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Andy Cundick

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Posts posted by Andy Cundick

  1. The thing with using the Mainly trains chassis is that you have all the bits and instructions which if its your first chassis will simplify things.Alan Gibson did do the frames even though they are not in there current list however bear in mind that what you get is just that a pair of frames with cutouts for hornblocks,Two tools i would suggest you acquire is an 1/8th reamer and the GW Models wheel quartering jig (makes quartering simple).Andy.

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  2. My E Class (thats the MGW one no the NER one),was built from the TMD kit now done by SSM,i don't know how much it has changed but the (about 35 yrs ago) it came with 2 chassis neither of which i was very impressed with,the fact that Gibson does the frames indicates i wasn't the only one.If you are thinking of doing a 21mm gauge one,i would suggest the best plan would be to use the Mainly  trains J72 chassis with longer axles and spacing washers.For the chassis and then have go at building your own body,its a nice simple one to do,brass tube for the boiler and next size up for the smokebox.There are drawings for the loco in Model Railways Oct 1976.For cabsides/tanks the trick is to sweat two bits of brass together then using PVA glue stick the plan onto the brass and cutout round out round it once done unsolder the two sheets and there you are both sides done at once.The trick with scratchbuilding is not to focus on the whole thing but just on the bit you're doing ie footplate that way its less daunting.Why brass and soldering? because i when you cock it up a touch of the iron and you can have another go,try that with plastic.If you do go down that route i've got the original pattern smokebox and chimney you can have which came with the kit as did 552 in the 30s so they're surplus to requirements.Andy.

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  3. Just checked my Cavan albums and come up with 3.As my computer skills are not up to this picture sending lark i'll have to print them up and send them by post,however the details are very simple,the whole van including ends are alli clad with single swage line halfway up the body this includes the side doors,hope this helps Andy.

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  4. Bear in mind Wizard does the Mainly Trains replacement chassis kit for the J72,my one went together easily as did the conversion bits to a J71. My own Class E uses the frames from Alan Gibson as i didn't fancy either of the chassis that came with the kit.Andy

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  5. The thing to note regarding coaches is that the Southern filled in the door toplights which is how PECO depicted them, The thing that slows me up is the early livery which is to put it politely fiddly.Though saying that i've just finished three North British locos in pre great war livery ready for Expo EM in a week now that is over the top.As to the modelling an actual location lets just say it works for me.Andy. 

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  6. Hi Mark Yes The locos are all Backwoods in the early cab form,the coaches are all Worsley as Alan has done them in the original form,sadly the Peco and Langley ones are both in the Southern condition,still at least i can use the  PECO brakevans the first bit of ready to run i've bought in years.To be honest doing an actual location is easy someone has already done the planning for you and if its an interesting prototype it should come through in the model plus i find knowing what is needed in advance stock and that can be built first along with buildings etc and only then do you put saw to wood and by that stage what you have is kit of parts for the whole layout.The downside to this approach is the vast number of appealing prototypes which leads to multiple layouts,in my case 8 up and running and another 4 in the planning construction phase,Andy.

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  7. Nice to see someone else doing early L&B one of my current projects is Lynton in 1898 to scale(it works out at 12'x18"),currently got one  Manning finished and 6 coaches with enough little green boxes to do the other 2 and Lyn, Fortunately Worsley does etches for all 17 coaches in their original condition so i'm plodding my through them,its the livery that takes the time.still its a bit of challenge,Andy.

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  8. 3 hours ago, Angus said:

    Hi Andy, 

    I think most track plans suffer from that. It is easy to get a bit optimistic about what can fit with a pen and paper. Cyril Freezer's plans being a case in point! 

    I always flesh my plans out first in planning software such as Anyrail. This allows a lot of quick adjustment. 

    Once I've proven the concept and got the layout roughed out I move over to Templot. 

    Once in Templot it is surprising what can achieved using bespoke geometry to ease curves and create a more sinuous line. 

    My planning is a bit more basic comprising of a sheet of ply 3 foot steel rule and a pencil.Andy

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  9.  A point to watch with some of Ians designs is that when you go to build them you find everything is a bit on the tight side,many moons ago i built his "Etterick"  design but transplanted it to the Welsh borders as "Tallylyn Road"  and built to EM standars and ended up leaving out several features because there was not enough room.The basic concept was fine however and it saw many shows plus a feature in British Railway  Modelling,before age caught up with.Funnily enough i've just exhibited its successor which is a Scottish branch terminus.Lochty which was the terminus of the East Fife Central Railway operated by the North British.It was a line with great intentions but ran out of money and ended up finishing in field in the middle of nowhere.Post closure it was run for ten or so years as the Lochty Private Railway ,main rolling stock consisting of "Union of South Africa" and a Coronation observation coach,definitely a prototype for everything!.Andy 

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  10. Confused for  a minute ,i assume you mean Fosters of Lincoln,post great war their smokebox works plate incorporated a tank as they produced these during the war.one small point the flywheel is too far out it should be right next to the bearing bracket.Funnily enough i spent most of yesterday of at brother in laws sawing wood with their Marshall portable,Andy.

  11. On 4/3/2022 at 8:00 AM, Irishswissernie said:

    Its at Dingwall probably taken after the Dornoch branch closed. 2 16xx panniers 1646 & 1649 were transferred to Helmsdale to work the Dornoch branch which had very restricted weight/axle  loading after the last Highland Railway tank 55053 broke an axle and there was nothing else light enough to work the line. The 16xx tanks were almost new having been built in BR days.

    Back to Ireland now!

    CIE 1958-09-11 Galway station G2 654 

    The last 2 are at Castlefinn on the Donegal. CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 10.45 Stranorlar- Strabane 'Erne' (6)

    CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 11.10am Strabane-Killybegs (10)

    CIE 1958-09-11 Galway station G2 654 z102 CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 10.45 Stranorlar- Strabane 'Erne' (6) CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 11.10am Strabane-Killybegs (10)

     

    If its any help its Railcar 12,Andy.

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  12. The answer to that is no,the drawing is a Bruce Heaven drawing which has to treated with caution. 141 was rebuilt at Dundalk c1949/50 and so is a bit of a one off.The single brake levers pivot on the bottom of the frames If its any help i can sort you out some drawings of Donegal stock if its of any use.Andy.

  13. Basically 3 different types the 1893 Oldbbury stock has 8 shoe clasp brakes plus a single brake lever operating on one shoe only,then with the 1900 stock onwards 4 shoe brakes with 2 brake levers operating from the same end Cultras open 13 has this type, when you get to the Strabane and Letterkenny Hurst Nelson stock you have 8 shoe clasp brakes with the 2 brake levers at the same end.There are a few variations due to rebuilding etc,but that is the basics.If you havn't got it Roger Crumbleholmes "County Donegal Companion"is very useful.Andy.

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  14. Couple of suggestions,first back to back needs to be checked, then put on a proper flat surface, plate glass or something and make sure all the wheels are sitting on the deck,then check that the central axle can float up and down in relation to the outer pair and that no brake gear etc foul the central wheel.When i've built my own 6 wheel chassis i had it with one end with a fixed axle the other on a rocking axle with the central axle free to move up and down in a set of slotted axle guards with a certain amount of lateral movement.hope this helps Andy. 

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  15. My mother in law had a 1932 Ford Eight which she ran up until 1968,when she brought a  1962 Lwb Land Rover,the Land Rover is still used by me daily as well as transporting layouts including a trip to Cultra,as for the Ford its still on the road being used by brother in law. Not a length of service i would expect from a modern vehicle..Andy.

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