In Toby we Trust

After a period of minimum gauge inactivity I had some spare time yesterday and put together the basic structure of the MG Models 'Tram' kit, an interesting exercise in soldering.  I can think of five different interpretations of this loco design on 15" gauge (many on Lister undeframes) and whilst the kit is not really representative of an individual loco, it is certainly characteristic of the breed.

I have chosen the option of fitting grilles to one side of the body, various different panels are provided and the kit can also be built as a brake van if desired!

Since taking these photos I have filled in the doorways with styrene planking, in the style of the Lister tram loco that used to run at the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway.  These will hide the workings of the Kato chassis.

Hopefully this will be a fairly quick build as there really isn't much to it (he says...).

Just in case you wondered what I have been up to in the meantime, I have been dabbling with a little bit of O-16.5 in the form of a couple of scratchbuilt wagons, simply to prove to myself that you can build wagons on 00 gauge chassis without the end result looking exactly like a 7mm scale body on a 4mm scale underframe.  The one-plank wagon is freelance, with the body built in styrene; whilst the open wagon is a fairly close model of a Vale of Rheidol ex-Plynlimon & Hafon Tramway wagon with the body built in basswood.

Whilst a O-16.5 project is some way in the future, the direction for wagon building is now established and the chassis donor stockpile is growing at minimal cost.

Colin

Fitting MicroTrains Couplers to the Chivers Finelines O9 Coach

I made my choice to use MicroTrains couplers (and trucks) at a very early stage in my O9 modelling and it isn't something that I have regretted. Admittedly, it has been fiddly at times, has caused some obstacles, but there has always been a solution (even if that was just to fit MicroTrains bogies in place of those supplied in Avalon kits).  The arrival of the Chivers Finelines O9 coach kit has provided the latest challenge - I was determined not to change the bogies over completely!

First things first, the bogies were built as per the instructions, ensuring they were squared up correctly and the wheels sat flat on a glass surface.  At this stage I did not add the coupler mounting strip provided.

Before constructing the body I made openings 3mm x 11mm in the headstocks on either end - this will allow the coupler to swing as the bogie turns, as seen here on the completed adaptation:

The modifications to the mounting strip were all made before it was fitted to the bogie and can be seen in the diagrams below....

Fig 1 - Cut the end of the mounting strip 11mm from the centreline of the hole that fits over the bogie (approx 14mm from the end of the part).

Fig 2 - Shape with a rat-tail file a semi-circular indent into the end of the part - this is to allow the MicroTrains 1015 coupler to work correctly (under pressure it pushed back out of the draft box).

Fig 3 - a) Add a 20 thou styrene shim 8.5 x 5mm under the mounting strip and level with the cut end - when set shape this with the rat-tail file to match.  b) Cut a 40 thou styrene piece 6.5 x 5mm, adding a taper at one end over about 1.5 mm.  Fix this in place and once set trial-fit both the mounting strip and wheelset, if need be use the rat-tail file to create extra clearance.

Once this has all set, drill a 0.9mm hole on the centre line in the exposed 40 thou platform, 2mm from the front edge (check using the draft box to locate exactly). Effectively 'tap' this using the MicroTrains coupler screw and clean up any excess styrene burr.  Optional at this stage is to shape the end of the 40 thou piece to make it less visible underneath the coupler when fitted.  The mounting strip can now be stuck to the bogie:

This view shows how the bogies look once fitted with the wheelsets, the clearances are rather tight but the bogies remain free rolling.  You will need to shorten the MicroTrains screws for the final fitting - I used a razor saw with the screw held in my desk vice:

An overall view of the completed (unpainted) coach with the bogies and MicroTrains couplers fitted:

Colin

Progression...

I'm pleased to report that my recent projects are now just about complete, with some details added to the diorama and the Chivers coach kit painted, varnished and assembled.

Here's an overview of the diorama in it's "completed" state (I say that as there is scope to add a few more small details in due course):

In the front left hand corner I have added some spare lengths of rail and new sleepers awaiting installation, behind them can be seen the R C Link point lever:

At the other end of the scene the bench has been painted and installed, and a 'Skegness is so bracing' poster added to the wall as a further reference to a location that has inspired the development of this diorama in its various incarnations:

As can be seen, I've added strips of timber to the front and side edges to neaten up the final look of the scene, these are from basswood, and are treated with matt varnish.

Moving on to the Chivers coach, this has been completed as no. 8 in the SMR sequence (the number is in gold at the right hand end of each side) and painting/varnishing it has had it's awkward moments - fun with both the Halfords red and then the varnish spray cans, but it has got there in the end!  I have now fitted the seats and bogies, which were painted separately, and posed a figure seated within to give an idea of size:

Overall a very impressive kit and a venture that ought to make O9 modelling easily accessible. Oh, I haven't forgotten that I promised to write-up the fitting of the MicroTrains couplers.... honest...

Colin

New Year Progress

Following on nicely from the last entry, I have made several steps forward on the diorama project.  This has mostly been in the form of detailing and weathering.  I have now toned down the grey ballast to a much more railway-in-use mix of colours, including a representation of the deposits from locomotives stood at the end of the platform.  This has largely been achieved with weathering powders - not a medium I have always got on with if I'm totally honest.  On ballast and other scenic surfaces I find they tend to work better than attempts on rolling stock etc.

As can be seen, the line going off at the front of the scene now has a representation of a wooden crossing, this serves to disguise the fact that it falls off the edge!  In the background can be glimpsed something else that I have been experimenting with - laser cut vegetation.  This is from a Gaugemaster (by Noch) pack that I got as a present the Christmas before last (!).  I have used a select few of these on this scene - I didn't want to overdo it.

The eagle eyed will spot that there is also some variation within the grass.  This has been created using Silfor grass tufts - these blend in quite well one dry brushed with acrylics to kill the shine.

Progress of the Chivers coach kit through the paintshop has been brisk, the red is sprayed from a Halfords spray, the black and wooden areas are brushed acrylics.

I haven't forgotten that I promised to provide the details of MicroTrains coupler installation, it is just that painting has overtaken me writing it up...

Colin

Welcome to O9 Modeller in 2014

A Happy New Year to all who read O9 Modeller.  The header image above is to celebrate the completion of the shiftingsands.fotopic.revisited project with the addition of the final pages from 2009. Please take the time to look through the pages and re-live the 'Shifting Sands' experience.  My thanks once again to Mick Thornton for making the project possible through his archiving of the pages.

The completion of the Fotopic project has gone on alongside my dabblings with a new O9 diorama. This has had several rethinks along the way including a complete change of size and setting. Here, for the first time, is the progress so far:

As you can see, the scenario has changed to a platform-end scene. The construction of the platform is another result of my Skegness Miniature Railway researches, being based on the slab colours and pattern of that surviving at the Princess Parade end of the now closed line:

As a comparison, this is the diorama with the parts of the planned shed scene that were removed:

The line at the front would have ended abandoned and buried in the landscape, whilst the rear line would have gone into the shed structure along with the existing line.  All track is Peco with cosmetic changes including some RCL steel sleepers and fishplates.  Fencing is also Peco products.  The slabs on the platform are individual 14mm squares of mounting card, mass produced, treated with button polish to seal them and painted/weathered with acrylic paints.  A bench will occupy the front right hand corner of the scene, this is a modified product purchased in the Crab Pot model shop in Flamborough but identical to those available via eBay.  The modified version is on the left, original on the right:

I've also had the time to put together one of Roger Chivers' O9 open coach kits.  This is a plastic kit based around some existing 009 chassis parts but the body tooling is all-new.  This has gone together very well with only a little bit of work to get the floor and solebars to fit.  I have opted not to use the end-screen fitted end supplied as an option.  The main differences to the build envisaged by it's designer are the alterations to accommodate MicroTrains couplings.  More on that another time...

Colin

Seasons Greetings from O9 Modeller

Time for a quick seasonal update from the O9 Modeller camp.  Firstly, a very Merry Christmas from all at Peake Towers to readers of the blog and all fellow O9 Modellers, please do keep in touch with the latest about your own projects through 2014.

You may be wondering what has happened to the diorama concept that I have mentioned a couple of times. Well, it got a fair way into being, before those nagging doubts crept in and I had a rethink on the way it went together.  I then came to the decision that the shed really should belong on a micro layout rather than diorama, so the diorama has been reduced to something that could sit within my wall mounted display cabinet rather than in a separate display case.  It may never be completed at this rate...

On a more positive note I have completed three more pages from the old Fotopic site, bringing the 'Shifting Sands' story up the the point of the layout's first public appearance in November 2006, and detailing the construction of 'Pandora'.  To mark this point in progress, I've recycled the 2007 Christmas header from the old site!

Colin

Early in the Day II

It's been rather quiet on the blog of late, in fact I'm fairly sure that someone stole November...  Anyhow, I have made some progress with the planned diorama 'End of the Day', to the extent where there is ballasted track on a base, some painted up fencing, and this (low relief) shed building:

On my return from Skegness I had consulted with a few well known miniature railway enthusiasts about the South Parade line, which resulted in a few more photos coming my way which showed the shed in earlier days, revealing it in an unpainted concrete finish rather than the painted finish it now has.

I have had to stretch the Skegness design slightly in width to accommodate two 15" tracks and incorporated features from different eras in its life.  I've finished most of the paintwork tonight - the irony is that at the present point of time the diorama project is a bit up in the air (long story) and the eagle eyed will see that the opposite door is open to that in the diorama mock-up.  Part of me feels this might be too good for a diorama and needs to be on a layout! Hmm...

A quick description of it's construction.  A 5mm Foamcore shell, clad with cardboard for the concrete areas (including all those ribs!), pained with a mix of lightweight filler and acylic paint to get some texture, then lightly sanded back to remove some.  Wooden parts are basswood or 1mm plywood, whilst the roof is Wills 4mm scale box profile steel, cut up to give a sheet join and thinned on the lower edge.  Hinges and door furniture are scratchbuilt, whilst the fixings on the concrete panels are Grandt Line mouldings.

Oh, if anyone is wondering what has happened to the Shifting Sands pages from Fotopic - I will get back into the swing of uploading these, I promise....

Colin