Suonds like there might be an HMS Amazon reunion on the cards ………………:roll::roll::roll:  Either that or a Horsfield commemorative dinner …:hmm

That was 1977-80, Tim. A beefy red haired Northerner, a fine auxillaries 'tiffy'.


Doug

Before my time, Doug!  I served with the Fourth Frigate Squadron (as it was ) between 1990-1993, spending many months in AMAZON in the Arctic, Antartic and Caribbean!

Sorry, Peter!  Back to your thread!

Small world, small ships!

My favourite grey-funnel line steamer, save for the engine room fire in mid-Pacific. I wrote my first will a fortnight later…

Sorry, Peter, ole' ships y'know.

Doug

(Sorry, again, Peter!)  They were great ships, sleek and fast, and I was sorry to see them go.  I conducted AMAZON's decommissioning ceremony in 1993 when she was handed over to the Pakistani Navy.  She's still in service as PNS BABUR.

Back to trams….

Well my trial pack of grooved girder rail finally arrived from the States today.

It's incredibly tiny - I could hardly see the groove with my old naked eye.  Not sure this stuff is going to be for me ……………..:hmm

This is what I got for £21:

A twin fret with with 16 lengths of straight rail, each just over 4" long (I have no idea why they're that length :roll::roll::???:)




One face is virtually flat and the other has the groove.  The idea is that you glue the flat side to your baseboard and infill the road with embossed plasticard to the surface you need.  I planned to use plaster or DAS and scribe it but there isn't the depth unless I solder it to copper-clad sleepers first .  It really is very fine stuff.

The grooves can be seen here - in extreme close-up !!!




In addition to the above, I bought what I thought was a complete point kit.  It now appears I will also need some curved rail sections to make it - another $12 !!!!

Here's the fret of the point components less the curved rails:




This shot might give an idea of scale.  The "prop" is a 30ml bottle of Tip-Ex fluid:




The fine detail I'm expected to work with …………….




The colour difference is due to my lighting.  Photographing nickel-silver etches under a single electric light in a hurry isn't easy ……….

I'm starting to understand why most tram layouts use "ordinary" railway track ………….

I may yet order a sample of the other type I found although I can't buy small quantities because the rail is in metre lengths.  On the other hand, I might buy a copy of Templot and do away with the grooved girder rail altogether ……..but then that wouldn't be tram track would it …:roll:

I wish you luck Peter

This would appear to be the sort of exercise that drives me demented and running for the SLW

All you will need is patience and precision Qualities that sadly I lack

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

All you will need is patience and precision Qualities that sadly I lack

I thought that was all in my domain John.  Both are qualities I'm always eager to learn but somehow fail to grasp………………..

I'm starting to think I ought to have stuck with the trains ……………

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

I wish you luck Peter

This would appear to be the sort of exercise that drives me demented and running for the SLW

I would be going 'AAaaaghhhhhh!' at the same time. Good luck, Peter.

[It's Liz I feel sorry for……]


Doug

Trams are not really my thing Peter, but yours look superb.

You look like you've got work work cut out with those etches. I can hardly see the grooves in the photos and they must be about 3 times full size   :shock:

Do the parts screw together :pedal:roll:

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

I'm starting to think I ought to have stuck with the trains ……………

Peter

Well if you do  decide you feel that way I will be more than happy to provide a  new home for your trams as I am really enjoying my exploration of this completely new field of the hobby .  I might even throw in my collection of model buses so you still had something to go on the module without all these problems with grooved rail having to be sorted out.

 

                                                                                                                               

            :pedal

I've sort of decided to go with this type of tram track - in spite of the fine detail.  I may yet regret it but the cost of the other was just too high for a "trial" bit.  I was surprised they wouldn't send me an off-cut to have alook at but there you are.

I've also been researching the product on a tram forum and, once you can master the size, it really does look great.


http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/172-the-grime-street-blog/page__st__30  (about half way down the page)


With this in mind, I'm going to build 2 short "test" strips - 1 gluing the rails to the baseboard, road from poured plaster and scribed cobbles.  As I said earlier, I'm concerned that the plaster layer will be too thin although that's what the guy in the above link did.

The second I'm laying on sleepers to give added depth to the plaster.  I've just received my 1.6mm sleepers from C & L.  Copperclad in lengths and "timber" in a pack of 100.  I was surprised that the "timber" sleepers are in fact, plastic !!!  I now have the problem of gluing the N/S rails to plastic sleepers !!!!

Watch this space …………….

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

  I was surprised that the "timber" sleepers are in fact, plastic !!!  I now have the problem of gluing the N/S rails to plastic sleepers !!!!

Watch this space …………….

Peter, in the real big rail world, rail itself has chairs & I think with model rail, they, the equivalent chairs are slid on the rail and a special glue does the trick.

Now in your case,, you may need a contact type cement to stick N/S to plastic.  Google  "glueing metal to plastic" to see what is available.

Thanks Ron.  I think I read gluing advice somewhere on C&L's site - on the other hand, maybe not !! :roll:

I'll Google it and see what comes up. :thumbs

There is an alternative - there's a site in Canada that does genuine wood sleepers:

Fast Tracks - Helping the World Build Better Railroads

Maybe some other UK supplier does 1.6mm thick real wood sleepers ………….

 

:hiPeter, Just caught up with your Tram layout build, Great stuff!

I have early memories of London trams running along Fulham High Street in the mid fifties, As kids we used to love the showers of sparks from the overhead pickups of the trams.

Regarding your C+L plastic sleepers :sad: Could you return them and change them over to the 0.8mm ply ones, Glue 2 together and you have your 1.6mm thick sleepers in wood.

Just a thought.

Regards,

Derek

[user=477]shunter 1 wrote:[/user]

Regarding your C+L plastic sleepers :sad: Could you ………….. change them over to the 0.8mm ply ones, Glue 2 together and you have your 1.6mm thick sleepers in wood.
………………………

I hadn't thought of that Derek ……….hmm

Not sure I'd bother returning them - they were only just over £4 but if the 0.8 ones are really timber, then that might be a good wheeze …….

Thanks. :thumbs

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

[user=477]shunter 1 wrote:[/user]

Regarding your C+L plastic sleepers :sad: Could you ………….. change them over to the 0.8mm ply ones, Glue 2 together and you have your 1.6mm thick sleepers in wood.
………………………

I hadn't thought of that Derek ……….hmm

Not sure I'd bother returning them - they were only just over £4 but if the 0.8 ones are really timber, then that might be a good wheeze …….

Thanks. :thumbs

:thumbsHi Peter, They are timber :thumbs On their site, Go into their Timber Tracks section, They also do some very tasty track and point panels in Timber.

Regards,

Derek

The problem is Derek - the "OO Gauge thick" sleepers are also listed under "timber sleepers" with nothing to say they are plastic.

I've asked them to confirm that the 0.8mm are in fact timber, explaining my problem.  I've also asked them if they have a recommended glue for the plastic to N/S rail joint.  I don't want to use too many copperclad ties as this would defeat the object of getting some depth between the baseboard and rail top.  I was planning to cut the timber sleepers into "plates" leaving the track centre free of obstruction between each copperclad.

They were quick off the mark last time so maybe tomorrow will bring some answers.

I'm reliably informed by that excellent chap now running C & L Finescale (Pete Llewellyn) that contact adhesive will glue my N/S rail to their plastic sleepers.

Unfortunately, it's just about the only adhesive missing from my "glue box" so I'll have to wait until I go into town later on this week. (I have to say, I do have my doubts but we'll see)

He did say that, as it works, there's no need for me to order the 0.8mm sleepers Derek so he sounds pretty confident………….:roll::roll:

The Maxmill Electric Tramway Company is delighted to announce that it has acquired the valuable real estate property known as "Chocolate Pudding Lane" together with a selection of rolling stock and vehicles.

Chocolate Pudding Lane was designed and built by Geoff R and played an important part in the success of the YMR show last September drawing crowds of admirers of all ages.

The METC plan to extend both the underground and main line facilities of Chocolate Pudding Lane by incorporating  it in the multi-facet passenger transport system of Maxmill Town and surrounding areas.

I hope you will be as pleased to revisit this remarkable tube station as I was.

Watch this space for progress reports over the next few days.