Rolling stock needed

With the construction of the outdoor layout now started there is a pressing need for some more rolling stock to be available when the loops are in. I decided on some flat wagons to start with.
First off the rank are some TE wagons. Given there were only 6 ever built I thought that was a suitable number to make. They are being constructed of card and other wood products. I have created my own kits of the basic structure and am in the process of assembling them. The wood top deck is made of some thin pop sticks available at one of the local variety stores. Each stick is approximately 12'' wide in 7mm scale so I score each stick down the centre after being cut to length.
Bogies will be Athearn Symington, perhaps fitted with some NWSL wheelsets at a later date.
They will be run as a rake so only one working coupler needed on two wagons and the rest will have dummy knuckles fitted.
While the TE's were originally created  for transporting army tanks, they were later used in general revenue service so mine will need some suitable heavy loads fitted.

CPH mechanism

I have had a part finished CPH , started about 18 years ago (can't rush these things).
I also have had a idea to make use of some more of my HO scrapbox for some time.

The CPH needs a mech. Take one Athearn SD mech in said scrapbox, a set of Slaters rolling stock wheels, remove HO wheels, cut  back steel bearing mounts on at least one side of bogies to prevent shorts, take out the gears at each end and drill out to 1/8" , insert O gauge wheels, add pickups , make and mount new sideframes and voila.

The photo above shows the drive bogies before addition of pickups and sideframes. Photo of that stage to come later.
The wheelbase is 6'9" instead of 6'6" but I won't complain for the price.
Another set might make a 79 class mech which is 6'10" w/b.
More has been done to the 18 class and photo's to come when the couplers have been added.
I have also tarted up an Atlas F9 to vaguely look like a 42 class. I have had the model for about 18 years and have failed to find a satisfactory use for the mechanism. It has been languishing in Mount Newman  colours for some time.

18 gets new chimney and dome for xmas in July

A new chimney and dome gifted by a friend were attached to the 18 class this week.
Certainly starts to look the part.

Some more work soon.

FS and 18 class progress

The FS is finished for now. I might do some further detailing once it gets some brothers and sisters.

The 18 class will get a new chimney and air compressor at some stage as well as other work but at the moment it has done quite a few scale miles, now running very smoothly. The experiment of the solder filled pick-ups initially gave me a model with poor electrical contact, unable to complete a lap of a friend's layout. I  applied some powdered graphite to the wheels as a temporary fix and the model has not hesitated since.

A carriage story

Having purchased a Col Shepherd 'kit' for an FS some time back I thought I might make a start (in between work on the 18 class).

After a good deal of procrastination I decided to make the sides out of laminated cardboard rather than use the supplied ply. How to do the rivets held me up for some days until I took the easy way out and just imprinted them with a ponce wheel. It would have been a long and laborious job to push them through from the rear with a pin or dab on spots of Tarzan's Grip. From normal viewing distance the coach looks steel sided so that will satisfy me.

Still a lot of work to be done inside and out but at least I am satisfied with the methods I used and know most of the mistakes not to make next time.

18 class body started

The body for the 18 class is proceeding. Footplate is 60 thou for strength . The rest is mainly 40 thou and 20 thou.
The boiler is a suitable piece of plastic pipe with 5 thou boiler bands.
Chimney and dome are some of Col Shepherd's brass turnings. The chimney appears to be for the original version and it is in the process of being modified to the later standard version. Both are attached with screws and still need work.
Plenty of work to go. Cab roof is at this stage intended to be removable and be the location for the speaker.

I am using the article from AMRM 1963/64 for dimensions however the porthole windows were put in the wrong place as a result of dodgy info supplied in another publication and some cut and fill was required to correct the error.

It has been some time since I have posted here due to other commitments.
I have had some time over this xmas to get stuck into one of my loco projects , namely one 18 class.
The body and chassis are now well under way. The chassis is made from 60 thou styrene with Slaters wheels, bearings and a Roxey gearbox/ Mashima 1830. It is running smoothly at first trials so should get better with some wear. This is my first attempt at a full plastic chassis and it was far easier than soldering a metal one up.
My pickups are phosphor bronze with a solder filled loop. This is my first use of a loop ( from a suggestion in the Connoisseur Models handbook) as I normally use 20 thou brass without any loop.

** The Slaters wheels I chose were 7848SD

Only a 41 class, 30 tank, 2 off 48's and a CPH to be finished after this is completed and my current batch of part built locos will be done ;>)