David Holman

Fascinating! Many thanks Ken and others. The quality of 3D printing has certainly improved massively in the last couple of years. Will look forward to seeing how these wagons progress.

The wagons look great, Ken. How long does each one take to print? Not sure it would be practical to resin cast sides and ends for open structures like these, so certainly the way to go. However, just for comparison, a set of resin castings for a van take about 30-40 minutes to set, with about another half hour to assemble into a box, so am wondering if I need to consider changing to 3D printing any time soon?

Well, if the bodywork was a bit of a challenge, the cab roof was a decided pain in the fundament. It is a single etching, which needs forming over the outline of the front, side and rear of the cab. Easier said than done - not because there was anything wrong with the etch, rather that no matter how accurate it was, errors in construction easily result in gaps or short comings. In my case, I can only think that the tabs and slots used for the bodywork didn't quite line up because there was a bit of leeway in their fitting - hence the one piece cab front/roof/end didn't sit right and not only was there a gap between it and the firebox top, but side tanks didn't mate up with the etched outline on the cab front. So, what to do..? In my case, I decided to solder a new fillet to the inside of the cab front, then carefully file it to match the profile of the firebox top. I ground off the etched sections which are supposed to line up with the water tanks and similarly ground off the beading on the cab front, around the firebox top. With hindsight, a better idea for the kit would have been to provide this beading as a separate curved etch, so it could be used to cover any small gaps between the two. I will now need to fashion something similar from brass strip. Curving the whole section and then soldering it in place took me the best part of four sessions. However, 'tis now done and hopefully careful application of filler and sanding back will ensure the final coats of paint hide any blemishes. Meanwhile, this morning an interesting parcel finally arrived, in the shape of a 12 inch pizza box. Inside was my order for a new turntable from Kitwood Models. It's been a while since I first asked for it, but what seems to happen is that Kitwood wait for a certain number of orders to accumulate, before embarking on production - in this case a run of sixty or so. The box contains a wealth of laser cut timber parts, along with an electric motor, necessary gears and plunger pick ups, brass wheels, etc. The kit is actually sold for American [or Australian] outline 0n3 scale, but hopefully, with a few cosmetic additions, I can make it look the part for 36.75mm gauge. Indeed, it may just take precedence over the F6 for a while...

Well done for including this often ignored, but essential feature. Fiddly, even in 7mm scale, I was very glad to find the SLNCR often boarded over their rodding runs at stations.

Me three, also in 7mm. The aim is to do it in plastic sheet/strip, with whitemetal fittings. Only need one or two, so not thinking resin casting with it.

Indeed and Patrick's layout shows how well good presentation works on large layouts too; also why pictures need frames.

Not difficult to see why this scale/gauge combination is so attractive.

Last time, I was wittering on about doing the presentation aspects of the layout, but thinking about it, decided it could probably wait, not least because DIY supplies are getting expensive at the moment, particularly wood and board, so prices are going up too. Hence, attention has turned to the F6 kit instead. I'm still waiting for extra components for the chassis, so in a break from my usual practice have started with the loco body. As with other Alphagraphix kits, this one is well thought out, with instructions that indicate whoever wrote them, actually built the kit as well - not always the case in my experience with other manufacturers! However, the curved footplate, cab, bunker and tanks mean this is not an easy kit to make, especially compared to the J26. The footplate is very fragile until the tanks, bunker and [especially] the cab splashers are soldered in place, so there was a fair bit of muttering and grumbling while it was all coming together - not unlike Galteemore's experience on his model I suspect. Fingers crossed, it is all sitting nice and square, but such things can still come back to bite you as other parts are added. Must admit the firebox is a curious affair, with the front end etched as though it had been cut with pinking shears. The triangular bits are bent inwards and filled with solder, before filing flat, so until the boiler is made up, I've no idea how this works out. Equally, Roger's stuff has always worked out before, so watch this space...

Tasty. I believe there is even a working overhead crane available too, for sufficient funds!

Got to be pleased with that!

TWO Irish articles in the latest Model Railway Journal. First on a model of Dromod station building, plus another on West/South Clare locos in both 4mm and 6mm scale. Given MRJ never normally goes outside Britain, this is quite a departure, but then the editor this time is Iain Rice, who for me always has something interesting to share.

Now that is rather nice.

Jools Holland, often seen at exhibitions in a previous age.

Just goes to show that there is always room for a model railway and like here, less is more.

For me this is a good design, because the loco will always be on scene while shunting. There are examples like this, but the other way round, where the loco is almost always out of sight!

Speaking of Bishops Castle, Lydham Heath was the junction in the middle of the line, where it reversed - very Irish, of course. Track layout was just the loop, plus a siding at the end of the run round and the junction point just beyond the platform. Hence a bit of operating interest, as all trains reversed. Barry Norman did a fabulous rendition of it in S scale. To do it justice, battery power would be needed as the weeds were famously knee high at times. However, nobody has mentioned Valencia Harbour yet. Just the loop, with a single siding. Am sure Andy will eventually.

Just spent an enjoyable half hour flicking through posts right from the start. Really interesting to see how the layout has developed. There's a lot to be said for American layout design features if you have the space, while many exhibition layouts are not presented this well either.

Shades of Steve Fletcher, horologist in The Repair Shop - find precision work like this just fascinating.

Long time no see, but very evocative.

Much faffing about this week, to little visual effect, though hopefully it will have some impact on eventual operation. Belmullet has a provisional invite to this year's Uckfield show in October [though of course nothing is certain yet], so decided it was time to start sorting out presentation and operational aspects of the layout, in the hope that the show will indeed go ahead this time. So, first up, some planning. Belmullet was originally conceived to be front operated, like Fintonagh, but it now seems prudent to move operation to the rear at shows, in order to put a bit of distance to Joe Public. The downside of this is that the train driver will be mostly standing up, though the upside is that [at a pinch], one person could operate the layout on their own, albeit two will be best - one to drive the trains and one to man the fiddle yard and talk to visitors. A compromise to all this is that it will be difficult to fully enclose the scenic section, as the driver/operator will need to see over the back scene, so layout height will likewise need to be lower than planned too. While I'm sure there are alternatives, including using cameras or mirrors, the fact is, I aint no techie - indeed, when I go into a computer store these days, not only do I have no idea what much of the stuff on sale is for, I don't really care either! Perhaps I should, but electrickery holds little interest for me - I'd rather be making stuff. Enabling rear operation has involved duplicating the controls: Baseboard 1 [station end], has the controller socket, plus three 'push to make' switches to operate the uncoupling magnets. Fairly easy to do, as the wiring all goes to/from tag strips, while [unusually for me], I'd even labelled things too. The middle board doesn't have any controls, but Baseboard 3 has the turntable crank, plus three section switches for the loco shed area. The latter were sorted as per BB1; the turntable was adapted by adding an extension & bracket to the other side, along with a hole in the frames for the crank handle. The photos hopefully give an idea of what is going on underneath the baseboards, including one of the Megapoints servo control boards. I've also included photos of the control panel itself - the one of the inside shows the vast amount of wires used, with triple servo leads linking everything to the mother board. The clever bit with the Megapoints system is that just a single [three wire] servo lead links the panel to the layout, with an additional couple of wires taking power from the transformer. No soldering either, it's all 'plug and play'. The final photo shows my latest acquisition, an Alpagraphix kit for an F6 2-4-2T. The idea is to build it in original guise, with a 'waisted' smokebox and oven type doors. Looks like I'll need to turn up a new chimney for it too, among other things, though this is not a priority at the moment as the presentation of the layout needs to come first.

Lovely stuff, which is what Eoin does. Beautifully built with fine paint jobs too.

Amazing to think, that in 2mmFS, one of these vans is a fraction over an inch long. The 5p coin is going to look quite big in comparison! Meanwhile, I continue to be astonished at what is out there. 2mm scale, 3D printed GSWR vans - who'd have thought it?

Same page, Angus! No 108, with the DSER van in the top picture and the GSWR one in the lower. Don't worry, I didn't notice it either...

Managed to find enough parts in my stores to build a new wagon this week, the subject being one of those dinky short vans that both the DSER and GS&WR ran. There are nice pictures in Rails to Achill showing one of each. Just 13'6 long, there appears to be many similarities between the two types and just a few detail differences. I've ended up doing the DSER one on the grounds that if it could make it to Achill, it could also reach Belmullet. An interesting plus point of vans like this is that being less only 10cm long, compared to over 15cm for say, an H type van, you can get nine of them v 6 H types in the same space. Construction is the usual Plastikard bodywork, with white metal fittings for W-irons, brakes, buffers etc, while lettering is my usual white ink & a dipping pen. The photos are a small homage to the Achill Island photos. Other work this week has involved necessary chores on the baseboards. Track power on the turntable has become intermittent, but managed to trace the problem to a loose lead, so that was an easy fix. However, more taxing has been getting all the control panel lights to be the right way round. LEDs show both which way the points are set and whether the signals are at clear or danger. The Megapoints system is seriously clever, but I often end up thinking I should have gone for something simpler. Each 'command' circuit board under the layout operates four servos and can be programmed to do certain things, like the amount of travel each servo makes, plus direction and even a degree of signal bounce. There are four push buttons on each board, so a sequence of these gives the desired effect. However, whether its just me or not, getting it all right has proved challenging, though it is hopefully now sorted. I've also decided that it will be prudent to be able to operate the layout from the rear, as well as the front, so have been doubling up the section switches on the loco shed. The push buttons for the uncoupling magnets and the controller socket also need the same treatment.

Another Eoin special, which now begs the question - what's next? Love seeing these projects unfold.