Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

You can easily get rid of that raised lump above the Cartazzi axle, which otherwise interferes with the fitting of other fireboxes/backheads/cabs, and instead put the trailing axle in a tube, attached to two springy wires, the three new items made up into an A-frame, almost like a pony truck but with no screw-pivot, you just fix the wires to the chassis where a pony truck (if provided) would normally pivot. It works well, better than the awkward Bachmann slide, springing the axle and (equally importantly) "turning" the wheels slightly into the curves as a proper pony truck would.
I'm sure I put a picture up on here, somewhere.......

[S.A.C. Martin]

You can easily get rid of that raised lump above the Cartazzi axle, which otherwise interferes with the fitting of other fireboxes/backheads/cabs, and instead put the trailing axle in a tube, attached to two springy wires, the three new items made up into an A-frame, almost like a pony truck but with no screw-pivot, you just fix the wires to the chassis where a pony truck (if provided) would normally pivot. It works well, better than the awkward Bachmann slide, springing the axle and (equally importantly) "turning" the wheels slightly into the curves as a proper pony truck would.
I'm sure I put a picture up on here, somewhere.......

Thanks Graeme, I'll have a go if the build definitely goes ahead. Worth springing it; I've had more derailments with the fixed Bachmann cartazzi than I've had with points or curves...! It's worth me looking back through this thread in its entirety actually, I have completely forgot how you did the cylinder bracket and front bogie pivot on the A2/3 (which I'll need to do again here).

[S.A.C. Martin]

Hi Graeme,

To avoid clogging up your thread further, here's a side by side with the new V2 and the A2 along with your resin parts. Simon's Blog.

[Manxman1831]

The A2/1 is certainly more than just a V2 with a bogie at the front, isn't it? Alternate wheel spacing, longer running plate and smokebox, to name but a few alterations.

Am intrigued by the ways for making the wheels rotate on your W1, Graeme. Do you know of any mainstream manufacturers who have used this method on their locos in the past, or possibly in the future?

[Atlantic 3279]

My method for making the axles rotate was to put a plastic pulley with a V-groove onto both a weight-bearing axle and the adjacent non-weight-bearing axle, and then tie cotton thread in a loop around the two pulleys. To my slight surprise, it worked and carried on working! I've not seen an RTR application of the same.

[Atlantic 3279]

Simon's Blog.

I'm interested to see exactly how you choose to shorten the rear frames, re-create the cab steps and preserve the unchanged tender coupling arrangements. You might think of something that I haven't!

[Atlantic 3279]

I did promise, some time ago, to go back to the challenge of fitting Hornby's sprung buffers into my resin "repair" castings for missing/damaged A4 front aprons. Unlike politicians, spoilt youngsters and those who are simply "the scum of the earth", I do try to keep my promises. So here we are:

Compared to the Hornby plastic piece, the sockets are deliberately "beefed up" somewhat on the back (inside) surface of my resin aprons, and are VERY rough in that area on the raw castings, They must be filed back to a nice flat finish on the rear, achieving a total buffer socket length of 7mm as shown above. The sockets then have to be drilled through, centrally, and the holes opened out to different diamaters at the front and rear. The front hole has to be at least 2mm dia, and probably a bit more, with smooth sides, otherwise the buffer spring will snag on the sides of the socket and the buffer won't move freely. This amount of drilling makes the socket walls VERY thin and must be done exceedingly cautiously so as not to burst the socket. I suggest you use a sharp drill, turn it lightly by hand only, don't let it "bite in" too much in one go, and keep backing it off to let the swarf clear the hole. Try the buffer in place and feel whether the spring is snagging before you think about pushing it fully (and irrevocably) home. The rear hole must be 1.6mm dia, this will allow the coned end of the buffer ram to "squeeze through" but not to pull back out. On the first casting, before I had beefed up the rear of the socket, this operation was not successfully possible, the coned end of the buffer ram causing splitting or flaking of the moulding.

If you do split a buffer socket, or you simply don't want "flimsy" resin sockets you could always resort to substitution of some short pieces of 3mm brass tubing, bonding these into the moulding, then putting the sprung rams in place and pushing some tight washers of plasticard over the inner ends. These washers have to be glued to the brass tube, but not to the rams or the springs. It does work, and there's more surface area to create a good glued joint if one of the washers fits around the back end of the 3mm brass tube, and then a second one with a 1.6mm hole fits over the ram. You can see that double washer arrangement in the third, lower section of this composite image. I only thought about it AFTER taking the middle picture with only one washer clinging tenuously to the end of the tube!

[S.A.C. Martin]

Tell you what Graeme, that's terrific; supremely useful and make no mistake. Expect an order soon, I've a few A4 bodyshells sans that particular aggravating piece!

What I don't understand is why that piece is entirely separate on the A4 model in the first place. Is the complexity of the curve at that point in the bodyshell too great to inject into a mould?

[earlswood nob]

Good morning from a chilly Surrey
Well done Atlantic....you are on a winner there.
I have long detested the buffers on my streamliners and your simple solution will solve the problem.
I was about to have a go at making a chimney using your method involving low-melt solder and brass tubing, another of your great ideas.
Earlswood Nob (Sitting here bemoaning the lack of loose tea in local supermarkets)

[Atlantic 3279]

Earlswood Nob (Sitting here bemoaning the lack of loose tea in local supermarkets)

Thanks to http://www.ringtons.co.uk/ that is a problem we never have here.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

Sainsbury's still sell it. It was the only way we could get a decent brew at our cottage in Wales, until Panad Cymraeg (Welsh Brew to the uneducated) appeared on the market.

Let you into a secret here, and pls don't tell Mrs BB - I prefer the loose stuff!

[nigeln]

Come to Ireland the land of potatoes,tea and cake can`t get a decent cup of coffee anywhere out.

[Atlantic 3279]

Back to the question about minimum track curve radius for the W1 if fitted with "real" trailing wheels. I've just re-checked my original loco from 3 years ago, and it JUST goes around 2 foot radius with OO gauge flanged wheelsets in a bogie trapped in the appropriate position between the rear frames. The bogie is pushed to the limit of its side-travel, and the wheels are itching to lift off the inside rail. A tighter radius, or any marked undulations in level or bad rail joints would spell trouble, along with any ideas of having 2 foot radius reverse curves with no eased transition or straight track between the curves.

Simon of course finds that the loco I built for him in 2010, in which I may have spread the rear frames a bit wider to try to suit his layout, copes with "third radius" which I believe is around 19". The resin frames will also be a touch further apart than my own original Finecast whitemetal frames, but I wouldn't bank on any ideas that this will result in the ability to negotiate much sharper curves.

[Horsetan]

Come to Ireland the land of potatoes,tea and cake can`t get a decent cup of coffee anywhere out.

"Cup o' tea, Father?"

[nigeln]

Come to Ireland the land of potatoes,tea and cake can`t get a decent cup of coffee anywhere out.

"Cup o' tea, Father?"

To be shure but it`s tae