtop (which must be from three iterations of the house ago, being found in a corner of the garage when we moved in, that "was too good to throw out and will find a use someday", like a thousand other bits of wood and nails and screws and junk that I have squirrelled away for the apocalypse). Quite a few kitchen towels and rags gave their life to remove the mold, dust and a few greasy spills on the surface.</p><p>Ta-da:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3Oq7U535yHRKEaj9friEr027urTRguVyYgyOu6rkjCc6TEA0KNtEfr4aKcteQhsMN4EfRXF6Tsg0vIvs6ZW99jDlfLqjFphm4awcsX1aPUoHXEdtCl-JJS8BuCwY6JC685iDLiM6gabiiucRGlh45f6_LWh1Wte_YTPJdTYqOYx1b-YiKBCQg9Sf0FE0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3Oq7U535yHRKEaj9friEr027urTRguVyYgyOu6rkjCc6TEA0KNtEfr4aKcteQhsMN4EfRXF6Tsg0vIvs6ZW99jDlfLqjFphm4awcsX1aPUoHXEdtCl-JJS8BuCwY6JC685iDLiM6gabiiucRGlh45f6_LWh1Wte_YTPJdTYqOYx1b-YiKBCQg9Sf0FE0" width="180" /></a></div><br />It almost fits in the space, and I mounted it a little higher than a usual table/desk would be to being the work closer to the eye. I've already celebrated with a coffee and biscuits provided by my far better half upstairs, and by Peco-ing the second XP and painting number panels on a bunch of four wheelers.<p></p><div>I'll put another recycled shelf up above the desk and move the rest of the NZ120 stuff in.</div>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-54917908407310304182024-01-03T18:33:00.004+13:002024-01-03T21:55:26.385+13:00Taking stock of stock: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.<p>DB juggling ten projects at once:</p><p>Lord Dandruff the First stopped by a month ago, and we had a carful browse through some of my rolling stock that had been bundled up in paper towels and boxes for the last ten years. We didn't get to the bottom of all the boxes, and didn't unwrap much, but there was a lot that had been long forgotten. </p><p>Yesterday I went dumpster diving to the bottom and unwrapped most of the mysterious items.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisK1sjB0GtLon30JWgKipM5owAMymtevaUpvFDAYL3GanpIgW_E5C0JxSmZRybxe5wsQQyhEwgu3XfzdvnSnwI97arWrfLqS7oEX1b9MqIarCksEbizZrAQBKXOmzKqmT4mOReEa9HVbb__X-mdURB0WuSdOKz1RKpkvVifmhiqfiKZ961M3la1JblKYk" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1432" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisK1sjB0GtLon30JWgKipM5owAMymtevaUpvFDAYL3GanpIgW_E5C0JxSmZRybxe5wsQQyhEwgu3XfzdvnSnwI97arWrfLqS7oEX1b9MqIarCksEbizZrAQBKXOmzKqmT4mOReEa9HVbb__X-mdURB0WuSdOKz1RKpkvVifmhiqfiKZ961M3la1JblKYk" width="227" /></span></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">OK, apart from a bendy one at the bottom.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1rVOQnc8AIUndewtXja9LJFYALt6bo21Nj4G4R7ptNkuncsJNBaNK3ZajUMVZf6zLYCELHrJVFhbU8wa_iCl-gSJQbz-7oOAaZ5zM3_PyHG1raDf5KYgUqHZfeFEHYxrtnyfrlNOEz1KPXzsjjW-KOzKwFP46p_kVLgMeXTr8lMJUT-Ywqh67OqR4ffg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="2016" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1rVOQnc8AIUndewtXja9LJFYALt6bo21Nj4G4R7ptNkuncsJNBaNK3ZajUMVZf6zLYCELHrJVFhbU8wa_iCl-gSJQbz-7oOAaZ5zM3_PyHG1raDf5KYgUqHZfeFEHYxrtnyfrlNOEz1KPXzsjjW-KOzKwFP46p_kVLgMeXTr8lMJUT-Ywqh67OqR4ffg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>The Good:</b></p><p>The 'Hokitika' container train of commercial 40 foot containers and white cast TBC insulated jobs on resin cast UKs look decent, other than a few busted MicroTrains couplers and some misplaced wheels. A west coast coal train from c2010 is about 80% done (CBs and CWs) plus there are four unused CE tops from Shapeways in the bin.</p><p></p><p>Ooo, Speights tanktainer! RFL containers, CF, Spaceracer, Well wagon, Urea wagon. Some nice Trackgang UR and LPA wagons. My own cast KP and XP tops look decent. Most of the HCC coal container train looks ok. I have a few good looking four wheelers of various types - scratchbuilt NCs, and an MC, plus a few LC and LAs made from someone else's tops, five nice YCs from the 90s based on Rhys' cast hoppers. Plus two fairly basic, but acceptable log wagons and a SpaceLiner from the early days.</p><p></p><p>A lot of small projects fixing, painting, detailing and weathering will have this lot shipshape in no time. </p><p><b>The Bad:</b></p><p>That PFC flour bomb doesn't look that good up close. Far worse are some of my first early-90s efforts: rudimentary container wagons (the 'Japan Line' UK above for example) that should be retired, the basic (yet mildly-effective) RoadRailer on its old Atlas rapido bogies.</p><p>For some reason I still have 15 LCs molded in Flashfix polyester bog from my awful master (my first attempt at casting anything).We always put Rhys' LCs at the head of the train on Otaki to Cass because they looked better than the 18 or 20(?) LCs that I had.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCHWAU7DHUmY3vBAbi_Lw1nhTkXrobTmzNRn5zwn9qBf3_5CgQfdYdUM5-Exf6YQFv0_A5NeX6tTsHSuJ2DlNg5qVjAGe0Cwnsy8QFeS-kucLQOS3p2jD1Y2cGTz9uMQjyDUgv7RrDVAWjGQKbtEv2mTQc4iPEuAQpONecVZsDI0553XD_FofJ_oZJGSk" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCHWAU7DHUmY3vBAbi_Lw1nhTkXrobTmzNRn5zwn9qBf3_5CgQfdYdUM5-Exf6YQFv0_A5NeX6tTsHSuJ2DlNg5qVjAGe0Cwnsy8QFeS-kucLQOS3p2jD1Y2cGTz9uMQjyDUgv7RrDVAWjGQKbtEv2mTQc4iPEuAQpONecVZsDI0553XD_FofJ_oZJGSk" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Eeek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I have a 12 wagon stone train filled with limestone! I must have cast the LA tops about 2012, but don't think it was blogged about. The LAs look a little big to my eye so I'll have to dig out my plans.</p><p>My cast side-opening 10 foot green and 20 foot blue containers are too wide and tall, but more on them below.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>The Ugly:</b></p><p>About five of the container wagons are warped. Some subtly, one quite dramatically.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguv0JaG82wIJU2ofWvNuA0WyujK35AZXrxCwZlV99kgCeUbMerwpbcabEIF7ssn8sUZfmQQo-sexwgHfOLpTaIV_-V9Kv57hkVIQ8fq43WcVY8AYNnQVYzWtHnMfPnjdn5M0RP7ucdeFTgtxAPb65jAjXk4k8shCYgFLJYZmF2-zOmnPQp0gJLJ4TnsyM" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1854" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguv0JaG82wIJU2ofWvNuA0WyujK35AZXrxCwZlV99kgCeUbMerwpbcabEIF7ssn8sUZfmQQo-sexwgHfOLpTaIV_-V9Kv57hkVIQ8fq43WcVY8AYNnQVYzWtHnMfPnjdn5M0RP7ucdeFTgtxAPb65jAjXk4k8shCYgFLJYZmF2-zOmnPQp0gJLJ4TnsyM" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The bends</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Some of the containers suffer from sticky resin syndrome and will be binned. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNS8_-pspIpqpP0BDnXIJ9yiJaEfvhp8H5khO76tZXoRQ6BXOfq3BcogGGQFaExqkCoHiwd3PK45J_1d2p-xCfdMinVVS5xekIA7ZEcg2r-FPNHGgA8e5usUmAGmXta0HUOFsw6IWkKjt7Taj2-pNv-7Clkd9Z5dDPuo9abL7MCknx37Mu1L2O175vZDM" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="2016" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNS8_-pspIpqpP0BDnXIJ9yiJaEfvhp8H5khO76tZXoRQ6BXOfq3BcogGGQFaExqkCoHiwd3PK45J_1d2p-xCfdMinVVS5xekIA7ZEcg2r-FPNHGgA8e5usUmAGmXta0HUOFsw6IWkKjt7Taj2-pNv-7Clkd9Z5dDPuo9abL7MCknx37Mu1L2O175vZDM" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sticky Blue Star Line to be binned</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The 10-foot green containers have shrunk oddly in some dimensions and the styrene handgrabs and spacers have melted into a sticky mess.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHuIjgEQTR24SlAUGOpGSL6ut5yyxbWZo1L0NcTe81F--AVg72-qE6wDtXT069RWZQaLEOWq_-E54Pp6TC5SfBrhGaG2tz9rxosvKznOEG5SiENY2AzA4ugm9xkqKhYzoIIxLsVX8Qtr71z8CU1_L9CRMNrpk0RCeVPbU3RkHbwjuiozxlO6ynXJLTrlg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHuIjgEQTR24SlAUGOpGSL6ut5yyxbWZo1L0NcTe81F--AVg72-qE6wDtXT069RWZQaLEOWq_-E54Pp6TC5SfBrhGaG2tz9rxosvKznOEG5SiENY2AzA4ugm9xkqKhYzoIIxLsVX8Qtr71z8CU1_L9CRMNrpk0RCeVPbU3RkHbwjuiozxlO6ynXJLTrlg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Cartoon containers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The two XCs have melted/softened their Peco chassis. One of the couplers pulled in half like its shank was made of bubblegum. Strangely, the KPs made at the same time are fine, and a whole bunch of spare cast containers at the bottom of a box were fine too.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkjf7PqzJJzrIB9XQyRNpYxfBxtAVXeBXYYpc5JtAppXhI2mZWXVPVlulKEEtkJQOYUAzwCp-zlyVEG5m50yUFPThX7rnUCII5e-O59E1FgrODNi706GP5jlJ8WXrQJ8NR0QFRksIYSioMXN4L6j-BetbjlsHBfZq36vaVnhMe0pQrg54S_x9oSs5GjxI" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1280" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkjf7PqzJJzrIB9XQyRNpYxfBxtAVXeBXYYpc5JtAppXhI2mZWXVPVlulKEEtkJQOYUAzwCp-zlyVEG5m50yUFPThX7rnUCII5e-O59E1FgrODNi706GP5jlJ8WXrQJ8NR0QFRksIYSioMXN4L6j-BetbjlsHBfZq36vaVnhMe0pQrg54S_x9oSs5GjxI" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Axleboxes, sides and coupler very soft.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I'm guessing its a particular brand of glue (contact or UHU style) that I used at one stage to fix some resin cast tops to Pecos; and resin containers to resin flat wagons. The glue reacted with the resin and emited a gas that plastic doesn't like. Having things locked away in boxes with no fresh airflow can't have helped. The Blog's resident chemist will likely weigh in on this once he's fired up his scanning electron spectral analyser.</p><p>The XCs have been cleaned and fixed with a new chassis - superglued on! I penciled a note to myself to discover in case this happens again:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmyPDuX-gTL5fuNbhLa5hG4z82ZLVIVJ55Noz0QUii_eLCoNEGWxdLI8SqY3lhqqMH7J-scjwCI8oBsr3xBPfR8xTudXBRJR8yBbmoj1azOALrqH8oajUqaaPjnlDIG7LmbFduDBBwT-XR80j2Xw7IcQ7mx7l4C_Nx43rw42D6ymWZpSS_kvMd5YiiqeU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1708" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmyPDuX-gTL5fuNbhLa5hG4z82ZLVIVJ55Noz0QUii_eLCoNEGWxdLI8SqY3lhqqMH7J-scjwCI8oBsr3xBPfR8xTudXBRJR8yBbmoj1azOALrqH8oajUqaaPjnlDIG7LmbFduDBBwT-XR80j2Xw7IcQ7mx7l4C_Nx43rw42D6ymWZpSS_kvMd5YiiqeU" width="320" /></a></div><p>A mildly bent container wagon was stripped of containers and bogies, and straightened successfully after 10-15 seconds under a hot tap, followed by cooling under the cold. Reassembled (with superglue!) it seems fine, so I will try this with the others.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB8AD9CLnpHBZxmjzCcXtGKDUtnAIITMwDm6fOhMd-JCHCZA2la0FSLZFaUM1mPk5jmX9AnRdqKjzzkSXaFCwHabGCVmqbsAmWrQeyWEXCwsKv9ZsfxqXQ2OHeIAmq2e_HPfi23NiFTKgKfYHaqgWud_Dv_VQJj1jFfwjS2I6wrZRFXgPU25neddbp9f0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="1838" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB8AD9CLnpHBZxmjzCcXtGKDUtnAIITMwDm6fOhMd-JCHCZA2la0FSLZFaUM1mPk5jmX9AnRdqKjzzkSXaFCwHabGCVmqbsAmWrQeyWEXCwsKv9ZsfxqXQ2OHeIAmq2e_HPfi23NiFTKgKfYHaqgWud_Dv_VQJj1jFfwjS2I6wrZRFXgPU25neddbp9f0" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">^ Bent</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibjNN0MH_-kZt20ORDohvxtwcQBQfaTMi8wtmhAfLT5JlL4-wDsz0KPv5MI8MlvpYH9pSNu-dB3x7zZ5cSlg4B7gdKqh8e96c7oRhn3s1z13gT6g9VQeb3vel8TDJiLFKVwKvqH7PNaNN0cd27ZJYWPIFjgnTbR_dOcJI7ewHb7w45da0oJEE0VA_VYC8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><img alt="" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1975" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibjNN0MH_-kZt20ORDohvxtwcQBQfaTMi8wtmhAfLT5JlL4-wDsz0KPv5MI8MlvpYH9pSNu-dB3x7zZ5cSlg4B7gdKqh8e96c7oRhn3s1z13gT6g9VQeb3vel8TDJiLFKVwKvqH7PNaNN0cd27ZJYWPIFjgnTbR_dOcJI7ewHb7w45da0oJEE0VA_VYC8" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">^ Straightening</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSUhT--mytsCcB2_G48ydDBEHu-ZSkLrzEu1PRG-TnsNpUbvUdAm0msiUmR_QwQcR0y9V2MnIBAvhvrR5JWQpVup_c-mTCBgviu2AnOdce-WoUo2Hs2Istm07gmi4oWJgjQ9XBwmzQ9i1rkxsoligQykCl7uHL0fQ0c97NXrcNhPw_CdnAnUTvLhPV4O4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><img alt="" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="1791" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSUhT--mytsCcB2_G48ydDBEHu-ZSkLrzEu1PRG-TnsNpUbvUdAm0msiUmR_QwQcR0y9V2MnIBAvhvrR5JWQpVup_c-mTCBgviu2AnOdce-WoUo2Hs2Istm07gmi4oWJgjQ9XBwmzQ9i1rkxsoligQykCl7uHL0fQ0c97NXrcNhPw_CdnAnUTvLhPV4O4" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">^ Flat flat wagon</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOMSae7_f4CaABcn4JCptoUwVZrTkjHeCFxt_fUCJIT83EubId4phcDjWPSLkVowD0gdeerhIYeJ9DzyUEXIqD3Ch9XZj5N74i3JGYyTk-Q-QAYdhQy4yDjCikkDHM4h0-cDefkGedNJ8xmFOmPacL1H8R37XCxS6gbfVEWF0CCfmWqllq0WDZPT63374" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><img alt="" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1792" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOMSae7_f4CaABcn4JCptoUwVZrTkjHeCFxt_fUCJIT83EubId4phcDjWPSLkVowD0gdeerhIYeJ9DzyUEXIqD3Ch9XZj5N74i3JGYyTk-Q-QAYdhQy4yDjCikkDHM4h0-cDefkGedNJ8xmFOmPacL1H8R37XCxS6gbfVEWF0CCfmWqllq0WDZPT63374" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">^ With containers reattached.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>A few sticky containers are being binned. I replaced the blue sticky side opener on the Speights wagon with the best of the green 10 footers even though its a bit big:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2YjFvr34c03nKLDQ6gAyIiiqf_yeEivXU7S441C5tMPpwlmdkIuE8tT3ZIpns8Lg9N-1HQ0fpDeq67AHtG5QselarVjApPyRIy5ViIP3ynrJ3monJeg3iwSPR_TkCnmR-JHrspRojNK10YYtVT4FKdpFaEdlpMWvDIZ1ijeKkRIiP3yLHV3GctCG0k0w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1394" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2YjFvr34c03nKLDQ6gAyIiiqf_yeEivXU7S441C5tMPpwlmdkIuE8tT3ZIpns8Lg9N-1HQ0fpDeq67AHtG5QselarVjApPyRIy5ViIP3ynrJ3monJeg3iwSPR_TkCnmR-JHrspRojNK10YYtVT4FKdpFaEdlpMWvDIZ1ijeKkRIiP3yLHV3GctCG0k0w" width="320" /></a></div><p>The PK with the greenies has picked up two Associated Container Transport containers from the 80s off a UK that will be straightened, and will keep its nice GraFar bogies with rapido couplers (see para below).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyuQHe58WWCPs8kVoIBSyozQwZ6M6TfIuVAhmjyuRYZuzhkeY7_X_cEXnFKRDDOeIo9ZuzBXaH2YV6-Qxbp3ucDqZDWR98byFcB-amtkqQVSsQhjNPkMu4aUQuVJiItrRgbbA3YDEDL2pz0G7OEBCXr3ig_Tvv1bx_K4vfpTaFgM7wAz7ixfjafkB77Nw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1693" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyuQHe58WWCPs8kVoIBSyozQwZ6M6TfIuVAhmjyuRYZuzhkeY7_X_cEXnFKRDDOeIo9ZuzBXaH2YV6-Qxbp3ucDqZDWR98byFcB-amtkqQVSsQhjNPkMu4aUQuVJiItrRgbbA3YDEDL2pz0G7OEBCXr3ig_Tvv1bx_K4vfpTaFgM7wAz7ixfjafkB77Nw" width="320" /></a></div><p>Doing this has me thinking about my varied and random trains, some of which have a mix of couplers. I'll probably convert the 'modern stuff' to MicroTrains and keep the four wheelers and a few bogie wagons that suit an 80s train with the rapido couplers. The PFC flour job, roadrailer and maybe the NZR container wagons would be more at home on a 90s express goods train so will get MT couplers. </p><p>It's also started me thinking about a few things that are missing from the trains. White ventilated Z covered wagons are probably the most obvious omission from the 80s train. The work train needs a plow van. And I need a bunch of additional container wagons, although I have a pair of MMW IAs to make up. Now that I am not modelling Moana, the Hoki container train can be more generic, and some of its white TBCs might be backdated with NZR logos. </p><p>Much to do.</p>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-61914464502983747742023-12-28T20:41:00.004+13:002024-01-03T22:08:10.085+13:00A 3 Foot 6 Interlude - 3d Printed bits<p>DB ponders and then stirs...</p><p>Two things NZ120 needed twenty years ago, were a simple module standard (done!) and some quick, cheap, quality wagon tops. Maybe nothing too fancy, but something to give those less comfortable with scratchbuilding the ability to easily make a train that looked 'right and proper'. At the time I wondered if this might have to be a run of injection molded LC tops, but time has moved on, so technology and the efforts of a few CAD designers has solved the problem.</p><p>While we made some initial forays into CAD and 3d printing/laser cutting 10-15 years ago, it was Peter Bryant and his <a href="https://newzealandrailwaymodels.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">KiwiTrains</a> blog who really got the ball rolling big time. Designing a wide range of models quickly for NZ120 and other scales, he made them available on Shapeways. Soon other designers joined in, and I <a href="https://motoriseddandruff.blogspot.com/2013/03/shapeways-zm-and-ce-first-look.html" target="_blank">bought a few</a> Shapeways prints more than ten years ago. </p><p>Shapeways items always had challenges - expensive, variable quality of finishes, plenty of print strata, and of course they had to be mailed from abroad, so they were not the solution for the impatient or thrifty. </p><p>In the intervening years, initially expensive DIY home filament printers that spat out plastic spaghetti have given way to higher quality 4k and better resin printers.</p><p>Lewis Holden decided to bypass the Shapeways issues by licensing the designs that have already been drawn, adding a few of his own, and printing them domestically as <a href="https://www.3foot6models.com" target="_blank">3 Foot 6 Models</a>. So you can now get good quality 3D printed NZR models in NZ120 (and other scales) with a much faster turnaround time and low cost shipping.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I have looked at his site a few times and recently decided to order a bunch of models to see how they look. They arrived at lunchtime.</p><p>The print quality seems pretty good, certainly these have far, far smoother sides than the last Shapeways models I purchased, with little visible strata, although there are a few areas where the printing process struggles with superfine standalone details like freestanding handrails and undercar truss rods (Shapeways struggles with this too, I have some experience with their saggy Z scale tanktainers). Some curved areas on the models are made up of flat surfaces/polygons rather than truely smooth curves, but that is how they were drawn (way back when) rather than this being any printing problem.</p><p>The 3'6 gray resin is surprisingly sturdy, has a nice smooth finish, and details are for the most part rendered very crisply. Long unsupported sides can bow a little, but the instructions detail how to deal with that. My KSs had bowed sides but these were easily straightened in about 30 seconds after their warm water rinse. Quick, easy no problem at all.</p><p>After I'd finished entertaining passing vagabonds this afternoon, I had a closer look at an LC and KS top. I bought three KS prints as they are a difficult scratchbuild (has <i>anyone</i> in NZ120? UPDATE: yes, Trackgang has one) and a couple of LCs, because as a lover of the 1980s, you can never have too many, and it would be a good comparison with my existing models, and at 10 bucks a pop, it exactly fits the initial goal espoused at the top of this post.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy3NxZ8RHzLVdua-n7e7tkUrq8vQFGha_ycUcyXEVWbxOirJt6jnVaScivLtMzrhyvgnP-OOP8T6cIpKLz9DoI_FFOLfS6eoyc0qSBoOaJ2M9kOAwjRBL7c7PKEaa307q5FvPJLrcQeaC96JPbN-cWx62WxSdfWlluSlLmlr0Vg9MucX5ePQvH4vUKACY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1408" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy3NxZ8RHzLVdua-n7e7tkUrq8vQFGha_ycUcyXEVWbxOirJt6jnVaScivLtMzrhyvgnP-OOP8T6cIpKLz9DoI_FFOLfS6eoyc0qSBoOaJ2M9kOAwjRBL7c7PKEaa307q5FvPJLrcQeaC96JPbN-cWx62WxSdfWlluSlLmlr0Vg9MucX5ePQvH4vUKACY" width="320" /></a></div>One LC had one minor strata flaw visible above near the bottom of the sides, as if the model had moved a few microns during the print. This might have been covered by paint but why not eliminate it with a little scrawking with a flat edge. (The top looks bent on the far side here, but that is the phone camera lens)<p></p><p>I also scrawked the inside of the top to thin the slightly chunky design (without which, perhaps it would not print so well?). There were no other visible imperfections, so a Peco 15 foot chassis was trimmed of its Britishness and installed. The following pic from an entry in this blog from 2008(!) shows the before and after elimination of extra brake shoes, suspension and handbrake, which can be done in about five minutes:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwLaqozC9GFeDEMkHlZYoZtdNb8g8xcGf4UjB0dih-7wesG05mKk834m8MKgDsCHJjVasD2yFs0SQ-4z0uFhaGNubSGjgUM-35djHy8qtbrBn-IhJPZNL91Pbg3Je1zQSMFHEth1EXwc/s800/F51T3659+mod+a+peco.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="800" height="49" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwLaqozC9GFeDEMkHlZYoZtdNb8g8xcGf4UjB0dih-7wesG05mKk834m8MKgDsCHJjVasD2yFs0SQ-4z0uFhaGNubSGjgUM-35djHy8qtbrBn-IhJPZNL91Pbg3Je1zQSMFHEth1EXwc/s320/F51T3659+mod+a+peco.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>These printed tops are well designed to fit a bulletproof Peco chassis and hang down over the solebars a little, so you can even include the Peco steel weight without the thing sitting too high.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnyf5xR8EOGPBnyqj-9375x6_sCgoihcikV-3dIpM8tJ6mg1qKDTe6UZIMk5jynWm9exM1XVVpbHNaWRBKNvpTFErE3qgyXqKqizCHqlUY3TDf5LpU9McBxnZTmo_dn-PG6FZeYxCq4YpschK13imx9hgbFJS876AZLbhn6VaK47N-Jx_bs5r_WSwFCnY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1334" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnyf5xR8EOGPBnyqj-9375x6_sCgoihcikV-3dIpM8tJ6mg1qKDTe6UZIMk5jynWm9exM1XVVpbHNaWRBKNvpTFErE3qgyXqKqizCHqlUY3TDf5LpU9McBxnZTmo_dn-PG6FZeYxCq4YpschK13imx9hgbFJS876AZLbhn6VaK47N-Jx_bs5r_WSwFCnY" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I've never been allergic to Peco couplers either, so they were also installed. I glue them in and have never had a problem with these short wagons, even on crossover pairs of points. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tfbpG4Fxw2AYb_1YSv4dT99yWIFXnQpw9F1JsuxOBq6Ajt9bFgh03aQSzvcAmEOeLLI-7kR4xl6fpoAFjfhzMfz1IR-akukR0dzVvxh-jhhGoOXaf-HdaSzGlOhJz_xjicqo2V3saRMSe-II9dNQhl3qAMqmGI1cS695iedCiJaGDiuy39yBNHZCL6w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1586" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tfbpG4Fxw2AYb_1YSv4dT99yWIFXnQpw9F1JsuxOBq6Ajt9bFgh03aQSzvcAmEOeLLI-7kR4xl6fpoAFjfhzMfz1IR-akukR0dzVvxh-jhhGoOXaf-HdaSzGlOhJz_xjicqo2V3saRMSe-II9dNQhl3qAMqmGI1cS695iedCiJaGDiuy39yBNHZCL6w" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Not bad to have a wagon after 15 minutes, here sitting next to a Trackgang LPA (which does have nice thin side walls) and a home-cast KP (which is just a hot mess).<p></p><p>The KS top had no visible flaws so it was bunged onto another Peco, it hangs nicely down as well, like the prototype. I had to remove the lower part of the printed coupler slot so the Peco coupler would fit. This was already clear on the LC as you can see in the pic with the upside down LC top a few pics above.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7MV4G3xmdGFiEgwlWvGqitzx-4LaJvJnW8pc-pY2v_tDuFG4PuNKR5JC32fkK_F86yHjRVDoxAgdW8ds1nBith1itmHtHxJZIrN9kTk_gWp0oFkkYfMAaV3Nybnl3LeIijtkhBAKpCCeKvgUUQPLFosfs85tp_CFj0KACV5nT0Roa--Yjl9r2lbIOks0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="1691" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7MV4G3xmdGFiEgwlWvGqitzx-4LaJvJnW8pc-pY2v_tDuFG4PuNKR5JC32fkK_F86yHjRVDoxAgdW8ds1nBith1itmHtHxJZIrN9kTk_gWp0oFkkYfMAaV3Nybnl3LeIijtkhBAKpCCeKvgUUQPLFosfs85tp_CFj0KACV5nT0Roa--Yjl9r2lbIOks0" width="320" /></a></div><p>Paint was then liberally splashed on. I did wash all the printed tops before starting this project in lightly-detergented water but didn't bother priming anything. I almost never do, and the paint goes on well here, whereas the Shapeways models tend to suck up the paint. Tamiya NATO Brown with a few drops of my completely magic Game Color Bloody Red were a first attempt at Red Oxide. This looked a little chocolatey on the LC, so a few more drops of red were added and another attempt made, before moving onto the KS: both photographed here before the paint had dried:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_K4rE0Y0g6BtDY-jymvYmfWovrmbh0qKumM6G1ip3SA0YCvSDVTL_txdxJmpsnT1VXL0RHn02nR8w_7DaAiHRvdY406xfkqDbSAxSJ7lLNKdRvqUATROxCBD8O_okyrBVxKxvGmAW1k6wI5uN6ihzJ1fjGsUtOL57zTgFAzECOgqsgyXG-AZOexgbMz0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="2006" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_K4rE0Y0g6BtDY-jymvYmfWovrmbh0qKumM6G1ip3SA0YCvSDVTL_txdxJmpsnT1VXL0RHn02nR8w_7DaAiHRvdY406xfkqDbSAxSJ7lLNKdRvqUATROxCBD8O_okyrBVxKxvGmAW1k6wI5uN6ihzJ1fjGsUtOL57zTgFAzECOgqsgyXG-AZOexgbMz0" width="320" /></a></div><br />Overall, the tops succeed in their goals. The KS is a little chunky in its sidedoor details and seems overscale in width, but that will never be noticed when it's bouncing along in a train. The LC's chunky walls will likely be partially hidden with coal or a tarp.<p></p><p>Overall verdict: bloody brilliant, and great value for money. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>P.s. see Rhys's initial <a href="https://motoriseddandruff.blogspot.com/2023/06/3-foot-6-models-review.html" target="_blank">3'6 purchases here</a></p>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-77425299201010071382023-12-24T17:56:00.003+13:002023-12-24T23:53:01.471+13:00Studholme 5 - Finishing off topping it off. <p>DB finally finishes off the top. </p><p>Having had a broken and oddly shaped leftover piece of dark coloured hardboard(?) lying around, which happened to be the same depth as the 3mm MDF, and was 1200 long, I decided to use that to deck the centre module. Yes, that stuff is even worse than MDF and will be impossible to staple into, and almost impossible to bang things into, but it will do. And I had it already. So I cut a side straight and used the table saw to make a 400mm-wide piece.</p><p>The areas at one end that will be fields then had to be cut away, to leave a raised trackbed (to match the North module), so this was measured up and the tracks were laid out to see what needed to be removed. The southern end of this is a full width yard, to match the South module, so nothing had to be cut there.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-kjNiTVpT_95mpYILR9iftlcNpkAYXPadYsrptiTCygxzBG6UbWpXCNJ-KkSSEKdQENrKT3c30SdvDO3xnUa2DMVaurb1agCcXWKcWsW9BjcsKK58thxU3AJeoAN12T8R3-m7n4voeHVpRiJaXpNIsXWuhMaoT-7UACsgJiNkBfPe9siu6xITJzA45Ys" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="832" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-kjNiTVpT_95mpYILR9iftlcNpkAYXPadYsrptiTCygxzBG6UbWpXCNJ-KkSSEKdQENrKT3c30SdvDO3xnUa2DMVaurb1agCcXWKcWsW9BjcsKK58thxU3AJeoAN12T8R3-m7n4voeHVpRiJaXpNIsXWuhMaoT-7UACsgJiNkBfPe9siu6xITJzA45Ys" width="99" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And a final test to check things line up along all three modules: <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcBAeLRAPPDF9lwX_RwBNkTTvuhAjZYG_AGDzewfrfHDBVavK1nsAF93MZPtu5gvI9bi1X42JU5p1juEovlkwIGMCkP7U77BEMde-2NWxQaKsj5rcxbVYpbOKltrP5_tsyx1FfnG3PvNyXqk9dyh5_Yc71iU7O46-DqYP_-rwN_ZfLFIcyYUywkCxoxjg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1746" data-original-width="646" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcBAeLRAPPDF9lwX_RwBNkTTvuhAjZYG_AGDzewfrfHDBVavK1nsAF93MZPtu5gvI9bi1X42JU5p1juEovlkwIGMCkP7U77BEMde-2NWxQaKsj5rcxbVYpbOKltrP5_tsyx1FfnG3PvNyXqk9dyh5_Yc71iU7O46-DqYP_-rwN_ZfLFIcyYUywkCxoxjg" width="89" /></a></div><br />Now that the glued-and-screwed top deck has dried, I can work on mating the module set together. There have also been ongoing experiments with legs, points and other details, and these will be reported on in the upcoming week or so. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next modules after this will be constructed in a more logical build order: frame, decking, undercoating, mating, legs, track, electrics!</div><div><br /></div><div>p.s. Merry Christmas!</div>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-11649972318538336962023-12-21T23:19:00.003+13:002023-12-21T23:19:31.118+13:00Studholme 4 - Live Wires Below<p>In which DB still can't weld wires to save himself.</p><p>While you were sleeping, I have been undertaking a few other experiments, but they can wait for another episode. Some tracks were stuck down with contact glue and the odd staple, and the next step was to attach some wires to the tracks and see if the thing works. </p><p>I like to generally use red and black wires for my 'bus' wires under the layout ("blacken and read out" is how I remember the colour for inside and outside rails). But prefer brown (it's a shade of red!) and black for the droppers attached to the tracks. This is because in the past, red wires have show up like dogs proverbials above the tracks. Yes you can paint them later, but this is my shortcut. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJx0lT0YFREMiU25MUjkc9C4KlsKkQmithXsq36LafvOZ08yZtxZqWLBeovazWHtPeeCbHFPhRFaxB3xGocKgn-VBleEUuambc1MpT44O9Ohz_EDCYg8Pjeh6gbKOX1N3fIqfV47v1mpF2_ipf5xGKhimPKQVeaIWc-OLkFQofxLWQ-V_4Di1uCIHI-Bg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1500" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJx0lT0YFREMiU25MUjkc9C4KlsKkQmithXsq36LafvOZ08yZtxZqWLBeovazWHtPeeCbHFPhRFaxB3xGocKgn-VBleEUuambc1MpT44O9Ohz_EDCYg8Pjeh6gbKOX1N3fIqfV47v1mpF2_ipf5xGKhimPKQVeaIWc-OLkFQofxLWQ-V_4Di1uCIHI-Bg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>To further make things easier underneath, all the inner rail brown droppers were placed about 5cm from all the outer rail black ones. This makes it easy to link them up to bus wires and also eliminates any risks of shorts since I was too lazy to use that shrink insulation. I stapled the bus pair in the correct orientation, and once confident with the operation of the whole schemozzle, I will put some dollops of hot glue to fasten them to the boards.</p><p>When soldering, as you can see, I come from the "the more the merrier" school of solder dolloping.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjucZGs67IlXJXTU-KW3fLyBrZ3uCVmOXzQykd7_ZO67V7zhP-zKswtA7Jcs87pg4hP10THkBiH8R2mbitjMUbSrVNE7n6TboKLmUqxf8WwQVGwxRdYfZssYbegGN5ZK6V67UuCJ_pit5PPCJO7S3s1Sc1C_GNvVS654a8BcoH38RLfCjNvfFcjJPTy5mk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1800" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjucZGs67IlXJXTU-KW3fLyBrZ3uCVmOXzQykd7_ZO67V7zhP-zKswtA7Jcs87pg4hP10THkBiH8R2mbitjMUbSrVNE7n6TboKLmUqxf8WwQVGwxRdYfZssYbegGN5ZK6V67UuCJ_pit5PPCJO7S3s1Sc1C_GNvVS654a8BcoH38RLfCjNvfFcjJPTy5mk" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>That didn't take as long as I feared. The switches on the bottom edge are for powering the Peco electrofrogs, which I'll save for another episode. I have also decided to isolate the 'island platform loop and branch, and will have a DPDT switch so this set of tracks can be powered by the main power bus, or by a separate controller (which could be another DCC booster or straight DC).<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZe3zc9rqbNgDvXfFDb-TfZ5PMuJLZmz4v75xhMH0HlArQAITmbBFKHOu6CwtULZIX6KpDWKtvzREXhTeUYJqTkPtRxqBYhKawLMb0UHj8osNJYitoy1mJisMbCrwzdyAORWGpkIET-MZt0Gi4EMNzcsqgWf-x-70gRwoxXqaryr6AmScrjs6HSkPR67w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1984" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZe3zc9rqbNgDvXfFDb-TfZ5PMuJLZmz4v75xhMH0HlArQAITmbBFKHOu6CwtULZIX6KpDWKtvzREXhTeUYJqTkPtRxqBYhKawLMb0UHj8osNJYitoy1mJisMbCrwzdyAORWGpkIET-MZt0Gi4EMNzcsqgWf-x-70gRwoxXqaryr6AmScrjs6HSkPR67w" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>OMG!! It works. And even before a dusting with the Peco track rubber, the DF ran incredibly smoothly at super slow speeds over all the points. By the way, all this track has been recycled from previous layouts, so all is likely between 15 and 25 years old, that monty-sized bus wire was underneath Tehachapi until about 2008, and of course that Digitrax dates from about 1996.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLfl3q9xSwklbFWoirvq95SYgUqSjCta6i26YszO4wt4xXR0dQO3SC__e2gvqb-T6F5VD-O4EHEerFK8-Y0rMGhhJ0uK90ovC4RTfX41ZogTNTAFt0b2GUVqpQvb8g4GTJK7GN9dvh8isFpijO9zbE6LHTdP0LXqnCnb6DAWGDSYXQxFSyT-sEb25d9KM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLfl3q9xSwklbFWoirvq95SYgUqSjCta6i26YszO4wt4xXR0dQO3SC__e2gvqb-T6F5VD-O4EHEerFK8-Y0rMGhhJ0uK90ovC4RTfX41ZogTNTAFt0b2GUVqpQvb8g4GTJK7GN9dvh8isFpijO9zbE6LHTdP0LXqnCnb6DAWGDSYXQxFSyT-sEb25d9KM" width="187" /></a></div><p></p><p>A little shunting was even possible, very little, given the very limited backshunt available!</p><p>I followed Darryl P's advice and put a coat of primer on the south end yesterday!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinl4QAV4JNqbdujSlDd9Om9Kgl-kndz7HcsHsMxgoXdyVjVSsLhoyy0A-kx4hvyH_wi_NJfPlHj_8elKyQNe1Y-EbaFEMRft7VaKeWs1dKMa9oR-tiXn43BHzsMX8AFzjR45P7oNKDOITZWen7x6uTIkRPprTikoHYtde_hCtyJ2hniRWJP_KPJ4o7_qw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinl4QAV4JNqbdujSlDd9Om9Kgl-kndz7HcsHsMxgoXdyVjVSsLhoyy0A-kx4hvyH_wi_NJfPlHj_8elKyQNe1Y-EbaFEMRft7VaKeWs1dKMa9oR-tiXn43BHzsMX8AFzjR45P7oNKDOITZWen7x6uTIkRPprTikoHYtde_hCtyJ2hniRWJP_KPJ4o7_qw" width="148" /></a></div><p></p>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-63303399400811878762023-12-13T01:01:00.001+13:002023-12-13T01:01:47.383+13:00Studholme 3 - Topping it Off<p> In which DB attempts to catch up with himself:</p><p>So with the three Studholme Junction module frames completed in exquisitely-cut plywood, the next step was to put a top on them. </p><p>While I'm not wedded to the idea, the Fremo120 standard suggests a 3mm thin layer of wood be placed between the track and the 'base' as a solid subroadbed to provide at least a minimalist amount of scenery relief even if nothing else was attempted, such as is likely here on the vast flat plains of Studholmeland. No yawning gulches or tunnelled mountains here.</p><p>I still have bad memories from decades ago of MDF and chipboard turning into spongecake when water is applied, so I might not be able to face gluing the ballast down... But be that as it may, I headed down to the local Mitre 10. Only to find they don't carry 3mm MDF. </p><p>However there <i>was</i> a 1200x600 sheet of 3mm MDF next to some thicker MDFs. "How much is this 3mm sheet, its just what I need for my model railway and, there doesn't seem to be a SKU or barcode nearby?" The reply was "No, we don't stock 3mm, that's a bit of packer to protect the sizes we do stock during shipping. You can have that."</p><p>So, problem solved, and economically at that. Especially as this was listed at 1200mm long and my modules are ostensibly 1200mm long, and this might be wide enough to deck the 'north' and 'south' modules. This is because while the south module's track with the Foley's road crossing needs a bit 400mm wide, the the north module is just a few tracks wide. </p><p>I laid the tracks out for the south module on the MDF sheet and pencilled around things ...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihFYgXrR-fK_oocE2HVXshDfpoagSt-lGMy-L4aFJo-S6zsXj4NwwQsj_18i7xr9ryxROtsGpUAOB3BaVZ_BPe5Fhc00E7RY_ZKPJWITC7yZiXhP3od8NoYHW_IRcm07jzgWA2f4JvweIdT_wo7eTzQDSuPB2okmlEFYoBUP8Xru39PxwbRY0-tGkcfZM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1482" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihFYgXrR-fK_oocE2HVXshDfpoagSt-lGMy-L4aFJo-S6zsXj4NwwQsj_18i7xr9ryxROtsGpUAOB3BaVZ_BPe5Fhc00E7RY_ZKPJWITC7yZiXhP3od8NoYHW_IRcm07jzgWA2f4JvweIdT_wo7eTzQDSuPB2okmlEFYoBUP8Xru39PxwbRY0-tGkcfZM" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>...then got to work with a skillsaw and jigsaw, and was pleasantly surprised at how tidy it came out. </p><p>I used a mouse sander to bevel the top corners of the cuts to give some shape for the ballast/mini embankment profile (otherwise I would have a sharp edge to these raised pieces that might more obviously show through the ballast... plus it gave me a chance to straighten out any imperfections). I did the same thing with more gusto to provide a little camber on the top of Foley's Road.</p><p>The MDF was then glued in place on the frame and weighted down. This is the 'south' module again in the pic below, the single track from the south coming in from the right, crossing Foley's Road (the 'T' running from side to side) and then expanding into loops either side of the mainline etc etc. Under the bright purple bottle centre-bottom you can see the trackbed for the Waimate Branch curving away from the island platform:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7IQNn5RdCQyk23YhPYau0Q6mGYnw-OJA3l-GnxuuvLqafOiZnPsnuhNHtFBJ-wtr46gr1wI-8J75P-p49vuMkn3m0LQK3cixxuu-52PC1SEGj8liurJ0lNG6m_7QjDTz3tRL1i2oWwAxDZFFslUUOn09NfWJSqOZgiQS-2o3_8nAABcbtPHWRIwKFawY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1821" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7IQNn5RdCQyk23YhPYau0Q6mGYnw-OJA3l-GnxuuvLqafOiZnPsnuhNHtFBJ-wtr46gr1wI-8J75P-p49vuMkn3m0LQK3cixxuu-52PC1SEGj8liurJ0lNG6m_7QjDTz3tRL1i2oWwAxDZFFslUUOn09NfWJSqOZgiQS-2o3_8nAABcbtPHWRIwKFawY" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With two cross pieces of ply in the frame underneath, I thought the MDF would be strong enough on its lonesome. It is on the wide (more fully decked) areas, but under that single thin bit of mainline (and any other bits that seemed to move under an applied finger) I glued a stiffening piece of scrap thin wood underneath (I know N scale mechs don't weigh anything near the weight of a finger with me leaning on it, but better safe than sorry):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMT7hqQL_FqFpB6LvVCpPFvZD7gLZ2BF2HcELFWq-TQFDFgrNQl69Z4CFNRvsMBGyNQ2e5ojzdf6f7wTAfzqvVqSD9Bo_I6mbY0RUE7TxdPYuy7BcUC7fYDkm467nKuYcuI68XC7i8wgqW1rMZ6fY0_HKESdcl5gAfw1oKHEqotDd7MWL-9BAiyRu_7t4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjocxfCZiJHxVTUY23qWHswQJhqY9G1zoi4XjaJup6WwV6YTqoAdWhDyRnQNr53PLTu3TV4BnWPRTExRPAiwglRsVNbvcOHHCjfINA6gZZKb9eFLooD7Is-onxF8dyDGk-FTnoz-hJ8sQfT8EZSGpCxLt6d6WrscMMKxhEgAgoOJQyTpmIJcTc-ZRcZ0mo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjocxfCZiJHxVTUY23qWHswQJhqY9G1zoi4XjaJup6WwV6YTqoAdWhDyRnQNr53PLTu3TV4BnWPRTExRPAiwglRsVNbvcOHHCjfINA6gZZKb9eFLooD7Is-onxF8dyDGk-FTnoz-hJ8sQfT8EZSGpCxLt6d6WrscMMKxhEgAgoOJQyTpmIJcTc-ZRcZ0mo" width="320" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div>I filled the holes with spare foamboard. These sit at the height of the frame, 3mm below the trackbed, and this will all be painted and covered in scenery representing farm fields later. Second awesome purchase this month was a builder's 90 degree square thingy. What a great device for all sorts of things (including as a straight edge to cut foamboard rectangles. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg32ht9BMxk-jym9MtKcrycAhy-ShG4N5iolgU87nxXTyEdKu-2S9E1oiHsgHecwhBibDuNdy0lTqUbgJHomlJQVD8BatHZUrNj8rcIUlUx7OGAt1GQ3cEmMTCYMDeUHqlCpSyoijkR5SnEjIgFjo29oRWb3lAPwpwVkJ5vVLd709O3ANnDFOCjwVTB1BY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg32ht9BMxk-jym9MtKcrycAhy-ShG4N5iolgU87nxXTyEdKu-2S9E1oiHsgHecwhBibDuNdy0lTqUbgJHomlJQVD8BatHZUrNj8rcIUlUx7OGAt1GQ3cEmMTCYMDeUHqlCpSyoijkR5SnEjIgFjo29oRWb3lAPwpwVkJ5vVLd709O3ANnDFOCjwVTB1BY" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p>The centre 'station' module, with the station, goods shed and several sidings out both sides, will be almost fully decked, so I will have to go see if I can locate another packing piece in another Mitre 10 wood bin and then go and find that helpful staff member again with my lost and bewildered face on... </p><p>Apparently the two 1200mm's referred to earlier on the 'south' end module were not quite the same length, so I will need a thin strip of MDF (or more likely stripwood) as a filler at the inboard end. I don't think this will be a problem at all. For the 'north' end module, I learned my lesson and buzzed the MDF in half at an unimportant place (not under any points or rail joints but on top of a piece of ply), so I could push the MDF right out to the endplate edges of the module. In the pic below, the end closest is being glued, and the bit at the top is just sitting randomly, awaiting its turn to be moved in and glued down. This is where the mainline from the north splits into the loop, and then two points spawn the island platform loop and the goods shed/loading bank loop, with those four tracks running towards centre 'station' module. The small gap between these two halves of MDF will be filled with a bit of balsa or even ballast later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUB3Vb2a2VvS2y8_9rGVW9L5PQFquUo8l6GtAoUqJGSDa7uknuKZ5xvCN_uvq9IPRB6QOB99yL1xVESgqmMF30NIQvIr7NvChuIFv-uNICeWT00nsdBuEqVf9UquMzcx2XOXSnMLIBkVxOmCblVV6DbSKbcxF40XqozYEcRGjpncjn_8rfNALXvWp6K98" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUB3Vb2a2VvS2y8_9rGVW9L5PQFquUo8l6GtAoUqJGSDa7uknuKZ5xvCN_uvq9IPRB6QOB99yL1xVESgqmMF30NIQvIr7NvChuIFv-uNICeWT00nsdBuEqVf9UquMzcx2XOXSnMLIBkVxOmCblVV6DbSKbcxF40XqozYEcRGjpncjn_8rfNALXvWp6K98" width="180" /></a></div><p>In the pic below, the three Studholme modules meet for the first time. Why hello there. The centre station module still yet to be decked, several weeks after these pics were taken!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhjRHJG6ckf0q293dSz5BRBEMCsabpsDd_2Fa_MQZcfLF-8E14aJ4p0GBWskWfWBx8ooIuliP9tYv3PzlW8Q5EkNVzYD13EfEwk0xj65glgcP4Ci5N2LgA7GEo9ksrPpy6NvoIQu58JQ7fVGq1zUoG6oSzrCVG1MQ833OalRsEnvdtuo2JCui_upwB0aY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLcWjAJ7kAhUcZd2zc5fX2HbDfvOyvSzQ1D7zXPm9d-VK6hDCONnnVmKhx5OO8z-ISrOiMs-NvsVhS8Vx3OI4wlwqIfIni1E67he0ty8KO3oMpK_aG5k-Fjs-gvuK6rAepfSjZQwhe9rbpNIhqTGDJ60m-Yf4-DgSi6-uw3hyaMWTpg15MOupbU46pDFc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLcWjAJ7kAhUcZd2zc5fX2HbDfvOyvSzQ1D7zXPm9d-VK6hDCONnnVmKhx5OO8z-ISrOiMs-NvsVhS8Vx3OI4wlwqIfIni1E67he0ty8KO3oMpK_aG5k-Fjs-gvuK6rAepfSjZQwhe9rbpNIhqTGDJ60m-Yf4-DgSi6-uw3hyaMWTpg15MOupbU46pDFc" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-2042445411095379302023-11-30T21:53:00.000+13:002023-11-30T21:53:01.213+13:00Studholme 2 - Bored.<p>In which DB acquires a table saw.</p><p>I've always wanted such a weapon, and there have been a few outstanding jobs around the house for a few years that could use a bit more precision... but who of the hack-carpenters amongst us can justify spending a grand on such a luxury. So when Mitre 10 had a Black and Decker one on sale (including legs) for $299 recently, I snuck out and got one. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6OjmMXYEuPHt-2FCvm-KW15t4kZ1aewnub37mJs_LQJwadWBfTNvsQ3zxEIussWzKaOUIzvIehTQbWvp9WE1xF26H8Dgw6mBfK4kLlUE1y3a-ZUMVcUmsOQI-n-ypB-CTl2c_Tv2FHyN0_KcuaZ-2Edkh02BcCVYb0QTkibYYOe9Eei--208Y-44P3Kw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6OjmMXYEuPHt-2FCvm-KW15t4kZ1aewnub37mJs_LQJwadWBfTNvsQ3zxEIussWzKaOUIzvIehTQbWvp9WE1xF26H8Dgw6mBfK4kLlUE1y3a-ZUMVcUmsOQI-n-ypB-CTl2c_Tv2FHyN0_KcuaZ-2Edkh02BcCVYb0QTkibYYOe9Eei--208Y-44P3Kw" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p>Which is a good job, as I didn't really know how else I was going to cut up bits of wood into modules now that I'm in the mood to make something. And I've already ticked off some of those outstanding projects around the house too.</p><p>Mr Druff warned against using the old, warped, treated plywood in my stash, but our local hardware stores don't stock 18mm ply. After a few weeks of anxious pondering I found myself at Bunnings in Dunedin and picked up a small sheet of 18mm that fitted in the boot of the car, along with a few other little pieces of microlumber. </p><p>After another anxious week, I mustered the courage to try out the saw on the plywood. Wow. What a revelation. So easy. Square, flat, strong, straight, consistently sized and uniformly rectangular module pieces. the 'spacers and ends' are 38cm wide, plus two 1cm sides to make 40cm wide modules.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjobbQ8C00WUKwmSdt8f8TFUeyM5grWm-HVhl9GcQ6rwsF3bHqJHoOGXYBPj9IDLnw6kIODXFai913qpoqDcrIBw0KMAEkaG5-h14MmRsp47xNy3fVlzrCiy1MVvlgHZlrNiVsZbxmEgX0g7Ws7p5yT4fXbXdi70IGNvqdkpcIeBiyHdlWEjTTUNZ2RIss" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjobbQ8C00WUKwmSdt8f8TFUeyM5grWm-HVhl9GcQ6rwsF3bHqJHoOGXYBPj9IDLnw6kIODXFai913qpoqDcrIBw0KMAEkaG5-h14MmRsp47xNy3fVlzrCiy1MVvlgHZlrNiVsZbxmEgX0g7Ws7p5yT4fXbXdi70IGNvqdkpcIeBiyHdlWEjTTUNZ2RIss" width="320" /></a></div><br />Glued together with some proper wood glue (I normally use the stuff from the $2 store that falls apart after a few minutes. This post not sponsored by Selleys wood glue. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSOBPFYEnCD26ZhBqzT2wtbgIktgbeEU4gzDMWQ3_2Cpa6VG9oR5no3Ptw0Widp-g5HEecnZFV_MEyYHhQR0s8bkVUCzmB7fSgpRzCsnQM763sbYfUJSwxS0aYYmfQm13PazPp0wxo67ZFYYutcTJsgR20DgpWC2OrbWjGAjdgd2BT_P-38x67R0Pepdo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSOBPFYEnCD26ZhBqzT2wtbgIktgbeEU4gzDMWQ3_2Cpa6VG9oR5no3Ptw0Widp-g5HEecnZFV_MEyYHhQR0s8bkVUCzmB7fSgpRzCsnQM763sbYfUJSwxS0aYYmfQm13PazPp0wxo67ZFYYutcTJsgR20DgpWC2OrbWjGAjdgd2BT_P-38x67R0Pepdo" width="180" /></a></div><br />And with countersunk screws. Mr Birch, our well-named woodwork teacher would have been impressed. And surprised.<p></p><p>Crikey, that almost looks the part. It's light, its a proper rectangle, it's flat and it's not torsionally twisty. And the top is yet to go on. Seen here with the top down on a flat bit of concrete while the glue sets.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZZTPmokFGXlFXDsRS65A4jDR9bhS7rbx_U8fQG4-akx3__BJmiTYK2iqWhqp5u07vOoIvLHb8ryvsYv_8SuhAcLqeP7ntcElIrbYGhoshDWqmyN-zc83DK9gd-PigdngYGXuN1Z2wTjsiA3HsWZamQaFmGMRcyGtyLeY0Yb8-gGV_W5urtT6SXEAlzy0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZZTPmokFGXlFXDsRS65A4jDR9bhS7rbx_U8fQG4-akx3__BJmiTYK2iqWhqp5u07vOoIvLHb8ryvsYv_8SuhAcLqeP7ntcElIrbYGhoshDWqmyN-zc83DK9gd-PigdngYGXuN1Z2wTjsiA3HsWZamQaFmGMRcyGtyLeY0Yb8-gGV_W5urtT6SXEAlzy0" width="180" /></a></div><br />The observant among you will note that this is slightly unorthodox in shape. It has a 10cm deep endplate where it will mate to other peoples' modules, but 6cm deep side sills. This is because Bunnings happened to have 6cm x 1cm pieces of wood that were 1.2m long and really straight. So I figured that would work well with minimal effort. After all, you can do what you like in the middle as long as your module (or module set in this case) mates up at the ends with the holes in the right places. I'm not sure the end plates really need to be 10cm deep, but I suppose I should adhere to at least one of the rules. In between my three modules, I am not, instead using 6cm deep endplates cut from the 18mm thick ply. Rebel without a cause. <p></p>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-4610992227124628652023-11-29T13:54:00.000+13:002023-11-29T13:54:19.934+13:00 More Thoughts on Fremo120, and Welcome to Studholme.<p>DB returns: I have always felt that NZ120 needed a modular standard to take off. </p><p>Contributing a module makes you feel a part of something larger. Building a module is more achievable than building a big home layout. A module can still be used as part of a home layout, even if you model other prototypes on 9mm gauge track, or just to display your NZ120 wares. Getting a layout together can be an inspiration and a driver to get things done. A module is a project that doesn’t have to be expensive, or time consuming, or take up a lot of space. It could be put in a bag and live under a bed or in a wardrobe or in the garage. It’s all positive stuff really.</p><p>There have been NZ120 modular standards before, but this is different. Mainly because there are almost no rules, so that makes it really easy to participate.</p><p>The only important rules are the locations of the holes in the faceplate in relation to the track, the height above the floor, and the electrical plugs. Obviously at home you can set the thing up at any height you want. And if you don’t have holes in your module, you could simply bust out a drill on the day. There are plenty of <i>recommendations</i> and <i>suggestions</i> in the Fremo120 standard, but there are few real rules.</p><p>So since my grand plans for other projects have yet to bear any fruit, and my Z scale adventures are running out of steam, why not start an NZ120 module? When Mr Dandruff visited last week, we blew the dust off some boxes of NZ120 stuff that hadn’t been opened for ten years, and it seems I have a lot more rolling stock than I remember. Despite some items being more than 30 years old, some of it even still looks half decent (from the mandated viewing distances). So this might be an easy way of getting back into modelling.</p><p>A simple Fremo120 module could :</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Be used as part of my <b>home</b> layout.</li><li>Form part of an <b>exhibition</b> layout (typically a round-round layout with train crossings like Otaki to Cass was, with operators inside, backdrops to make proper scenes, etc.</li><li>Form part of the more traditional ‘<b>Fremo</b> style’ gathering, which is typically more for layout operators than the public, is usually 'operations-focussed' (rather than simply running trains around in circles), typically with modules set up in a long end-to-end mainline (sometimes with turn back loops at the ends), usually with no backdrops, usually operated from both sides.</li></ul><p></p><p>I don’t see why my module can’t do all three. </p><p>I intend have this module set up at home, where it might see an NZ120 coal train pass across it one minute, a long SP oil train with mid-train helpers the next, only to be followed by a jaunty RhB Allegra railcar leading the Bernina Express. It will be portable enough to travel to exhibitions, whether they be public shows or private Fremo operator sessions. My personal preference is to have backdrops, but these might be removable for true Fremo-style operating sessions. </p><p>So in my usual all-or-nothing style, I have decided to build a module. Well three actually. I had my sights set on a west coasty bridge of some sort, Waimangaroa north of Westport, or Aratuna on the Hokitika branch. Probably on a curved module, because if nobody makes curved modules, eventually you run out of straight-line room in your room. Or your hall. </p><p>(Insert sound of needle being scratched across a record.) Instead, I have decided to make three modules representing <b>Studholme</b> (or Studholme Junction if you are a little older). </p><p>Huh? A flatland station? Isn’t that a little unspectacular? <i>Why yes it is.</i> Some reasoning please?</p><p>While the wide open spaces and broad curves of Cass were clearly the highlight of the Otaki to Cass exhibition layout (with the Makatote viaduct as an unsubtle exclamation point), Otaki was the straight man, the dependable sidekick, the right hand man who holds things together while the hero runs amok. “Behind every Cass there’s an Otaki” as the old saying goes.</p><p>Any layout, at home or exhibited, needs somewhere to stage trains. When you get sick of running one, or the loco is getting tired and its wheels need cleaning, you pull that train off and put another on show. For operational interest, given that NZ120 isn’t really a ‘shunting’ scale, it’s also nice to have somewhere to cross trains. A station is also a place you can have models on display (especially if they don’t run that well!) which provides visual interest for punters and operators. </p><p>If you get really enthusiastic, you can shunt or shuffle things around in a yard. Otaki, being blocked-DC, had two mainline controllers, but the 4th track plus goods shed loop road and the ballast pit sidings were another block that could optionally be run with a third controller. This meant you could test things or shuffle stuff around without impacting core mainline operations. </p><p>Otaki worked well because :</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It had space for four decent sized trains (plus the goods shed loop and ballast sidings that could house smaller trains).</li><li>The loops were long enough to take our longest trains - it could stable 20 bogie wagon or 35+ 4w wagon trains.</li><li>It worked well. It’s modules were located together with dowels and bolted together, rails were soldered to PCB at the joins, tracks crossed module joins at 90 degrees, the layout was mainly straight, it was flat, and it had smooth radius points (only the goods shed road points were a bit finicky).</li></ul><p></p><p>So... as you can see, I’ve talked myself into building Studholme, or basically Otaki II. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Studholme</b> was the prototype inspiration because: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It had an interesting yard layout for a small station in the middle of nowhere.</li><li>It had two big loops that could store long trains (one strung out around a bulbous island platform), plus a goods shed road, and several other tracks. Someone who worked there told me that because of track work and the need to cross several trains together at Studholme, that they once had to put the Southerner through the goods shed… so there is precedent for using all the tracks for trains!</li><li>It was formerly a junction for the Waimate Branch, so in a Fremo-120 layout, it could be a useful puzzle-piece spawning a little branchline or third mainline leg.</li><li>It had a coal merchant that received LAs and LCs, two large grain and seed warehouses, a goods shed, a gantry crane, stockyards, a large high level loading bank, a smaller low-level one that often received new cars, and a track around the back of the goods shed with another long low level loading back where berryfruit and produce were loaded into Z wagons. In my fantasy world, I’d base a DSC or DSG there to shuffle all this local traffic about, even in NZ120.</li><li>As for structures, depending on the era chosen, it had either an unusual transverse wooden station, or an unusual modern station. It had a signal box(!) until about 1980, and jigger sheds until the early 90s. The traditional goods shed was replaced before steam ended by a large steel one that went on to become Mainline Steam’s Christchurch shed. Concrete supports for one of the water vats are still visible. The seed stores still remain, as does an interesting pub over the west fence, which was once accessed by a wooden overbridge.</li><li>So you could run many eras of equipment through here without it looking awkward.</li><li>Scenically, the area is pretty featureless, so should be easy to build.</li><li>Because the scenery is flat, three 1.2m sections should be able to be stacked together to fit across the back seat of a car, making it easy to transport to gatherings.</li><li>Studholme is where I used to watch trains as a young 'un.</li></ul><p></p><p>So this is my plan. </p><p>Three 1.2 metre modules will give ample length for crossing trains, yet fit in the back seat of a car. The fairly plain modules will be 40cm wide. I like what Rhys did with flowing sides at Paekok, and this might have worked well with the central module here to give more depth for another track (or more open space), but the goal is to have it compact enough to fit in a back seat, so practicality trumps prettiness, and these will be straight sided blando-rectangles. </p><p>Hopefully, more to come.....</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZSqrEqJ05vUWdpDE7nQf9dkj7Vj1GdI-LS4TvsD9eD8dR3DAgQJKMq7ppNfg52GSI605QWtznsf6UVwpr-umfA9C0ZRTWzkvWb9hDplFJJU8gVIlSuOpvlkdyLsEltKcaFwibSb7_yLiFazA-a9s4TV7Ml6nV_WHbAyOlnDW0uUH29mfV4303hHOdzk/s1867/studs-layour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1867" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZSqrEqJ05vUWdpDE7nQf9dkj7Vj1GdI-LS4TvsD9eD8dR3DAgQJKMq7ppNfg52GSI605QWtznsf6UVwpr-umfA9C0ZRTWzkvWb9hDplFJJU8gVIlSuOpvlkdyLsEltKcaFwibSb7_yLiFazA-a9s4TV7Ml6nV_WHbAyOlnDW0uUH29mfV4303hHOdzk/s320/studs-layour.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">South end looks doable on a 40cm x 1.2m module</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhD6vFrZhT9papIWeCRP6gKQS1y1loENUZ-D_lsotjYCRAJBMrYESgqSfXwuTswbrF9DZMiXfk-JWLoAE8eXRav65XUYIBfBJCZx5YszBie-Vpp5nQXb1hYxIdayDbmY0UoOdr4atjGaI99P3ReWZbi2mueBi4PkUUiHFaiZMowAB1HIEta6kw4cNRMU/s1500/Train-180-DB-studz-1983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="1500" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhD6vFrZhT9papIWeCRP6gKQS1y1loENUZ-D_lsotjYCRAJBMrYESgqSfXwuTswbrF9DZMiXfk-JWLoAE8eXRav65XUYIBfBJCZx5YszBie-Vpp5nQXb1hYxIdayDbmY0UoOdr4atjGaI99P3ReWZbi2mueBi4PkUUiHFaiZMowAB1HIEta6kw4cNRMU/s320/Train-180-DB-studz-1983.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Train 180 drops off coal in the early 1980s</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Kiwibondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818954476170790813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-30156256182812592722023-11-25T10:12:00.003+13:002023-11-25T10:12:47.626+13:00Free the Mo<p> The local group I've become involved with in Palmy is currently between layouts after they sold their big NZR layout. The current plan is to become involved with the New Zealand Freemo movement in 16.5mm guage and build up a stock of modules. The club will build the 2 return loop ends and the base module will have double track.</p><p>This got the brains trust talking about an NZ120 freemo setup. Now I know this has been tried in the past but all the others have been more "modular" in their setup. Having a look overseas the Freemo movement is much more free form and has no side to any module.</p><p>I've just uploaded the doc to my google drive, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17g6NIrJYjI-kX4R2JtvTqCns7FjonqwZ/edit" target="_blank">have a read and see what you think</a>. They are based on the European Freemo N rules (as they are in metric, you can't convert anything american as you can't get the correct dimensions on supplies). theres been a fair bit stripped back. And don't forget that anything that you do have can be used as long as there is a Freemo endplate (and associated connections) on the ends ie it doesn't have to be between every board, just at the ends of a scene with anything else going joiining wise internally.<br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-17769987116870073162023-10-31T22:55:00.003+13:002023-10-31T22:55:28.455+13:00Ready to plant<p> A hunt for a cream colour I liked lead me to a range of paints I had never heard of before, Americana. Like all things American they are larger than the rest (about twice the size) for a similar price. They are acrylics and cover nicely. Onto the houses.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAvChl0pq-Sn7Cm8q8bhhAOOMvGwoXK-SbJnDzniZ9DxNBVYAuHOi3HjBcb0crYimYeco7u3K_Bf0frHwEsUA9q_x-bV4xWBdVUjk6454Z6cfI88UaciwnhFylxOwXNyAVxo1W5tJy7oDbL7OH4BZdPXVeWe8YBhWcE2bf7jNA-xH-iVIANe896G6jAk/s1600/IMG_2615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAvChl0pq-Sn7Cm8q8bhhAOOMvGwoXK-SbJnDzniZ9DxNBVYAuHOi3HjBcb0crYimYeco7u3K_Bf0frHwEsUA9q_x-bV4xWBdVUjk6454Z6cfI88UaciwnhFylxOwXNyAVxo1W5tJy7oDbL7OH4BZdPXVeWe8YBhWcE2bf7jNA-xH-iVIANe896G6jAk/s320/IMG_2615.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGdKpupsWslS5TLJb6RxXYVHknfFld8oGlAhzX0RlVwWNmmd10WZxo0MIrcvQ92TfrEe-eOzuLpw1ZkB2n7bb8i3uYHe7p-aEKxeOd2vJkR9pcsr9Mg-mIfd2DTnksIT2qJHyQEtUW5FH9kvwz1jZSPt8YRqk_kkOjKLpsxMjt2yGGIrs8qBbfB6Q6Mg/s1600/IMG_2617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGdKpupsWslS5TLJb6RxXYVHknfFld8oGlAhzX0RlVwWNmmd10WZxo0MIrcvQ92TfrEe-eOzuLpw1ZkB2n7bb8i3uYHe7p-aEKxeOd2vJkR9pcsr9Mg-mIfd2DTnksIT2qJHyQEtUW5FH9kvwz1jZSPt8YRqk_kkOjKLpsxMjt2yGGIrs8qBbfB6Q6Mg/s320/IMG_2617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> 2 of the three get red-ish houses and the 3rd a silver grey roof (prototype pictures can be a pain). I assume this was replaced but had not been repainted. The window frames are white, again as thats the impression I get from the colour images I have. They have then had a coat of my favorite thined out Tamiya smoke and a light drybrush with Valejo Iraqi sand.<br /></p><p>I'm not going to lose any sleep over it..<br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-41756299908906772352023-10-26T20:03:00.000+13:002023-10-26T20:03:01.153+13:00Whats in the box?<p>Last night at the local weekly geek meet Q handed me a box.</p><p>Inside was something both fascinating and terrifying.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUOcMm3by1EtB7qvWrNwj3JV-PSCZo5htfC8gR0tLOsDJ83C6EOHoOnrmBUTAHsp51PmBY1zd0V1fqrS-uhS1TjqTOfWLToCEuTxyiAd4wpsU_lsJFSRatvXiiQwRJOKXFAGVpPGae3aUez8TCMKnAGz0TIXLGPg5u0ajkm0HFtx9KeIXJArgMJh92cU/s1600/IMG_2608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUOcMm3by1EtB7qvWrNwj3JV-PSCZo5htfC8gR0tLOsDJ83C6EOHoOnrmBUTAHsp51PmBY1zd0V1fqrS-uhS1TjqTOfWLToCEuTxyiAd4wpsU_lsJFSRatvXiiQwRJOKXFAGVpPGae3aUez8TCMKnAGz0TIXLGPg5u0ajkm0HFtx9KeIXJArgMJh92cU/s320/IMG_2608.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Things mortal man was not ment to see.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> He had scaled down one of his early guards vans from S to NZ120. laying the parts out...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OGaINNVlotdv9biAp4WSaN66LSTqW46Iz4AZwVz4tZS2HKXZzr8OxJZwgzZKbTsmJ5KvCQAq3OCAc9GNg9fnDRzF4JMTUSU1IrywABifrnQDSHrwOB0HfzZq_fNVvka7UUtRr687-yuumjJ-qO0fpBpO7wqVTBE_mQorMP0RGge9uBpWpa15LsCK8eY/s1600/IMG_2611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OGaINNVlotdv9biAp4WSaN66LSTqW46Iz4AZwVz4tZS2HKXZzr8OxJZwgzZKbTsmJ5KvCQAq3OCAc9GNg9fnDRzF4JMTUSU1IrywABifrnQDSHrwOB0HfzZq_fNVvka7UUtRr687-yuumjJ-qO0fpBpO7wqVTBE_mQorMP0RGge9uBpWpa15LsCK8eY/s320/IMG_2611.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Everything has come out nicely including the brake gear and the detail on the solebars.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWct8_FF2wwqeM06iAu5R_0EGG_fgupSS3wF5pf1h6_STytHjJv3LC8QC8FqQ_7htV_VQab1W75CCeojKND_raZo_wPap2SZJjyKU8-qMlb5z9iNGebcUwq-q6IUQOTyFBGlEzSI8xbWPJfjovfDOkVYp6UKqlRxdVRfOq3iL5CumaEe8DsrH4KmZGSU4/s1600/IMG_2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWct8_FF2wwqeM06iAu5R_0EGG_fgupSS3wF5pf1h6_STytHjJv3LC8QC8FqQ_7htV_VQab1W75CCeojKND_raZo_wPap2SZJjyKU8-qMlb5z9iNGebcUwq-q6IUQOTyFBGlEzSI8xbWPJfjovfDOkVYp6UKqlRxdVRfOq3iL5CumaEe8DsrH4KmZGSU4/s320/IMG_2612.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>To cap it off, this is printed in PLA, no resin to be seen. Its not quite as good detail wise as a resin print, but awfully close, and its not brittle. </p><p>Now, I wonder if he can do me a pair of jam trouses and a big hat that turns into a Subbuteo table.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-32469761122444658102023-10-24T19:27:00.006+13:002023-10-24T19:27:47.706+13:00Dropped off<p>A flying visit from the Cabbage flying circus this morning (at 7am) dropped off the part complete Waihao Downs from its slumber in a Wellington shed.</p><p>It seems to be in OK nik, though the track at the ends has seen better days.</p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGos69tQYOx4_x54U3XdX7E8CQQzkSzLAoJ_c_rSIf7L1aVL7lZfEzDVw_gqb7XRd5kupwNULH2Fniai5JZasxEcvVrH2a51JG4rb3RI5DzgVv9q_EkI0ZJcJbm4FOCN9CzTrNnWRH35IOSaRwS4KMoQNl3VeMd81HJjx4aKIgFRJWvoLgPUmgFcGjNI/s1600/IMG_2604.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGos69tQYOx4_x54U3XdX7E8CQQzkSzLAoJ_c_rSIf7L1aVL7lZfEzDVw_gqb7XRd5kupwNULH2Fniai5JZasxEcvVrH2a51JG4rb3RI5DzgVv9q_EkI0ZJcJbm4FOCN9CzTrNnWRH35IOSaRwS4KMoQNl3VeMd81HJjx4aKIgFRJWvoLgPUmgFcGjNI/s320/IMG_2604.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p> I'll also include a shot of the hardest piece of track I have even made, a crossover in code 40. Much swearing, sweat and blood was spilt during its soldering.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGD4LlBgV1_nUEe9QUh6XEH23qt6auOaBI9kJJtWSp86WtDJ5qZ8Da7XwlJLL1CjeI38yPoOPmV32Rw1ltSG7-VQ1jnelWyz-ijJVKInbO1JwxuTq4TpBRlLMqwjF8BB8kMasHbRvU_ASFQtu4MeWaljQIFMK1IKLe4i85qJoL7OBjCZiVrD5nGYACoA/s1600/IMG_2603.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGD4LlBgV1_nUEe9QUh6XEH23qt6auOaBI9kJJtWSp86WtDJ5qZ8Da7XwlJLL1CjeI38yPoOPmV32Rw1ltSG7-VQ1jnelWyz-ijJVKInbO1JwxuTq4TpBRlLMqwjF8BB8kMasHbRvU_ASFQtu4MeWaljQIFMK1IKLe4i85qJoL7OBjCZiVrD5nGYACoA/s320/IMG_2603.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><br />On another note, I'm currently looking to divest myself of most of my On30 collection if anyone is interested...</p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lVKnYMfxucXGkPL-JIe_Eo199bBwZ2y9ry73S2eKro5fisUa8hIubp4bD_rMNJpcrW-YTfjGTXJJ7iTiG9-8U_AuVv93sjdiM7EghazjJN_NVWLZHKHsBqRgGlo-Chz-ahx3rBgi-PbdhXwSQJnKsuXLkGDq5qamj1ePqli8mX_fSJddxZU7S7FAYik/s1600/IMG_2607.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lVKnYMfxucXGkPL-JIe_Eo199bBwZ2y9ry73S2eKro5fisUa8hIubp4bD_rMNJpcrW-YTfjGTXJJ7iTiG9-8U_AuVv93sjdiM7EghazjJN_NVWLZHKHsBqRgGlo-Chz-ahx3rBgi-PbdhXwSQJnKsuXLkGDq5qamj1ePqli8mX_fSJddxZU7S7FAYik/s320/IMG_2607.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p> I need the space to move Paekakariki out of the garage<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-65062654887724058632023-10-15T22:31:00.005+13:002023-10-16T22:36:20.481+13:00Upgrading<p> A couple of nights work adding corugated iron to the railway houses, as well as the front porches.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFw5_omDgTea_c4qwr7zLKNwn2mAZqokDQTa_r8OH4TwOIXB3ZQc8WacLIwGmBQfS7QYEnqJRh9tAOPiXT0ABT-MCvhrYEd4epaILVutV05PDcW3e0r758iMkM5J489sgROXBOx2jlbzYCRPw0VYAdzFCLX-qVwe28vhmWVHk30ERbw9KRoNiataui-w/s1600/IMG_2595.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFw5_omDgTea_c4qwr7zLKNwn2mAZqokDQTa_r8OH4TwOIXB3ZQc8WacLIwGmBQfS7QYEnqJRh9tAOPiXT0ABT-MCvhrYEd4epaILVutV05PDcW3e0r758iMkM5J489sgROXBOx2jlbzYCRPw0VYAdzFCLX-qVwe28vhmWVHk30ERbw9KRoNiataui-w/s320/IMG_2595.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Again, they are a great base to start from and tart up quick. Now all I have to do is find a pale cream paint.<br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-35603735280861448022023-10-10T22:58:00.003+13:002023-10-10T22:58:58.192+13:00Banging them out.<p>Tonight I made a start on the 3 railway houses. In total less than an hour for a quick cleanup with a knife and file. Then I painted the floors a mid-brown, and the walls Tamiya buff (a dark beige...). The base got a coat of light grey. I then glued the walls onto the base.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPyzRPSaNv_-j1OjQRH-0yKf8Oq6EDCZJZ4V-kTShx8qtryRIGlpuEt-eK44TD6JgXfBu-yCEPzauqR-C3u7YMiS3F2hqTQthPB3LzUm2lJARvjNUFtxaIE7fVkLl6wJwl1l17tLiD4Elbg3iZ0sM10IyYNZD-02SJAqvlmJKCTOAJ4y2998YwsEQCyE/s1600/IMG_2590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPyzRPSaNv_-j1OjQRH-0yKf8Oq6EDCZJZ4V-kTShx8qtryRIGlpuEt-eK44TD6JgXfBu-yCEPzauqR-C3u7YMiS3F2hqTQthPB3LzUm2lJARvjNUFtxaIE7fVkLl6wJwl1l17tLiD4Elbg3iZ0sM10IyYNZD-02SJAqvlmJKCTOAJ4y2998YwsEQCyE/s320/IMG_2590.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The roofs are a bit more work to add the corrugated iron. I might cut the chimneys off this time to make a job a bit easier.</p><p>Again, they are not superdetailed and a bit rough, but they are a timesaver<br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-63581870806460310402023-10-09T22:19:00.001+13:002023-10-09T22:19:06.080+13:00A bit scattergun<p>This post is going to be a bit all over the place as I keep thinking about writing a post and then put it off.</p><p>So, in no particular order:</p><p>-I needed another 3 railway houses and picked them up on Trademe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY5dJSp9M60ogQyz6MuJG2smhd95CZa1bSANgvLNmJL640we2WLhPHO8GRBKX7rIHmyWENsJ_gwbQd8nzTh5rvP2qmKMLU4zGK0Ke9kbxuTVntf7-eG6ozblf5cjsW5nhYB47ZEnvjzbNv9Ja_kq_bn4do6jFVuGStmbZfiLqtTLHxYMqZgY8k0ZECQs/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY5dJSp9M60ogQyz6MuJG2smhd95CZa1bSANgvLNmJL640we2WLhPHO8GRBKX7rIHmyWENsJ_gwbQd8nzTh5rvP2qmKMLU4zGK0Ke9kbxuTVntf7-eG6ozblf5cjsW5nhYB47ZEnvjzbNv9Ja_kq_bn4do6jFVuGStmbZfiLqtTLHxYMqZgY8k0ZECQs/s320/IMG_2585.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Again, they are a bit rough but a very good base and saves me quite a bit of work. Once I've got the Medieval Russians for DBA off the bench they will be next.</p><p>-Theres been a chat on the emails about some sort of Freemo setup for NZ120. There is a vibrant Ho Freemo movement in New Zealand now (certainly in the North island) and something that I could be talked into. Theres also interest locally on buiding S scale NZR modules to the same standard. Is there anything similar in country for N scale?<br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-82563071911569355402023-09-14T22:05:00.004+12:002023-09-14T22:05:32.411+12:00Pure gold<p> A chance discovery this week. While on the hunt for a bit more info on Uc tank wagons, I stumbled on a description of building a model of Woburn station. Not that interesting you would think, but there were a couple of very hi-res aerial photos and a website <a href="https://retrolens.co.nz/" target="_blank">Retrolens</a>. You pick a location of interest and it pulls up all the aerial pictures of it with dates (starting in the early 1940's). There's 2 options (medium resolution and hi resolution) with hi-res in some cases really being something else. Heres a medium res picture of Paekakariki from 26th October 1963.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Kzb2VjfuKUgQEF88DP7pUPBmITCCbmQBM5uN6Nn4ikZhfs7NRCNnYSxWQv8zRof8h2KQMAxedwFp23h8McGQAr7d2kAIJy-0f-DRWJlsQqoOpknCDyhXeb5TPs9CPPPIyl2pWs4eXmVq6g9dEsMAttmojkZqf1Y1lf2bTQ-Ws1Xn395Lmyt9iu1XOjs/s1383/Med1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="1383" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Kzb2VjfuKUgQEF88DP7pUPBmITCCbmQBM5uN6Nn4ikZhfs7NRCNnYSxWQv8zRof8h2KQMAxedwFp23h8McGQAr7d2kAIJy-0f-DRWJlsQqoOpknCDyhXeb5TPs9CPPPIyl2pWs4eXmVq6g9dEsMAttmojkZqf1Y1lf2bTQ-Ws1Xn395Lmyt9iu1XOjs/s320/Med1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>But as they say, you ain't seen nothing yet. <a href="https://files.interpret.co.nz/Retrolens/Imagery/SN1530/Crown_1530_E_3/High.jpg" target="_blank">Heres the hi-res version</a>.</p><p>Looking at this I got a bit misty eyed, as it has answered so many of my questions. The Tilley Rd houses, the homes behind the single mens compound, the oil tanks arrangment, the plan view of the pub...</p><p>So, plenty to be getting on with, but I now finally have a solid over view of all the bits and can start fitting the details in.<br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-7281449755378574992023-09-10T11:38:00.000+12:002023-09-10T11:38:07.098+12:00Resurrecting the dead<p>Yesterday afternoon with the help of Mr Hamblyn I extracted paekakarki from its resting place of 10 years. Setup only took about 15 minutes (some spent looking for tools).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmCS14epKj7rBuzZk0zqQLnB9-t6D9Wf6SNdIb2ji5ReIUyEILgo_MDJUP5NJgBPFNmADOLtGYws9rbPT0Fsl7dAKEq9DFu9IAj1UA0WDOW9tPp8xIdvT81PZwlKfvj60jKuHf_-T1PvkrVv4FfFLVamQ_v_EY9exr_K6tGtBTJbC-JjkHkv2x-Q8rSU/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmCS14epKj7rBuzZk0zqQLnB9-t6D9Wf6SNdIb2ji5ReIUyEILgo_MDJUP5NJgBPFNmADOLtGYws9rbPT0Fsl7dAKEq9DFu9IAj1UA0WDOW9tPp8xIdvT81PZwlKfvj60jKuHf_-T1PvkrVv4FfFLVamQ_v_EY9exr_K6tGtBTJbC-JjkHkv2x-Q8rSU/s320/IMG_2577.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzzTBXn5W1tsGjl_h6dgS0ukrG0P_PGv6wK3zpd3l3IRUMQblB-aVNRP9GON1UqNwsDLBnHY9ebiXkrv8XI_XBwkEBz1xUb1KWFPytGYvmFzTfLpYTemJZ0GgV2rcStCk8sNyJaKunpK3jvus9qDyI6OmQbFChHUfMRs7NwgV8A94NfFIfOR9ZqpZFEM/s1600/IMG_2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzzTBXn5W1tsGjl_h6dgS0ukrG0P_PGv6wK3zpd3l3IRUMQblB-aVNRP9GON1UqNwsDLBnHY9ebiXkrv8XI_XBwkEBz1xUb1KWFPytGYvmFzTfLpYTemJZ0GgV2rcStCk8sNyJaKunpK3jvus9qDyI6OmQbFChHUfMRs7NwgV8A94NfFIfOR9ZqpZFEM/s320/IMG_2582.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Astonishingly the track seems to have survived its sourjourn with only 1 obvious repair needed (though nothing has been run yet) plus what feels like (running fingers along the track) a slight board missalignment on one edge. This afternoons job will be to measure up the area for the railway housing so that I can build a scale model of it to see what will fit.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcWzrWPm7A8HaaUi8TL_pCDkuBTX4V5z1lSD7sohEU7O6fLjp_GVE-qbNR1PdQuUD0AMBaFsG2u19ShRNblygyxb7Zbb4VFlzASG_ZQbkmXtGrZQpibFDFMJ6NeBeO_c4UKqEZvAlKC1UAnxPrbUl57ycaSQpkLHJIukoEZBF894l3CSY4Pl1r9RCR8A/s1600/IMG_2576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcWzrWPm7A8HaaUi8TL_pCDkuBTX4V5z1lSD7sohEU7O6fLjp_GVE-qbNR1PdQuUD0AMBaFsG2u19ShRNblygyxb7Zbb4VFlzASG_ZQbkmXtGrZQpibFDFMJ6NeBeO_c4UKqEZvAlKC1UAnxPrbUl57ycaSQpkLHJIukoEZBF894l3CSY4Pl1r9RCR8A/s320/IMG_2576.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My imediate impression is that there is more than enough space for a decent collection of houses. Down the other end at Beach rd there's not that much space (far less than I remembered) which does that the bonus that I don't have to build quite so many shops.<br /><p></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-11407299346007602812023-08-26T19:41:00.001+12:002023-08-26T19:41:59.710+12:00Outside the fence<p>Unlike the larger scales, the one thing you can't avoid when modeling in NZ120 is that life exists well outside the normal railway boundaries. In fact, its what sets us apart from the <strike>neanderthals</strike> larger scales. With a renewed interest in Paekakariki I have been looking at the surrounding town to see what I need to add.</p><p>Fortunately (again) there is a good White's avation photo (these guys should have been knighted) of the wider area. My interest is the sea-side of town. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1q20Ejahks_uTdpcqLIU-tjBC2L7gdN8-jkWzECNiU9414Kr95viQp8fDa0s-kK3bCsGAYje400fdZ4VC8P7TDsUkxqcSEUfQuHNqCMSKazArsAAqku0DxSqM6uInLUJYzs3J9_ywGUyhBIzhVJ1oqxgIwwmby-Nqo1pX_tDmqwIqoLFg47aYlEIZ_w/s1463/paek9.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1463" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1q20Ejahks_uTdpcqLIU-tjBC2L7gdN8-jkWzECNiU9414Kr95viQp8fDa0s-kK3bCsGAYje400fdZ4VC8P7TDsUkxqcSEUfQuHNqCMSKazArsAAqku0DxSqM6uInLUJYzs3J9_ywGUyhBIzhVJ1oqxgIwwmby-Nqo1pX_tDmqwIqoLFg47aYlEIZ_w/w641-h206/paek9.JPG" width="641" /></a></div><p>While I'm not planning to model all of it, the block of houses on the railway side of Tilley Rd are an obvious choice. And that means we need to take a closer look at the houses themselves.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2QuVrJq8iW_YTJSt54rhl-kaih5ESHHa0-i6HevxV1gd12HU6uqwRgxrB9FuV6pMO4PTaXTlIX-jyHxtiGhbDaL2xb6Zl1XDfZh6IcOG85bE_iJKheiUPb_sge7S_t0-DzcXeSG9Nwq-9qneiat7Ujb_CkUGrpVAZd-2dEwmQanNj974S8NSKVXABI0/s1463/houses3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1463" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2QuVrJq8iW_YTJSt54rhl-kaih5ESHHa0-i6HevxV1gd12HU6uqwRgxrB9FuV6pMO4PTaXTlIX-jyHxtiGhbDaL2xb6Zl1XDfZh6IcOG85bE_iJKheiUPb_sge7S_t0-DzcXeSG9Nwq-9qneiat7Ujb_CkUGrpVAZd-2dEwmQanNj974S8NSKVXABI0/w641-h207/houses3.jpg" width="641" /></a></div><p>So, from left to right we have:</p><p>-The single mens compound.</p><p>-Several W&MR cottages (they are present in photos from 1909).</p><p>-A group of 3 NZR railway houses.</p><p>-What looks like a stationmasters house (though I'm now leaning towards a double bay villa which still seems to be in position today)<br /></p><p>-Another railway house</p><p>-2 small cottages</p><p>-The signal and traction depot</p><p>-A bowling green. I'm pretty sure no-one has modeled one of these before.<br /></p><p>Moving just south we come to the buildings on Beach road.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPPaDNFAzqofm8R0DT8S_6XP6rlQsEMD-iMeqyI2-Kz63nRiIYNndB0KraphqtBT8ucjk-YB2RStxg7TZhapaPqThwmRhVQOoC6M5djUD9FpfuJxxz6lwNdWSJJioKGBj-gWRuXZuBtov6dOO_Hw-6LqxSmBmml37Vl77xOcoV2w43Zq1IpQfPzVcd-w/s1016/houses4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="1016" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPPaDNFAzqofm8R0DT8S_6XP6rlQsEMD-iMeqyI2-Kz63nRiIYNndB0KraphqtBT8ucjk-YB2RStxg7TZhapaPqThwmRhVQOoC6M5djUD9FpfuJxxz6lwNdWSJJioKGBj-gWRuXZuBtov6dOO_Hw-6LqxSmBmml37Vl77xOcoV2w43Zq1IpQfPzVcd-w/w633-h201/houses4.jpg" width="633" /></a></div><p>- The pub</p><p>- The Holtam buildings, and possibly the buildings next to it (of a similar vintage) depending on just how long the road on the baseboard is.</p><p>As always the buildings that make it into the scene will be a juggling act between the footprint of the buildins and the shrunken space on the layout. In addition I've made a rod for my own back a long time ago by choosing to have the layout viewed from both sides which doubles the amount of modeling and research required. <br /></p>RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3308436923321175757.post-38511117975904349532023-08-20T21:16:00.000+12:002023-08-20T21:16:15.922+12:00Touring around<p> </p><div>So, as part of my "get out more you hermit" drive, yesterday
afternoon I found myself on a Layout tour round Palmy. Quinten also
turned up so we have a good chat between stops (ranging from 3D printing to the latest advances in car fuel systems and climate change).</div><div>I
was surprised at the standard of modeling during the day (and also that
other people somehow manage to keep their garages clean). All but one were US Ho scale layouts, and I must admit That US prototype just leaves me cold. With that said, there were still bits I liked.<br /></div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gTJ_e6wO2Gg0r3UiDVhv6CbF9HMPn1yfDeG49489EQdlkuYb-XJj2x6nsgK6kdvJOxvHYz62qmH45YDh1J18JM1DVAwIfItYHvatzdij49C2bqTRMGhR3spJCBaN3X_-vfD_k1LVoyngbL90rCXoN3uPoX0V07dTCC-zNgLEwJFlbBhO8t5D44ul8X8/s1600/IMG_2553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gTJ_e6wO2Gg0r3UiDVhv6CbF9HMPn1yfDeG49489EQdlkuYb-XJj2x6nsgK6kdvJOxvHYz62qmH45YDh1J18JM1DVAwIfItYHvatzdij49C2bqTRMGhR3spJCBaN3X_-vfD_k1LVoyngbL90rCXoN3uPoX0V07dTCC-zNgLEwJFlbBhO8t5D44ul8X8/s320/IMG_2553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Could do with a bit of weathering but I like the overall look<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div> There was a truely enormous setup, with stunning woodworking and lighting. both photos taken from teh same spot, and it continued round to the left.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYSZM6TVTfgW1B9WajlY6vKi3Kekypx0xOnCJFcDgOPfoYUN6x3bgWv1pcYFON_Tn4wz97QiFo6DOcl7lznmQiBGLjbqAqBbzRmHWZ6HPKhhkD_5vvOL0lP_uYzqR6YoxQlm2CbMQCJGWfCftOwd1XAwyDKzDUm-JPjimc1uIurBV9bLfx07JUG7hnhg/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYSZM6TVTfgW1B9WajlY6vKi3Kekypx0xOnCJFcDgOPfoYUN6x3bgWv1pcYFON_Tn4wz97QiFo6DOcl7lznmQiBGLjbqAqBbzRmHWZ6HPKhhkD_5vvOL0lP_uYzqR6YoxQlm2CbMQCJGWfCftOwd1XAwyDKzDUm-JPjimc1uIurBV9bLfx07JUG7hnhg/s320/IMG_2557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D-7BzvbatewZIvqy55GdSCm7fLaPz5wGKfyKh2Le8A_mj6_83HghiIa_KNL451sTx2ndYlKzVtFz2Xo0pEn7xNPAuyYOto0Ln59jck9RMD1b9OUwcUibkGt-7T_lHgw327ovVP72AqVc5jYGmdqT1HSzWucEcOiivz4R56Kg1Jaw4khia6nWfCeKAvc/s1600/IMG_2558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D-7BzvbatewZIvqy55GdSCm7fLaPz5wGKfyKh2Le8A_mj6_83HghiIa_KNL451sTx2ndYlKzVtFz2Xo0pEn7xNPAuyYOto0Ln59jck9RMD1b9OUwcUibkGt-7T_lHgw327ovVP72AqVc5jYGmdqT1HSzWucEcOiivz4R56Kg1Jaw4khia6nWfCeKAvc/s320/IMG_2558.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>It also had some nicely detailed industries, with a bit of dirt.<br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ3SCXp29I8GVTk8Oss8NgEgOZJ93Vrdzo3slit3zDNwlQ0nU3jGM7hPvRxZ4DlL-d7jbgkuwI8Rs13ChCG_qHRtKcJnjjVfwrCb0GMyh7vy96pv5G34_Wk9il4uFGj8eC81SPkYUBgq5W06to0ZK2YRa9TeV67cTwkAlPFLqCBTT1xB4pMy6HXTxkzo/s1600/IMG_2560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ3SCXp29I8GVTk8Oss8NgEgOZJ93Vrdzo3slit3zDNwlQ0nU3jGM7hPvRxZ4DlL-d7jbgkuwI8Rs13ChCG_qHRtKcJnjjVfwrCb0GMyh7vy96pv5G34_Wk9il4uFGj8eC81SPkYUBgq5W06to0ZK2YRa9TeV67cTwkAlPFLqCBTT1xB4pMy6HXTxkzo/s320/IMG_2560.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtXENrtYyJBK4xt3qIS6Fu58qyvuzGpvK7S_52f_adKOUYNkme3tn0b4ksUAIpKz3CdGBGjWl0l3NHVtAPamnJmY8BBwZrN5up7dQG4IXMuMNDvanl-MQiaNmi4aOoC5379n43yas3EvaKt5RpISuLoLF9dDJJK698BaFilrDfLvQ3AileNrgBEtsXDs/s1600/IMG_2562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtXENrtYyJBK4xt3qIS6Fu58qyvuzGpvK7S_52f_adKOUYNkme3tn0b4ksUAIpKz3CdGBGjWl0l3NHVtAPamnJmY8BBwZrN5up7dQG4IXMuMNDvanl-MQiaNmi4aOoC5379n43yas3EvaKt5RpISuLoLF9dDJJK698BaFilrDfLvQ3AileNrgBEtsXDs/s320/IMG_2562.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>The last layout on the tour was possibly (to my mind) the most impresive of the lot. UK prototype Southern railway prior to nationalisation. The station is almost to scale and is a model of the town where the builder was born and grew up. His father was a signalman there.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhBXbVASN1lQRQo-8Z1W7MEiv_jVnGlWuHdpRaRityv5YyxpRKoCjDHNrszm85rgCo_RSmxF7SaoWXR4m_LRyMAjGV-uS5gldaVzaPLP6UID0a9DZH_Jlj-Q6IrVyPJv40JB74z_i8X4w2j0dVg8Ndg_cXa34FCsjx4umnGpJ7HUrwikaCDmVT0sD6gM/s1600/IMG_2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhBXbVASN1lQRQo-8Z1W7MEiv_jVnGlWuHdpRaRityv5YyxpRKoCjDHNrszm85rgCo_RSmxF7SaoWXR4m_LRyMAjGV-uS5gldaVzaPLP6UID0a9DZH_Jlj-Q6IrVyPJv40JB74z_i8X4w2j0dVg8Ndg_cXa34FCsjx4umnGpJ7HUrwikaCDmVT0sD6gM/s320/IMG_2565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There were some really nice wee scenes including the house he was born in. When he pointed out which one a voice at the far end of the room says "and I can see inside and you haven't cleaned your room". <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD13YF6omNcd4iqM1Yx4bsakGQeeGnNf81LABk5lidso4IXS7NMJfqoxixqm1oNgEAWTAUIOJI1sGlj9Ax-Cbd4LrxXx0PqMubEscyGHvzsTrt3LNrQQTVnIjlVsx0yb9qG6DF9lOnhsM4YuLR2XdGCMzqa6aUMgaitwVUWjlHWqvdxIrUxMAPf3KSQ-4/s1600/IMG_2567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD13YF6omNcd4iqM1Yx4bsakGQeeGnNf81LABk5lidso4IXS7NMJfqoxixqm1oNgEAWTAUIOJI1sGlj9Ax-Cbd4LrxXx0PqMubEscyGHvzsTrt3LNrQQTVnIjlVsx0yb9qG6DF9lOnhsM4YuLR2XdGCMzqa6aUMgaitwVUWjlHWqvdxIrUxMAPf3KSQ-4/s320/IMG_2567.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The signal box was re-created using PECO switches.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrH9w-EMQ-UtGB9I--KSi3Jhn5HlFZ5IrxwQw-LjARPpG4qz0YpOTyCtgl7TBj9lLop4-FrivNh4ClWHM-F2bEQSnKSQCgA_ot-jroho27l6vYu1mHlu2qoLndX-ENdciXAmmo2YE0LkA81Uth76ifXC1pz24QWgVnLzKxqtE0zK2DJGn-iqkEr627F0/s1600/IMG_2568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrH9w-EMQ-UtGB9I--KSi3Jhn5HlFZ5IrxwQw-LjARPpG4qz0YpOTyCtgl7TBj9lLop4-FrivNh4ClWHM-F2bEQSnKSQCgA_ot-jroho27l6vYu1mHlu2qoLndX-ENdciXAmmo2YE0LkA81Uth76ifXC1pz24QWgVnLzKxqtE0zK2DJGn-iqkEr627F0/s320/IMG_2568.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>As well as the points, all the signals worked as well, driven by servos. One think I did find interesting was that the OO scale locos and wagons looked really small. </div><div><br /></div><div>On another layout I found a very clever way to set up a helix using threaded rods.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPu_o1EGFzYA1yvYPctV4YfCRmRNx7A_5MgFK0afspD_Wxb7uq1A7L_dspr5qNeyLva7zfx2G2R2w1clCOr2LEY2UxoUlXJHw5zU2jTQbvkul9VJK4HpkxUeON4OKs9qtyWsDrztc2b7jvvm1ldUOIcLvDePVlNGP0bPOdyB2uAkL5gYcOI6jLTx_uqUk/s1600/IMG_2555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPu_o1EGFzYA1yvYPctV4YfCRmRNx7A_5MgFK0afspD_Wxb7uq1A7L_dspr5qNeyLva7zfx2G2R2w1clCOr2LEY2UxoUlXJHw5zU2jTQbvkul9VJK4HpkxUeON4OKs9qtyWsDrztc2b7jvvm1ldUOIcLvDePVlNGP0bPOdyB2uAkL5gYcOI6jLTx_uqUk/s320/IMG_2555.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Takes some of the issues out of the engineering of construction.<br />RABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929466289526140335noreply@blogger.com1