murrayec

So then after a number of outings with the baseboard I've decided the wires for the jigsaw plug-in track parts is just to fiddly, we need an upgrade- no wires at all! The solution I came up with is sprung loaded PCB board contacts fixed into the routed slot that was made for the wires, with copper contact tape to the underside of the jigsaw boards..... This is the underside of the jigsaw board with contact tape installed and wires to the tracks soldered on. The contact BCB board, brass dome head nails to be soldered in and ends snipped off, the mounting screws and the little springs wound from guitar strings. The PCB boards mounted in the slot and wired up. Close up, the heads of the brass nails are just above the slot and the springs allow movement down when the insert board is screwed down. It works. Now just another 14 to go....... Eoin

After the parts were machined and cut from the sheet I started to process the bits;- First the outer frames were stamp with a few rivets, unfortunately the scale spacing of the rivets does not fit the tool correctly so the previously stamped rivet gets a bit squidged when stamping the next one, but I carried on! They still look pretty Then the slots which were chain drilled .5mm in the machine, were opened up and sized for the tabbed parts. All slots done but still a bit of fettling required to fit the chassis together. It's now I remembered that because of the outside frames I have to use horn blocks to install the axles as the outer frame obstructs the access to thread the axle through if one were to use bush bearings!! I did engrave lines on the inner frames for this- a bit more cutting required. More parts to process. Just if your wondering how I opened up the .5mm slots- first I cut through the chain drilling with the piercing saw, using the saw like a file the rough edges were removed, then with a modified .5mm thick diamond coated nail file cut and ground down to a width of 2mm, which is the size of the smallest slot, I used it to clean up the slots to size. The file does loose its grit over time but I got through this work OK and next time I will give it a bit of a grind beforehand..... Soldering next I think. Eoin

Hi Peter I do repairs, is it an Gauge N GF 185 and do you know how many tooths are on that gear? I have some gears in stock- if I don't have that one we will have to try and order it!! The old type intermediate bogie GF gears all split over time- so it may need a few to be changed! I'm in Bray on Sunday at the Train & Model Fair if you want to drop out 10.30 to 1.30 or pm me to arrange if you want. Eoin

It's like David says The porch roof looks like a lead or copper sheeted roof, the up-stands along the front eaves- is the detail one uses to join the sheets! the roof falls to the rear against the station building wall which would have a gutter or flat surface laid at a fall towards the rain water pipe, this gutter discharges into a hopper just below the roof covering and fixed to the fascia then through the double bends and down to ground. The rain water pipe from the roof above discharges onto the porch roof and carried from there into the hopper. To do this detail correctly one should carry the roof finish- ie; a lead flashing , up the station wall approx 150mm scale height above the porch roof to weather the station wall and form the back of the porch roof gutter. Eoin

Spray paint the rails with a mat rust colour before ballasting, while the paint is wet rub down the top of rails with the edge of a block of MDF- a-la BaseboardDave technique. If the paint dries wrap some wetted wet-n-dry fine sand paper around the MDF block and rub down. Graphite as well as being a conductor is also a lubricant- one may have traction problems with this one, but sure if it doesn't work, out with the eraser! Eoin

I don't like this stuff, it's TV- people & personalities for voyeurism- TV! But as Garfield says it promotes railway modelling and that is a good thing..... Eoin

Studio Scale Models do a brass etch phone box kit;- http://www.studio-scale-models.com/Scenics.shtml

https://www.google.com/search?q=old+irish+phone+box&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=ACYBGNQFpWAHswsU6kKUdzpRGDgbHFo32A:1572732743564&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=OhuA1BrEu4IaiM%3A%2Cvl67x6fI0vBxoM%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kT3EJwXiQ9UO2BA1_C8QNzRCMPNig&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwisz4aExszlAhWDr3EKHf9FBWwQ9QEwAHoECAcQHA#imgrc=OhuA1BrEu4IaiM:

A bit of cream n green and it will be grand! Eoin

Hi Guys Yes Broithe is correct time is a major problem, but more of a concern is my DARTs are a fine detailed model and would not be suitable for child play and are expensive! On the other hand- I am developing a timber toy DART, one that runs on a timber track available in toy shops and Lidl (which is in their stores now), this DART would be more suitable for child play, but the problem again is time. This is where I am at, rolling chassis and currently working out the body curves and pantograph;- Eoin

The date for the next Fair;-

@Broithe Now that's a big circuit breaker! Eoin

I made an aluminium side casing for a BSA motorbike restoration a long time ago, we made it from Coke & 7up cans cast into a home made oil sand mould in a metal bucket, using a styrene-foam master which burned out as the metal was poured in, it worked but boy did we need a lot of cans! the casing has lasted for a long time.... Eoin

Here is something we generally only see on those old Hornby clockwork loco wheels 'Zink Pest' This is the first time I've seen it on a more modern die cast model, a Bachmann Hong Kong made American thingy.... The chassis expanded to the point that the plastic body had no choice but to split and give more room for the expanding chassis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_pest Eoin

and more tools;- Roxey Mouldings do a nice set of nut spinners 16BA to 8BA with a nicely machined brass handle, I made the other aluminium handles. The heads do need to be screwed on tightly or use thread lock as when unscrewing a nut or bolt the head has a tendency to unscrew itself! nail varnish would work also- I see David doesn't like pink so how about blue with metal flake! The Expo Tools spinners are a pain- the socket is to deep and those little 16 & 14 BA nuts get lost in there- do get the Expo BA spanners though. The tool to the left is an allen key for Slater wheels, a tuned up stick of aluminium with a cut off key forced in the end and Loctited, with the cross bar one can get the right torque and the screw taper locks- the problem with the 'L' allen is it twists n bends and most people give in before the taper locks! Eoin

Hi Guys Use a broach to widen out a hole, if one is careful and work it from both sides the hole will stay on centre, a reamer is for setting a specific size hole and is designed to cut a very small amount of metal after one has drilled a hole very close to the required size- if you force a reamer it will break or damage one cutting edge which will give an incorrect size when used later! Eoin

Excellent Ken Sure their would have been sparks flying around that anyway! Eoin

Well that was a very enjoyable 3 day show, I have to say a big thanks to all the chaps that made it possible with their hard work and organisation- well done. And thanks to all who came over to the DARTs and said hello, brilliant to meet and chat with everyone. Every day on the way to food and stuff I passed Ardmore, by the MRSI chaps, I'd snap a look and then run off! Today I got to spend some time there chatting with Brendan, George & Harry and took a few photos of their amazing creations;- Lovely stuff... Also well done to all the layout exhibitors who made the show and the traders who brought goodies to buy- I have a few cattle wagons to build and books to read. Cant wait for the next one Eoin

@Broithe can we make suggestions?...... Choose your date by their track laying skills, choose your date for their ability to render and install a realistic back-scene, or their calm control of the knobs in a rear shunting situation!..... What do you think, what do you think? can I have a job|? Eoin

I have one of the 'coupling couples' for the back seat of a DART! though the mecha is large and have not worked out how to get it in yet. Eoin

I have been hacking away on the Hibernia Loco build which featured way back in my 'murrayec projects' in the Workbench area, I have decided to carry on showing the build here. If you want some background info on the project here is a link;- So after building the test plastic-card chassis I made a few adjustments to the drawings and then sat on the project due to the workload back then. A couple of months ago I started back at it and set up drawings to mill the parts from .5mm & .25mm brass sheet to build a brass test chassis and other components which will be needed to test fit out and to use to make moulds for white metal castings. I have also set-up a brass tube boiler and machined up a firebox former from 30mm dia nylon bar, again when the fitting is done on the firebox the former will be used for moulding the final unit. The boiler will be worked out when the motor and gearbox are installed. That's the fire hole in the back, the lower section is the ash-pan and the side cut will hopefully allow the chassis by! Last week the milling started on the chassis parts, cylinder base & heads, valve gear, bellcranks, and the nameplates in the .5mm brass;- This chassis has inside and outside frames, with the slot & tab frame stretcher construction I reckon .5mm will be plenty strong? Bellcranks are half depth milled to give the cast iron look, and in the footplate stretcher one can see the .5mm dia chain drilled holes to be opened up into slots for construction- the chassis frame tabs will stick up through these. Again half milled nameplates- can't wait to see these painted and the brass text all shined up. Next will be .25mm brass splashers, footplates, smokebox, smokebox doors, and more chassis fittings......... Eoin

Hi There will be an overhead Gauge O track! in the new museum with 4 'non-Fry-made' trains running, but unfortunately not including the 121 loco. Eoin

Hi All KMCE's 'Wicklow South' will be paying a visit to the Fair this Sunday, a great opportunity to see the amazing diorama, locos and rolling stock- not to be missed..... Eoin

Hi controller That chip only has 2 switch-able functions! the green wire & the purple. F2 not staying on sounds like your controller is set for momentary switch like a toot on your horn! need to refer to the manual to switch that off, or remap what you want to switch to F3. If those red lights are directional loco rear? they should be switched by the directional wires- directional light wires are white for front & yellow for rear. One has to wire up so that the white & red lights alternate depending on direction. Then you have 2 function switches to play with- use one of these for cab light, and for maximum coolness wire up the cabs for the two functions and then only the front cab light can be switched- in each direction. Eoin oops! an 08 only has one cab- even better a free function switch!!