Barge Boats

This new layout i am planning will have some sort of dock.

I am thinking more of a river dock as opposed to a big harbour type thing.

After looking at lots of photos of Barges (Bargy, Bargie)

I obtained one of Anyscale Models barge's

Here if you need one 

well, you actually get Two.

I set to work to see what sort of mess i could make of it.

This is what you start with.

Now, you have to bare in mind that i know as much about boats as i know about what goes on inside a woman's head. 

I think i will just let the photo's do the talking.

If you want to know what is what or how i did this then lots of comments and i will tell 

Anyscale Models

As i find bits and bobs i will add more detail but for now i think she looks ok

No launch date has yet been decided upon.

The old boiler

Son:

Mum,There's no hot water.

Mother:

Oh, the boilers gone again

Ok, you'll just have to smell today, i will get someone out later to fix it.

I bought a few items from Anyscale models, he does lots of fascinating bits, really for the Wargaming community but lots for railway related items.

They are available 

Here

Over the next few weeks i shall be posting about his models and what i have done with them.

Please note: i have no relation to him or his models, i just think they are great items to add detail to any layout.

First up then, is the boiler.

This is what you get x2.

Just to give you an idea of its size.

I added a couple of pipes and a flue, made from brass tube.

Anyscale models

Anyscale boiler

 A coat of paint and some weathering powders, this is the end result.

I originally painted the whole thing a rust colour and then the old method using hairspray then paint the silver on top, when dry, gently rub the silver away with white spirit and a cotton bud. 

    

The pipes were added after.

I think it looks the dogs.

It will have a coat of matt varnish but the paint was still tacky when i took these photos. 

Pin point bearings and couplings.

Firstly, 

Pinpoint bearings.

A great idea, free running wagons they roll along quite happily when you want to pull Twenty plus wagon trains.

Not sure if anyone else has had this issue, i've not found anywhere else where it has been discussed.

So,

here is my issue.

Running twenty plus wagon trains is not for me, Parkstone is basically a shunting layout. I find Wagons are just that bit to free running for my needs, not coupling up, just pushing the wagon along without the hook going over the bar, or wagons being pulled on their own should you be using permanent magnets laid between the rails, you know, you get that rocking movement as the hook finds the centre pull of the magnet.

As i am only pulling 5-7 wagons at a time i have come up with a solution.

Yes, i bloody have you know.

All you need is some OOO gauge (0.16mm) steel spring wire. It's generally used for Harpsichords, you can find it on good old eBay.

Drill 0.2mm hole in base of wagon under centre of axle.

Sorry about this but you may have to remove your axle.

 Cut a length of  the said wire just a touch longer than from the floor to your wonderful running axle.

 Add a spot of Cyno glue to end of wire and push into hole.

 Pop your wheel set back in and you will feel a small amount of resistance just enough to hold your wagon put.

I have only done one axle per wagon as this is more than enough resistance.

Which brings me onto my second issue.

Well, not really an issue more of a blessing.

I think the guys at Bachmann should be congratulated on the design of there wagons.

Has anyone else noticed this ? the underside of their wagons is perfectly designed for the fitting of Spratt 'n' Winkle couplings. They even give you a guide as to were to locate them.

Spratt n Winkle couplings

 I'm guessing that this is a pure fluke ( would like to know otherwise) but well done Bachmann for inventing the "Fluke"

Roxey Mouldings LSWR 48ft stock

This is another project i have been working on.

I said yesterday that i hadn't posted much lately, now you know why.

A little while ago i had a trip to the expoEM spring exhibition at Bracknell, spent a small fortune and came back with Two Roxey Mouldings carriage kits.

The first one i have started to build is the (4C18) LSWR 48ft Tri-composite brake Lav

Roxey Mouldings 4C18 LSWR 48ft Tri-composite

This is the first time i have built one of their carriage kits and i have to say, they go together very well.
After some burnt fingers (somethings never change) a consultation with the bible (LSWR Carriages Volume one 1838-1900) by the man himself Mr G.R Weddell Page 167, you are pretty much sorted. There are differences so watch your time scale.

I'm not quite sure what i am going to do with the interior yet but had the forethought of measuring up, and cutting out the interior walls from Plastkard. I have seen this method done before but for the life of me, i have know idea where or whom it came from.

The main body all soldered up. Door knobs, drop lights, door handles and door vents fitted, tumbledome formed and ends attached.
Some might say, paint before adding door knobs/handles. I would prefer to solder everything up first. It's a bit of a pain, i know, but "Maskol" is a wonderful product.

Roxey Mouldings 4C18 LSWR 48ft Tri-Composite

 Sat on its bogies

Roxey Mouldings 4C18 LSWR 48ft Tri-Composite

 The door jam gap (you know what i mean) i scored in with a scriber it's not represented on the etch. I'm not quite sure how this is going to look after its painted.

Roxey Mouldings 4C18 LSWR 48ft Tri-Composite

 Fitting those Sprat 'n' Winkle proved problematic, on these carriages the bogies are virtually on the end of the carriage.
Doesn't give you a lot of room.

Sprat 'n' winkle couplings

Some modification took place

Roxey Mouldings 4C18 LSWR 48ft Tri-Composite

 I had to drop the front cross member of the bogie to allow enough movement for the balance weight. On the track its not to noticeable.
At least on the pair of carriages only One coupling hook is needed, happy days.

Roxey Mouldings 4C18 LSWR 48ft Tri-Composite

  A few more jobs to do and then crack on with the second one.

Bachmann 03 couplings

It's been awhile since i posted anything.

This generally means i have been busy and have had my teeth into some project or other.

Well, i have.

After a very good weekend at Brockenhurst Exhibition, there is only really one thing with the operation of Parkstone that i am not to happy about, and that is couplings. That age old problem that has plagued many an otherwise cracking layout.

The thought of changing every coupling to some other system has put me off.

What to do, what system? do i really need to to ?

YES

i do.

The plunge has been taken to change everything to "Sprat and winkles" and electromagnets 

I was trying to get away with one hook at one end of each wagon but as Parkstone is really a shunting layout this creates a problem. Most loco's on Parkstone are of the RTR type, and as we all know, fitting S&W to RTR loco's is not easy if at all possible.

Picking the Bachmann 03 out of its box, can it be done ?

As this is one of the main shunting loco's on the layout i thought it would be a good one to start with.

Extremely fiddly but it can be done. Now i know how to do this, some of the others shouldn't be to bad to do.

The peckett could be an issue, "eek"

Bachmann 03

 The Bachmann 03 with the coupling fitted. If you are going to have a go at this yourselves you need to be aware that the buffer beam is cast alloy.

Bachmann 03 Sprat & Winkle couplings

 The photo below will show how i did it, as they say a photo paints a thousand words. As a brief description, i drill Two holes up into the buffer beam for the hinge of the coupling, the balance plate was cut off as the chassis is in the way, a wire loop was soldered on BUT don't solder the hinge part. I resoldered the balance plate to the wire loop, because the plate is now shorter i had to solder a piece of brass tube filled with solder to the back end of the plate to add weight.

I will add a piece of plasticard to fill in the buffer beam. It may look better than before.   

Bachmann 03 underside

   A quick paint and job done.

Next one to see if it can be done is a Class 33! we will see.