Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[52D]

Re the brake van, a team from the Aln Valley Railway have just done a 12inch to the foot version on an Arsonised van.
Yes the forum was down a while, a few transatlantic emails later and Richard reported back and i got on just after midnight.

[2002EarlMarischal]

Resin parts:

Graeme, I have been thinking about your growing range of resin parts and your comment when adapting the cylinders for the A1/1. Ethically I agree that it would be wrong to produce parts copied from RTR models, but I think that reasonably should only apply to parts which the manufacturer is willing to supply as spares.

I believe that the manufacturers are completely unreasonable in not providing loco body spares. For example, I do not believe that Hornby will supply the A4 front buffer beam, a part which frequently seems to be missing from eBay models. Cab doors would be another example.

There are also items that could improve Railroad models such as A4 spectacle and side windows. I wonder whether you would consider it possible to produce any of these items to add to your resin parts catalogue? Can you cast clear resin?

[Atlantic 3279]

The buffer beam and apron sounds like a possibility. I'm not sure I can see much point to resin cab doors. A rectangle of thin brass or plastikard with your own choice of rigid attachment or a pivoting wire loop attached to its inside face sounds more logical to me, given that different modellers will want to arrange cab doors differently to suit the curves on which their locos run and the degree of close-coupling of loco and tender that they use.

I have no knowledge of clear resin. Is there a resin that's easily handled, DIY suitable, & TRULY clear when set? If so, is it cost effective in small quantities and compatible with the same RTV silicone rubber moulding material that suits other casting resins?

[Atlantic 3279]

Re the brake van, a team from the Aln Valley Railway have just done a 12inch to the foot version

I presume that's the one pictured here:
http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/index ... Itemid=164

Having let my knowlege of these things go slightly rusty again over the last year, I'm puzzled by that van. The description "North Eastern", its general proportions, the curvature of the roof etc certainly made me think "V4", but the pressed steel ducket seems to be at odds with that, suggesting Toad E instead.

[2002EarlMarischal]

I have no knowledge of clear resin. Is there a resin that's easily handled, DIY suitable, & TRULY clear when set? If so, is it cost effective in small quantities and compatible with the same RTV silicone rubber moulding material that suits other casting resins?

I seem to recall a few years ago purchasing some modeller's fake water. It came in the form of small beads that had to be heated up to melt and poured in-situ to create a realistic-looking pond. As far as I recall this was clear but the idea was the pond bed was painted an appropriate colour which was visible through the "water" when set. Of course I have no idea whether it would be compatible with rubber moulding material, but the manufacturers would no doubt know.

[S.A.C. Martin]

The buffer beam and apron sounds like a possibility. I'm not sure I can see much point to resin cab doors. A rectangle of thin brass or plastikard with your own choice of rigid attachment or a pivoting wire loop attached to its inside face sounds more logical to me, given that different modellers will want to arrange cab doors differently to suit the curves on which their locos run and the degree of close-coupling of loco and tender that they use.

I have no knowledge of clear resin. Is there a resin that's easily handled, DIY suitable, & TRULY clear when set? If so, is it cost effective in small quantities and compatible with the same RTV silicone rubber moulding material that suits other casting resins?

There is an additive you can put into the resin you use Graeme, to make it cast clear. I did it to make a "Ghost Train" for a film project a few years back. I'll try and find the bottle later on and you can see the description.

[Atlantic 3279]

I found a little time yesterday to add the missing lamp irons and smoke-deflector grab rails to my first attempt at Great Northern, adding the same items to parts for the second loco at the same time. For the first loco it now also seemed sensible to transfer the coupling, the vac pipe (and just for illustrative purposes) the AWS shield from the remains of the original Sandwich too. Here at last is the almost complete "face", save for painting of the new bright metal parts, filling of two redundant handrail holes, and provison of a new shed plate if I can be bothered:

Here's how the front of the chassis goes back together on the second loco. If the new holes in the chassis are drilled about 1.6mm diameter then a selection of the self-tapping screws from the original assembly can be re-used in the new set-up. Alternatively, 10BA works quite well, if you can be bothered to tap the holes and shorten screws as necessary.

The frame extensions are not added until a later stage, when they'll be less vulnerable to handling damage. Each one requires a 2.5 mm thick spacer block on its inside face, to align with the keyed area of chassis to which it will be bonded. A little trimming of the rear ends of the chassis extension steam ducts may also be required so that they can go back far enough to align the cut-outs nicely with the bogie wheels.

Notice that unless you abandon the original front body mounting hole, find a suitable new position instead, and then perhaps face the need to drill through a thick part of the chassis block, you are stuck with the fact that the bogie carrier plate greatly hinders access to the body mounting screw. The bogie carrier therefore really is best fitted by removable screws, rather than being bonded in place.

[2002EarlMarischal]

Excellent clarity of annotated photos Graeme.

The A1/1 conversion "story" is an epic worthy of publication in its own right. It is frustrating that the modelling press have not risen to the occasion with some of your other projects; to me they would lend themselves perfectly to a series of articles that would "hook in" readers who might otherwise buy the occasional issue now and then. What a missed opportunity!

[S.A.C. Martin]

^what he said.

The A1/1 builds are giving much food for thought for my upcoming version. I was of half a mind to ditch the Hornby front bogie altogether for an actual Thompson bogie I have lying spare, but your conversion of the Hornby one you've shown gives pause for thought. How is it round tight-ish curvature? I have had absolutely no problems with my A2/2 conversion I've been working on over all points and curvature thus far, so I imagine the A1/1 would be similar?

[davidwest]

I found a little time yesterday to add the missing lamp irons and smoke-deflector grab rails to my first attempt at Great Northern, adding the same items to parts for the second loco at the same time. For the first loco it now also seemed sensible to transfer the coupling, the vac pipe (and just for illustrative purposes) the AWS shield from the remains of the original Sandwich too. Here at last is the almost complete "face", save for painting of the new bright metal parts, filling of two redundant handrail holes, and provison of a new shed plate if I can be bothered:


Here's how the front of the chassis goes back together on the second loco. If the new holes in the chassis are drilled about 1.6mm diameter then a selection of the self-tapping screws from the original assembly can be re-used in the new set-up. Alternatively, 10BA works quite well, if you can be bothered to tap the holes and shorten screws as necessary.




The frame extensions are not added until a later stage, when they be less vulnerable to handling damage. Each one requires a 2.5 mm thick spacer block on its inside face, to align with the keyed are of chassis to which it will be bonded. A little trimming of the rear ends of the chassis extension steam ducts may also be required so that they can go back far enough to align the cut-outs nicely with the bogie wheels.

Notice that unless you abandon the original front body mounting hole, find a suitable new position instead, and then perhaps face the need to drill through a thick part of the chassis block, you are stuck with the fact that the bogie carrier plate greatly hinders access to the body mounting screw. The bogie carrier therefore really is best fitted by removable screws, rather than being bonded in place.

Graeme, I hate having to use superlatives but the face of that is brilliant!

[Atlantic 3279]

Further views of progress so far on my "GN2". Cab, motion and brake gear still to do.

BY THE WAY, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE PARTICULAR EXAMPLES OF MY OLDER IMAGES THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP, I WOULD GET ON NOW WITH THE BUSINESS OF COPYING THEM ONTO YOUR OWN DRIVES. I'VE JUST HAD THREE WEEKS NOTICE FROM IMAGESHACK THAT UNLESS I "UPGRADE" MY ACCOUNT THEN ONLY THE LATEST 500 IMAGES WILL BE RETAINED. I DO NOT YET KNOW WHAT, IF ANY, COST THAT WOULD INVOLVE AND I DOUBT IF I'LL FIND TIME TO SORT THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF AMONGST MY NOW 980 IMAGE UPLOADS! EARLIER NOTICE, such as when I first hit 500, WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE.....

[mick b]

I use Irfanview they are small pictures but they are unlimited.

[2002EarlMarischal]

BY THE WAY, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE PARTICULAR EXAMPLES OF MY OLDER IMAGES THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP, I WOULD GET ON NOW WITH THE BUSINESS OF COPYING THEM ONTO YOUR OWN DRIVES. I'VE JUST HAD THREE WEEKS NOTICE FROM IMAGESHACK THAT UNLESS I "UPGRADE" MY ACCOUNT THEN ONLY THE LATEST 500 IMAGES WILL BE RETAINED. I DO NOT YET KNOW WHAT, IF ANY, COST THAT WOULD INVOLVE AND I DOUBT IF I'LL FIND TIME TO SORT THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF AMONGST MY NOW 980 IMAGE UPLOADS! EARLIER NOTICE, such as when I first hit 500, WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE.....

Graeme, I have copied your A4/W1 and A3/A/1 conversion postings into word documents because they are an invaluable source of reference material as well as simply an interesting read. The former runs to 88 pages and the latter 169! I must get to work with the others!

The other day I tried to log on to RMWeb to view your earlier work, but I believe that a large amount of the historical stuff has been archived off and "locked". Whilst my password lets me in to the new RMWeb forum, it doesn't let me in to the old one so I can't search.

Please could you provide links to your earlier work such as the B2 etc. I am sure that there are many of us who would appreciate that.

[Atlantic 3279]

Doing this nearly drove me mad. My old RMW workbench is now split up into loads of separately stored, and apparently un-linked individual topics! Several inadvertent touches of the wrong key, obliterating work already done whilst I was compiling this list really didn't help

Bachmann B1 to B2
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=46312

P1 heavy freight loco
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30240

Portable model-making workstation - handy if (like me) you can't have a permanent bench
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... 95#p649495

I think there may have been other useful bits on my original workbench thread but I guess they have been categorized as "too minor" by the Great Editor and binned.
I also stumbled upon these:

Mick B's A1/1 Great Northern - still apparently linked-through with the rest of his workbench. Lucky chap!
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... 63#p653363

Cheap DIY rivet press - not my work but I like this:
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... 30#p654130

Mick Nicholson's R1 tank engine
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... 52#p519652

Plastikard locos
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... 35#p523135
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... 56#p522856

Improving Peco points - only a little of this is mine
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=44012

[2002EarlMarischal]

Doing this nearly drove me mad. My old RMW workbench is now split up into loads of separately stored, and apparently un-linked individual topics! Several inadvertent touches of the wrong key, obliterating work already done whilst I was compiling this list really didn't help

Wow Graeme, thank you so much for doing this despite the frustrations along the way. It's only a couple of hours since I made the request!

In theory, I'm supposed to be working this afternoon - not sure how much I'll get done now there are these great links to explore!

Thanks again!