Robert Shrives

To lovely to paint ! Thanks for showing build . I hope you have good fun running it on layout.

I have to agree with Mayner on the volumes of active folk in 21mm and thoughts of issues with trying to provide more than modelling aids - if rtr provides the opportunity then that is the best that can be hoped for in the foresseable future. An increase will be provided if trackage is reasonably easy to provide a working system - even if not every esoteric formation is made. 3D resin printing could indeed help with production but as I have said before it makes it no cheaper just different. Long may the 21 mm band grow and continue to showcase all that is best for the hobby.

Lovely work and contrary to the muse that gentle curves add realism- when the prototype laid out with a human Mk1 eyeball as straight as this it works very well. I am looking forward to the day when power is on. Keep up the good work!

FWIW I have asked Paul martin at Edm trains for a 21mm gauge back to back set - 19.3 mm to see what he can make - current guess was aruond £15 mark.. just now on Rm web asked Wayne Kinney about 21mm gauge point bases for code 75 BH rail. His new and almost ready to go to market is based on a 3d printed flexible resin base with chairs printed - user has to put in rails but as in his N gauge models almost shake the box technology and worth watching. Using with C&L parts to make on plain track 21mm is much nearer. Wayne could perhaps produce trackbases in 21mm by same take and so the user just has to thread rail - an as long as not building all of Mayos lines or a scale length Belfast - Dublin line not three onerous . two pics of N points from a few years ago before blades filed to shape The N version has a cast frog/ crossing nose for ease of building. It is sat on a natty paxolin jig for filing and cutting blades and joining on to a tiebar. The OO / 4mm version looks to have a moulded tiebar. Lets hope Wayne will be able to bring to market 21mm turnouts and perhaps more complex arrangements later. Robert

Very topical scenery as well ! that does look a lovely model and nice to the stabaliser rails for units to lean on as well! Robert

Not too offtopic is to look at what Wayne at Finescale N has done with milled plastic bases https://www.britishfinescale.com/. They are not quite shake the box as a bit of filing and soldering required. "blowing up "to a 21 mm base and using C&L glueable chairs, rail and crossing components would offer a road forward. But still not an answer to those diffident with traditional skills of soldering and filing. Robert

Si 2020, Yes aware of cost levels from another avenue for tooling works involved in other projects in model railway land. Hence why a lottery win essential . How to make a fortune in football - start off with a big fortune ! Robert

Hi Thanks , I think making a half track gauge is important to get spacing right as it is the glue- mekpak has helped weld "key" into rail web so it is quite strong as is with only a few loose sleepers. Given EM soc funded some track development for their members I wonder if IRM had the time- and money of course to get peco excited in the future for a 21mm bullhead range or perhaps a flat bottom light weight range. I guess a lottery win would help at this time!

two more pics , chairs were 4CH101A coded - 3 bolt chairs and I got a pack of 250. I would have thought a point kit https://www.clfinescale.co.uk/online-store/4PK-POINT-KITS-ALL-SIZES-4-MM-SELECT-FROM-OO-EM-P4-p128200474, would be suitable for adaption but certainly worth correspondence with C&L - I think a lot of folk buy a kit to try and then just the crossing nose as a made up section and do all the rest themselves. and the tiddly small chairs and a couple of ply sleepers in close up

Hi Just dug out my efforts on a trial bit of 21mm At a Derby Roundhouse show a few years back I was able to chat with the boss of C&L who noted no point in 21mm gauges as market far to small but why not get p4 gauges and use washers - so that is what I did, along with rails ,sleepers chairs I have built a 60 foot panel. So I bought: added washers or added rail chairs and ended up with Make a good PW inspector shut the job I am sure but with out making a track jig it proved very easy to get this far - ok points and that sort of thing a step up. But I was imagineeering a diorama with 21 mm track in foreground and perhaps a bufferstop and then 16.5 behind at a lower level - so the eye reads wide track and carries over to the rear stock being photoed . Hope this encourages.

1m 16sec of time travel to a better time ! The farmer is proud of his new tractor - seen several times now and lovely shine even in winter with the loaded beets. thanks for sharing this slice of a past era. The 121 at home now an looks the part. Robert

Hi No harm and thanks for time to reply with standards - it is a similar exercising of minds in the 3mm Society a broad church with 12 - 14.2 and a little 15mm for Irish prototypes , with 12mm have three standards active... I think it is good to see folk discussing and moving toward 21 as it reflects the upping of the rolling stock available. I think I might struggle rewheeling a lima bogie from "narrow" with a good number of MK2bs repainted a bridge too far for me. cheers Robert.

Mayer had said back in per a snip from link above Posted September 25, 2018 (edited) I thought it would be useful to apply the EMGS standard to Irish 5'3" gauge to help people weight up the pros and cons of modelling in 21mm gauge and to make an objective comparison between working to P4 or to EM/OO fine wheel and treads .... Interestingly I had no problems running locos and stock with EM/OO finescale wheels set at 19.5mm back to back through the pointwork on the Loughrea layout, though it was necessary to reduce the back to backs on wagons fitted with older wheels with a coarser profile to 19.3mm which correlates with the EM standard. hope that helps Robert

Back to larger trucks. The UTA spoils got a look over and while thinking about drilling the holes I found I was drilling them - seemed zillions but done and then a bit of cutting and glueing and 40 buffers were done. The pics show 6 hours work. lots to do as to this phase bound to be quicker than adding all the bracing and brakes - 80 shoe castings to sort and drill, mount - joy! A big thank you to Leslie at PW for these little wonders . Showing the sharp flash free front faces, handrails , foot bars and chains to add... close up of buffers and the design with offset onesided shute . The under hopper void is home to a brake cylinder and a forest of supports . and looking the other way. Now for a piece of festive cake..

Very lucky the only cuts were behind the front pillars and shortening the roof . The natural panel lines helped in cuts and filing - managed to cut green roof 1mm short so a spot of filler required. For anybody else on this road - if you take care and cut the front off but leave a good section of the floor by not cutting straight across you get a "landing" for the chassis to screw too. The other totally selfinflicted error was I got one side wrong handed and had to cut about and start again. This has left oneside weaker than it need to be.. a real case of haste and speed. At least the metal roof and end adds to weight. Off to try a bit of filler.

Yes Where I was going but then spotted 547s black end which seemed a godsend!

One bit of good news is that Peters spares have wheels back in stock - 10.5 wagon wheels for SSM bogies coded PS33 and are lovely items . Also the PS34 coach wheels with lima axle length back in stock and give a super drop in wheel replacement. Peter emailed on Crimbo eve so orders in straightaway, just before putting sprouts on ! Bang goes the overtime from the Crimbo eve shift worked..12 hour railway shambles at its best !!

A bit late joining but great work and I also had bits of pacer body lounging about . However the efe leyland national metal body provided the donnor ends and roof, along with the pod cut out of the roof. I fitted a plasticard back to the metal end allowing a plasticard box to be formed but used the Loctite "Extreme glue" branded glue - seems a flexible gel supper glue as well. Phots show the "progress" so far - amazing what you can do getting sprouts on early !! Needless to say not neat as Dhu Varrens, some filler required and the roofs not a perfect fit- more haste less speed sadly. Chassis - well have to think about that and have chopped up the bus seats to make a rough inside. Cab pics seem to suggest the Leyland windows kept out the draught and driver had an inner desk and screen inside the curved end sections. Pics are massive enlargements and show misalignements but in the "flesh" as long as you shut your eyes and look the other way pass muster - a bit of a 5/10 must try harder - but lets see what a dose of filler can tidy away.

NIR 903, glazed with the vacc formed Eastern finecast units - not totally convinced so any body got contacts for getting lazer cut ones? The ends- a small conundrum. I have seen a pic of 547 nee M1800 with black ends in the Intercity stripe livery - I guess a hang over from BR import. Did the other coaches follow suit ? The Lima detail in ends stops getting a flush fit transfer - loads of microsol and it is only average - I can scrape off end details of course and add hadnrails - you know proper modelling but being the impatient soul I was wondering if the black paint brush would give a work around. Needless to say even searching "Belfast CSD" in flikr has only found later timeframe pics , coach searches show lovely train shots but not enough to say 903 got black ends. Also Kadee straightened. little project used to hold up coach !

Tease ! enjoy the festives.

Have to say I thought the same but some hyperactive Elves on overtime or something at Hattons... and postie with wings ! delivered yesterday 124 and 132 . Fully intact and in a stout box with 3 km of bubble wrap ! Contents checked and nothing amiss all vac pipes, handrails, horns intact and a little bag of add ons. Comments and thanks sent to Hattons for pulling out all the stops. I will thank postie crew when seeing them next but they take a big bow at this time of system overload. Will save for 25th to show willing . Robert

Yes indeed. The work of a small business Pop up designs and the son of -for the 3D print of Rogart box. Pop up do a range of tourist items that are slot together lazer cut ply and are based near to Inverness. - well worth a look https://www.popupdesigns.co.uk/ While not in the super detail lazer cut models these are a fraction of the price and are a fun build and paint well. May well have some crossover for Irish layouts . The layout they are on is a simple 4 foot by 2 foot affair - extended test track I suppose but a picture of it at Warley club has attracted offers! Robert

3D print from Shapeways with Parkside Dundas underframe, farish wheels and dapol NEM coupler mounts and coupler . added walkways, ladders fillercap and a fanciful representation of the pipework on the deck with brass wire for vac pipes. Transfers and grot required. The rough nature of the prints could be thought to match overspill but they pass the 2 foot rule if viewer looks the otherway with pint in hand.

A quick look shows Railtec do N gauge / 2mm scale black CIE roundels suitable for the bubbles - anybody got 12 going spare ? Robert

As an N gauge CIE aside just wheel and painted 6 N gauge cement bubbles ! very small compared to the 4mm brothers. will try to take a pic later.