Barnstaple Town to Pilton Causeway in O14

Fitting Out

2011-11-03T01:42:00.000-07:00

Front fittings on the Decauville 042T

Since its outing to ExpoNG last weekend, the Weidknecht Decauville has acquired its smokebox door fittings and cylinder appendages. I thought I'd lost the lamp bracket, which is one of the problems about painting something dark brown over all: what once was shiny brass disappeared into the background.

The next thing to do is to fit the brake gear and vacuum pipes, and this brings the whole enterprise nearly to an end. It will be nice to have not only a complete engine but one that is in its finished colours. Probably the longest bit of work remaining is attaching John's couplings (Zamzoodled) which means that I'll probably soon be returning to my 4-wheel toastrack carriage so that they match.

Bits 'n' Pieces

2011-05-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hang on t' brass, lad!

The insignificant objects in the picture are significant in my modelling. On the right is a valve wheel off the 'small dome' of my 042T Weidknecht Decauville. It has appeared before, which in a way is why it appears again now: I decided I was unhappy with the amount of solder defacing it and its 3 companions. So at ExpoNG last year I loitered at the Meridian Models stand and bought myself a Meriparts bag of assorted wheels. Last weekend the original offenders were removed and replaced with what I hope are a better testament to my soldering abilities.

The object on the left is, or was intended to be, a replacement crank for the same loco. It is 4.5mm long and links a rod from the loco cab to the steam dome. Again I was unhappy with the huge blob of solder that was my initial effort at fixing it. The picture shows my first attempt at crafting a replacement crank, fashioned from a spare bit of fret. As I was holding it in a pair of tweezers and bring the soldering iron towards it: 'ping'! It was lost.

From the depths of somewhere rose a calmness that threw me: I didn't swear. I simply picked up the brass fret and made another part which as it turns out was better than this one. This one, by the way, turned up as I was cleaning off my workbench in preparation for visitors (one of the problems of modelling in the spare bedroom).

The significance for my modelling is that I've tended previously to depend solely on kits as they are. When I've spoiled a part in the past, it has either been disregarded or the entire kit given up on. When I eventually finish this loco, I may be a step nearer tackling a scratch-build than I expected.

Conventional Wisdom

2011-05-09T03:20:00.000-07:00

Monkey Island, 1908

John invited me to help out with an 014 stand at the 2011 7mm Narrow Gauge Association Convention and AGM at Burton on Trent last weekend. We had much interest: he at his end of the table with his DCC-operated L&B couplings and a 'garnet' or 'gaggle' of Garrat K1 engines, and me at my end with my expletive-ridden attempts at making plain track.

K1 Appreciation

I took along a diorama of Monkey Island, Barnstaple, which I’d made for the purpose. As the track base I was making slots in to a channel, there were a few comments about the canal scene! The trees on the model are rescued from the 0-16,5 Barnstaple Town that Steve and I had ... so were out in public for the first time in 17 years.

Some visitors to our stand were just getting into, or returning to, the hobby. These are good targets for persuading to model in 014, as they usually don’t carry any baggage – such as a hundreds of pounds worth of 0-16,5 motive power they don't want to re-wheel.

My track-building was so-so, but I learned a lot. A diarama is better for learning on than a full-fledged layout.

We were invited to return to the 2012 Convention, although we suggested that every other year would work better. Maybe next time I’ll actually have a layout rather than a diorama to display.

Ah well, back to the Weidknecht Decauville ...

Switching Tracks

2011-02-10T01:18:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I transformed my test track into a DCC service track. Inspired by Nigel Burkin (2008), A Practical Introduction to Digital Command Control for Railway Modellers, Ramsbury: Crowood, I simply inserted a centre-off DPDT switch and an extra cable. The original cable is now the program cable, and the extra one the DCC power cable. Both are fitted with plugs to fit my ZTC 511 control system.

The next task will be to actually fit a decoder to one of my locos, and I’ve chosen the Weidknecht Decauville because of its run-in RTR chassis.

Une Petite Loco

2010-10-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

I decided just over a week ago to dust down my boxed rpi kit for an 042 T Weidknecht-Decauville, having bought it from the late Mike South some time back. It has always struck me that the kit was largely RTR, based solely on the fact that the chassis was complete. However I suddenly realized that there was a bag of bits in the box, some of which didn't mean anything to me.

A quick call for help on the 7mm NGA Yahoo! Group, and within hours Eric Fresné of Voie Libre had provided me with the instructions. My French is not brilliant, but once I'd realized that BabelFish and Google Translate were more of a hindrance than a help (neither could cope with 'portemine' - a pin-vice), I got stuck in. In fact as Eric had done before me I found that there were errors in the original (despite sneers from the distaff side that it was more likely to be my translation that was wrong).

Two 0.6mm drills have been consumed so far, having only been obtained earlier in the week from Pennyfarthing Tools in Salisbury (local Aladdin's Cave). And more by luck than judgement only one small part has been lost in the tufts of the carpet, ironically given that at the said Pennyfarthing Tools someone had talked about losing small items, and I'd confessed that I was still to get around to making a jeweller's apron!

Poor photograph I know, but the work so far is here ...

Somewhere near Cheddar ...

2010-07-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thinking about the layout overnight, I wondered what the rocky outcrop would look like. A quick Google revealed that the limestone in the Cheddar region of the Mendips, where Steve's fictional quarry is set, dips by 20 degrees to the South East. Hence the layers of polystyrene on the face into which the tunnel portal will be set. There's a lot of plaster to be applied yet, but we think the result will work okay.

A Tunnel Too Far?

2010-07-23T06:46:00.000-07:00

Well 40 hours or so later, here's the tunnel portal to date. Painted as described earlier, I roughened it with a little Tamiya weathering paint (sand and green), some Woodland Scenics dark green foliage, and Modelmates soot black. I may add a small amount of ink to highlight the coping mortar, and perhaps some green/yellow blemishes. It also needs some 'furniture' - a number plate, and perhaps some cabling. I'll be putting the tunnel in situ this weekend.

I'm not sure I want to go through all this again, but my next major modelling effort will be the L&B company offices. This comprises at least 10 times the amount of brickwork. Deep joy!

Bricking It

2010-06-05T01:46:00.001-07:00

The tunnel portal job continues, and I like how it's beginning to look even if it is a tedious thing to do. I'm using the technique described by Chris Pilton in Cottage Modelling for Pendon (Wild Swan), although instead of display board and watercolours I'm using Slater's embossed brick and acrylic paints.

I suspect this is what is making it so tedious: watercolour tends to flow more easily on paper than does acrylic straight from the tube on plastic. At this stage of the game I don't want to change technique, but I may do a small sampler to see how a drop more water in the mix helps.

Anyhow, the palette I'm using (slightly different to Chris Pilton's suggestion, because I couldn't get exact matches) is: Red Iron Oxide; Raw Sienna; Naphthol Red Light; Burnt Sienna; Raw Umber; and Cadmium Orange. The slightly random way I've attacked the painting is down to the fact that my patience and eyesight can't take much more than 30 minutes of this at any sitting. If I were to start at one place and work systematically across, then the joins would probably be obvious.

Meanwhile, Steve has taken on the building of the turnouts, and the troubling 3-way version will be 2 consecutive 2-ways instead. Thank heavens for KBScale kits!

Making the Landscape

2010-03-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

I'd forgotten how tedious painting individual bricks (a la Pendon) was. So last weekend when I ought to have been installing the tunnel portal I made in January, I ended up making the cliff face into which the tunnel will fit. This takes the pressure off painting, but then brings making a 3-way turnout higher up the job list.

Making Tracks

2010-02-01T08:29:00.001-08:00

This shot is the same end of the test track pictured last month, but now with 014, 00, and 0-gauge track in place. Problems with isolating the rails when soldered to tag strip made me change to choc-block connectors instead, removing the problem. I can now get on with making rolling stock and motive power, although in the immediate future I'll be painting the tunnel portal shown in my last post, and making a 3-way turnout. Fun!

Tunnel Portal

2010-01-26T04:14:00.000-08:00

At some point over the New Year I agreed to make a tunnel portal for Steve's quarry layout. This is where I've got to so far. Wings may or may not be added: it needs trying out on the board first. I'll then paint as per Pendon Cottage Modelling. The walls at the back will follow the curve of the track (to the left on entering the tunnel).

The detail shows the 4-brick archway. I think if I were to start again, I'd make the archway first and cut the facing to match, rather than the other way around as I did. I wouldn't use English Bond brickwork either, except as a source of headers for the arch.

Board Construction [2]

2010-01-18T13:00:00.001-08:00

A quick view of the damage possible to the top board when it sits within rather than on top of the side members. This is now supported underneath by a glued-in piece of ply, and the surface covered with cork underlay ready for the test tracks.

Board Construction [1]

2010-01-13T07:26:00.001-08:00

Long time no see ... but at last I have started building something. The pictured frame was to have been the base for a diorama of Cabourg. Making it was meant to be a practice run at Barry Norman's baseboard technique (as per RightTrack DVD, rather than his book Landscape Modelling) as well as to provide a test track for rolling stock.

In the end I scrapped this version (it warped because I didn't construct it well) and did another. In both cases I made the inner and outer plywood layers different heights in order to provide a 'lip' to contain the top sheet. This wasn't a good idea, as it meant less of the side frames were in contact with the top sheet.

Soldering On

2008-01-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

Earned myself an hour (or so) modelling, so did some soldering on the Gibson Manning Wardle frame. Not brilliant work, but solid: perhaps too much. I think I've put in one of the cross-members, which is also shaped to take the valve gear, slightly skew.

I may be able to de-solder sufficiently to remove it. On the other hand, it sat okay during the dry run, so maybe it'll just slide further into place if I blast it with heat. The only trouble is, nearby joints may also come adrift.

The frame itself is square, but if I don't settle this other piece properly then running gear may be compromised.

Yes, I know: I did originally intend to practice my soldering on Coach 3. Project-wise, there is now an issue (as opposed to a risk), which is my slap-dash soldering needs re-working. It could be time to call on a more skillful friend. I'll do my best for some before-and-after shots.

Growing Risks

2008-01-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

The risk of being distracted has become an issue, but not as I'd expected. I've dug out my Alan Gibson L&B Manning Wardle kit, and it needs completing. Motive power is pretty important, but wasn't Coach 3 about developing some of the skills, such as soldering?

Well it appears that my soldering isn't that bad. Nor do I think that my original approach to the Gibson (making it 16.5mm gauge) has created a show-stopper now that I want to use 14mm gauge.

I've therefore decided to change my objective to: “Build to 7mm finescale standards a rake of L&B loco and coach 3 within 12 months and at a cost of under £150.” I've moved modelling stuff out of my study and into our caravan so as not to be a temptation.

Another Year, Another Planning Round

2008-01-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

To sum up the time since my last post…

In February (on the Feast of Candlemas) I was accepted for training as a priest.
In September I began study part-time with the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme, hoping to be ordained in 2010.
In October I was diagnosed dyslexic, and this seems to be linked with my inability to finish things I start.
Somewhere in all this, my L&B partner-in-crime Steve and I reverted to our original plan to model Barnstaple Town to Pilton Causeway.

We hope to capitalize on our renewed enthusiasm by building the boards: let’s see! In the meanwhile, a smaller project I’ve got in mind is constructing a 7mm scale model of Lynton & Barnstaple Coach 3. I’ll be following the approach described by Stephen Williams (Williams, S. (2000), The 4mm Coach Part Two – Working with Metal Kits, Didcot, Oxon, UK: Wild Swan Publications Ltd).

New Beginnings

2006-12-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Steve and I had an old-style planning meeting, but at the Ship at Upavon rather than at the Dog and Gun at Netheravon. He agreed that we should stick to Plan B, which is to say he will do Lynton and I’ll do Bratton. Accordingly I’ll do a fresh WBS.
I’m about half-way through indexing what I currently have on the Lynton & Barnstaple, but I’ve not been recording time spent. Therefore I cannot estimate the time remaining! So I’ll keep a record from now on.
Meanwhile I’ve bought Jeff Geary and John Shaw’s book Track Construction and the accompanying software (Trax2). When I get that far I should be able to use it to construct track templates and even the whole layout plan.

Work Breakdown

2006-12-17T04:56:00.000-08:00

Work breakdown indeed! I’m out of sync, doing things on my WBS without fleshing it out in sufficient detail. What I’d intended to do was to put each phase of the WBS here, but then I started on some tasks and ran into problems. Among other things, the WBS didn’t have in any detail the time needed to administer this blog. Since doing the blog is part of the learning curve for me, that’s a bit of an omission.

Another problem was the reading I did the other day as ‘Research’. I didn’t prepare my visit to the British Library well enough, so some of the information I went looking for I already had, some was not available there anyway, and I wasted an hour by not booking the source in advance.

The WBS I wrote for that task read:

1.3 By Sunday 17th December 2006 I’d like to have produced a schematic of the type, position and operation of the signals at Bratton Fleming in the period I’m modelling: 1908. There is a useful web site (Railwest) that gives some information, but I’d do well to read a copy of Gordon Brown’s book on the operation of the railway. I have a British Library reading card, so getting the book should be no problem (no sight of it on eBay!). It might also be worth re-joining the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association. I let my membership lapse years ago because of some internal wrangling, but it would be very useful to tap into all that knowledge again. I also believe that there is a copy of station plans in the Hampshire Record Office at Winchester, and possibly a copy of a survey that the London and South Western Railway made of the line in 1922 (with other sources, I should be able to say what the state of play was in 1908). The cost of visits and membership I estimate to be 15 hours in time and £20 cash.

I’m not sure that the task numbering is rugged enough for the task, but never mind for the moment. I found that Gordon’s book was a self-published typewritten precursor to the one he later published with Prideaux and Radcliffe. Therefore I already had all the information I was likely to get from that source. So I need to produce another task, which is to read through the information I already have and index it. I need, in essence, a project library. I remember reading in Richard P Feynman’s book What do you care what other people think? about his intense annoyance at the time that was taken in setting up the administrative side of the inquiry into the Challenger space shuttle disaster. Like him, I can now appreciate why it’s important to get your ducks in a row.

I’ll take time to re-write the WBS, and I’ll use guidelines I came across in G.M. Horine’s Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Project Management.

Meanwhile, on work breakdown of a different nature, Steve is evidently now having misgivings about us abandoning Barnstaple Town. Long ago in a land far away, or 10 years ago on the Hampshire/Surrey borders, Steve and I sold our Barnstaple Town layout. Steve and family were in the process of moving, and I had no idea that within 6 months we too would have moved house and ended up only 10 miles away from them.

We got together for ‘planning meetings’ in The Dog and Gun, only we never got past planning. Can you see a theme developing? The plan, such as it was, was for a newer, larger, Barnstaple Town layout covering the L&B line from its terminus to the Pilton Causeway level crossing.

Just over a month ago, Steve dropped the bombshell that he wanted instead to model Lynton: a layout that’s not easily shared between modellers who each want to run rolling stock in their own time. On that basis, I started this project to model Bratton Fleming. However, Steve has come back from a visit to Warley Model Railway Exhibition having seen someone else’s Lynton. Now he has doubts, and is considering coming back to our original plan.

There is a lot to be said for Barnstaple: the sweeping curve that takes trains behind trees, in front of a river, and between buildings has lots of potential. It’s just that I’m quite warming to Bratton, now, and I know I can’t do both.

Oh and Steve thinks we should build a model of Chelfham Viaduct for the Howard Clark Trophy!

Research

2006-12-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

Used a spare couple of hours to read Gordon Brown's self-published book on Lynton & Barnstaple Operation. It was the precursor to the Brown, Prideaux & Radcliffe book now in print in an Atlantic impression.

It was in the work breakdown structure to do, it's just that I haven't got as far as putting the WBS on this blog yet. I noticed in passing that the British Library's collection of L&B magazines is incomplete. Now that the L&B Railway Trust is offering re-prints of the earliest magazines, perhaps they ought to pass them on to BL?