Chopper coupling trials

This post has been updated and moved to here

The Nantlle Vale Tramway (Dyffryn Nantlle Tramffordd) was a 2 foot gauge tramway extending east from Tal-y-sarn to Drws-y-coed, and was built between 1923 and 1924 to replace the old 3 foot gauge Nantlle Railway that had ran as far as Nantlle to meet the Slate Quarries. The new line extended further east to meet the productive mineral mines, with their new lodes, as well as the existing slate quarries.

In 1924 the NVT ordered a large loco from Hunslet to a design similar to Leeds No 1 of 1904 and Russell of 1906, a pair of powerful 0-6-2 (2-6-2) Side tank with outside valve gear, but to suit their own requirements for the new line. She was Hunslet no 2607, and was built to the 0-6-2 side tank arrangements, incorporating a longer driving wheelbase, and one or two other modern improvements. She was named Victoria

Or that’s the history of the “Real” one…. the model one came about when I came across a Roy C Link drawing of Russell in the WHR (64) book of the same title, and idly offered a Bachmann 08 chassis up to it. It wasn’t spot on but it was close enough, however it was missing one vital aspect… outside valve gear. A flick through the Hornby catalogue alongside a pile of FJ Roche 4mm scale drawings revealed that the cylinders and valve gear from a Fowler 4P where close enough for my needs. So along with a bit of time, a pile of various plasticard, micro strip and brass, I had all the ingredients to create a Hunslet for the NVT. Another problem with the 08 chassis is that it is 16.5mm gauge… well I simply swapped the wheel-sets for a trio of Alan Gibson jobbies with new cranks, and set the back to back as 12.5, which didn’t need may modifications to the block at all, and there was 14mm gauge. A bit of experimentation with brass for the first time for me, lead to a boiler, trailing bogie and steps that where robust enough for once! A simple multiple layered plasticard fabricated body, with various cast and scratchbuilt details, finished off with a pressfix lined satin black paintjob, and custom nameplates from NarrowPlanet and she was done.

pjsanders@nantllevalleytramway.co.uk

I am making up some wagons to go behind my Quarry Hunslet for a ‘Dinorwic’ corner of my layout. Thought the group may be interested. Two are finished and another 4 types are in the pipeline. I have attached photos of the slab wagon and the waste wagon also a photo of the first run of the waste wagon and the chassis for the other 4 types. Trevor at Mercian is supposed to be doing a 4 part casting for the sides of the slate wagon to fit this chassis.
Now I have found KBscale’s double flanged wheel they look better. Originally I was building them for 16.5 but now have changed to 14mm gauge. I will have some etches left after I have built a loaded and unloaded rake of each type if any one is interested.

Here is a video taken at the Rochdale Model Railway Exhibition in February 2010 of Paul Holmes’ Dinas 1869 featuring Little Wonder

Some advance shots of The Boat, a gravity inspection vehicle from the mid 19th Century Festiniog Railway. The 7mm scale model is powered by a Nigel Lawton micromotor and Mikroantreibe gears to replicate the effects of gravity on a layout which is actually level!  DCC by CT Elektronics

This is the second KBScale brass kit I have made.  The first one was the OMZ (also shown).  This was made with the help of Bernard Daillant, Franck Tavernier and Bernard Junk. Franck Tavernier made the motor gear and I made the structure as best as I can. I’m not an expert, and the brass with bronze is not so simple to assemble! But with perseverance I managed to make it. In fact this model was not so hard to assemble, but I much preferred the painting!

I sanded the model, and then painted with Prince August 920 German uniform. A multitude of washes, dirt, grease were then put on it. The detail micro-painting was with Tamiya XF-10, followed by washes of grime, brown, yellow, white, black. I put black pigment on the wheel train fixed by acetone to simulate grease.

The name of this engine is my friend’s daughter, and it will be equipped with a DCC decoder for N gauge.

I have made several layouts with my friend Matthieu: Jacquemart, Le gemmage, Les égouts de Paris (see photo), and a new  layout: Les sablières de Nemours, all are in O14.

You can see our layouts on our website at: http://perso.numericable.fr/mjacquemar/accueil_047.htm

Double flanged wheels from KBscale. The wheel tyre is 8mm diameter with 5 straight or curved spokes – 2mm or 1.5mm axle diameters.

“La ferme du Haut Bois” and “La Halte de Sousac”, here are some views of these first sceneries done for now.

The farm is based on an old pictures

The model, in place:

It is far than finished but the idea is there.  The model is made of cardboard, plaster and wood.

And the little station, now used to load the piece of wood onto the rolling stock.

The third module is now started, with another interesting point : a bridge over a little stream and a sawmill’s canal.

The bridge in its current position and the farm in the background:

It is made like the farm, some cardboard, plasters and wood.  The plasters’s walls  are engraved to represent the brick.

I hope you like this little presentation of my current work.

You can retrieve all the pictures done for this part of the layout in my Fotki album (http://public.fotki.com/Steamystef/) .

Stefan

This is my first attempt at making a master for an L&B style wagon axlebox which I hope will incorporate real working springs. This is designed to fit an etched L&B wagon underframe which is also under development. The springs would also be etched. It may all come to naught if it doesn’t cast successfully.

Here is a video of Paul Holmes’ Dinas 1869 complete with sound and smoke effects filmed at Warley in November 2009.