Scalefour Forum

... Gauge_widening.pdf Regards Nice numbers here! Note the plain track gauge - if you model modern image and use P4 standards you already have some gauge widening. (I remember learning over half a century ago that London Underground and British Railways used different gauges. I've often wondered wh...

There are small scale reproductions in "A Pictorial Record of Great Western Coaches including the brown vehicles Part 1 (1838-1913)" by J. H. Russell; Oxford Publishing Company, 1972; SBN 90288803X. Most, but not all, of the dimensions are readable. The 6'4" bogie is on page 89, the 8...

As a change from working on signals, I've started to use some of the things learnt at Great Missenden together with helpful information from other parts of this Forum. As the weather has turned a bit chilly I thought I'd aim for some heat and set off on the road paved with good intentions... - do so...

All the signals were finally installed a few weeks ago, but functioning of several is very poor despite them working OK on the bench. Improvements will have to wait until after most of the scenery has been finished (next century??). fig1.JPG Don't copy this installation - there was room for point mo...

The Manchester Science Museum Beyer Peacock collection has a lot of general arrangement drawings of early locos: here's a link to an 1860 Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway 2-2-2: http://emu.msim.org.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=15246 . And to a page around that period: http://emu.msim.org.u...

Jim, Many thanks, and especially to Euan, for the detailed analysis that confirmed some of my guesses and explained loads more. This will be extremely useful for several projects that are on my wish list. As I've had help from the USA on the CAD program I am starting to use, the next loco will have ...

I have a couple of modelling projects in mind for which I only have some side elevations, so I started looking through my files and books and was surprised that some information needed was consistently missing! With outside framed locos was there a typical dimension over the outside frames? I've onl...

The last time I travelled in one of these, or something similar, was when I was too young to realise that it would have been sensible to note the coach numbers as well as that of the loco! All I had noted was that the coach had 1 first class compartment 1 away from the guard's area. There were 3 of ...

There may be a more organic link, especially for anyone interested in modelling railways without mechanical traction....
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog_(horse)

I was determined not to do any more rolling stock modelling until after I had a few metres of track to test things on, and installed the things often left until last - signals. I've now reached the stage where this has been achieved so the workbench has taken on a new appearance. bench.jpg I've now ...

Tim V wrote:...to start on the main line ... was 3 minutes. Try that at an exhibition

That was in my mind when I made the original posting! Thanks Tim for finding some actual numbers.

In doing a bit of research at the NRM I got distracted and came across a bit that could make layout operators think. We are all used to seeing trains standing at a signal move off as soon as it is cleared (model and modern prototype) but with unfitted trains this was not always the case - instructio...

Eventually made it to York so had a look at the books suggested: thanks Stephen, they were fascinating. Unfortunately I have not found a detailed (dimensioned) drawing so I'll just have to do the modelling on the basis of the diagrams and photos found. Without doubt the results will be wrong, but so...

Mention of this thread has been made on the Welsh Railways Research Circle forum where I posted: ----------- For definitive information on the Furness locos one may care to note that the HMRS lists a general arrangement drawing: http://www.hmrs.org.uk/drawings/drawinginfo.php?id=17680 It's a shame t...

Steve, I wonder if you are looking at material that is too thick. Most mouldings I've come across are 3/8" thick, and a quick look at a GA drawing of an old LBSCR coach (from the HMRS) showed 1/4" - (length over mouldings being 1/2" greater than length over body) - so you should proba...

Neil,
Not being a LSWR enthusiast I don't have the book, but I'd bet you'll find useful information in "Southern Style" by John Harvey http://www.hmrs.org.uk/books/bookdetails.php?bookid=1038.

(I'm the HMRS webmaster so have an interest in promoting this book.)

My daughter's fiance has asked for advice on getting a lathe for work with various plastics, resins or hard woods - he's a model maker but not (yet) a railway modeller so is not after something for metal turning or working to high precision. I've only ever looked at small metal working machines (Uni...

Two possibilites for light and heavier duty
http://www.axminster.co.uk/jeweller-s-shears-502418
http://www.axminster.co.uk/305mm-sheet-metal-worker-900118

(My only connection with Axminster is as a satisfied customer.)

I put a similar question to our dentist a few weeks ago - what he advised would require sticking a couple of noughts on the end of the prices you gave! A couple of years back I mentioned to an optician that I was not able to focus at close distance like in the past (small items but not needing magni...

Some books that might help: 1 E B Wilson & Co by Clive Hardy, published 1981 byThomas Aleksander. ISBN 0906829119 - a works list with some drawings and photos of fluted boiler fittings. 2.Locomotives of Quality - a pictorial history of Manning Wardle & Co by John E Simpson, published Ross-E...

On my way home after an excellent day out. I arrived, very comfortably by Heyfordian, with a number of problems to solve, and have left with solutions to them all and several unexpected ideas to push my modelling onwards. Very many thanks to all involved with organising, exhibiting, demonstrating an...

Hardwicke wrote:....... but the fluted dome did not survive.

What a shame - there goes the justification for a holiday trip! Thanks for the links and information.

To find out a bit about the travels of PO wagons you may like to have a look at: Coal Trade Wagons Author: L. Tavender, (Leonard), 1935- Subjects: Coal Rail transport History ; Great Britain ; Dewey: 662.6240941 Publication Details: L. Tavender, c1991. Language: English Identifier: ISBN 0951098713 (...

Armchair Modeller,

Many thanks for the leads that I shall follow up.

If my memory serves me correctly, a rare event these days, Manning Wardle stopped with the decorative boiler mountings when the craftsman that made them retired or passed away (Chronicles of Boulton's Sidings)

I wonder if anyone knows of a good drawing of these fittings: I thought that making one would be a good project for a weekend in March at Great Missenden where I hope to start learning about 3D printing. The only drawings I have in my files are: - the tiny ones by ELA in the RCTS book on absorbed GW...