My O Gauge Journal on
Modelling the GWR
A personal Journey
Projects for the year 2016
December 2016
Now that I feel more confident lining a loco. I have made a start on previous builds that I left plain green. City of Truro turned out to be a second lining exercise and now I turn my attention to the City of Cardigan. Click here to see how I managed to complete the lining.
Castle locomotive is completed. The 0-6-0 Peckett is under way with the chassis built and the body started. Click the picture to link to its page.
November 2016
A worthwhile acquisition and something I should have got round to getting some time ago is a fume extractor. This one is especially for soldering and flux fumes seems ideal. From RS Components Ltd and extra filters available as well for around £20. Its mains powered and sits on an adjustable stand as shown here. The first thing the fumes hit is the large filter. This avoids the user inhaling any of the noxious fumes created when soldering.
Most of this month has been taken up with the Castle Locomotive, its building, painting and lining. This time though I am making a concerted effort to line this locomotive and its tender, (something I have failed to do on previous locomotives). But if this one is successful I will go back and look again at my previous builds, (City of Truro for one!). Check out the project page here to see how this develops.
October 2016
The controlling project is well underway. A larger CDU has been ordered to control the number of points involved and larger control boxes were obtained to allow for all the wiring and switches to be housed easily instead of a 'crush'. Click here to see how it progresses.
Another diesel is added to my collection of Hornby Dublo 3 rail locomotives, the CO-BO. D5713 a diesel electric locomotive. Although its recorded that a few were given a headlight. Mine is not original though as no holes in the front panel have been made and the bulb and holder although old are not the same as the original Meccano Ltd drawing shown in Michael Fosters book on page 164. When working it lights up the whole of the front of the engine and the surrounding railway! But here it is on its first outing after a good clean and new traction tyres but before I have replaced the magnet with a new one.
Having replaced the magnet with a much stronger one there are issues with it collecting metal coaches as it passes them!
The Castle Class locomotive project is now focussing on the boiler and cab sections of the Warren Shepard kit. Click here to see it unfold. I have now started on the tender, click here to see how it comes together.
September 2016
I have been lucky enough to purchase a Hornby Dublo SR Horsebox intact. Quite often the doors are damaged, missing or have been replaced with different coloured ones. But not so mine. But I can see how they became so damaged as the tiny plastic catches on them are so fragile and the doors should open in a particular sequence which I'm sure small fingers never understood! I also have the box, (albeit with a missing end but that's not too important for me). It will take pride of place along with the Southern Tank and its SR suburban coaches. No horse with it but I have a couple as shown here with the horsebox. This example also has the early metal couplings but plastic wheels.
The horses fit into the wagon on each side:-
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But a word of caution. The doors can and do open when in transit and they don't like hitting signals or platforms! So a simple solution is to put a small piece of Selotape on the floor flap, close it up and push the top two doors closed. ALL three are then held in place by the tape. As its not permanent it can be undone with no damage to the doors. No wonder finding one in good condition is difficult!!!
August 2016
Restarting the Castle Class loco and will make it up into Bristol Castle eventually. Click Here to see it progress. The main frames are now soldered together and the wheel and mounting unit is folded and fits between the frames nicely. The rear cylinder profile is fitted having measured accurately its equidistant position between the wheel bearings. My first concern is how I can make it flexible enough to take on the 6ft curves on my layout.
Finalising the wiring for the Hornby through station, (see below).
July 2016
The Hornby mainline station is complete and the signals and point system is under development and subject to several revisions. As it is an experimental design to go along with the other two setups i constructed using rotary switches and diodes this will complete a third possible setup that could be then applied to any layout. The main reason for using it was to show that you don't have to spend a lot of money to create a railway there are always alternative methods waiting in the wings! Here is a video of the setup so far:
A link to the through station project page is here.
June 2016
Finally started the Castle class loco in O gauge but ran out of butane for my mini flame gun so its on hold till supplies arrive! There will be a link to its own pages during construction.
Installing a new mainline station on the Hornby Layout with a view to controlling it in the same way I did for the sidings but making use of feather signals.
The 4 way siding control project on the Hornby layout is now completed. You can view its progress by clicking here.
May 2016
Started on a multiple signalling system for controlling sidings not using the multitudes of switches in normal use or extensive electronic circuitry but simple techniques with one rotary switch a couple of diodes and push buttons. Click Here to see how that progresses.
April 2016
The new upgrade for the ZTC base controller, (company now known as Taunton Controls) has been done. Its now a 611. A great turnaround time collected on Monday, done Tuesday, Returned Wednesday of the same week! Well done Taunton Controls!
Working on the Hornby Dublo wiring for a three lane siding with signal control. Click here to see how it progresses.
March 2016
Been away for some time but, a couple of interesting projects now started.
first one on the Hornby Dublo 3 Railway. Planned is several more colour light signals particularly one working a 2 point 3 way junction for storage. Click here to see how it progresses.
Also the line has been cleared and cleaned and locomotives are now running once again. Added to that there are three more locomotives to join the pack. LMS 6197 0-6-2 tank, LNER 9596 0-6-2 tank both currently in the workshop receiving a touch up to the body work and replacement magnets. Finally, to boost my diesel stock a co-co 3232 Diesel Electric loco.
Here is the latest video of my Castle testing out the route.
Not content with viewing the line how about a ride along it as shown here:
February 2016
Its time to concentrate more on the scenery of the railway. Much of it has been done piece meal and never finished off. So I am to make a concerted effort in that area. The railway has always been described as four contrasting pictures being worked on simultaneously. That is how I intend to proceed. Click here to see how that progresses.
January 2016
For Christmas I was given some Preiser people. More please they really are the best!
