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Ed Full Member 
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With Latton Street now having dust covers put on as it’s been far too cold in the garage since mid November, thought I’d have a go at something new. I’ve been thinking for months I’d quite like to do something in narrow gauge, and although I briefly dabbled in 009 many many years ago, it was seeing a picture of a 009 loco balance on somebody's finger that made me think it really is to small for me now. Inspired by various 7mm Narrow Gauge layouts I’ve seen around the web I thought I’d have a go at a few kits in O-16.5, something I can do indoors for the next few months until it’s warm enough to get back out in the garage.  While waiting for the loco body kit to be delivered, I built a scaled up version of the Scaelscenes Small Goods Store, just to get some idea of size. Bit of a bodge job as I don’t think I’ve used the right thickness of card and I’m not very good at card building kits. There are plenty of far far better examples pictured around the web, but at least I now know this stuff is BIG. Comparison.  Just finished one of the Peco wagon kits and decided buffers was the way to go.  Not painted yet and I’ve messed up a bit as I’ve removed the lowest two rivets on the left hand side of the body, not realising the hand brake went on the other end  Working on one of the the two Smallbrook Studio loco kits I’ve bought, ‘AURA’.  I bought this one as an afterthought after already ordering ‘ECHO’ which is a full body kit, but thought I’d do this first as it’s only really a new cab and chimney. More as it happens. Ed |
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Western Way Full Member 
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This thread is going to be very helpful to me because I am planning a small narrow gauge lay out next and have not got a clue on how to go about it. John |
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Barchester Administrator 
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Watching with interest Ed, I'm going down exactly the same O-16.5 route for the very same reasons and have been collecting bits and peices over the last year including some smallbrooke kits to build. Have you been following Nigels (BCDR) On30 kit bashing master class ? Some great little tips in there from Nigel Ron and Max on detailing etc. Your right about the difference in scale with the buildings... big beggars aren't they ! Any idea on a theme yet ? I'm thinking of some sort of grungy industrial-engineering back water where wagons and logos are repaired and maybe spruced up so I can park a few logos and wagons around and do some shunting. . But I'll not ramble on in here, looking forward to what you come up with ! Cheers Matt |
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Brossard Member 
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This is great Ed. I'm so happy to see you venturing into 0 gauge.   Narrow gauge is, I think, a good compromise.I'm also glad to see that you are dabbling in Scalescenes buildings.  I've been doing that as well:http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=14475&forum_id=150 John |
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BCDR Moderator 
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"Masterclass"?? Ha! Trials and tribulations and how to do it on the cheap with bits of styrene is a better description. If it helps others that is a great bonus. It's nice to see others getting into 0 scale narrow gauge. Bit easier on the eyes and fingers and it can be done in the same space as a 4mm layout. Those Smallbrook Studio kits are great as scratch building aids, and the resin takes well to either epoxy or CA. Downside is that most are designed for the Hornby 0-4-0, where the wheels are too big. Branchlines in Westbury, Wiltshire, had a decent chassis with appropriate diameter wheels. I think it is still in business. Ask for the narrow gauge leaflet. I'll give a plug for A1 Models as well, easy brass kits that go on US diesel locomotives. Nigel |
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Ed Full Member
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Totally fictitious Matt, no real theme. I might recycle my Shunting Puzzle Plank board, to make a micro layout. Don't think my Goods Store is anywhere near as good as yours John (Brossard), but I've scaled up the old 3 foot rule by 175% as well, so from 5 foot 3 inches it ain't too bad. Certainly easier on the eyes and fingers Nigel. I've seen you mention the oversize wheels elsewhere. Suppose could always make it a tramway and put skirts on all the locos  I've fitted the funnel and put some filler along the side of the tanks where they meet the spectacle plate.   The bottom of the spectacle plate and the back of the firebox attached to it inside the cab has to be sanded/filed to accommodate the motor housing. Anyone with a Hornby pug will know what I mean. Unfortunately I was a bit over zealous with the file and there is a gap where the top of the boiler meets the spectacle plate, behind the dome in the next picture.  It's the dark bit (I've actually put pencil on it). Plan to cut a rectangle piece of styrene to go right across the front of the spectacle plate about 5mm high to hide it. Now waiting for the filler to dry. Ed PS John (Western Way) I haven't got a clue what I'm doing either  |
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BCDR Moderator
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Hi Ed, I knew bits of styrene and filler would be used sooner or later  . Tramway plates are a good idea if you don't want to mess around with the chassis. More styrene. Looking good. Contractor loco, highway construction (bypass) in the 1930's?Nigel |
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BCDR Moderator
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Western Way wrote: This thread is going to be very helpful to me because I am planning a small narrow gauge lay out next and have not got a clue on how to go about it. Join the club. Basically 2 ways - cheap and cheerful using a chassis from the scale below (N for HO/OO, HO/OO for 7mm/On16.5/On30, although an N chassis with an O body works well, estate railways and the like), or lotsa dosh kits. I've done both, and lean towards proprietary chassis' and either off the shelf body parts/shells or DIY bodies using styrene/brass sheet and tubes. Using a proprietary chassis saves a lot of time, styrene/brass keeps it cheap. Peco On16.5 track works OK in 7mm, although you can use regular OO track and just increase the sleeper spacing. Or make your own using Templot or Fast Tracks templates. O scale bodies in narrow gauge in reality come to around 1/64 S scale, although most HO/OO bodies look fine with an O scale cab, chimney, domes and water filler covers. No hard and fast rules about prototypes, most narrow gauge locomotives got modified over the years to suite local conditions. The class 08 chassis with the jackshaft is prototypical for early diesel mechanical locomotives.The Dapol Drewry kit is a good source of bits and pieces. It's the old Kitmaster tooling, still good after all these years. Plenty of suppliers in the UK. You can still get the Wrightline kits (from Adrian Swain), expensive but nicely detailed. Brass etches from Worsley Works, usually just the body shell, kits and bits from Smallbrook Studios... Nigel |
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sparky Member
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Don,t knock it Ed, your buildings are fine plus they get lost in amongst the completed layout. |
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Ed Full Member
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sparky wrote: Don,t knock it Ed, your buildings are fine plus they get lost in amongst the completed layout. Thanks Reg, at least in a larger scale the bits you have to cut out aren't quite so small. Ed |
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Brossard Member
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In 7mm windows are still a problem. I've started the Scalescenes water tower: (https://scalescenes.com/product/r025a-water-tower/ ) and tried to cut out the windows from card with little success. Perhaps my hamfistedness. In this case I'm trying to build them (there are only two) from 0.060" x 0.060" Evergreen strip. I did post a thread about Brassmasters windows in 7mm so if people want these, they should inundate John with emails demanding them. John |
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Ed Full Member
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Slow progress.....  I'd forgotten that to do any spraying with rattle cans, I'd have to go out in the garage and we seem to have had more dark, cold, wet and windy January days than over the last few years.... ......... or perhaps I'm just getting old Ed |
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sparky Member
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You may already know Ed, but you get a better result if you warm the rattle can in a jug of hot water for a while . |
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Ed Full Member
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Thanks Reg, good tip  I've just been bring the rattle can indoors for a few hours, to warm up before using. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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Just building the next two wagon kits and got to the point of drilling hole for the buffers. (Wagon floors are in the foreground below) I've decided to go without buffers and removed them from the wagon I had already built and the loco.  Don't know why but the loco looks better to me without buffers, sort of cries out 'Narrow Gauge'. Ed |
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BCDR Moderator
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Great!!! Nigel |
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Ed Full Member
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Thanks Nigel. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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I've built another two wagons and the loco with two wagons will just about fit on my version of a cassette, otherwise known as a Peco Loco Lift. Not a very good picture as there's not a lot of light in the kitchen, but you get the idea. Ed |
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Barchester Administrator
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Looks the part Ed ! What's next ? Cheers Matt |
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Ed Full Member
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Think I'd better get on with the other loco kit Matt. I know it's wider, so I need to make sure it will fit on the 'cassette'. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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I've started the 'ECHO' kit and it just about fits on the cassette.  Footplate isn't quite flat on the chassis for some reason and that large T/L coupling has got to come off. I've replaced the couplings on the first loco with a wire loop, but I'm not really happy with it, so some more surgery required on both loco chassis to see what I can get to fit. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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Got the boiler fitted at the week-end. It says in the instructions that "If fouling occurs, pare carefully away at the underside of the backhead on the inside edge to gain clearance", and check that the capacitor/suppressors and resistors are not on top of the motor, but in front of the motor and behind the worm gear or to the side. Bearing in mind these 0-4-0 chassis have changed a bit over the years, I found that the rear of the motor and it's plastic mounting didn't require much 'paring' to fit, it was the capacitors and motor connections themselves that needed quite a bit of sanding to the inside of the boiler to allow it to sit down on the footplate. Moving the caps forward just made them droop so that they were almost touching the worm. I've tried to dim the picture a bit to show the basic shape inside the boiler casting.  On reflection, it would have been easier to fit a decoder which normally means turning the motor upside down anyway. Food for thought    Now working on the cab and have fitted the regulator.  Ed |
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Barchester Administrator
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Interesting Ed, I'm still swithering whether to go DC or DCC with my kits. One of my concerns is lack of space for the decoder. How much room do you think would be left if you cut off the capacitors/ suppressors and flipped the motor ? On Buffers, A couple of bad photos but they show a type of buffer used on some light engines and a dumb buffer used on some Tank engines that I'm thinking of scratch building as a better option    Not sure if these help  Looking forward to more !Cheers Matt |
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BCDR Moderator
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Hi Ed, That's coming along nicely. You could always drill out the boiler and smoke box (separate them first), or mill out a section in one of the tanks, or scratch build a bunker to put a Z/N scale decoder in (I've done all three in the past). A chassis etch and proper sized wheels from Branchlines in Westbury (if they are still in business) is another alternative. Comes with proper connecting and motion rods, and uses just the metal frame from the Hornby. Smaller wheels and motor and a high ration (1:50) gearbox leaves plenty of room for a decoder, as well as good slow running. The other thing I found is that the older metal chassis Hornby 0-4-0 works better than the modern plastic one with the Smallbrook Studio kits. Nigel |
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Ed Full Member
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This is one I did a few years ago Matt, with a Digitrax N gauge decoder (DN136). If I'd flipped the motor I could have moved the decoder down so that it over hanged the worm a bit, or a Z scale decoder would be a bit smaller. I decided to go without buffers and just have a central buffer/coupling. I believe the prototype is a Norwegian/Chopper coupling. Lot of people use Kadees, but I think they just look right on UK four wheeled wagons, so I'm trying to stick with the Bachmann mini type tension locks. Not a million miles away from a central buffer/coupling. I have looked at some others including scale chopper couplings here but they're a bit expensive and require a fair bit of work. Hi Nigel Interesting that you mention the old Hornby chassis as Smallbrook recommend the newer China produced ones as better runners. Take your point though if you change the wheels and gearing, but I think that may be a bit beyond me with only a few hand tools and the dining table as a work bench. However, I think Branchlines are still going, there's a thread on RMweb and somebody bought something in January. I'm assuming it's the same Branchlines that make the chassis for the Peco O-16.5 loco kits, tempting as a third loco if a little more expensive, and I've never made a white metal kit. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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While assembling the cab front and sides, I remembered it said in the instructions to get the boiler as far forward as possible to clear the top of the motor. But bearing in mind the cab front fits in front of the rear band on the boiler, the further forward it is, the greater the distance between the cab front and back, and......  you can end up with a bit of a gap. Some filing of the rear boiler band solved the problem.   The side tanks are glued in line with the cab sides, running parallel to the outer edge of the footplate. This should leave a gap of about 2mm between the inside of the front of the tanks and outside of the smoke box. Mine isn't, so despite all my efforts I didn't quite get the boiler in right in the middle of the footplate  Not going to show you a picture of that though, too late now anyway Just about had time yesterday to give it a quick spray with grey primer.   Chimney looks a bit sloped in the pictures, but it looks ok when I'm looking at it. Cab roof isn't fixed either as I want to paint the inside of the cab and add a driver. I rather fancy painting it red, don't know why, just think a red narrow gauge locomotive would look good. Still have the smoke box door darts to fit and a whistle once painted. As I was putting the body back on the capacitor connection to one of the motor terminals broke away, so out with the soldering iron next. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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It was a leg of what I believe to be the Choke (Inductor) that had broken, ringed red below. Not re-solderable and I found a Gaugemaster DCC26 which I'd bought for an old Hornby B12, so chipping it was going to be easier. I tried turning the motor to give a bit more room, but the motor terminals were fouling on the chassis. The DCC26 is a pretty small decoder and fits ok on top anyway, so I left the motor the right way up.  According to Gaugemaster, "DC Running: Allows running on both DC and DCC layouts with no adjustment, if your controller has a smooth DC output then your locomotive will run better than before!", so it should be ok on the micro layout on DC. Ed |
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Barchester Administrator
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Its amazing the difference a quick spray with the primer makes I like the Idea of Red , but does that meen you are going for some gold lining as well ? Cheers Matt |
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Ed Full Member
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Hang on Matt, bit of a way to go yet. I need to sort out the couplings and order some name plates. I've got some 'Ford Burgundy Red' paint on the way though Ed |
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ZeldaTheSwordsman Madman 
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Ooh, I like the look of these locos. My sympathies on the alignment problems you had during assembly, but at least the build's none the worse for it. |
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Ed Full Member
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Not much time at the moment for doing anything, although I have given 'ECHO' a couple of coats of burgundy. The smokebox dart isn't right so I need to revisit it, or find an alternative and it all looks more like pink in the pictures which I'm sure is down to the camera.   Ed Last edited on Sat Apr 14th, 2018 09:25 am by Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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What with a family bereavement in March, health problems and the recent very hot weather, I haven't been in the mood much for modelling, but I finally got around to doing the coach kit. It would have looked very odd without passengers, so as you can see I've stuck some in after making some benches out of lolly sticks.  They're not quite the right scale, but I think it looks ok if you don't look too closely. The couplings have turned out a bit too low.   So I'll have to file the buffer beams down a bit and pack it out with styrene.   Not much done really, but it's something. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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I've been planning a new small O-16.5 layout and as it will require some buildings, I thought I'd have a go at building something from scratch. Never having built anything from scratch before, and me being me and not starting simple, I've been working on a totally non-prototypical engine shed. I've drawn some plans in LibreOffice Draw, but these may change as I go along.  Printed and stuck to 2mm card.  Then cut out.   Glued using a bit of Lego to try and get square corners.  However, using small square bracing pieces inside the walls to try and keep everything square didn't look right, so I removed them and just doubled up the end walls, laminating them together.     It appears to be square, so I'm now looking at wall coverings. I'm really tempted by the Slaters planking for the walls and corrugations for the roof, but this would turn out a bit expensive for something that might end up in the bin. I've tried scaling up some Scalescenes Plain Clapboard for the walls, but it doesn't look right, so it might be brick paper. Ed Last edited on Thu Aug 30th, 2018 11:12 am by Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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I decided I'd try the Scalescenes clapboard paper anyway and I don't think it looks too bad, even if it is under scale.   Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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Slow progress, but I've added some windows and started on the roof.  Ed |
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jimmy styles Full Member 
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Looking good, I quite fancy a dabble in this scale as well |
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Ed Full Member
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As long as it meets my four and an half foot rule Jimmy, I'll be happy. (That's the 3 foot rule I used in OO scaled up by 1.75% )Why don't you give it a go, but buildings do come out a bit big. This engine shed is only just over a scale 16 1/2 feet high at 117mm, but a two storey building is going to be around 200mm high (eight inches in old money). Ed Last edited on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 09:02 am by Ed |
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jimmy styles Full Member
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I think I will give it a go ince I finish the other two |
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Ed Full Member
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Ed |
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Marty Enjoying the Journey 
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For a first design and build Ed it’s looking pretty good to me so far. The clapboard works for a low budget narrow gauge line too. |
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Ed Full Member
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Pretty much 'playing it by ear' Marty Spent some time yesterday redesigning the top of the roof and rebuilding the base so that the track fits properly. I'm not in any hurry and when I do finish it, I'll have to do something about sorting out a layout for it to go on. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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I seem to be continually re-cutting bits of card to get everything to fit, but I suppose that's what comes of trying to build something without any plans or dimensions to hand. I also just found out that although the parts I drew in LibreOffice Draw easily fit on a piece of A4 paper, the software had decided to shrink some of the drawings slightly on printing, so the shed isn't actually 250mm long it's 244mm long. I only found out when I printed some drawing on a another printer that was set to 'crop (preserve dimensions)', but it's all a bit of a learning process I suppose. So, still working on the roof, which is turning into a bit of a marathon   Ed |
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MaxSouthOz Admin 
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You're making a nice job of it, Ed. |
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Ed Full Member
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Thanks Max. Lots of errors, but if you don't try you don't learn. At least a loco fits.   Ed |
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Montignac Former Member
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Nice loco shed. I'm following your topic with a great interest. |
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Ed Full Member
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Thanks Chris. I've actually decided that the surfaces look too flat in this scale. It would probably be ok if it was right at the back of a large layout, but it sits right at the front of my narrow plank. So, I have today received some Slaters embossed plastikard to try and give it a makeover over Christmas. Never tried this before, so goodness knows how it will turn out Ed |
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Mr.Tin Full Member
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Shiplap would be about 6" on the real thing and so would be a good 3 1/2mm on the model. Strips of card overlapping are fine, but I've done shiplap buildings using Foamex and impressing the overlap. Cut lines just below the surface, then with the end of a steel rule or similar instrument angle over a bit and draw down the plank so that the edge is tucked in at the cut. Bingo, shiplap. So easy.  This is 1/32nd scale for a NG layout I once started called Raveloe, but I gave it to a friend with more space and then he suddenly died and I never saw the models again. But it shows what you can do with Foamex sheet. Any signage company will have large offcuts. Not too keen on that tapered boiler on the Smallbrooke NG black loco. Looks a little out of proportion to me. I think skirts would look great. Not enough tramways around and track on the sides of roads always looks good. Martin |
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Ed Full Member
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The engine shed is about 244mm long x 1200mm wide Martin, and I decided I didn't have the patience or skill to cut over 20 strips of card for each of the walls to make Shiplap. I don't really want to start all over again in Foamex either, so Plastikard clapboard seemed the easiest solution. As a member of the 7mm NGA I can get it at a reduced price with free postage, so I thought it was worth a try. The Smallbrook black loco (Aura) is really just a cab and a chimney on a Hornby body, so yes it isn't really going to look right, but it's a good introduction. The maroon loco (Echo) is a full body kit and looks much better. Which reminds me, I still have loco No3, another Smallbrook kit to build and I've just bought a Bachmann Porter 0-4-0 which I hope to anglicize. Ed |
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Mr.Tin Full Member
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Ed, patience is one thing, but it takes no skill to cut 20 strips of card, really. And it takes no time at all. You could do it while your tea cools down. It will look better than Slaters (slight irregularities) and cost you nothing at all. It'll also take paint better. Stick it on with Evo-Stik from a tube. Don't go looking for it. Shops no longer stock it. I got a pack of 6 tubes off ebay for a tenner. I no longer use shops except for food. I buy everything online as shops are generally a waste of time these days. No stock and couldn't care less, so to Hell with them. Martin |
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Ed Full Member
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Twenty strips of card x four walls Martin and you haven't seem my attempts of cutting in a straight line I've already got the embossed plastikard so I am going to stick with it, but I have a small hut to build so I might give strips of card a go on that. Ed |
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Mr.Tin Full Member
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I take it you have a straight edge, so cutting a strip of card couldn't be easier as long as your knife is sharp. And you aren't cutting 4 walls, you're cutting strips, from which you would be cutting whatever length you need per wall. But if you are about to make a hut, try the Foamex method. Much quicker. Martin |
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Ed Full Member
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Might give the Foamex a try Martin, when I get some of current kits and buildings finished. Ed |
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Mr.Tin Full Member
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The beauty of Foamex, Ed, is that you can do brick, concrete, render, stone and shiplap all at one hit, if you could find such a building! Martin |
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Ed Full Member
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Been having a look and Foamex seems to come in various thicknesses Martin, any preference? Ed |
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Mr.Tin Full Member
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Ed, I use 3mm as it's easy to cut and mitre for corners and plenty strong enough. I have it down to 1mm and up to about 8mm, but only use the 3mm normally. That's likely mto be what you can beg from signage companies as offcuts. I'm lucky as my son works for a signage company Martin |
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Ed Full Member
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Thanks Martin. |
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Ed Full Member
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This is very odd. I've been covering the shed with Slaters clapboard and for some reason the last wall I've done has become blistered. I've used UHU glue to stick the embossed platikard straight over the paper clad card walls and all the other walls are fine. Not a very good picture, but there's not a lot of light.  It's almost like the glue has reacted with the patikard as the whole wall is warped, but all the other walls are fine. You can see the warped back wall in the picture below.  Anybody else experienced this? Ed |
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Mr.Tin Full Member
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Ed, that can only be a little too much UHU, more than the other walls. UHU and Evo-Stik do have solvents which will attack plastics if they're used too much, but a thin skin is all you need. I would personally never use UHU for anything of any area. I just can't get on with it drying too fast. That Plastikard isn't clapboard, it's siding, which is like the sort of wooden walling (usually metal) that Americans use on their walls. Clapboard overlaps, hence the name "shiplap", like the more correctly named "clinker" planking on smaller boats where the plank above overlaps the one below. Of course on a boat the planks are precisely cut in shape and carefully rebated to fit perfectly at the ends. On a shed the planks are just simply overlapped. And that texture shows, in any scale. I'm surprised how thin that sheet looks. I've been gluing styrene sheets to card for decades and it always works with Evo-Stik, which I put on from a tube quickly and then spread it with my thumb and forefinger...nature's spatulas. Same on the back of the styrene and leave it for a while. Then, with care, bang the two together. The solvents will have evaporated long ago. Your only hope here is to replace it, I'm afraid. Cheers, Martin |
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Ed Full Member
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Thanks Martin. Didn't think I'd used more glue on this wall than I did on the others, but perhaps I did. I'll give it another go. Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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Less glue worked ok  Now I need to decide what colour to paint it, greyish old wood or .......................... Ed |
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sparky Member
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Solvent free UHU is available . |
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Ed Full Member
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Thanks Reg, I'll have to get some At the moment I'm trying to resist the urge to paint it yellow....................... duuno why Ed |
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Ed Full Member
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I resisted, it's burnt umber. Ed |
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gtmspyder Full Member 
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It has been mentioned several times that the Hornby "Smoky Joe chassis" has wheels that are too large for the narrow gauge engines that they purport to be? So what size wheels should they be, and where to get them. My "knottworthy Magna" layout has several of the "Smallbrook loco's" all on "Smoky Joe" chassis, with Radio control and 3.7v Lipo batteries powering them, and I find them very controllable, with smaller wheels they would be even slower, but I might have a go to see what the results are like? Thanks for any help and good luck with your layout. Kind regards, BrianT. |
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Ed Full Member
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Fitting smaller wheels may affect the coupling height Brian, but as was mentioned earlier another way around it is to fit skirts and run as a tramway. Ed |
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gtmspyder Full Member
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Hello Ed, thank you for your reply, I knew the smaller wheels would affect the coupling height, which is easily adjusted anyway, but I was interested in the alternate wheels and their suppliers.Has anyone got details of the bits for Hornby Smoky Joe chassis, or alternate chassis for the Smallbrook kits please? Does anyone make any brass top hat bushes that would fit in the Hornby chassis to more accurately carry 1/8" axles, and also a gearbox and motor to suit?? Regards, BrianT. |
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Ed Full Member
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Not something I'd want to attempt with my limited skills Brian. I've had a look on various forums and around the web generally, and I can't find any references to anyone re-wheeling the Smokey Joe (or similar) chassis. Doesn't mean to say it hasn't been attempted, I just can't find any published documentation. Ed |
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gtmspyder Full Member
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 Thank you Ed for your trouble, that was the conclusion I came to too.Because of the few odd references to the Smoky Joe chassis that I have seen posted, I had assumed that there was something out there that would give details of the conversion  .I think I will stick to the wheels as supplied as I don't know what is considered to be an alternative, although I could carry out the conversion if it was available, and I don't particularly like skirted loco's any way. As I do not have a lathe, the turning of top hat axle bushes is beyond me, and I am not going to purchase a jewel makers lathe, and a suitable reamer just to be able to undertake the necessary engineering work to the Chassis's. Kind regards, BrianT. |
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BCDR Moderator
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Hi Ed, and others who may be interested, Branchlines in Westbury had/have an etched chassis kit including pistons, cross heads and rods, and scale wheels to match, for the Hornby model. Converst it into a Pug. Add a motor and low ration gearbox (1:50) and it looks the job after some minor fettling of the body shell to get the chassis to fit. I did one some years ago. Stuffed a sound decoder in as well, speaker in the cab. Just buy a spare body shell for the conversion, or sell the old chassis. The Smallbrook Studio models can be fettled to use this chassis as they are specifically designed for the Hornby one. The Smokey Joe chassis is not amenable to smaller diameter wheels as the couplers are integrated. And the rod and "pistons' still look like a toy locomotive. That byw can be made into a realistic looking system with some spare pistons, cross heads and rods. Putting smaller wheels on means raising the height of the body a tad to allow couplers to work. And then it still needs the rods modifying.... If you fancy a bit of chassis building send them an email for the catalog. Nigel |
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ZeldaTheSwordsman Madman
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This has come a ways since last I looked into this thread. "Echo" has turned out nicely, and so has that shed after all the trial and error. |
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Ed Full Member
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I've done some more to the shed Brendan, just not taken any pictures. Work stalled as I was finding the board too heavy to carry in and out of the garage (it has to move twice a week for domestic duties to be done), hence my dabbling now in 009 as well. The 009 board is smaller and much lighter, but I hope to continue on the O-16.5 build, in the garage, when the weather warms up. Ed |
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