South East Queensland Area Group Meeting – 14 May 2016

I thought I should get back into providing a monthly update on what we get up to.

Only a small turn up this month owing to people being on holidays or ill.  Nevertheless the meeting was successful with all attendees getting something done.  Your loyal correspondent was slack and didn’t take photos – sorry.

Hollie (our youngest member) painted the 3D printed bollards for the shunting puzzle dock which was mentioned in Post 200 and is now mine with Ken having had a clean out of his modelling area late last year.  We also discussed other scenic details and there has been some progress on that front since yesterday’s meeting.

David had a lesson on using the puzzle (named Hollie Wharf for its exhibition debut at Toowoomba on the 4/5 June – stop and say hi if you come.  We will even let you have a play) as he has volunteered to be the third operator over the weekend.  Having done that, we discussed modifications to the N6.5 Turntable pictured at the end of April in the update and designing an engine shed to go with it.  David then cracked on putting together some Easitrac for the last siding on Toshalt.

Ben brought over his UFO box and continued working his way through the various things in it.  Some mutterings about chassis were heard – I didn’t really notice what he was doing as I was trying not to burn my fingers doing some minor repairs to 4 of my etches which had things either missing or loose.

Our next meeting will see us put together a shopping list for me to take to the UK – departure in four weeks!  Hopefully there will be a big turn out to the Supermeet at Tutbury so I can put faces to names.

LNWR D33 Covered Goods Van

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I recieved a number of these etches as part of the organised run in March.  The D33 was, until the building of the D88 (at least as I understand it) the most numerous of the LNWR’s goods vans and some lasted well into the 1920s and even the 1930s from an original construction date of 1893-1904.  Since I have hopes of a layout spanning the period 1918-1958 (well the means to ring the changing scene at least) some of these were a must and so 6 came down to me.

This is what you get out of the packet.  Now I didn’t get any instructions – or if I did, they came via email and I didn’t notice.  Certainly there was nothing in the packet but having built more than a few vans, and being armed with LNWR Wagons Volume 2, I set to building the first.

I started with the sides.  The picture below shows the various bits for the side with the large door (which has the roof door above it) with the etches for the small offside door contained there in.  Threw me for a bit as I thought it was the door to fit the space and it didn’t.  Quick check of the bits left on the etch sorted it out and progress continued.  I don’t use the locating bits as I find it difficult to release the bits I want from the waste so I cut everything out, clean up unwanted tabs and then carefully solder it all together, usually without incident but sometimes I need to unsolder and reposition – this can often result in burnt fingers as the job heats up with the to and fro.

Sides all done.  Next was to either fit the ends or look at the roof door bits.  I actually fitted the ends on the wagon but cleverly didn’t take a picture of this step (and I have now mostly built a second and still didn’t take photos!).  Straight forward allowing for the fact that the back two layers of the sides sit behind the ends and the front sits on the side. 

The roof door goes together in a rather neat and ingenious way.  Rather than trying to solder bits and pieces together as part of the roof as such, this frame is made up for the roof door and drops into locating holes on the inside of the sides.  The bits in the middle are for detailing and packing out for the chassis so they need to be removed before starting.  Likewise, I am not sure what the thin bits etched on the sides over the doors are for so I removed them.  Goes together ok so I assume they aren’t strictly needed and I couldn’t find any reason for them on the plans either.  If I am wrong, I am sure a Reader will Write.

All the bits cleaned up and ready to go.  I have found from experience the two thin bits are useful to make sure the non-door part of the roof fits in neatly.

All put together.  The thick piece with the half etch one it fits on the inside.  The half etch bit faces out – ie into the space – and helps to line the roof door up.  The medium bit goes on the outside and supports the roof pieces which cover the end sections of the van and then the two thin bits go on the inside as packing.

All done – I should have photographed this with something for scale purposes but the part measures 14mm x 15mm in real life.

It goes in here – I did this on the first one and made the box up on the second.  There are spacers which are supposed to go at the bottom, probably with captive nuts on them, to screw the chassis on to, but I didn’t fit them as I found I hadn’t quite lined everything up as well as I thought on the first one, and having done a better job on the second, they fell out at one point when I was soldering something else so I left them.

So all ready for the roof pieces to be fitted.

The end pieces didn’t go on as neatly as I think they were designed to.  I had to fettle them a bit – not sure if it is the build (likely) or the tolerances were ok on the CAD but didn’t translate on the final etch the way it was imagined (possible). 

The chassis went together with no hiccups.  I packed it out with some spare etched buffer beams from other builds and filed them back, then drilled out for the buffers.  I have, since taking this, found the missing buffers and these have been fitted.  I chose to fit the single sided one shoe brake with a view to decaling this one as per the picture on page 12 of LNWR Wagons Vol 2.  With 6, I figure I can do most of the pictures including the LMS one a couple of pages later.

Friday Night Update – 6 May 2016

I was part of the group of members of the 2mm Scale Association who signed up for a batch of LNWR etches, designed by David Eveleigh, to be produced late in 2015.  Fast forward a few months and though the good offices of another member (cheers David V) a significant number headed this way. 

The full sheet produced three D33 Covered Vans, a pair of D15 Beer Vans, a D43 Explosives Van, a set of D13 Bolsters, a D26 Prize Cattle Wagon, a D436 Horsebox, a D445 CCT, a pair of D16 and a pair of D17B brake vans, some spare chassis and bits and bobs.  I opted for a second D436 and 3 more D33s as part of my purchase, while other members of the LAG availed themselves of the offer and added some D33s and D26s to their gloat boxes.  (If Neb updates his blog… and if David H gets one started… you can see how they get on.  No pressure though fellas).

I have been working my way through doing various builds – and taking pictures of same to write up for the Magazine chiefly but also for here.  To date I have done most of my D26, both the D15s, one of the D33s and started on the D43.

Three D15s – my Shapeways print is in Grey primer and having built the two etched ones, I have revised it and uploaded the revision to my Shapeways Shop here.

The D26.  Since the picture was taken I have fitted the chassis to the body (or the other way around!) and done some of the brake gear (like put the hand brakes one).  Still have to sort the chimney over the grooms compartment.  Destined to be in LNWR Quick Brown (which most sources suggest was the coach plum with less varnish over it).

The first D33.  Since the picture, the chassis has been built and fitted.  Out of buffers again so progress stalled until I find the packet I am sure I have somewhere…

Friday Night Update - 29 April 2016 or Adventures in 3D Printing

Lots of people have embraced the development of 3D printing as a viable form of modelling - although there is an on-going debate in the LAG about its status regards kit v scratch built for the purposes of modelling competition categories.  Shapeways in particular has been a driver in making one off models economically viable, particularly for those who lack the skills or time to scratchbuild from more traditional media.

 

I was lucky enough to be asked at the end of 2013 if I would consider taking on a CAD Technology class at the High School were I normally teach History.  Despite the fact that it was 2 decades since I had last done tech drawing - at that was with a pencil rather than a computer - I said yes as I thought it would be an opportunity to learn the skills necessary to draw either for 3D printing or for 2D etching.

 

As it has turned out, I have been able to get some 3D stuff drawn and produced by Shapeways.  My LNWR D6 open is about to be re-done for a third time and my D15 Beer Van is going to get a second edit.  The biggest issue I have found however is the cost and time in getting a test print organised.  As Shapeways has a flat postage rate, getting a single print sent from either New York or Holland (not sure if they have anywhere else that they print from - these are the two places I've had stuff from) is an expensive business and takes up to a month from uploading the .stl file until the (oversized) box arrives.  Then if you find it didn't work as you thought (and I have had a couple of prints like that) it is back to the drawing board and try again.  Obviously with experience the first one tends not to be unusable these days but still...

 

Fortunately I have a long suffering wife and when the local Aldi supermarkets advertised a 3D printer as being on sale in one of their advance catalogues, I looked up the specs and decided that it was pretty good value for $500.  Further discussions resulted in me lining up outside the Aldi closest to work one morning back in February to purchase one (as it turned out, the blokes at work who use one more than I do had seen the same catalogue, done the same research and were there to get some for school!).  A few prints later and I was happy with what was coming out.  Whilst I don't think I will be able to print a wagon body, I am pleased to say that I have managed to get some very satisfactory prints for modelling purposes from it.

 

Pictures for the rest of the story:

 

The printer - not flash but it does the job.

 

 

One of the early prints was attempting to see if I could build a wheel house and engine room for this conversion of an ERTL Thomas The Tank Engine Bulstrode the Barge into a costal freighter.

 

In testing the limits of the printer, I designed these dockside bollards.  They are 3mm high with a diameter of 1.2mm on a 1mm thick base.  They did need a bit of cleaning up with a sharp scalpel afterwards but having printed 14 of them I am glad I didn't have to try and scratch build that many identical objects!

  

Something a little more ambitious - the full story will come at a later date but this is the Goods Shed at St Ablan's Abbey LNWR.  One of the reasons why I wanted a 3D printer was to do building better and this is the first attempt.  Very pleased with the result. 

 

 One of the LAG mad men (David H!) has a N6.5 railway on the back of his layout.  As part of this he thought a turntable would be suitable.  Enter some ideas and the first print was done before the end of the meeting.  Several tweaks later and the final print is shown and then installed on Toshalt.

Update

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry - at least that's the Sassenach translation of Robbie Burns' ode To a Mouse.  Like lots of clichéd lines, it has the benefit of truth behind it.  So it is with me.  Updating the blog didn't happen mostly because, well, lots of reasons, but as I tell my students, you always find time for what is important.  Guess updating wasn't for a while!  Still, it nags at me and I do get requests from time to time to "update your blog!  I want to see what you've been doing" so...

What have I been doing?  Lots but on the assumption it should be railway related, not as much as I'd like.  However, some of the things which I will write about over the coming weeks (having decided to get the Friday Night Update going again - I can do this in front of the TV), include the build of an LMS D1817 Beer van, a LNWR D15 Beer van (both my 3D print and an etch organised via the 2mm Scale Association) and my adventures in 3D printing courtesy of my Aldi Printer.  There is also the final round of pictures of my Nuclear Flask Loading Facility Diorama which I did for the LAG Diorama Challenge last year - although Neb Noswal has stolen my thunder a bit by actually putting it on his blog on the day we did it!  The benefits of organisation.

 

Further adventures are planned - I got the whole sheet of LNWR etches offered last year so I have a number of builds to do - 6x D33, a D43, a D13, a D26, a pair each of D16 and D17 brake vans and then some NPCCS items - a pair of horse boxes and a CCT.  To round out the LNWR stuff there has been some deliveries from Shapeways of Chris Higgs' designs which will require chassis - and have given me food for thought in tweaking my own designs.  I also partook in the LNWR Coal Tank subscription so 4 of those are going to be erected in due course.  Not sure if I'll do them individually or as a batch production.  And finally there is news on the Layout Front.

 

I am also looking forward to attending the 2mm Supermeet near Burton-on-Trent in late June.

 

So that's the news - first Friday night update tomorrow, with photos (although to be honest, I am pretty slack at taking photos as part of the build process - too busy doing the next bit).

Update

Sorry for the tardiness of recent months.  The long running renovation of my house finally came to an end about 6 weeks ago – officially just after the September LAG meeting (which we had here anyway) and just before the postponed 2nd Australasian Gathering (which I thought was very successful – most participants went home with an almost built model).  Since then we have been moving back in and getting things like the kitchen and bedrooms sorted.  Computers and IT devices, haven’t been high on the list but eventually got to the top.

 

So what has been happening?  Quite a bit.  As alluded to above, the 2nd Australasian Gathering of the 2mm Scale Association was held, albeit in September rather than August as originally planned.  This meant some of those who originally were hoping to come couldn’t but we did manage to get a UK based member here to quite pleased.  We focused our efforts on soldering this year – something a bit more practical than the meet and greet from last year – and started (or in one case almost finished) a D1817 LMS Beer van.  More on both of these will appear in the Magazine in due course and here on the blog.  We even had the opportunity to operate locos – and not just on David H’s Toshalt which had previously been lauded for breaking the drought of many years.

 

As far as the LAG has gone, we are back meeting at my place following 8 moths of visiting.  Amity has very kindly allowed us to use her 36sq mtr craft room in lieu of the shed – still stuff to come out of the shed and there is better light and insulation in her “Girl Cave” compared to my “Man Cave”.   Hopefully by December we will see a couple of the started “Diorama in an Archive Box” challenge entries finished – must get stuck into mine.

 

Sorry no pictures – hopefully the camera will be sorted shortly and there will be further updates of happenings then.

South East Queensland Area Group Meeting – 8 August 2015

Back to David’s this month (and hopefully back at my place next month with the building finished although possibly in the inside Craft Room rather than the outside Train Shed depending on how much has been removed from said shed!) to find that a) he has a new kitchen and b) his 2mm plank has grown quite a bit – it has doubled!

 

Toshalt (at least it has a name to go with its growth spurt) has managed to go from being two 900mm boards to being close on 4000 when set up.  David assures me he is going to do something about his own blog but the aforementioned kitchen and painting the dining room and some four letter word (work!!) were mentioned for the delay.

 

In any case Toshalt can now have a train arrive and depart having had the locomotive run around. This means David has four working turnouts – none of which are the same as the others!  However the key is they work so it doesn’t matter about their providence. 

 

Other adventures on the day consisted of the continuation of the GWR Milk Brake from Etched Pixels and some N Gauge Society kits along with me finding out that once again having taken DCC equipped beasties to run on a DCC layout, they didn’t.  So time spent trouble shooting those.  We also found out about LNER Coaches No 1951 and 1952 – they are in Wisconsin with Number 60008 it turns out.  The things which an idle flick through a magazine which is near on 70 years old will prompt. 

 

 

Three pictures of Toshalt.  Whilst it is only basic – straight through from traverser to traverser with a platform, run around area which allows a goods shed and dairy to be served along with a narrow gauge exchange siding – it is shaping up to be a nice little model.  Must stop painting my house and do something about mine!

South East Queensland Area Group Meeting – 11 July 2015

Once again – a couple of days late!  Must do better.

This month we went back to Graeme’s and had another look at Thornbury.  Only 5 of us this time so a bit more room to spread out and get on with various projects. 

 

I didn’t take pictures of what we were generally doing but Ben was making lamps for Sturminister – I assume pictures will be on his blog in due course.  Greg was building some kits, I was putting transfers on Tar Wagons – more of which in a forthcoming 2mm Magazine once I finish writing it up and get Amity to take some decent photos.

 

David brought along his second operating layout in almost as many months…  In actual fact it is a bit of a group effort and is merely a running in circle of 2mm soldered track – every 4th sleeper appears with the rest missed out.  It hasn’t a name because it isn’t really a layout but we are considering calling it Down Under MSW in homage to the well known circle Over There although ours is a pair of rectangular boards 1200x600.

Lastly we rounded up the new Jinties everyone seems to be buying here – 8 in attendance chiefly owing to word getting out that the LMS ones were around 20 quid cheaper than the pre-order on BR ones.  Cue much purchasing with 4 members getting LMS ones in the next fortnight from the news.  Mine are destined to be come BR with the remaining 7524’s getting renumbered in LMS condition – possibly all in the 752x range!

 

With 8 there we had to take a photo – sorry for the far end one being out of focus!  From Left to Right – SDJR 23, LMS, LMS, Beginning BR, BR, LMS, LMS and LMS.

Finally – some more photos of Thornbury, simply because it is such a nice layout:

Soldering Track – or what I did on my school holidays.

I have been trying, over the past week and a half, to get enthused about Swallow’s End, my embryonic 2mm shunting plank.  The biggest hurdle has been finding time – and the second has been dealing with the procrastination streak I have running during daylight hours, owing to it being school holidays (hence having time – sort of) and the kids all being home too.  Couple this with not being at “home” as such (renovations going ok but I’d be happier if they were going better) and you can see why I get bogged down.  Evenings are different – more of which later – but I need the space and that means outdoors and daylight hours.

Today was a bit different.  I had help.  And whilst “help” when you have five kids, the eldest being 9, can be a very subjective term I was pleased that Hollie (who rated a mention in the Toowoomba Train Show post)  was interested in building soldered track and was quite good at it.  She even (shock horror) listened to instructions and didn’t argue!!! 

Anyway, as my students at school are wont of saying, pictures or it didn’t happen so:

All in all, two 60’ lengths in a couple of hours, all on chair plates (Versaline for those playing at home).  No burnt fingers and no frayed tempers either.  Apparently she is now allowed her own soldering iron…

Hopefully more track down on Friday.  Not going to make it to the LAG meeting with a working plank on Saturday however.  Still issues with getting the points to work – and time.  Maybe tomorrow afternoon.

A(nother) House in My Hand

Last year I wrote about the Kickstarter project by Andy Vaughan here.  This was followed up with my progress with the sheds here in February.  Since then, other UFO projects have managed to get in the way but I started on the Semi-detached House kits (see here for the picture on Andy’s website) a few weeks ago.  Progress has been slow but today I managed to get to this:

Now the quick and astute will notice that it looks more like a Terrace than the picture on Andy’s website.  This is because on looking at the dimensions, I felt that the two houses were a bit small to be as described but I also felt that with a few of them, they would make a pretty good terrace of two up, two down workers houses.  And so it has proven. 

As one of the Kickstarters, I was able to get a few of them at the time – so I got 8 of these.  The fifth is at the back of the four, and a sixth has made it to a similar stage to the fifth.  I fitted the roofs to the four today (this is the front by the way) and will get onto putting the extra detail which wasn’t included in the kit – guttering, down pipes and so forth over the next few days.  As I presently don’t have access to the layout to see how they are going for length, I won’t be adding to it at this stage but I expect 7 or the whole 8 will probably be needed.