Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[drmditch]

Sorry if I've missed something, but is that an ex-GE van?

If so, what is the provenance of the model?
(I ask because I was planning to build one, and have materials to hand.)

[jwealleans]

D & S DS102. I can't remember where that one came from - Middlesbrough Show last year, quite possibly. They crop up on Ebay from time to time and occasionally people don't spot what they are and you can pick them up very cheaply.

[drmditch]

Thank you. I need to build something that moves as a break from current production of bridge girders. So far eight done, four to go!

[Atso]

Hi Graeme,

That wagon of Bill's look very interesting (and nice!).

The body, brake gear, buffer housings, coupling hooks/chains are obviously 3D printed. The body and brake handles are interesting as they have been printed on an SLA machine (the marks showing where the support structure was gives it away). It seems to share traits with the prints that the Form 2 print has so I wonder if Bill has obtained one of these. I've has some test prints done on a Form 2 and, while I was very impressed, the diameter of the laser (that cures the resin) isn't small enough to produce some of the details I like to add in N gauge; perfectly good enough for the large scales IMHO though and it is very smooth!

The buffer housings, etc look like they've been done in FUD/FXD (like the O4 boiler you did a while back - Bill's as well?). I'm not sure how long the coupling chains will last in practice - that said I've 3D printed a hook in N gauge as an integral part of the bogie brick wagons and surprisingly they've remained intact! Most of the time however, I use etched hooks now.

The springs and axle boxes should be durable enough and adding the etched W irons will only improve on that. I've printed finer details in less durable materials without problems so you should be fine; obviously, don't drop it though!

It looks like a very nice kit and thank you for sharing.

[Atlantic 3279]

Do these help? I can do an upside down shot if not.

Aha! I'd sorted out the options provided by the three levers for the single shoe brakes (on left handed) and had wondered whether the extra brass strips on the etch were safety loops for the brakes, as you've fitted, but not shown in the box lid illustration. That baby's dummy look-alike still intrigues....
Confirmation of the method for attaching the little bearing plates to the springy wire wouldn't do me any harm, if you are so disposed.

[Atlantic 3279]

Insanely duplicated post removed....

[Dave]

Many thanks for the pics JW, that makes it clear, what through me was the 3 brake levers in the box, I assume it caters for early and late configured.

[jwealleans]

Confirmation of the method for attaching the little bearing plates to the springy wire wouldn't do me any harm, if you are so disposed.

Use waisted bearings and a tiny amount of solder. I solder a bearing into the the bearing holder (I think I've seen a set of instructions saying not to do this but they become impossibly fiddly if you leave the bearings loose as well). At the bottom of the holder are 3 fingers with little recesses etched into them - 2 on one side, one on the other. Bend these slightly outwards so that it becomes possible to pass the steel wire through the recesses. Firm pressure with pliers will then close the fingers such that they grip the wire. Memory suggests that the bit of wire is 28mm long, but check that.

On the underframe, there are two small etched squares at the base of the W iron which fold inwards such that they are at right angles to the W iron. Each of these has a hole in the centre and the spring wire goes through that. The bearing should slide freely in the slotted W iron and rest about half way up when the completed wagon is placed on its wheels. I have never found the need to bend the wire ends to hold the assembly in place as once the wheels are in it can't come apart.

When you get them right they run beautifully, as well as any other setup I've ever used.

[Atlantic 3279]

Ta. That clarifies nicely some of the details of which I was still not absolutely sure even after consulting an article I found on the "clag" website.

[MikeTrice]

Does this help?

[Atlantic 3279]

Thank you. I'm sure it will.

[Bedders]

That baby's dummy look-alike still intrigues....

I believe it attaches over the inside end of the coupling hook to hold a spring in place if you are into that sort of thing

[JASd17]

That baby's dummy look-alike still intrigues....

I believe it attaches over the inside end of the coupling hook to hold a spring in place if you are into that sort of thing

If true, then one would need more than the amount shown, so something is missing?

And how long would such things last in an exhibition environment?

I have concerns over models I make which have much more robust solutions to the draw gear.

John

[Atlantic 3279]

That baby's dummy look-alike still intrigues....

I believe it attaches over the inside end of the coupling hook to hold a spring in place if you are into that sort of thing

Only one baby's dummy for two couplings? I'll bring the parts to our local meeting tomorrow evening if you'd like a closer look.

[Atlantic 3279]

Opinions offered by those who last night inspected the 3D print including the coupling parts support Bedders' view (above) to the effect that the "baby's dummy" is in fact a collar to go over the tail of the coupling, and that there ought to have been (and possibly at one time there were) two such items as part of the wagon couplings print. Fortunately, the lack/loss is academic as I intend to use metal couplings.


I've moved on a bit with those P2 speed recorder drives too, producing three of those A-frame units in all then building up a representation of the rest of the gear using more off-cuts of brass tube (2mm o/d, 1mm i/d, although a shade smaller might have been better had I had anything more suitable), some 1mm brass round rod, some 0.5mm n/s wire, some further oddments of n/s strip and angle and three small twists of 5 amp fuse wire. Use of the 1mm rod as the carrier pin for the rear bevel gearbox representation may have been convenient on account of the neat way it fitted into the 2mm/1mm brass tube, but it meant that I had to take extreme care when drilling up through the running plate and into the cab side in order to create a socket for the carrier pin. Under no circumstances could I allow the drill to break out through the outer face of the cab side, but there wasn't space to allow the pin to stand proud of the surface greatly on the inside. I came very close to grief with 2001.....
I'd been meaning to add representations of the ends of the extended frame stretcher under the front corners of the fireboxes on these locos anyway, but adding the speed-recorder drives forced the issue since part of each driveshaft hangs on one end of those stretchers (assisted by the twist of fusewire on my models rather than relying on a tiny solder butt-joint). The way that the Hornby model separates into body and chassis under those front corners of the firebox means that the stretcher extensions have to be in two parts, with each very small end piece needing to be attached to the body moulding. I've let those into saw cuts in the moulding, fixed in place with cyano acrylate, which I hope will be adequate. The added parts are still bright metal in these images. Etch primer has since been applied before black / gunmetal / muck top coats. The brass carrier pad for each A - frame is epoxy bonded to the running plate.